Introduction
Andre Norton was an incredibly prolific science fiction and fantasy author who certainly left her mark on the world of fiction. Not only was she prolific (she wrote about 130 books), she maintained a high standard of quality throughout her career, which spanned 70 years and included anthologies, short stories, and even poems. For all of this work, she has received more than twenty-five different awards. Having left such a legacy to the genre, she will be remembered for many years to come.
Biographical Information
She was born on February 17, 1912 in Cleveland, Ohio, as Alice Mary Norton. She died at the age of 93 on March 17, 2005 at her home in Murfreesboro, near Nashville, TN. Her death was caused by congestive heart failure.
During her childhood, her family consisted of her parents, Adalbert Freely Norton and Bertha Stemm, and one sister who was seventeen years older than her. Not having any siblings around when she was growing up, she spent much of her time reading, encouraged from a young age by her parents. During high school at Collingwood High School in Cleveland, she began writing her first novel, Ralestone Luck which was published in 1938, after she had written another novel, The Prince Commands, published in 1934.
Also in 1934, believing that she would be better received by readers if she had a gender-neutral pen name, she legally changed her name to Andre Alice and used just "Andre Norton" for publications. Having a neutral name allows readers, especially teenage boys, to approach her writing on its own value without being repelled from the beginning by the idea of reading a female author.* Later on, she actually published a few books under the name of "Andrew North" but they were eventually republished under "Andre Norton."
After she graduated from high school, she attended the Flora Stone Mather College of Western Reserve University for a year, but had to take a job after that due to the depression. While working, she took night classes in journalism and writing, but never actually earned a degree. For eighteen years beginning in 1932 she worked at the Cleveland Public Library as an assistant librarian. During this period, from 1940-1, she also worked for the Library of Congress on a project about alien citizenship. However, this project was terminated by the government as a result of reassignment of funds due to World War II. For part of 1941 she then ran a bookstore and library in Mount Ranier, Maryland, called "Mystery House," but this endeavor failed fairly quickly. After that, from 1942-1950, she worked as a reader for Gnome Press, but she decided to concentrate on her writing from then on.
She had lived her entire life until 1966 in Cleveland, but ill health in November of that year forced her to a warmer climate. She lived in Winter Park, Florida from 1966 to 1997, when she moved to Tennessee where she lived until her death.
Awards in Chronological Order
She received over twenty-five awards during her long career, including the coveted Nebula Grand Master Award and the Gandalf Award. For both of these, she was the first woman to be awarded them.
1946 - Plaque from the
Dutch Government
1963 - The
Invisible Little Award
Aug 1963 -
Theta Sigma Phi Headliner Award
Sept 1965 -
Boys' Clubs of America Junior Book Award
1973-1998 -
Locus Award Polls
1974 -
Countess Forlindon,
Baroness Forlond
1975 -
Phoenix Award
1977 - The
Gandalf Award
1978 -
Norton Award
1979 -
Balrog Award
1980 -
Career Achievement Award
Sept 1981 -
Ohio Women Hall of Fame Award
1983 -
E.E. Smith Memorial Award (the
Skylark)
1983 - The
Fritz Leiber Fantasy Award
1984 -
SFWA Nebula Grand Master Award
1984 - The
Jules Verne Award
1986 -
Daedalus Award
1987 -
WFC Convention Award
Sept 1987 - Second Stage
Lensman Award
1988 -
E.E. Evans Big Heart Award
Sept 1989 -
Noreascon Three Guest of Honour
1990 -
Ohioana Award
1991 - SFBC Book of the Year Award (for
Elvenbane, co-authored by
Mercedes Lackey)
1994 - 1st Fandom Hall of Fame Award
1997 -
Magic Carpet Con Award
1997 - SF-F
Hall of Fame
Nov 1998 - WFC
Life Achievement Award
Publications
It is difficult to fix the number of novels she wrote for three reasons. First, there are so many that no source seems to have a truly exhaustive list. Second, several novels have been known by more than one title, so lists from different sources do not quite match. Finally, she has edited/co-edited a number of anthologies, contributed her short stories to them, and even compiled books of her short stories, which confuses the numbers when some sources count these and some do not. At any rate, she has written more than 150 novels, probably more than 175 even, not including short stories or anthologies. At least 18 of them are not science-fiction/fantasy, and at least 40 do not belong to series, leaving more than 90 belonging to various series, some of which only consist of two volumes. Below is a fairly exhaustive list, organized by series where possible, complete with publication date and coauthoring information.*** A slash indicates an alternate name for a title, or marks where a book belongs to another series besides the one under which it is listed.
Series**
Book of the Oak (with
Sasha Miller):
To the King a Daughter(2000),
Knight or Knave(2001),
A Crown Disowned(2002)
Carolus Rex (with
Rosemary Edhill):
The Shadow of Albion(1999),
Leopard in Exile(2001)
Central Control: Star Rangers/
The Last Planet(1953),
Star Guard(1955)
Crosstime: The Crossroads of Time(1956),
Quest Crosstime/
Crosstime Agent(1965)
Dipple: Catseye(1961),
Judgment on Janus/(
Janus series)(1963),
Night of Masks(1964),
Forerunner Foray/(
Forerunner series)(1973)
Drew Rennie:
Ride Proud Rebel!(1961),
Rebel Spurs(1962)
Forerunner/Shan Lantee/Warlock:
Storm Over Warlock(1960),
Ordeal in Otherwhere(1964),
Forerunner Foray/(
Dipple series)(1973),
Forerunner(1981),
Forerunner: The Second Venture(1985),
Warlock (
Storm over Warlock,
Ordeal in Otherwhere,
Forerunner Foray Omnibus)(2003)
Free Traders/Moon Magic/Moon Singer:
Moon of Three Rings(1966),
Exiles of the Stars(1971),
Flight in Yiktor(1986),
Dare to Go A-Hunting(1990)
The Halfblood Chronicles (with
Mercedes Lackey):
Elvenbane(1991),
Elvenblood(1995),
Elvenborn(2002)
Hosteen Storm:
The Beast Master(1959),
Lord of Thunder(1962),
Beast Master's Ark(2002) (with
Lyn McConchie)
Janus:
Judgment on Janus/(
Dipple series)(1963),
Victory on Janus(1966)
Jern Murdock:
The Zero Stone(1968),
Uncharted Stars(1969)
Lorens van Norreys/Sword Series:
The Sword is Drawn(1944),
Sword in Sheath/
Island of the Lost(1949),
At Sword's Point(1954)
The Magic Sequence:
Steel Magic/
Gray Magic(1965),
Octagon Magic(1967),
Fur Magic(1968),
Dragon Magic(1972),
Lavender-Green Magic(1974),
Red Hart Magic(1976)
Mark of the Cat:
The Mark of the Cat(1992),
Year of the Rat(2002)
Pax/Astra:
The Stars are Ours!(1954),
Star Born(1957)
Ross Murdock/Time War/Time Traders:
The Time Traders(1958),
Galactic Derelict(1959),
The Defiant Agents(1962),
Key Out of Time(1963),
Firehand(1994) (with
P.M. Griffin),
Echoes in Time(1999) (with
Sherwood Smith),
Atlantis Endgame(2002) (with Sherwood Smith),
Darkness and Dawn(2003)
Solar Queen (originally published as
Andrew North):
Sargasso of Space(1955),
Plague Ship(1956),
Voodoo Planet(1959),
Postmarked the Stars(1969),
Redline the Stars(1993) (with P.M. Griffin),
Derelict for Trade(1997)(with Sherwood Smith),
Mind for Trade(1996) (with Sherwood Smith),
Solar Queen (
Sargasso of Space and
Plague Ship Omnibus)(2003)
The Trillium Series:
Black Trillium(1990) (With
Marion Zimmer Bradley and
Susan May),
Golden Trillium(1993)
The Witch World Series:
Witch World(1963)
Web of the Witch World(1964)
Year of the Unicorn(1965)
Three Against the Witch World(1965)
Warlock of the Witch World(1967)
Sorceress of the Witch World(1968)
Trey of Swords(1977)
Zarthor's Bane(1978)
The Gate of the Cat(1987)
Jargoon Pard(1974)
Horn Crown(1981)
'Ware Hawk(1983)
The Crystal Gryphon(1972)
Gryphon in Glory(1981)
Gryphon's Eyrie(1984) (with
A.C. Crispin)
The Songsmith(1992) (with A.C. Crispin)
Port of Dead Ships(1991) (with
Pauline M. Griffin)
Seakeep(1991) (with Pauline M. Griffin)
Storms of Victory(1991) (with Pauline M. Griffin)
Exile(1992) (with
Mary H. Schaub)
Falcon Hope(1992) (with Pauline M. Griffin)
Flight of Vengeance(1992) (with Pauline M. Griffin and Mary H. Schaub)
On Wings of Magic(1993) (with
Sasha Miller)
Falcon Magic(1994) (with Sasha Miller)
We, the Women(1994) (with
PatriciaShaw Mathews)
The Key of the Keplian(1995) (with
Lyn McConchie)
The Mage Stone(1996) (with Mary Schaub)
The Warding of the Witch World(1997)
Ciara's Song(1998) (with Lyn McConchie)
The Gates to Witch World (
Witch World,
Web of the Witch World, and
Year of the Unicorn Omnibus)(2003)
This last, the Witch World series, is definitely the most famous of her many series, if for no other reason that it was so popular that she wrote more than 30 volumes, the first of which was published in 1963. One important reason why it was so popular must be that her quality of writing has remained very high, even through a series of such magnitude, in somewhat of a contrast to Piers Anthony's Xanth series, for example.****
Science Fiction/Fantasy Separate Novels:
Android at Arms(1971)
Breed to Come(1972)
Brother to Shadows(1993)
Dark Piper(1968)
The Day of the Ness(1975) (with
Michael Gilbert)
Dread Companion(1970)
Empire of the Eagle(1993) (with
Susan Shwartz)
Eye of the Monster(1962)
The Hands of Lyr(1994)
Here Abide Monsters(1973)
House of Shadows(1984) (with
Phyllis Miller)
Huon of the Horn(1951)
Ice Crown(1970)
Imperial Lady(1989) (with Susan Shwartz)
Iron Cage(1974)
The Jekyll Legacy(1990) (with
Robert Bloch)
Knave of Dreams(1975)
Merlin's Mirror(1975)
Mirror of Destiny(1995)
Moon Called(1982)
No Night Without Stars(1975)
The Opal-Eyed Fan(1977)
Operation Time Search(1967)
Outside(1975)
Quag Keep(1978)
Rogue Reynard(1947)
The Scent of Magic(1998)
Sea Siege(1957)
Secret of the Lost Race/
Wolfshead(1959)
Serpent's Tooth(1987) (Chapbook)
Seven Spells to Sunday(1979) (with Phyllis Miller)
The Sioux Spacemen(1960)
Star Gate(1958)
Star Hunter(1961)
Star Hunter and
Voodoo Planet Omnibus(1968)
Star Man's Son 2250 A.D./
Daybreak 2250 A.D.(1952)
Tiger Burning Bright(1995) (with
Marion Zimmer Bradley and
Mercedes Lackey)
Voorloper(1980)
Wheel of Stars(1983)
Wind In the Stone(1999)
Wraiths of Time(1976)
The X Factor(1965)
Yurth Burden(1978)
Other Novels:
Bertie and May(1969) (with
Bertha Norton)
Caroline(1982) (with
Enid Cushing)
Follow the Drum(1942)
Iron Butterflies(1980)
Maid at Arms(1981) (with Enid Cushing, uncredited collaborator)
Murders For Sale/
Sneeze on Sunday(1954) (with
Grace Allen Hogarth)
Ralestone Luck(1938)
Ride the Green Dragon(1985) (with
Phyllis Miller)
Scarface(1948)
Shadow Hawk(1960)
Snow Shadow(1979)
Stand and Deliver(1984)
Stand to Horse(1956)
Ten Mile Treasure(1981)
The Prince Commands(1934)
The White Jade Fox(1975)
Velvet Shadows(1977)
Yankee Privateer(1955)
Short Stories:**
All Cats Are Gray(1953)
Amber out of Quayth(1972)
Artos, Son of Marius(1972)
Auour the Deepminded(1997)
Bard's Crown(1997)
The Boy and the Ogre(1966)
By a Hair(1958)
Changeling(1980)
Churchyard Yew(1998)
A Desirable Lakeside Residence(1973)
The Dowry of the Rag Picker's Daughter(1988)
Dragon Scale Silver(1972)
Dream Smith(1972)
Falcon Blood(1979)
The Familiar(2002)
Frog Magic(1997)
Fur Magic(1976)
Garan of Yu-Lac(1972)
Get Out of My Dream!(1976)
Ghost Tour(1971)
The Gifts of Asti(1948)
Hermes' Horn(1998)
How Many Miles to Babylon?(1988)
Hob's Pot(1991)
Last Spell(1995)
Legacy from Sorn Fen(1972)
Living in 1980 Plus-(1952)
London Bridge(1973)
Long Live Lord Kor!(1970)
The Long Night of Waiting(1974)
Merlin's Mirror(1978)
Moon Mirror(1982)
Mousetrap(1954)
The Nabob's Gift(1992)
Needle and Dream(2000)
Nightmare(1976)
Nine Threads of Gold(1991)
Noble Warrior(1989)
Noble Warrior Meets with a Ghost(1994)
Noble Warrior, Teller of Fortunes(1996)
No Folded Hands(1996)
Of the Shaping of Ulm's Heir(1987)
One Spell Wizard(1972)
On Writing Fantasy(1971)
The Outling(1998)
Outside(1974)
People of the Crater/Garin of Tav(1947)
Procession to Var(2000)
Red Cross, White Cross(2002)
Rider On The Mountain(1987)
Ravenmere(2001)
Root and Branch Shall Change(1999)
Sand Sisters(1979)
Set in Stone(2000)
The Silent One(1991)
Ship of Mist(1976)
Spider Silk(1976)
The Stonish Men(1998)
Sword of Unbelief(1977)
Teddi(1973)
That Which Overfloweth(1992)
Three-inch Trouble(2001)
Through the Needle's Eye(1970)
The Toads of Grimmerdale(1974)
Toymaker's Snuffbox(1966)
Toys of Tamisan(1969)
Ully the Piper(1970)
A Very Dickensy Christmas(1992)
The Way Wind(1995)
Were Wrath(1984)
White Violets(1999)
Wizard's World(1967)
Anthologies and Short Story Collections:
Baleful Beasts and Eerie Creatures(1976)
Bullard of the Space Patrol(1951) (with
Malcolm Jameson)
Catfantastic(1989) (with
Martin Greenberg)
Catfantastic II(1991) (with Martin Greenberg)
Catfantastic III(1994) (with Martin Greenberg)
Catfantastic IV(1996) (with Martin Greenberg)
Catfantastic V(1999) (with Martin Greenberg)
Four From the Witch World(1989)
Garan the Eternal(1972)
Gates of Tomorrow(1973) (with
Ernestine Donaldy)
Grand Master's Choice(1989) (with
Ingrid Zierhut)
High Sorcery(1970)
Lore of the Witch World(1980)
Magic in Ithkar(1985) (with
Robert Adams)
Magic in Ithkar 2(1985) (with Robert Adams)
Magic in Ithkar 3(1986) (with Robert Adams)
Magic in Ithkar 4(1987) (with Robert Adams)
The Many Worlds of Andre Norton(1974) (with Roger Elwood)
Moon Mirror(1988)
Perilous Dreams(1976)
Small Shadows Creep(1974)
Space Pioneers(1954)
Space Police(1956)
Space Service(1953)
Spell of the Witch World(1972)
Star Ka'at(1976) (with
Dorothy Madler)
Star Ka'at and the Plant People(1979) (with Dorothy Madler)
Star Ka'at and the Winged Warriors(1981) (with Dorothy Madler)
Star Ka'at World(1978) (with Dorothy Madler)
Tales of the Witch World(1987)
Tales of the Witch World 2(1988)
Tales of the Witch World 3(1990)
Wizards' Worlds(1989)
Sources:
http://www.andre-norton.org (Official Site - has everything you ever wanted to know about what she has written through 2002)
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/3473/norton.html (Novel Listing)
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/Andre_Norton.htm
Recent Publications updated by referring to Amazon.com.
*This really seems to have worked, as I have spoken to several people who had no idea that she was female until I told them, even though they had read some of her books.
**All dates are given as first publishing dates. This is especially important to note for the short stories, as most of them were published multiple times in different anthologies or magazines.
***Please send me a message if you know of anything not on this list so I can update, as the official site has not been updated since August 2002.
****Don't get me wrong, I like the Xanth books a lot, but since there are almost as many of them as there are Witch World books (and he's still going), it has been said (not by me) that Anthony has gone overboard and should never have written so many. Perhaps people are tiring of the incessant puns.