Tiptree Award Auction 2019

Happy birthday, Alice Sheldon! Alice B. Sheldon, born on August 24, 1915, wrote under the pseudonym James Tiptree, Jr. By her impulsive choice of a masculine pen name, Sheldon helped break down the imaginary barrier between “women’s writing” and “men’s writing.” Tiptree’s stories were eagerly accepted by publishers and won many awards in the field. Many years later, it was discovered that James Tiptree was a woman. The discovery led to extensive discussion of what aspects of writing, if any, are essentially gendered. The name “Tiptree” was selected as the name for Tiptree award to illustrate the complex role of gender in writing and reading. Celebrate Alice Sheldon's birthday and help support the Tiptree Award by bidding on an item.

For the past 28 years, the James Tiptree Jr. Award has been presented annually to a work of science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender. Founded in 1991 by authors Pat Murphy and Karen Fowler, the award is intended to reward and create a community for those writers and artists who are bold enough to imagine imagine futures that are very different from today. To learn more about the Tiptree Award or to recommend works for the jury’s consideration, visit tiptree.org.