Vonda N. McIntyre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vonda N. McIntyre
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Vonda Neel McIntyre August 28, 1948 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | April 1, 2019 (aged 70) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer, biologist |
| Education | University of Washington (BS) |
| Genre | Science fiction |
Vonda Neel McIntyre was an American writer. She was famous for her science fiction stories. She was also a biologist, which means she studied living things. Vonda was born in 1948 and passed away in 2019.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Vonda N. McIntyre was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Her parents were H. Neel and Vonda B. Keith McIntyre. As a young child, Vonda lived in different places. She spent time on the East Coast of the United States. She also lived in The Hague, Netherlands and Poland. In the early 1960s, her family moved to Seattle.
In 1970, Vonda earned a special degree in biology. She studied at the University of Washington. In the same year, she went to a writing school called the Clarion Writers Workshop. Later, she continued her studies at the University of Washington. She focused on genetics, which is about how traits are passed down in living things.
Writing Career
In 1971, Vonda helped start a writing workshop. It was called the Clarion West Writers Workshop in Seattle, Washington. She worked with the founder of Clarion, Robin Scott Wilson. Vonda helped with the workshop until 1973.
Vonda won her first big award in 1973. It was the Nebula Award for her story "Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand". This story later became part of her novel Dreamsnake. This book was first turned down by an editor. But it went on to win both the Hugo and Nebula Awards! Vonda was only the third woman to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1979.
Her first novel, The Exile Waiting, came out in 1975. In 1976, Vonda worked with Susan Janice Anderson. They edited a science fiction book together. It was called Aurora: Beyond Equality. This book shared stories about equality.
Star Trek and Star Wars Stories
Vonda also wrote many books for popular series. She wrote Star Trek and Star Wars novels. Some of her Star Trek books include Enterprise: The First Adventure. She also wrote The Entropy Effect. This was the first original Star Trek novel. Vonda wrote it from a story idea she had at age 18.
Because of this book, she was asked to write more. She wrote the books for the next three Star Trek movies. These were Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Vonda even created some character names. These names later became official in the Star Trek universe. For example, she named Hikaru Sulu and Nyota Uhura. She also named Kirk's mother, Winona.
"The Best SF TV Series Never Made"
Vonda once attended a science fiction event. She was on a panel talking about sci-fi TV shows. Another person on the panel was very negative. They disliked all existing science fiction TV. Vonda got a bit frustrated. She then asked if anyone had seen a show called Starfarers. She said it was an amazing show. She claimed it had few viewers because of bad TV scheduling.
But here's the secret: Starfarers didn't actually exist! After describing the show, Vonda thought it would make a good novel. So, she wrote Starfarers and three more books in the series. She later called it "my Best SF TV Series Never Made."
The Moon and the Sun
Vonda wrote another novel called The Moon and the Sun. This story takes place in the court of a French king. At first, this book was also rejected. But in 1997, a publisher picked it up. Later, in 2013, a movie company started making a film. It was based on her book. The movie is called The King's Daughter. It stars Pierce Brosnan as the king. The movie was released in 2022.
Vonda finished her last novel, Curve of the World, just before she passed away in 2019.
Personal Life
Vonda enjoyed making things with crochet. She made crocheted sea creatures. These were for a special art project. It was called the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef. This project was from the Institute For Figuring.
Vonda McIntyre died on April 1, 2019. She passed away at her home in Seattle, Washington. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February.
Legacy and Awards
Vonda N. McIntyre won many awards for her writing.
- "Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand": Won the 1974 Nebula Award.
- Dreamsnake: Won the 1979 Hugo Award and the 1979 Nebula Award.
- The Moon and the Sun: Won the 1998 Nebula Award.
In 2019, two scholarships were created in her honor. The Vonda N. McIntyre Memorial Scholarship helps women and writers of color. It helps them attend the Clarion West Writers Workshop. Another scholarship helps authors at any stage of their career. It is called the Vonda N. McIntyre Sentient Squid Memorial Scholarship.
Vonda was also a special guest at Sasquan. This was the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention.
See also
In Spanish: Vonda N. McIntyre para niños
