Shwartz, Susan M
Entry updated 28 October 2024. Tagged: Author.
(1949- ) US author who has been more clearly associated with fantasy than with sf, beginning with her first story, "The Fires of Her Vengeance" in The Keeper's Price (anth 1979) edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, later stories being assembled as Suppose They Gave a Peace and Other Stories (coll 2002). She soon however began to concentrate on extended works like the impressive Heirs to Byzantium Alternate-History trilogy: Byzantium's Crown (1987), The Woman of Flowers (1987) and Queensblade (1988); the Jonbar Point has some plausibility: Marc Antony defeats Octavius in the Battle of Actium, and with Cleopatra establishes Byzantium as the central power of the time, with Christianity severely marginalized. Her sf novels include White Wing (1985) with S N Lewitt, writing together as Gordon Kendall, which is a vigorous sf adventure; Heritage of Flight (fixup 1989), an adventure set on an alien planet; Second Chances (2001), a Space Opera, effectively combines element of Military SF and moral fable, the latter through its explicit retelling of Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim (1901); and Hostile Takeover (2004), which is set initially in a moderately Near Future corporation-dominated Dystopian America, and carries its protagonist to a colony planet as a financial auditor for an unsavory interplanetary conglomerate. Though sf has not attracted her full attention, a caring literacy attractively infuses the action in all these tales. Habitats (anth 1984) contains several interesting Space Habitat tales original to that volume.
Shwartz's Ties contributed to the Star Trek universe – beginning with Star Trek: Vulcan's Forge (1997), all with Josepha Sherman – are serviceable. [JC]
Susan Martha Shwartz
born Youngstown, Ohio: 31 December 1949
works (fantasy titles are highly selected)
series
Heirs to Byzantium
- Byzantium's Crown (New York: Questar/Popular Library, 1987) [Heirs to Byzantium: pb/Rowena Morrill]
- The Woman of Flowers (New York: Questar/Popular Library, 1987) [Heirs to Byzantium: pb/Rowena Morrill]
- Queensblade (New York: Questar/Popular Library, 1987) [Heirs to Byzantium: pb/Rowena Morrill]
Central Asia
- Imperial Lady: A Fantasy of Han China (New York: Tor, 1989) with Andre Norton [Central Asia: hb/Luis Royo]
- Empire of the Eagle (New York: Tor, 1993) with Andre Norton [Central Asia: hb/Peter Goodfellow]
Star Trek
- Star Trek: Vulcan's Forge (New York: Pocket Books, 1997) with Josepha Sherman [tie to the Star Trek universe: Star Trek: pb/Keith Birdsong]
- Star Trek: Vulcan's Heart (New York: Pocket Books, 1999) with Josepha Sherman [tie to the Star Trek universe: Star Trek: pb/Dru Blair]
- Vulcan's Soul: Exodus (New York: Pocket Books, 2004) with Josepha Sherman [tie to the Star Trek universe: Star Trek: pb/John Vairo Jr]
- Vulcan's Soul: Exiles (New York: Pocket Books, 2006) with Josepha Sherman [tie to the Star Trek universe: Star Trek: pb/Craig White]
- Vulcan's Soul: Epiphany (New York: Pocket Books, 2007) with Josepha Sherman [tie to the Star Trek universe: Star Trek: pb/John Vairo Jr]
- Vulcan's Soul (New York: Science Fiction Book Club, 2007) with Josepha Sherman [omni of the above three: tie to the Star Trek universe: Star Trek: pb/John Vairo Jr and Craig White]
individual titles
- White Wing (New York: Tor, 1985) with S N Lewitt writing together as Gordon Kendall [pb/Janny Wurts]
- Silk Roads and Shadows (New York: Tor, 1988) [pb/Nancy Weisenfeld]
- Blind Justice (New York: Ace Books, 1991) with S N Lewitt, writing together as Gordon Kendall [pb/Janny Wurts]
- Heritage of Flight (New York: Tor, 1989) [fixup: pb/Wayne Barlowe]
- The Grail of Hearts (New York: Tor, 1992) [hb/Dennis Nolan]
- Second Chances (New York: Tor, 2001) [hb/David Seeley]
- Hostile Takeover (New York: Tor, 2004) [hb/Stephan Martinière]
collections
- Suppose They Gave a Peace and Other Stories (Waterville, Maine: Five Star, 2002) [coll: hb/]
works as editor
series
Arabesques
- Arabesques: More Tales of the Arabian Nights (New York: Avon Books, 1988) [anth: Arabesques: pb/James Warhola]
- Arabesques II (New York: Avon Books, 1989) [anth: Arabesques: pb/James Warhola]
Sisters in Fantasy
- Sisters in Fantasy (New York: Roc Books, 1995) with Martin H Greenberg [anth: Sisters in Fantasy: pb/Mel Odom]
- Sisters in Fantasy II (New York: Roc Books, 1996) with Martin H Greenberg [anth: Sisters in Fantasy: pb/Mel Odom]
individual titles as editor
- Hecate's Cauldron (New York: DAW Books, 1982) [anth: pb/Michael Whelan]
- Habitats (New York: DAW Books, 1984) [anth: pb/Robert Andre]
- Moonsinger's Friends (New York: Bluejay Books, 1985) [anth: stories in honour of Andre Norton: hb/Victoria Poyser]
links
previous versions of this entry