Mary Rickert, known as M. Rickert (December 11, 1959 in Port Washington, Wisconsin

Port Washington, Wisconsin

Port Washington is the county seat of Ozaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is about 25 miles north of Milwaukee and 110 miles north of Chicago. In the 2000 census Port Washington had a population of 10,467...

), is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 writer of fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 fiction

Fiction

Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...

. Many of her stories have been published in 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...

. Her first collection, Map of Dreams, was published by Golden Gryphon Press

Golden Gryphon Press

Golden Gryphon Press is an independent publishing company, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy and cross-genre novels. It was founded in 1996 by Jim Turner, former editor at Arkham House, and is currently run by his brother Gary and his wife, Geri Turner.The company has...

 in 2006; her second collection, Holiday, appeared in 2010 from the same publisher. She lives in Wisconsin.

Rickert's fiction has won or been nominated for several major awards. "Journey into the Kingdom" was nominated for the 2006 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...

 for Best Novelette

Nebula Award for Best Novelette

Winners of the Nebula Award for best Novelette. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-External links:* * *...

 and an 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,...

, and won the 2007 World Fantasy Award

World 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...

 for Best Short Fiction

World Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction

This World Fantasy Award is given to the fantasy short story voted best by a panel of judges, and presented each year at the World Fantasy Convention....

. Map of Dreams won the 2007 World Fantasy Award for Best Collection

World Fantasy Award for Best Collection

This World Fantasy Award is given to the fantasy fiction collection voted best by a panel of judges, and presented each year at the World Fantasy Convention.-2010:...

 and the 2007 Crawford Award

Crawford Award

The IAFA William L. Crawford Fantasy Award is a literary award given to a writer whose first fantasy book was published during the preceding 18 months. It's one of several awards presented by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts , and is presented at the conference each...

, and the collection's title story was nominated for the 2007 World Fantasy Award for Best Novella

World Fantasy Award for Best Novella

This World Fantasy Award is given to the fantasy novella or novellas voted best by a panel of judges, and presented each year at the World Fantasy Convention...

.

External links

• An interview with M. Rickert
• Another brief interview
• A third interview
• Online texts of Rickert's stories "Anyway" and "The Girl Who Ate Butterflies"
• Golden Gryphon Press official site - About Map of Dreams