Emma Bull

Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated Bone Dance and the urban fantasy War for the Oaks. She is also known for a series of anthologies set in Liavek, a shared universe that she created with her husband, Will Shetterly. As a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, she has been a member of the Minneapolis-based folk/rock bands Cats Laughing and The Flash Girls.

Early years

Emma Bull was born in Torrance, California. She attended Beloit College in Wisconsin, and graduated in 1976 with a degree in English Literature and Composition. After graduating, she worked for a while as a journalist and graphic designer.

Career

Emma Bull's best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy.

Her 1991 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel Bone Dance was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards. She was a member of the writing group The Scribblies, which included her husband, Will Shetterly, as well as Pamela Dean, Kara Dalkey, Nate Bucklin, Patricia Wrede and Steven Brust.

With Steven Brust, Bull wrote Freedom and Necessity (1997), an epistolary novel set during the 19th century Chartist movement of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Shared universes

Bull and Shetterly created the shared universe of Liavek, for which they have both written stories. There are five Liavek collections extant.

Bull has also participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder.

Music

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bull sang in the Minneapolis-based rock-folk band Cats Laughing. She also reunited with the band for two concerts in 2015, including a reunion show at the Minicon 50 science fiction convention. Bull appears on Cats Laughing's two studio albums, and on the live CD and reunion concert DVD Cats Laughing: A Long Time Gone (2016).

From the early 1990s to 2001, Bull also both sang and played guitar in the "goth-folk" duo The Flash Girls, with whom she recorded three albums.

Screenwriting

Bull wrote a screenplay for War for the Oaks, which was made into an 11-minute mini-film designed to look like a film trailer. She made a cameo appearance as the Queen of the Seelie Court, and Will Shetterly directed.

She is Executive Producer and one of the writers for Shadow Unit, along with Shetterly, Elizabeth Bear, Sarah Monette, and Amanda Downum.

Personal life

Bull and Shetterly live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Discography

With Cats Laughing:

Bootleg Issue (1988)

Another Way to Travel (1990)

A Long Time Gone (forthcoming CD and concert DVD, 2016)

With The Flash Girls

The Return of Pansy Smith and Violet Jones (1993)

Maurice and I (1994)

Play Each Morning Wild Queen (2001)

Awards

Nominee, 1986 Locus Award, Best Anthology for Liavek

Nominee, 1987 World Fantasy Award, Best Collection for Liavek: The Players of Luck

Winner, 1988 Locus Award, Best First Novel for War for the Oaks

Nominee, 1988 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for War for the Oaks

Nominee, 1988 Locus Award, Best Fantasy Novel for War for the Oaks

Nominee, 1990 Locus Award, Science Fiction Novel for Falcon

Nominee, 1991 Philip K. Dick Award, Best Novel for Bone Dance

Nominee, 1992 Locus Award, Best Science Fiction Novel for Bone Dance

Nominee, 1992 World Fantasy Award, Best Novel for Bone Dance

Nominee, 1992 Hugo Award, Best Novel for Bone Dance

Nominee, 1992 Nebula Award, Best Novel for Bone Dance

Nominee, 1993 Nebula Award, Best Novella for "Silver or Gold"

Nominee, 1995: Locus Award, Best Fantasy Novel for Finder

Nominee, 1995: Mythopoeic Awards, Best Children's Literature for The Princess and the Lord of Night

Nominee, 1998: Locus Award, Best Fantasy Novel for Freedom & Necessity

Nominee, 2007: Locus Award, Best Novelette for What Used to Be Good Still Is

Nominee, 2008: Locus Award, Best Fantasy Novel for Territory

Nominee, 2010: Locus Award, Novella for Cuckoo

Nominee, 2008 World Fantasy Award, Best Novel for Territory

Nominee, 2014 Cando Award, Best Novel for Territory