Phyllis Eisenstein facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phyllis Eisenstein
Phyllis Eisenstein at the 2015 Nebula Conference, as husband Alex looks on
Born	(1946-02-26)February 26, 1946 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	December 7, 2020(2020-12-07) (aged 74) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Author
Nationality	American
Genre	Fantasy, science fiction

Phyllis Eisenstein (born February 26, 1946 – died December 7, 2020) was an American writer. She wrote many science fiction and fantasy stories. Her books and short stories were nominated for famous awards like the Hugo Award and Nebula Award.

Early Life and Family

Phyllis Leah Kleinstein was born in 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. She lived in Chicago for most of her life. In 1963, while studying psychology at the University of Chicago, she met Alex Eisenstein. He would later become her husband.

They met at a weekly gathering for science fiction fandom fans in Chicago. They got married in 1966. Phyllis continued her college studies. Later, she and Alex lived in Germany for three years while he was in the U. S. Air Force. After that, they returned to Chicago.

Writing Career and Achievements

Phyllis Eisenstein started her writing career in 1971. Her first two science fiction stories were published that year. She often wrote short stories with her husband, Alex.

After becoming a professional writer, she went back to college. She studied at the University of Illinois. In 1981, she earned a degree in anthropology.

She wrote eight novels and published six of them. She also wrote almost 50 shorter stories. These stories were in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror fiction. Phyllis also wrote a popular non-fiction book about treating arthritis.

Her stories appeared in many collections and popular science fiction magazines. Some of these magazines include The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and Analog Science Fiction and Fact.

Awards and Recognition

Phyllis Eisenstein's stories were nominated for major awards. She was nominated twice for the Hugo Award. She was also nominated three times for the Nebula Award. These are very important awards in science fiction.

Her short story "Lost and Found" (1978) was even made into a TV episode. It aired in 1986 on the show The Twilight Zone. The screenplay for this episode was written by George R. R. Martin. He is a famous author.

Phyllis Eisenstein was a good friend of George R. R. Martin. She encouraged him to include dragons in his best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Martin later dedicated his third novel in the series, A Storm of Swords, to Phyllis.

Teaching and Other Work

Phyllis Eisenstein spent much of her life teaching writing. She started helping author Roger Zelazny at a writers conference in 1977. She taught writing at several places, including Michigan State University.

For 20 years, she taught at Columbia College Chicago. She taught courses on science fiction and fantasy writing. In 1999, she received an "Excellence in Teaching" Award from the college. She retired from teaching in 2009 to focus more on her own writing.

In 2000, Phyllis also started working in the advertising business in Chicago. She became an executive manager for copy editors at Leo Burnett. This was a large advertising agency. She worked there for over ten years. She retired in 2015 due to health reasons.

Some of her later works were not published. Her novel The City in Stone was completed but never released. It was the last book in her "Book of Elementals" fantasy trilogy. Another series, "The Masks of Power," was also unfinished when she passed away.

Later Years and Passing

Phyllis Eisenstein passed away in December 2020 in Chicago. She was 74 years old. She had been dealing with a long-term illness. She was survived by her husband, Alex.

Published Works

Book Series

• Tales of Alaric the Minstrel
  1. Born to Exile (1977)
  2. In the Red Lord's Reach (1989)
• The Book of Elementals
  1. Sorcerer's Son (1979)
  2. The Crystal Palace (1988)

     The Book of Elementals (omnibus) (2002)

  3. The City in Stone (completed but unpublished)
• The Masks of Power
  1. The Walker Between Worlds (completed but unpublished)

Stand-alone Novels

• Shadow of Earth (1979)
• In the Hands of Glory (1981)

Chapterbooks

• Walker Between the Worlds, novella (2007)
• Conspicuous SF (2009)

Collections

• Night Lives: Nine Stories of the Dark Fantastic (2003), with Alex Eisenstein

Anthologies Edited

• Spec-Lit 1: Speculative Fiction (1997)
• Spec-Lit 2: Speculative FIction (1998)

Edited with Alex Eisenstein

• The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester, Special Restored Edition (1996)

Nonfiction

• Overcoming the Pain of Inflammatory Arthritis, with Samuel M. Scheiner, Ph.D. (1997)

Works Featuring Eisenstein's Stories

• New Dimensions 1 (1971)
• The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction (1973)
• Long Night of Waiting (1974)
• Best SF Stories of the Year (1976)
• Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year #5 (1977)
• New Dimensions 7 (1977)
• The Year's Best Fantasy Stories 4 (1978)
• Asimov's Choice (1979)
• Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year, 1978 (1979)
• Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year #8 (1980)
• Whispers III (1981)
• Shadows 5 (1982)
• 13 Short Science Fiction Novels (1986)
• What Did Miss Darrington See (1989)
• Microcosmic Tales (1990)
• New Stories from the Twilight Zone (1990)
• New Eves: Science Fiction About the Extraordinary Women of Today and Tomorrow (1994)
• 100 Hair-Raising Little Horror Stories (1994)
• The Oxford Book of Fantasy (1994)
• Sisters In Fantasy (1995)
• Horrors! 365 Scary Stories (1998)
• Songs of the Dying Earth (2009)
• Gateways (2010)
• Old Mars (2013)
• Rogues (2014)

Published Short Stories

• "Born to Exile" (1971)
• "The Trouble with the Past" (1971), with Alex Eisenstein
• "Inn of the Black Swan" (1972)
• "Attachment" (1974), Nebula Award (nominee)
• "Teleprobe" (1974)
• "The Weather on Mars" (1974), with Alex Eisenstein
• "The Witch and the Well" (1974)
• "The Lords of All Power (1975)
• "The Tree of Life" (1975)
• "Sleeping Beauty: The True Story" (1976), with Alex Eisenstein
• "Alter Ego" (1977), with Alex Eisenstein
• "You Are Here" (1977), with Alex Eisenstein
• "The Land of Sorrow" (1977)
• "In Answer To Your Call" (1978)
• "Lost and Found" (1978)
• "The Man With the Eye" (1978)
• "The Mountain Fastness" (1979)
• "The Fireman's Daughter" (1981)
• "In the Western Tradition" (1981), Nebula Award (nominee), Hugo Award (nominee)
• "Point of Departure" (1981)
• "Taboo" (1981)
• "Dark Wings" (1982)
• "Nightlife" (1982), Hugo Award (nominee)
• "Subworld" (1983)
• "The Amethyst Phial" (1984)
• "The Demon Queen" (1984)
• "Fair Exchange" (1985)
• "Sense of Duty" (1985)
• The Snail Out of Space" (1985)
• "Weaseling Out" (1987)
• "No Refunds" (1994)
• "Boxes" (1998)
• "The Cat" (1998)
• "Dust in the Attic" (1998)
• "The Island in the Lake" (1998), Nebula Award (nominee)
• "The Park" (1998)
• "The Robe" (1998)
• "Wild Animals" (1998)
• "Wallpaper World" (2001), with Alex Eisenstein
• "Boltzmann Schiaparelli and the Lizard King" (2009)
• "The Last Golden Thread" (2009)
• "Von Neumann's Bug" (2010), with Alex Eisenstein
• "The Sunstone" (2013)
• "The Caravan to Nowhere" (2014)
• "The Desert of Vanished Dreams" (2016)
• "The City of Lost Desire" (2019)

Awards and Nominations

• Nebula: Best Short Story, (nominee, 1976) for "Attachment"
• Balrog Award: Novel, (winner, 1979) for Born To Exile
• Science Fiction Chronicle: Best Novella, (winner, 1981) for "In the Western Tradition"
• Hugo: Best Novella, (nominee, 1982) for "In the Western Tradition"
• Nebula: Best Novella, (nominee, 1982) for "In the Western Tradition"
• Hugo: Best Novelette, (nominee, 1983) for "Nightlife"
• Nebula: Best Novelette, (nominee, 2000) for "The Island in the Lake"

See also

In Spanish: Phyllis Eisenstein para niños