Elaine Cunningham

Elaine Cunningham (born August 12, 1957, in New York City) is an American fantasy and science fiction author, especially known for her contributions to the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game.

Biography

Cunningham was born in New York City, and grew up in New York state and New England. A voracious reader since childhood, she earned a degree in music education with a minor in history.

She started writing in 1987, after her older son was born. A lifelong fascination with folklore and mythology led her to the fantasy genre, and her background in music and history gave her an affinity for bards such as Danilo Thann, created for her first novel, Elfshadow (1991). Many of her stories focus on elves, which she attributes to her excessive fondness for cats.

Elves suddenly clicked for me when I realized they're essentially bipedal cats with localized fur. They possess a decidedly feline grace, beauty, and dexterity, not to mention 110% of a cat's attitude.

Cunningham is also the New York Times bestselling author of Dark Journey, book 10 from the Star Wars New Jedi Order saga. Shadows in the Starlight (2006), the second book the Changeling Detective series, was named to the 2006 Kirkus Reviews list "Ten Best SciFi Novels."

Personal life

Now a full-time arts administrator, Cunningham continues to write, albeit mostly in the early morning hours. She lives in coastal Rhode Island.