Ellen Asher | |
---|---|
Occupation | Editor |
Nationality | American |
Notable awards |
Edward E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction, 2001 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, 2009 |
Ellen Asher is an American science fiction editor who served as editor-in-chief of the Science Fiction Book Club (SFBC) for thirty-four years, from February 8, 1973, through June 1, 2007. [1] She grew up in New York City and began editing science fiction at New American Library from 1970 to 1972. [2] [3]
As editor-in-chief of the SFBC, she oversaw the publication of anthologies like The Dragon Quintet, Vampire Sextet, Fair Folk, and Masterpieces of Terror and the Supernatural. [4] In 1984, Asher sat as a judge for the World Fantasy Awards. [5] In 2001, Asher received the New England Science Fiction Association Edward E. Smith Memorial Award. [6] In early 2007, the multinational media corporation, Bertelsmann, bought a controlling portion of Bookspan, of which the SFBC is an affiliate. [7] In the subsequent restructuring, Asher was given an early retirement. [8]
Asher received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2009 and was a guest of honor at Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention. [9] She occasionally performs some freelance work. [4]