Phyllis Eisenstein

Phyllis Eisenstein (February 26, 1946 – December 7, 2020) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy short stories as well as novels. Her work was nominated for both the Hugo Award and Nebula Award.

Early life Eisenstein was born Phyllis Leah Kleinstein in 1946 in Chicago, Illinois, and lived there most of her life. While studying psychology at the University of Chicago in 1963, she met her future husband Alex at a weekly gathering of Chicago's science fiction fandom. In 1966, shortly after attending Tricon, the 24th World Science Fiction Convention, they were married. She continued college until Alex entered the U. S. Air Force and, following basic training, was posted to Germany; they lived there for three years and then returned to Chicago upon his honorable discharge from the service.

Career Eisenstein had her first two science fiction stories published in 1971, the first in collaboration with husband Alex (he continued to be her writing partner for certain short stories). After establishing herself as a professional writer, she returned to college to finish her education, studying at the University of Illinois, where she earned a 1981 B.A. degree in anthropology.

She wrote eight novels, subsequently publishing six of them and nearly fifty shorter works of varying lengths in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror fiction; Martin then dedicated the third novel in the series, A Storm of Swords, to Eisenstein. the novel remains unpublished, while the first two novels in the series are currently out-of-print.

Eisenstein completed The Walker Between Worlds, the first novel in a new science-fantasy series called "The Masks of Power". The first eight chapters from the in-progress novel, comprising 38,000 words, was published in 2007 as a limited edition trade paperback from KaCSFFS Press, a Kansas City, Missouri science fiction and fantasy independent publisher; this debuted for her Writer Guest of Honor appearance at Kansas City's longtime regional science fiction and fantasy convention ConQuesT 38. After completing The Walker Between Worlds, she purposely left the novel unpublished while she worked to complete the two remaining volumes in the series before publication. At the time of her death, "The Masks of Power" trilogy remained unfinished.

Death Eisenstein suffered a stroke in January 2020, and entered hospice care shortly thereafter. Rogues (2014)

Published short stories "Born to Exile" (1971) "The Trouble with the Past" (1971), with Alex Eisenstein "Inn of the Black Swan" (1972) "Attachment" (1974), Nebula Award (nominee) "Teleprobe" (1974) "The Weather on Mars" (1974), with Alex Eisenstein "The Witch and the Well" (1974) "The Lords of All Power" (1975) "The Tree of Life" (1975) "Sleeping Beauty: The True Story" (1976), with Alex Eisenstein "Alter Ego" (1977), with Alex Eisenstein "You Are Here" (1977), with Alex Eisenstein "The Land of Sorrow" (1977) "In Answer To Your Call" (1978) "Lost and Found" (1978) "The Man With the Eye" (1978) "The Mountain Fastness" (1979) "The Fireman's Daughter" (1981) "In the Western Tradition" (1981), Nebula Award (nominee), Hugo Award (nominee) "Point of Departure" (1981) "Taboo" (1981) "Dark Wings" (1982) "Nightlife" (1982), Hugo Award (nominee) "Subworld" (1983) "The Amethyst Phial" (1984) "The Demon Queen" (1984) "Fair Exchange" (1985) "Sense of Duty" (1985) The Snail Out of Space" (1985) "Weaseling Out" (1987) "No Refunds" (1994) "Boxes" (1998) "The Cat" (1998) "Dust in the Attic" (1998) "The Island in the Lake" (1998), Nebula Award (nominee) "The Park" (1998) "The Robe" (1998) "Wild Animals" (1998) "Wallpaper World" (2001), with Alex Eisenstein "Boltzmann Schiaparelli and the Lizard King" (2009) "The Last Golden Thread" (2009) "Von Neumann's Bug" (2010), with Alex Eisenstein "The Sunstone" (2013) "The Caravan to Nowhere" (2014) "The Desert of Vanished Dreams" (2016) "The City of Lost Desire" (2019)

Awards and nominations Nebula: Best Short Story, (nominee, 1976) for "Attachment" Balrog Award: Novel, (winner, 1979) for Born To Exile Science Fiction Chronicle: Best Novella, (winner, 1981) for "In the Western Tradition" Hugo: Best Novella, (nominee, 1982) for "In the Western Tradition" Nebula: Best Novella, (nominee, 1982) for "In the Western Tradition" Hugo: Best Novelette, (nominee, 1983) for "Nightlife" Nebula: Best Novelette, (nominee, 2000) for "The Island in the Lake"