Catherynne M. Valente facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Catherynne M. Valente
Born	(1979-05-05) May 5, 1979 (age 46) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Occupation	Poet novelist literary critic
Alma mater	UC San Diego University of Edinburgh
Genre	Postmodern, fantasy, mythpunk
Notable awards	James Tiptree Jr. (2006) Million Writers Award (2007) Rhysling Award (2007) Mythopoeic Award (2008) Andre Norton Award (2009) Locus Award (2014)

Catherynne Morgan Valente (born May 5, 1979) is an American writer. She writes exciting stories, poems, and even reviews books. She is famous for her speculative fiction novels. These are stories that imagine things that aren't real, like fantasy or science fiction.

Catherynne has won many important awards for her books. Some of these include the James Tiptree Jr. Award, the Andre Norton Award, and the Mythopoeic Award. Her short stories have appeared in many popular magazines and collections. She also writes critical essays about literature.

Discovering Catherynne Valente's Books

Catherynne Valente has written many popular and award-winning books. Her stories often mix fantasy with unique ideas. She is known for creating magical worlds and interesting characters.

Award-Winning Stories

In 2009, her book Palimpsest won an award for its unique story. Her two-book series, The Orphan's Tales, also won the Mythopoeic Award in 2008. The first book in this series, The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden, won the James Tiptree Jr. Award in 2006. It was also nominated for the World Fantasy Award.

In 2012, Catherynne Valente won three Locus Awards. These awards were for her short story White Lines on a Green Field, her novella Silently and Very Fast, and her young adult novel The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.

The Fairyland Series

One of her most famous works is the Fairyland series for young readers. The first book, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, became a New York Times Best Seller in 2011. This means many people bought and loved the book!

The next book in the series, The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, was named one of Time magazine's Best Fiction books of 2012. These books take readers on amazing adventures in a magical land.

Creative Ways to Share Stories

Catherynne Valente is also part of the crowdfunding movement. This is where fans help pay for a project to be made. Her Fairyland novel was one of the first crowdfunded books to win a major award before it was even published by a traditional company. This shows how much her readers believed in her work.

She also performs with singer/songwriter S. J. Tucker. They do reading concerts that include dancers and artists. It's a unique way to bring her stories to life!

What is Mythpunk?

In 2006, Catherynne Valente jokingly created the word "mythpunk". This term describes fantasy stories that use old folklore and myths. But they add a modern, sometimes challenging, twist to them. It's like taking old tales and making them new and exciting for today's readers.

Selected Books by Catherynne Valente

Here are some of the books Catherynne Valente has written:

Novels for All Ages

• The Labyrinth (2004)
• Yume No Hon: The Book of Dreams (2005)
• Palimpsest (2009)
• Deathless (2011)
• Radiance (2015)
• Space Opera (2018)
• Comfort Me with Apples (2021)

The Orphan's Tales Series

• The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden (2006)
• The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice (2007)

The Fairyland Series for Young Readers

• The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland—For a Little While (Prequel, 2011)
• The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (2011)
• The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (2012)
• The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two (2013)
• The Boy Who Lost Fairyland (2015)
• The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home (2016)

Short Story Collections

• Ventriloquism (2010)
• The Melancholy of Mechagirl (2013)
• The Bread We Eat in Dreams (2013)
• The Future Is Blue (2018)

Poetry Collections

• Apocrypha (2005)
• Oracles: A Pilgrimage (2006)
• A Guide to Folktales in Fragile Dialects (2008)

Awards and Recognitions

Catherynne Valente has received many awards for her writing. Here are some of them: