Moon was born Susan Elizabeth Norris and grew up in McAllen, Texas. She started writing when she was a child and first tried a book, which was about her dog, at age six. She was inspired to write creatively, and says that she began writing science fiction in her teens, considering it a sideline.[2]
She earned a Bachelor's degree in History from Rice University in Houston, Texas in 1968 and later earned a second B.A. in Biology. In 1968, she joined the United States Marine Corps as a computer specialist, attaining the rank of 1st Lieutenant while on active duty.[3] She married Richard Sloan Moon in 1969 and they have a son, Michael, born in 1983.[2]
Writing careeredit
Moon began writing professionally in her mid-thirties and had a newspaper column in a county weekly newspaper. In 1986, she published her first science fiction in the monthly magazine Analog and the anthology series Sword and Sorceress.[4] Her stories appeared regularly in Analog the next few years. Her first novel The Sheepfarmer's Daughter (1988)[4] won the Compton Crook Award and inaugurated the Paksenarrion series.[3]
Most of her work has military science fiction themes, although biology, politics, and personal relationships also feature strongly. The Serrano Legacy is a space opera. Her Nebula-winning novel The Speed of Dark (2003) is a near-future story told from the viewpoint of an autistic data analyst, inspired by her own autistic son Michael.[5]
Other interestsedit
Elizabeth Moon has many interests besides writing. She has a musical background, having played the accordion during her university days[6] and sung in choirs.[2][6] She is an accomplished fencer, and captain of the SFWA Musketeers, a group of published speculative fiction authors who also fence.[7]
Moon is also an experienced paramedic and has served in various capacities in local government.
2007: Robert A. Heinlein Award for "outstanding published works in hard science fiction or technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space"[9][10]
Worksedit
Paksenarrionedit
The Deed of Paksenarrionedit
Sheepfarmer's Daughter (June 1988)
Divided Allegiance (October 1988)
Oath of Gold (January 1989)
Those Who Walk in Darkness” (March 1990)—short story set during Oath of Gold, included in the collections Lunar Activity and Phases
In addition, several omibus editions (1992, 2003, 2010) entitled The Deed of Paksenarrion have been released.
The Legacy of Girdedit
Surrender None (June 1990)—prequel to The Deed of Paksenarrion
Liar's Oath (May 1992)—sequel to Surrender None
Omibus editions: The Legacy of Gird (September 1996); A Legacy of Honour (November 2010)
Paladin's Legacy or Legend of Paksenarrionedit
Oath of Fealty (March 2010)—sequel to Oath of Gold
Kings of the North (March 2011)
Echoes of Betrayal (February 2012)
Limits of Power (June 2013)
Crown of Renewal (May 2014)
Serrano Legacy (Familias Regnant)edit
Heris Serrano trilogy
Hunting Party (July 1993)
Sporting Chance (September 1994)
Winning Colors (August 1995)
Heris Serrano (July 2002)—Baen omnibus edition of Hunting Party, Sporting Chance and Winning Colors
The Serrano Legacy: Omnibus One (December 2006)—Orbit GB omnibus
Esmay Suiza duology
Once a Hero (Hardcover ISBN 0-671-87769-0, March 1997)
Rules of Engagement (Hardcover ISBN 0-671-57777-8, December 1998)
The Serrano Connection: Omnibus Two (September 2007)—Orbit GB omnibus
The Serrano Connection (October 2008)—Baen omnibus edition
Suiza and Serrano duology
Change of Command (Hardcover ISBN 0-671-57840-5, December 1999)
Against the Odds (Hardcover ISBN 0-671-31961-2, December 2000)
The Serrano Succession: Omnibus Three (February 2008)—Orbit GB omnibus
Vatta's Waredit
Trading in Danger (Hardcover ISBN 0-345-44760-3, October 2003)
Marque and Reprisal (Hardcover ISBN 0-345-44758-1, October 2004)—Moving Target in the UK, New Zealand and Australia
Engaging the Enemy (Hardcover ISBN 0-345-44756-5, March 2006)
Command Decision (Hardcover ISBN 978-0-345-49159-6, February 2007)
Victory Conditions (Hardcover ISBN 978-0-345-49161-9, February 2008)
Vatta's Peaceedit
Cold Welcome (Hardcover ISBN 978-1-101-88731-8, April 2017)
Into the Fire (Hardcover ISBN 978-1-101-88734-9, February 2018)
Planet Piratesedit
The Planet Pirates trilogy is based on two books by Anne McCaffrey, Dinosaur Planet and Dinosaur Planet Survivors (1978 and 1984, jointly reissued as The Ireta Adventure in 1985 and The Mystery of Ireta in 2004), which also form the core of The Death of Sleep. ISFDB catalogs all five novels as the Ireta series.[11]
Lunar Activity (ISBN 978-0-671-69870-6, March 1990)—Ten short stories
Phases (ISBN 978-0-671-87855-9, December 1997)—Eight stories from Lunar Activity, and others previously uncollected.
Both include "Those Who Walk in Darkness"—a Paksenarrion short story
Moon Flights (hardcover ISBN 1-59780-109-7, paperback ISBN 978-1-59780-110-2, August 2008)—Fifteen stories, including an original "Vatta's War" story, with an introduction by Anne McCaffrey
The limited edition hardcover (ISBN 978-1-59780-108-9, September 2007) contains an additional rare bonus story entitled "Fencing In".
Deeds of Honor: Paksenarrion World Chronicles (ISBN 9781625671141, June 2015)—Eight stories set in the world of Paksenarrion.
^Nawotka, Edward (April 24, 2008). "Nebula Awards puts Austin and Texas writers at center of science fiction world". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on April 29, 2008.
^ abcMoon, Elizabeth. Biographical information. Retrieved September 15, 2007. Archived August 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^ abEbbers, A.F. (April 13, 1989). "Writer wins award; Marine Corps tour helped publish book". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
^Meats, Jessica (June 8, 2011). "An interview with: Elizabeth Moon" Archived April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Plot Twister: Adventures in the world of fiction. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
^ abDow, Christopher. Elizabeth Moon's Path to the Stars Archived September 17, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Rice University's alumni magazine, The Sallyport. Retrieved September 15, 2007.
^SFWA Musketeers Archived September 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
Christopher Dow, Elizabeth Moon's Path to the Stars, Rice University's alumni magazine, The Sallyport. Retrieved 2007-09-15. [dead link]
Lotesse, The OF Blog, Interview with Elizabeth Moon (August 18, 2006). Retrieved 2012-02-03.
Kurt Weller, Interview (March 30, 2007), The Plaza of the Mind, Blogspot. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
Lou Antonelli, Texas author un-invited as convention Guest of Honor over remarks on Islam Archived November 26, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (October 23, 2010), NewsOK.