Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (1930–1999) was an American author of fantasy, historical fantasy, science fiction, and science fantasy novels, and is best known for the Arthurian fiction novel The Mists of Avalon, and the Darkover series. While she is noted for her feminist perspective in her writing, her popularity has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations against her of child sexual abuse and rape by two of her children, Mark and Moira Greyland, and others, and for enabling her husband at the time (who was an admitted pedophile) to abuse and rape multiple unrelated children.
Bradley stated that when she was a child she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, C.L. Moore, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about “the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be”. Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly. At 17, she began her first novel The Forest House, her retelling of Norma; she finished it before her death.
Her most famous single novel may be The Mists of Avalon, a retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar. It grew into a series of books and, like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear since Bradley’s death.
Marion Zimmer Bradley was posthumously awarded the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement in 2000.
Marion Zimmer Bradley – First Edition Identification Guide
Note: This list only includes works published prior to 1977.
| Year | Title | Publisher | First edition/Printing Identification Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | ANYTHING GOES | Sydney. Australia: Stag Publishing Co., [1964] | Wrappers. Morgan Ives, pseudonym. Abridged reprint of SPARE HER HEAVEN. |
| 1964 | THE BLOODY SUN | New York: Ace Books, inc. [1964] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Book F-303 (40c). |
| 1965 | BLUEBEARD'S DAUGHTER | New York: Lancer Books, [1965] | Wrappers. A Lancer Book * 1968 on © page. Lancer Books 73-739 (60c). |
| 1969 | THE BRASS DRAGON | New York: An Ace Book, [1969] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double 3 7250 (60c). Bound with IPOMOEA by John Rackham. |
| 1975 | CAN ELLEN BE SAVED? | New York: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, [1975] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Tempo Books 7444 ($1.25). Note Novelization of a teleplay by Emmett Roberts. |
| 1965 | CASTLE TERROR | New York: Lancer Books, [1965] | Wrappers. A Lancer Original * 1965 on © page. Lancer Books 72-983 (50c). |
| 1963 | THE COLORS OF SPACE | Derby, Connecticut: Monarch Books, Inc., [1963] | Wrappers. Published in August, 1963 on © page. Monarch Books 368 (35c). |
| 1964 | THE DARK INTRUDER & OTHER STORIES | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1964] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page.Ace Double F-273 (40c). Bound with FALCONS OF NARABEDLA by Bradley. |
| 1972 | DARK SATANIC | [New York]: Published by Berkley Publishing Corp., [1972] | Wrappers. September, 1972 on © page. A Berkley Medallion Book S2231 (75c). |
| 1972 | DARKOVER LANDFALL | New York: DAW Books, Inc., [1972] | Wrappers. First printing, December 1972 on © page. DAW: sf Books No. 36UQ1036 (95c). |
| 1961 | THE DOOR THROUGH SPACE | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1961] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double Novel F-117 (40c). Bound with RENDEZVOUS ON A LOST WORLD by A. Bertram Chandler. |
| 1976 | DRUMS OF DARKNESS | New York: Ballantine Books, [1976] | Wrappers. First Edition: August, 1976 on © page. Ballantine Gothic 25108 ($1.25). |
| 1975 | ENDLESS VOYAGE | New York: AceBooks, [1975] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace 20660 ($1.25). |
| 1964 | FALCONS OF NARABEDLA | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1964] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double F-273 (40c). Bound with THE DARK INTRUDER & OTHER STORIES by Bradley. |
| 1977 | THE FORBIDDEN TOWER | New York: DAW Books, Inc., [1977] | Wrappers. First printing, September 1977/1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 on © page DAW: sf Books No. 256 UJ1323 ($1.95). |
| 1975 | THE HERITAGE OF HASTUR | New York: DAW Books, Inc., [1975] | Wrappers. First printing, August 1975/1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 on © page. DAW: sf Books No. 160 UWI189 ($1.50). ALSO: Boston; Gregg Press, 1977. First Printing, June 1977 on © page. First hardcover edition. Note: Not issued in dust jacket. |
| 1973 | HUNTERS OF THE RED MOON | New York: DAW Books, Inc., [1973] | Wrappers. First Printing, September 1973/1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 on © page. DAW: sf Books No. 71 UQ1071 (95c). |
| 1962 | I AM A LESBIAN | Derby, Connecticut: Monarch Books, Inc., [1962] | Wrappers |
| 1973 | IN THE STEPS OF THE MASTER | New York: Grosset & Dunlap, Inc. A National General Co. Pub, [1973] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Tempo Books 5595 (95c). The Sixth Sense #2 at head of title. Note: A novel based on the Universal Television series The Sixth Sense created by Anthony Lawrence. |
| 1974 | THE JEWEL OF ARWEN | [Baltimore: T-K Graphics, 1974] | Wrappers. No statement of printing. |
| 1966 | KNIVES OF DESIRE | Diego: Corinth Publications, [1966] | Wrappers. In the Evening Readers series. Morgan Ives,pseudonym. |
| 1963 | MY SISTER, MY LOVE | Derby, Connecticut:'Monarch Books, Inc., [1963] | Wrappers. Monarch Books 352. Miriam Gardner .pseudonym. |
| 1966 | NO ADAM FOR EVE | San Diego: Corinth Publications, [1966] | Wrappers. In the Evening Readers series. John Dexter, pseudonym. |
| 1962 | THE PARTING OF ARWEN | [Baltimore: T-K Graphics, 1974] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Cover title. |
| 1962 | THE PLANETS AVERS | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1962] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double F-153 (40c). Bound with THE SWORD OF ALDONES by Bradley. ALSO: New York: Ace Books, [1976]. Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace 67020 ($1.50). Adds "The Waterfall." |
| 1962 | SEVEN FROM THE STARS | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1962] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double Novel F-127 (40c). Bound with WORLDS OF THE IMPERIUM by Keith Laumer. |
| 1976 | THE SHATTERED CHAIN | New York: DAW Books, Inc., [1976] | Wrappers. First printing, April 1976/1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 on © page. DAW: sf Books No. 191 UW 1229 ($1.50). |
| 1967 | SOUVENIR OF MONIQUE | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1967] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Book G-616 (50c). |
| 1963 | SPARE HER HEAVEN | Derby, Connecticut: Monarch Books, Inc., [1963] | Wrappers. Published in March, 1963 on © page. Monarch Books 335 (40c). Morgan Ives, pseudonym. Later abridged as ANYTHING GOES. |
| 1974 | THE SPELL SWORD | New York: DAW Books. Inc., [1974] | Wrappers. First printing, September 1974/1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 on © page. DAW: sf Books No. 119 UQ113I (95c). |
| 1965 | STAR OF DANGER | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1965] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Book F-350 (40c). |
| 1962 | THE STRANGE WOMEN | Derby, Connecticut: Monarch Books, Inc., [1962] | Wrappers. Monarch Books 249. Miriam Gardner, pseudonym. |
| 1962 | THE SWORD OF ALDONES | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1962] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double F-153 (40c). Bound with THE PLANET SAVERS by Bradley. ALSO: Boston: Gregg Press, 1977. First Printing, June 1977 on © page. First hardcover edition. Note: Not issued in dust jacket. |
| 1964 | TWILIGHT LOVERS | Derby, Connecticut: Monarch Books, Inc., [1964] | Wrappers. Monarch Books 418. Miriam Gardner, pseudonym. |
| 1970 | THE WINDS OF DARKOVER | New York: An Ace Book, [1970] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double 89250 (75c). Bound with THE ANYTHING TREE by John Rackham. |
| 1972 | WITCH HILL | [Los Angeles]: Greenleaf Publishers, [1972] | Wrappers. Valerie Graves, pseudonym. |
| 1971 | THE WORLD WRECKERS | New York: Ace Books, [1971] | Wrappers. No statement of printingon © page. Ace Book 91170 |
Reference:
- Wikipedia
- L. W. Currey, Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction and Selected Nonfiction.
