Kate Wilhelm

Kate Wilhelm began publishing science fiction in 1956, with The Pint-Size Genie for Fantastic, and by the 1980s, was a ranking figure in the field.  

Wilhelm favored the novella format, and much of her early work appeared in collections. Her work often examines the fragility of domestic life and society as a whole. Wilhelm’s collection The Downstairs Room, and Other Speculative Fiction (1968) includes the Nebula-winning The Planners (1968), while And the Angels Sing (1992) includes Forever Yours, Anna (1987), also a Nebula-winner.

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang (1976), which won Hugo and Jupiter awards for Best Novel, is made up of three novella-length sequences, each superb. The successful Death Qualified: A Mystery of Chaos (1991), and its sequel The Best Defense (1994) combine detection and science fiction, weaving in chaos theory, new perceptions and a hint of Superman.

Along with her husband, Damon Knight, Wilhelm helped found the Milford Science Fiction Writers' Conference in 1956 as well as its offshoot, the Clarion Science Fiction Writers' Workshop.