Farah Mendlesohn | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mendlesohn at Archipelacon inMariehamn, 2015 | |
| Born | (1968-07-27)27 July 1968 (age 56) Manchester, England |
| Occupation | Academic, writer |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Subject | Cultural history,science fiction |
| Spouse | |
Farah Jane Mendlesohn (born 27 July 1968) is a British academic historian, writer onspeculative fiction, and active member ofscience fiction fandom. Mendlesohn is best-known for their 2008 bookRhetorics of Fantasy, which classifiesfantasy literature into four modes based on how the fantastic enters the story. Their work as editor includes theCambridge Companions to science fiction and fantasy, collaborations withEdward James. The science fiction volume won aHugo Award in 2005.[1] Mendlesohn is also known for books on the history of fantasy, includingChildren's Fantasy Literature: An Introduction, co-written with Michael Levy. It was the first work to trace the genre's 500-year history and won theWorld Fantasy Award in 2017.[2]
Mendlesohn's academic positions have included a professorship atAnglia Ruskin University. They have served as editor and chair of the science fiction journalFoundation, and as the president of theInternational Association for the Fantastic in the Arts. In 2015, Mendlesohn received theSFRA'sClareson award for distinguished service to the science fiction field.[3]
Farah Jane Mendlesohn was born on 27 July 1968 inManchester, England.[4] Mendlesohn received aD. Phil. in history from theUniversity of York in 1997.[5] Mendlesohn's academic positions include a stint as reader in science fiction and fantasy literature in the media department atMiddlesex University, and as professor and head of department in the department of English, communication, film and media atAnglia Ruskin University[6] from 2012 to 2017.[7] Mendlesohn joined Staffordshire University in November 2016 as professor and assistant dean in law, policing, forensics & sociology,[8] and is now an associate fellow of the Anglia Ruskin Centre for Science Fiction and Fantasy.[7]
Mendlesohn writes on the history of American religions and British and American science fiction and fantasy. Mendlesohn was the editor ofFoundation - The International Review of Science Fiction from 2002 to 2007, and served as its chair from 2004.[4] They then served as president of theInternational Association for the Fantastic in the Arts from 2008 to 2010. Mendlesohn used to be reviews editor ofQuaker Studies.[4]
Mendlesohn's best known work is the 2008 non-fiction bookRhetorics of Fantasy.[4] It proposes a classification of the fantasy genre using the manner in which the fantastic interacts with the real world. The four modes, or "rhetorics", Mendlesohn proposes are:portal-quest fantasy, where the protagonists travel from our world to a fantastical one;immersive fantasy, where only the fantastical world exists;intrusion fantasy, where the barriers between the fantasy and real worlds break down; andliminal fantasy, set in a world where certain elements are seen as irrational by the reader but are unquestioned by the characters.[9][10]
In 2016 Mendlesohn wroteChildren's Fantasy Literature: An Introduction with collaborator Michael Levy. The book traces the development of children's fantasy from the 16th to the 21st centuries, covering events such as the collection of folk tales, the impact of world wars, and the emergence ofyoung adult fiction.[11][12] It was the first work to blend the history of the fantasy andchildren's literature fields.[13]
In 2016 Mendlesohn established theHistorical Fictions Research Network with colleagues Nina Lubbren and Jennifer Young.[14] It aims to create a place for discussion of historical narratives across a range of disciplines.
In 2005, Mendlesohn won theHugo Award forBest Related Work forThe Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction, which they edited with historianEdward James. James and Mendlesohn also editedThe Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature, released in 2012, and wroteA Short History of Fantasy in 2009.[15] Mendlesohn's bookRhetorics of Fantasy won theBSFA award for best non-fiction book in 2009; the book was also nominated for Hugo and World Fantasy Awards.[15]
In 2010, Mendlesohn was nominated twice for the Best Related Work Hugo, forThe Inter-Galactic Playground: A Critical Study of Children's and Teens' Science Fiction, and forOn Joanna Russ.[15] They received theScience Fiction Research Association'sClareson award for distinguished service in 2015.[4]
In 2017, they won theWorld Fantasy Special Award—Professional forChildren's Fantasy Literature: An Introduction.[15] Their critical biography ofRobert Heinlein (see below) was nominated for the Best Related Work Hugo in 2020. It won theBSFA Award for non-fiction,[15] making them the only writer to have won this award three times.[4]
Mendlesohn is an activevolunteer member of the administration forscience fiction conventions. Among other events, they co-chaired ConCussion, the 2006Eastercon, with Simon Bradshaw;[16] and was director of program forAnticipation, the MontrealWorld Science Fiction Convention, in 2009;[17] Mendlesohn was on theconvention committee ofLoncon 3, the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention, but resigned as a protest over the announcement thatJonathan Ross was to bemaster of ceremonies for the presentation of theHugo Awards; Mendlesohn remained division head for the convention's exhibits hall.[18]
In 2017, Mendlesohn announced that a critical study ofRobert Heinlein was to be published by thecrowdfunding publisherUnbound.[19][20] As of October 2017[update] the pledges had exceeded the target by 18%. The book was published in 2019, under the titleThe Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein.
