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Carolyn Cherry (September 1, 1942 –) has used the pseudonym C. J. Cherryh from the very beginning of her writing career in the mid-1970s. Based on her Morgaine series and similar novels, she quickly established a reputation as a skilled and reliable source for otherworldly adventure novels, and also won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award as best new writer. The Faded Sun trilogy in 1978–79 firmly established her as a major talent, and the elaborate alien culture that she created therein attracted loyal fans similar to those who were drawn to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover novels or Gordon R. Dickson's Dorsai series.

Cherryh's rapidly developing skills won her the Hugo Award for her novel Downbelow Station (1981), one of several books she would set in the Merchanter universe. The direct sequel, Merchanter's Luck (1982), was entertaining but less successful. Her ability to create believable alien cultures continued to be a valuable asset, and her next series, starting with The Pride of Chanur (1982), was an even greater success. The Chanur are felinoid aliens with a mildly matriarchal society who support themselves as interstellar traders. They are part of a complex interstellar community that includes the Kif, a mysterious and nefarious race, and humans, who are virtually unrecognized by the established powers.

Her next major work was Cyteen (1988), a very long novel, and her second Hugo winner. The story is told from the point of view of a clone of a powerful dictator. A variety of space adventures appeared during the early 1990s, but Cherryh didn't create another memorable alien race until Foreigner appeared in 1994. The setting is the world of the Atevi, who have a complex and bellicose tribal structure. A ship full of human colonists is forced to seek refuge on their world, and trades technology for the right to occupy a single large island. The series, which has been extended to at least nine titles, concentrates on the adventures of the lone human representative allowed to deal with the Atevi, both on their world and in space.

Many of Cherryh's most recent titles have tended to be more serious in tone and less action-oriented. Tripoint (1995) examines the emotional relationships within a spacegoing culture, and Hammerfall (2001) pits colonists against a pervasive plague which may actually be nanomachines rather than a virus. She has also written several fantasies, some of which are based on Russian fairy tales. Her occasional short stories, while competent, have failed to match the stature of her novels.

External Links

• C. J. Cherryh at ISFDB.org

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