Andre Norton

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This is about the author of over 100 science-fiction, fantasy, and other novels. For the author of about ten each of science-fiction novels and non-fiction science books, see Alan E. Nourse.

Andre Alice Norton (February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005), science fiction and fantasy author (with some works of historical fiction and contemporary fiction), was born Alice Mary Norton in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. She published her first novel in 1934. She was the first woman to receive the Gandalf Grand Master Award from the World Science Fiction Society in 1977, and she won the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award from the SFWA in 1983. She wrote under the noms de plume Andre Norton, Andrew North and Allen Weston.

1 Biography
2 Recurring themes
3 Bibliography
4 External links

[edit] Biography

The parents of Alice Mary Norton were Adalbert Freely Norton, who owned a rug company, and Bertha Stemm. She began writing at Collinwood High School in Cleveland, under the tutelage of Miss Sylvia Cochrane. She was the editor of a literary page in the school's paper called The Collingwood Spotlight for which she wrote short stories. During this time, she wrote her first book—Ralestone Luck, which was eventually published as her second novel in 1938, the first being The Prince Commands in 1934.

After graduating from high school in 1930, Norton continued her education at Flora Stone Mather College of Western Reserve University. In 1932, she began working for the Cleveland Library System and remained there for 18 years, latterly in the children's section of the Nottingham Branch Library in Cleveland. She legally changed her name to Andre Alice Norton in 1934 to appeal to a predominantly male audience and to increase her marketability. From 1940 to 1941, she worked as a special librarian in the cataloguing department of the Library of Congress, involved in a project related to alien citizenship. The project was abruptly terminated upon American entry into World War II.

In 1941, she bought a bookstore called the Mystery House in Mount Rainier, Maryland. The business failed and she returned to the Cleveland Public Library until 1950. Then she began working as a reader for Martin Greenberg at Gnome Press, where she remained until 1958, after which she became a full-time professional author.

She was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a loose-knit group Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies.

In later years, her health became uncertain; Norton was forced to move to Florida in November 1966 and then to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. From February 21, 2005, she was under hospice care, with her health in precipitous decline. She died on March 17, 2005, peacefully in her own home, with her friend and her cats at her side.

Her final complete novel, Three Hands for Scorpio, was published on April 1, 2005. She was collaborating with Jean Rabe on Return to Quag Keep when she died. It was completed by Rabe and published in 2006.

On February 20, 2005, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, which had earlier honored her with its Grand Master Award in 1983, announced the creation of the Andre Norton Award, which will be given each year for an outstanding work of fantasy or science fiction for the young adult market, starting in 2006. The eligibility requirements and award procedures will be the same as those for the other Nebula Awards.

Often called the Grande Dame of Science Fiction and Fantasy by biographers such as J.M Cornwell and organizations such as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Publishers Weekly and Time, Andre Norton wrote novels for over 70 years. She had a profound influence on the entire genre, having over 300 published titles read by at least 4 generations of science fiction and fantasy authors. Notable authors who cite her influence include Greg Bear, Lois McMaster Bujold, C.J. Cherryh, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Tanya Huff, Mercedes Lackey, Charles de Lint, Joan D. Vinge, David Weber K. D. Wentworth and Dario de Judicibus.

[edit] Recurring themes

In most Norton books, whether SF or fantasy, the plot takes place in the open countryside, with only short episodes in a city environment. Protagonists usually move about singly or in small groups, and in conflict situations they are more often scouts, spies or guerillas rather than regular soldiers in large military formations.

As could be expected of such characters, they tend to be resourceful and capable of taking independent initiative. In some books protagonists are introduced already in possession of such characteristics. In others the protagonists (often young) are thrust into situations where they must develop them quickly, and invariably succeed at it.

Other planets in the books are usually earthlike places, where humans can live without special protection, and have extensive flora and fauna which are described in considerable detail and often have substantial bearing on the plot. Airless planets and ones with unbreathable atmospheres are sometimes mentioned in passing, but are virtually never the main scene of a Norton book.

A common theme in the books is the presence of sympathetically presented feudal and tribal cultures. In several books Native American tribes and their various analogues are given a chance to be more successful than they were in actual American history. Non-human creatures and cultures are usually presented sympathetically, with human protagonists sometimes supporting them against oppressive human authorities. In contrast, several books present technological and mechanised cultures as negative or even positively evil.

An important role in Norton's books is often given to animals - both ordinary terrestrial ones, such as cats (with whom she had much personal experience) and exotic fictional ones, whose characteristics are meticulously worked out. Many of Norton's animals are highly intelligent without being anthropomorphic, acting as virtually full partners to the human protagonists and in many books forming telepathic links with them.