I missed this because it was only posted on Facebook, but CJ Cherry, one of my favorite writers and a multi-award-winning sci-fi and fantasy writer, has announced her retirement from writing, pointing to multiple health issues in recent years and her age.

Cherryh is an incredible writer with a body of work that speaks for itself. It's a shame she doesn't get much recognition as one of the greats of genre fiction these days. I hope she enjoys her retirement.

#writing #books #cjcherryh

I heard earlier today that C. J. Cherryh is officially retiring from writing... so let me share a couple of my favorites of hers.

Pride of Chanur. This blew my mind the first time through -- I hadn't encountered another book from solely the alien point of view. (This may be an influence on my writing.)

Fortress in the Eye of Time. Slow, pensive, and atmospheric epic fantasy. More gradual discovery, mystery, and politics than battles.

#books #fantasy #scifi #cjcherryh

Sad news today: C.J. Cherryh has announced that there will be no more books from her: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1F27iFDAzo/

I've greatly enjoyed all her works, and even the recent "Hinder Stars" (collaboratively written with her longtime partner Jane Fancher) show an ability to build a tense, engaging narrative out of what is essentially an economic mystery.

Her works engage with "the other" in a way that insists thinking beings don't necessary all think alike, while also showing an optimistic view of human adaptability and versatility.

One of my favorite stories about Cherryh's work comes from a different author, Jo Walton, who has talked about playing Elite with her partner and imagining themselves as a Family on a trading ship, splitting the economic and navigation responsibilities between the pair of them.

Her impact and output have been immense, and I'm glad we get to keep her for a while longer, even if "the body of work is what it is."

#ScienceFiction #CJCherryh

C J Cherryh says she will not be writing any more fiction. She's had a lot of health issues and she's in her eighties, so I expected it was coming, but I still hoped for another book, as you do. I am just glad she is well enough to tell us herself.

Now seems a good time for a reread--Alliance universe? Atevi? Mri? Chanur? They are all so twisty and good.

#CJCherryh #ScienceFiction

I've been struggling with my sci-fi book for quite some time now, mostly because I couldn't come up with interesting/believable alien civilizations.

I found an old article written by one of my favorite writers, CJ Cherryh, that's really helped. She talks about designing the planet first, and then writing how life would evolve based on the conditions of the sun and the planet.

Fascinating stuff, and you can read it here (pg 24)

https://fanac.org/fanzines/Spang_Blah/Spang_Blah15-finder-1977-Aut_US.pdf

#scifi #writing #cjcherryh

GATE OF IVREL (1975)
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas Board - 17" x 18"

The context for this commission—quite possibly lost in the long arc of our careers—was as C.J. Cherryh’s debut novel. It was a unique assignment coming in the first year of my career when I was almost exclusively paired with well established authors. 1/4

#fantasy #illustration #morgaine #cjcherryh #dawbooks

INVADER (1995)

Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 30" x 22"



In a chapter introduction for WONDERWORKS, C.J. Cherryh wrote:



"To my mind, there cannot be so great a difference between the imagination of the writer and that of the artist. Both see. A writer’s instinct is to tell that vision in such elaboration and detail that the reader can live through that moment and into others, a flowing process and internal.

1/5

#sciencefiction #illustration #cjcherryh #dawbooks