Caitlín R. Kiernan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caitlín R. Kiernan
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Kiernan in 2011
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| Born | 26 May 1964 (age 61) Skerries, Ireland |
| Pen name | Kathleen Tierney |
| Occupation | Writer, paleontologist |
| Alma mater | Birmingham-Southern College, (B.S., Biological Sciences, 1985); University of Colorado in Boulder (M.S., Geology, 1988) |
| Period | 1984–present |
| Genre | Science fiction, dark fantasy, weird fiction |
| Notable works | Silk; Threshold; Alabaster; The Red Tree; The Drowning Girl |
Caitlín Rebekah Kiernan (born 26 May 1964) is an American writer and paleontologist. They were born in Ireland. Kiernan writes many types of stories, including science fiction and dark fantasy. They have written 10 novels, many comic books, and over 250 short stories. Kiernan has won the World Fantasy Award and the Bram Stoker Award twice each for their writing.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Caitlín R. Kiernan was born in 1964 in Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland. After their father passed away, Kiernan moved to the United States. They moved with their mother and younger sister. Much of their childhood was spent in Leeds, Alabama.
From a young age, Kiernan was interested in animals like reptiles and amphibians (herpetology). They also loved studying ancient life forms (paleontology) and writing stories. As a teenager, Kiernan volunteered at the Red Mountain Museum. They also spent summers on their first digs, looking for ancient fossils and artifacts.
Kiernan went to college to study geology and vertebrate paleontology. They attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham–Southern College, and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before becoming a full-time writer in 1992, they worked at museums and taught. Kiernan is known for being a polymath, which means they have knowledge in many different subjects.
Career
Exploring Ancient Life: Paleontology
In 1984, Kiernan helped start the Birmingham Paleontological Society. In 1988, they helped write a paper about a new type of ancient sea reptile called a mosasaur. This new type was named Selmasaurus russelli.
Kiernan has continued to publish important papers about ancient creatures. In 2002, they wrote about mosasaurs found in Alabama. In 2004, they wrote about finding a type of velociraptorine dinosaur in the eastern United States.
As of 2019, Kiernan works as a research associate at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama. They continue to study mosasaurs and ancient turtles from the Cretaceous period. In 2020, they helped describe a new large fossil sea turtle called Asmodochelys parhami. In 2021, Kiernan also joined the University of Alabama Museum. In 2022, they helped describe a new giant freshwater turtle, Appalachemys ebersolei, which had a shell over 80 cm long. In 2023, they were the main author on a paper describing two new species of the rare mosasaur Ectenosaurus.
Kiernan has been a member of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology since 1984. They are also part of other important scientific groups.
Writing Novels, Short Stories, and Comics
Kiernan's first novel, The Five of Cups, was written in the early 1990s. It was published in 2003. Their first published short story, "Persephone," came out in 1995. Their first novel to be published was Silk in 1998.
Kiernan's short stories have been chosen for many "best of" collections. Their work has been translated into many languages around the world. These include German, Italian, Chinese, French, and Japanese.
The famous writer Neil Gaiman asked Kiernan to write for The Dreaming comic series. This series was a spin-off from Gaiman's The Sandman. Kiernan wrote for The Dreaming from 1996 to 2001. They wrote about existing characters and also created new ones. Kiernan also wrote the book version of the 2007 Beowulf movie. Later, they wrote more comic series like Alabaster: Wolves (2012), Alabaster: Grimmer Tales (2013), and Alabaster: The Good, the Bad, and the Bird (2014).
Film and Screenwriting
Two of Kiernan's novels, The Red Tree and The Drowning Girl, are being made into movies. Josh Boone's Mid-World Productions is working on these films. Kiernan is writing the movie script for The Red Tree. Josh Boone will write the script for The Drowning Girl.
Writing Style
Kiernan has said that they do not think of themselves as a "horror" writer. While their stories might have scary parts, they believe that horror is an emotion, not a main type of story. They prefer to focus on things like the feeling, mood, language, and characters in their writing.
Some of Kiernan's earlier works, like Silk, included elements from the goth and punk rock styles. Later novels generally do not include these elements.
Many experts praise Kiernan's writing style. H. P. Lovecraft scholar S. T. Joshi said that Kiernan is one of the most unique writers in their field. Ann and Jeff VanderMeer have called Kiernan "perhaps the best weird writer of her generation."
Music
In 1996 and 1997, Kiernan was the singer and lyricist for a band called Death's Little Sister. The band played "goth-folk-blues" music. They were named after a character from Neil Gaiman's comics. The band was popular on local college radio and played shows in Athens and Atlanta. Kiernan left the band in 1997 because of their writing work for DC Comics and the sale of their novel Silk.
Publishing
In December 2005, Kiernan started publishing a monthly collection of short stories called Sirenia Digest. This digest includes short, dream-like stories. It is illustrated by Vince Locke. Sometimes, Kiernan works with Sonya Taaffe on these stories.
Awards and Recognition
Awards Won
Kiernan has won many awards for their writing:
- International Horror Guild Award, Best First Novel 1998 (Silk)
- Barnes and Noble Maiden Voyage Award, Best First Novel 1998 (Silk)
- International Horror Guild Award, Best Novel 2001 (Threshold)
- International Horror Guild Award, Best Short Story 2001 ("Onion")
- International Horror Guild Award, Best Mid-Length Fiction 2005 ("La Peau Verte")
- James Tiptree, Jr. Award Honoree, 2010 ("Galápagos")
- James Tiptree, Jr. Award Winner, 2012 (The Drowning Girl: A Memoir)
- Bram Stoker Award, Best Novel 2012 (The Drowning Girl: A Memoir)
- Bram Stoker Award, Best Graphic Novel 2013 (Alabaster: Wolves)
- Locus Award for Best Short Story 2014, ("The Road of Needles")
- World Fantasy Award—Short Fiction 2014, ("The Prayer of Ninety Cats")
- World Fantasy Award, Best Collection 2014, (The Ape's Wife and Other Stories)
Awards Nominated For (Partial List)
Kiernan has also been nominated for many other awards, including:
- Bram Stoker Award 1995, Best Short Story ("Persephone")
- Bram Stoker Award, Best First Novel 1998 (Silk)
- British Fantasy Award, Best First Novel 1998 (Silk)
- Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Award, Best Graphic Novel 1998 (The Girl Who Would Be Death)
- International Horror Guild Award, Best Collection (Tales of Pain and Wonder)
- World Fantasy Award 2006, Best Collection 2005 (To Charles Fort, With Love)
- Locus Award 2010, Best Fantasy Novel (The Red Tree)
- Shirley Jackson Award 2010, Best Novel (The Red Tree)
- World Fantasy Award 2010, Best Novel (The Red Tree)
- Nebula Award 2012, Best Novel (The Drowning Girl: A Memoir)
- British Fantasy Award 2012, Best Fantasy Novel (The Drowning Girl: A Memoir)
- World Fantasy Award 2012, Best Novel (The Drowning Girl: A Memoir)
- Mythopoeic Award 2012, Adult Literature (The Drowning Girl: A Memoir)
- Shirley Jackson Award 2012, Best Novel (The Drowning Girl: A Memoir)
- Bram Stoker Award 2013, Fiction Collection (The Ape's Wife and Other Stories)
- World Fantasy Award 2014, Best Novella (Black Helicopters)
- Locus Award 2018, Best Novella (Agents of Dreamland)
- Locus Award 2019, Best Collection (The Dinosaur Tourist)
See also
In Spanish: Caitlín R. Kiernan para niños
