Jeffrey Ford
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Ford is an American
writer in the Fantastic
genre tradition, although his works have spanned genres including Fantasy, Science Fiction
and Mystery. His work is characterized by a sweeping imaginative power, humor, literary allusion, and a fascination with tales told within tales. He is a graduate of Binghamton University
, where he studied with the novelist John Gardner.
He lives in southern New Jersey
and teaches writing and literature at Brookdale Community College
in Monmouth County
. He has also taught at the summer Clarion Workshop
for science fiction and fantasy writers in Michigan. He has contributed stories, essays and interviews to various magazines and e-magazines including MSS, Puerto Del Sol, Northwest Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, Argosy, Event Horizon, Infinity Plus, Black Gate
and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
.
He published his first story, "The Casket", in Gardner's literary magazine MSS in 1981 and his first full-length novel, Vanitas, in 1988.
, the Hugo Award
, the Nebula Award
, the Theodore Sturgeon Award
, the International Horror Guild Award
, the Fountain Award, and the Edgar Allan Poe Award.
Well-Built City Trilogy
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer in the Fantastic
Fantastic
The Fantastic is a literary term that describes a quality of other literary genres, and, in some cases, is used as a genre in and of itself, although in this case it is often conflated with the Supernatural. The term was originated in the structuralist theory of critic Tzvetan Todorov in his work...
genre tradition, although his works have spanned genres including Fantasy, Science Fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and Mystery. His work is characterized by a sweeping imaginative power, humor, literary allusion, and a fascination with tales told within tales. He is a graduate of Binghamton University
Binghamton University
Binghamton University, also formally called State University of New York at Binghamton, , is a public research university in the State of New York. The University is one of the four university centers in the State University of New York system...
, where he studied with the novelist John Gardner.
He lives in southern New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and teaches writing and literature at Brookdale Community College
Brookdale Community College
Brookdale Community College is an accredited coeducational public community college in Lincroft, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Brookdale Community College was founded in 1967 and has Higher Education Centers in Neptune, Freehold, Hazlet, Long Branch, Sandy Hook, and Wall.Brookdale is an...
in Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
. He has also taught at the summer Clarion Workshop
Clarion Workshop
Clarion is a six-week workshop for new and aspiring science fiction and fantasy writers. Originally an outgrowth of Knight and Wilhelm's Milford Writers' Conference, held at their home in Milford, Pennsylvania, USA, it was founded in 1968 by Robin Scott Wilson at Clarion State College in...
for science fiction and fantasy writers in Michigan. He has contributed stories, essays and interviews to various magazines and e-magazines including MSS, Puerto Del Sol, Northwest Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, Argosy, Event Horizon, Infinity Plus, Black Gate
Black Gate (magazine)
Black Gate is a glossy, quarterly fantasy magazine founded in 2000 and published by New Epoch Press. Using the slogan "Adventures in Fantasy Literature," Black Gate primarily features original short fiction up to novella length....
and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
.
He published his first story, "The Casket", in Gardner's literary magazine MSS in 1981 and his first full-length novel, Vanitas, in 1988.
Awards
His stories and novels have been nominated multiple times for the World Fantasy AwardWorld Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
, the Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
, the Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
, the Theodore Sturgeon Award
Theodore Sturgeon Award
The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award is given each year for the best science fiction short story of the year and is the short fiction counterpart of the Campbell award , published in English....
, the International Horror Guild Award
International Horror Guild Award
The International Horror Guild Award is a recognition presented by the International Horror Guild to recognize the achievements of those who create in the field of horror and dark fantasy. Nancy A. Collins, the founder of the award, felt there was a need for an award granted by a large,...
, the Fountain Award, and the Edgar Allan Poe Award.
- The Physiognomy (1998) (World Fantasy AwardWorld Fantasy AwardThe World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
) - The Fantasy Writer's Assistant (2003) (World Fantasy AwardWorld Fantasy AwardThe World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
) - "Creation" (2003) (World Fantasy AwardWorld Fantasy AwardThe World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
) - "Botch Town" (2007) (World Fantasy AwardWorld Fantasy AwardThe World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
) - "The Empire of Ice Cream" (2004) (Nebula AwardNebula AwardThe Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
for Best Novellette) - "Exo-Skeleton Town" (2005) (Grand Prix de l'ImaginaireGrand Prix de l'ImaginaireGrand Prix de l'Imaginaire is a French award for speculative fiction. It originally had the word "science fiction" in the name, but this has since been dropped.-French novel:* 1974 : Michel Jeury, Le Temps incertain...
for best translated story) - "The Annals of Eelin-Ok" (2005) (The Fountain Award for excellence in the short story)
- The Girl in the Glass (2005) (Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original)
- The Shadow Year (2009) (World Fantasy Award)
- The Drowned Life (2009) (World Fantasy Awards)
Novels
- Vanitas (1988)
- The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque (2002)
- The Girl in the Glass (2005)
- The Shadow Year (2008)
Well-Built City Trilogy
- The Physiognomy (1997)
- Memoranda (1999)
- The Beyond (2001)
Collections
- The Fantasy Writer's Assistant (2002)
- The Empire of Ice-Cream (2006)
- The Drowned Life (2008)
External links
- Jeffrey Ford's official site
- Golden Gryphon Press official site - About The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories
- Golden Gryphon Press official site - About The Empire of Ice Cream
- Jeffrey's World - a fansite
Stories by Jeffrey Ford
- "Exo-Skeleton Town" (from The Fantasy Writer's Assistant)
- "The Empire of Ice Cream"
- "After Moreau" Clarkesworld MagazineClarkesworld MagazineClarkesworld Magazine is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. The first issue was published October 1, 2006 and it has maintained a regular monthly schedule since, publishing fiction by authors such as Sarah Monette, Catherynne Valente, Elizabeth Bear, Caitlin R...
(April, 2008)
Interviews
- Interview Interview for Actusf.com
- The Physiognomy of Jeffrey Ford Interview for SFcrowsnest.com