Janny Wurts
Born (1953-12-10) December 10, 1953
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationAuthor, illustrator
NationalityAmerican
GenreFantasy
Notable worksWars of Light and Shadow, Empire trilogy
SpouseDon Maitz
Website
paravia.com/JannyWurts/

Janet Inglis "Janny" Wurts (born December 10, 1953) is an American fantasy novelist and illustrator. She has written several standalone novels and series, including the Wars of Light and Shadow, The Cycle of Fire trilogy and the internationally best-selling Empire trilogy that she co-authored with Raymond E. Feist.[1] Her short story collection That Way Lies Camelot was nominated for the British Fantasy Award in 1995. She often illustrates her own books, and has won Chesley Awards for her artwork.[2]

Biography

Janny Wurts was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. In the 1980s, she worked as an illustrator for role-playing game supplements for Mayfair Games.[3]

Wurts has written numerous novels (20 as of 2021).[4] Her fantasy debut Sorcerer's Legacy (1982) has been described as a political thriller; it features a female protagonist and court intrigue.[5] Similar elements feature in the Empire trilogy, written in collaboration with Raymond E. Feist. Empire is set in a non-European culture that has drawn comparisons to feudal Japan and the Byzantine empire.[6][7] Wurts has also written science fantasy: her Cycle of Fire trilogy mixes magic with science fiction. Her ongoing series, Wars of Light and Shadow, is a 11-volume epic fantasy (10 books published) with a storyline that spans multiple millennia and planets.[1][8]

Beyond writing, Wurts' award-winning paintings have been showcased in exhibitions of imaginative artwork, among them a commemorative exhibition for NASA's 25th Anniversary; the Art of the Cosmos at Hayden Planetarium in New York; and two exhibits of fantasy art, at both the Delaware Art Museum and Canton Art Museum.[3]

Wurts was a guest of honor at the 1996 World Horror Convention and the 2004 World Fantasy Convention.[9][10] She resides in Florida with her husband, artist Don Maitz.[2]

Bibliography

The Cycle of Fire Trilogy

  • Stormwarden (1984)
  • Keeper of the Keys (1988)
  • Shadowfane (1988)
    • The Cycle of Fire (1999) collects the trilogy into one volume

Empire Trilogy

The Wars of Light and Shadow

Stand-alone novels

  • Sorcerer's Legacy (1982)
  • Master of Whitestorm (1992)
  • To Ride Hell's Chasm (2002)

Collections

  • That Way Lies Camelot (1994)

Short stories

  • "Silverdown's Gold" (1991) appeared in"Horse Fantastic"
  • "Blood, Oak, Iron" (2004) appeared in Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy
  • "Child of Prophecy" (2004) appeared in Masters of Fantasy (A Wars of Light and Shadow Short Story)
  • "Watchfire" (2004) with Raymond E. Feist, appeared in Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy
  • "Last of Her Kind" (2005) appeared in Fantastic Companions
  • "Finder's Keeper" (2006) appeared in Fantasy Gone Wrong
  • "Moebius Trip" (2006) appeared in Elemental: The Tsunami Relief Anthology: Stories of Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • "Sundering Star" (2006) appeared in Under Cover of Darkness (A Wars of Light and Shadow Short Story)
  • "Reins of Destiny" (2007) appeared in The Solaris Book of New Fantasy (A Wars of Light and Shadow Short Story)
  • "The Decoy" (2016) appeared in Unfettered II (A Wars of Light and Shadow Short Story)

Novellas

Illustration work

Janny Wurts also painted the cover art for her US and international books. Her paintings have been showcased in numerous exhibitions and have won several Chesley awards.[12][13]

References

  1. 1 2 Raets, Stefan (2018-12-26). "An Appreciation of the Works of Janny Wurts". Tor.com. Macmillan. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05.
  2. 1 2 Silver, Steven H (2018-12-10). "Birthday Reviews: Janny Wurts's "The Snare"". Black Gate. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08.
  3. 1 2 Lavelle, Matthew (2018). "Janny Wurts". Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Pennsylvania State University. Archived from the original on 2020-08-14.
  4. ↑ "Summary Bibliography: Janny Wurts". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  5. ↑ Dellamonica, Alyx (2015-12-17). "Wizards and Politics: Fantastic Thrillers". Tor.com. Macmillan. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28.
  6. ↑ Clute, John; Grant, John, eds. (1997). "Wurts, Janny". The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. St. Martin's Griffin. Archived from the original on 2017-03-09.
  7. ↑ Brown, Charles N; Contento, William G, eds. (2010-01-02). The Locus Index to Science Fiction: 1984-1998. Locus Magazine. Archived from the original on 2020-08-31.
  8. ↑ "Series Author Spotlight On: Janny Wurts, Wars of Light and Shadow". Locus Magazine. 2017-08-27. Archived from the original on 2021-01-25.
  9. ↑ "Past World Horror Conventions". World Horror Convention. World Horror Society. 15 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-02-24.
  10. ↑ "World Fantasy Convention 2004". World Fantasy Convention. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23.
  11. ↑ Destiny's Conflict title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
  12. ↑ "Science Fiction & Fantasy Books - Authors - Janny Wurts". Lunacat.net. Archived from the original on 2012-08-04.
  13. ↑ "Janny Wurts Awards". Science Fiction Awards Database. Locus Science Fiction Foundation. Archived from the original on 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2021-08-11.

Interviews

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