Hambly, Barbara 1951- (Barbara Joan Hambly)

PERSONAL:

Born August 28, 1951, in San Diego, CA; married George Alec Effinger (a writer). Education: University of California at Riverside, M.A.; also studied at the University of Bordeaux, France. Hobbies and other interests: Karate, dancing, painting, costuming.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Los Angeles, CA. Agent—Frances Collin Literary Agency, P.O. Box 33, Wayne, PA 19087. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Freelance writer. Has worked as a research assistant, high school teacher, and karate instructor.

MEMBER:

Science Fiction Writers of America (president, 1994-96).

AWARDS, HONORS:

British Fantasy Society Best Novel Award nomination, 1999, for Dragonshadow; Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Historical Mystery, 2004. Also a Locus Award winner and multiple Nebula Award nominee.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

The Quirinal Hill Affair, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1983, published as Search the Seven Hills, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1987.

Those Who Hunt the Night, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1988, published as Immortal Blood, Unwin (London, England), 1988.

Beauty and the Beast (novelization of television script), Avon (New York, NY), 1989.

Song of Orpheus (novelization of television script), Avon (New York, NY), 1990.

Stranger at the Wedding, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1994, published as Sorcerer's Ward, HarperCollins (London, England), 1994.

Bride of the Rat God, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1994.

Traveling with the Dead (sequel to Those Who Hunt the Night), Del Rey (New York, NY), 1995.

Star Wars: Children of the Jedi, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1995.

Star Wars: Planet of Twilight, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1997.

(With Marc Scott Zicree) Magic Time, EOS (New York, NY), 2001.

Sisters of the Raven, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Dead Water, Bantam (New York, NY), 2004.

Circle of the Moon, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2005.

The Emancipator's Wife, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Renfield: Slave of Dracula, Berkley Prime Crime (New York, NY), 2006.

Patriot Hearts: A Novel of the Founding Mothers, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2007.

"DARWATH" SERIES

The Time of the Dark, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1982.

The Walls of Air, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1983.

The Armies of Daylight, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1983.

Mother of Winter, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1996.

Icefalcon's Quest, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1998.

"WINTERLANDS" SERIES

Dragonsbane, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1986.

Dragonshadow (sequel to Dragonsbane), Del Rey (New York, NY), 1999.

Knight of the Demon Queen (sequel to Dragonshadow), Del Rey (New York, NY), 2000.

Dragonstar, Del Rey (New York, NY), 2002.

"SUN WOLF" SERIES

The Ladies of Mandrigyn, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1984.

The Witches of Wenshar, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1987.

The Unschooled Wizard (includes The Ladies of the Mandrigyn and The Witches of Wenshar), Double-day (New York, NY), 1987.

The Dark Hand of Magic, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1990.

"SUN-CROSS" SERIES

The Rainbow Abyss, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1991.

Magicians of the Night, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1992.

Sun-Cross (includes The Rainbow Abyss and Magicians of the Night), Guild America, 1992.

"WINDROSE CHRONICLES" SERIES

The Silent Tower, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1986.

The Silicon Mage, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1988.

Darkmage (includes The Silent Tower and The Silicon Mage) Doubleday (New York, NY), 1988.

Dog Wizard, Del Rey (New York, NY), 1993.

"STAR TREK" SERIES

Ishmael: A Star Trek Novel, Pocket Books (New York, NY) 1985.

Ghost Walker, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Crossroad, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1994.

"BENJAMIN JANUARY" SERIES

A Free Man of Color, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Fever Season, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Graveyard Dust, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Sold down the River, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Die upon a Kiss, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Wet Grave, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Days of the Dead, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2003.

OTHER

(Editor) Women of the Night, Warner Aspect (New York, NY), 1994.

(Editor, with Martin H. Greenberg, and contributor) Sisters of the Night, Warner Aspect (New York, NY), 1995.

(With husband, George Alec Effinger) Budayeen Nights, Golden Gryphon, 2003.

(With others) Night's Edge (anthology), HQN Books (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2004.

Contributor of short fiction to anthologies and other publications, including Gaslight and Ghosts, edited by Jo Fletcher and Stephen Jones, 1988; Book of Dreams, edited by Neil Gaiman and Ed Kramer, 1991; Xanadu 2, edited by Jane Yolen and Martin H. Greenberg, 1994; South from Midnight, Southern Fried Press, 1994; Tales from Jabba's Palace, edited by Kevin J. Anderson, 1995; Tales from Mos Eisley Cantina, edited by Kevin J. Anderson, 1995; Sandman: Book of Dreams, 1996; War of Worlds: Global Dispatches, 1996; and Night's Edge, with Maggie Shayne and Charlaine Harris, 2004. Also author of scripts for animated cartoons.

SIDELIGHTS:

While prolific novelist Barbara Hambly pens primarily sword-and-sorcery fantasies, she also writes in a variety of other genres: everything from vampire stories to mysteries to science fiction. Her novels include Dragonshadow, about a couple who must free their young son from a band of demons who have entered the human dimension to feed on the magic of dragons, wizards, and other fantastic creatures; she has also enjoyed success with a series of historical mysteries featuring the free black man Benjamin January as he makes his way in pre-Civil War America. In addition, Hambly has created novelizations based on characters from popular films and television shows, among them Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars, and Star Trek. Considered a gifted storyteller, she has garnered a wide readership, and critics have praised her work. David Langford, in a St. James Guide to Fantasy Writers essay, remarked that Hambly "has a special talent for reclaiming and reworking familiar themes of fantasy, making them over into a seamless gestalt which is very much her own."

Hambly saw her writing career take shape in 1982 with publication of The Time of the Dark, the first book in her "Darwath" series. The series centers on a race of flying creatures known as the Dark Ones. Determined to take over a parallel Earth, the Dark Ones force graduate student Gil Patterson and auto mechanic Rudy Solis to defend the human race. Michael W. McClintock, reviewing The Time of the Dark in Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review, wrote that Hambly "draws Gil and Rudy effectively, and the plot shows at least the possibility of interesting development." Susan L. Nickerson in the Library Journal described The Time of the Dark as a "heart stopping" and "unusually effective" fantasy work. The Walls of Air continues the adventure of Rudy and Gil, who have been taken to the Dark Ones' parallel world and transformed into a wizard and an elite guard respectively. Nickerson praised The Walls of Air for its "brisk action" and a feeling of impending menace which "keeps the reader deeply involved." The Armies of Daylight and Mother of Winter continue the "Darwath" saga, the latter novel drawing praise from a Publishers Weekly contributor who found "the story … involving, and the narrative intelligent."

In 1988, Hambly crafted a London-based vampire story with an odd twist: vampires as victims. Those Who Hunt the Night deals with a mysterious being who opens the coffins of vampires, exposing the nightstalkers to lethal sunlight and killing them. A frightened vampire enlists the help of ex-secret agent James Asher to find the culprit. Susan M. Schuller, writing in the Voice of Youth Advocates, stated that Hambly "delves into vampire lore with gusto, detailing the lust for blood and the killing urge among the undead." Traveling with the Dead continues the adventures of Asher and his wife, Lydia, who battle together to prevent an alliance between human governments and the living dead. Jackie Cassada, in a review for the Library Journal, believed that Traveling with the Dead "captures both the subtle ambiance of turn-of-the-[twentieth-]century political intrigue and the even more baroque pathways of the human and the inhuman heart." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly remarked that Hambly's "vivid portraits" of the vampires "allow them to emerge as memorable personalities distinct from the viewpoints they represent."

Hambly has gained a strong following among mystery readers with her series of historical novels begun with 1997's A Free Man of Color. Set in early-nineteenth-century New Orleans, the book follows the exploits of Benjamin January, a free Creole with dark brown skin. January, a trained surgeon and pianist, returns to Louisiana after living in Paris and promptly becomes a murder suspect. Hambly does extensive research in preparation for each installment in the series, and her attention to detail pays off handsomely for readers. Marilyn Stasio, in the New York Times Book Review, praised A Free Man of Color as a "stunning first mystery"; Dick Adler described the novel in Chicago's Tribune Books as "magically rich and poignant." Commenting on Hambly's "seductive," detailed plots and vivid settings, Stasio maintained that Hambly paints her antebellum New Orleans setting as "a city that glitters with the sinister beauty of a snake."

In Fever Season, the second novel in the "Benjamin January" series, Hambly's talented musician/physician/sleuth works at a New Orleans charity hospital at a time when the city is in the grip of a cholera epidemic. January also realizes that free men of color are disappearing, and his investigations into the matter lead to a horrifying conclusion. According to a Publishers Weekly reviewer, Fever Season is "complex in plotting, rich in atmosphere, and written in powerful, lucid prose." A Booklist reviewer also praised the novel, calling it "rich, intense, and eye-opening."

January returns in several more novels by Hambly, among them Graveyard Dust, Sold down the River, Die upon a Kiss, Wet Grave, and Days of the Dead. In Graveyard Dust, he confronts the power of Voodoo while attempting to free his sister from a murder rap and protect a young child from abuse. The year is 1834, and the free black man must also deal with racism and the still-raging cholera outbreak devastating New Orleans in a novel praised by a Publishers Weekly contributor for its "emotional authenticity, varied cast and rich historical trappings." Sold down the River takes place the following year, when January's former owner asks him to assist Abishag Shaw, a white American policeman, with an investigation at a plantation outside the city. January must work undercover at his former master's plantation, pretending to be a slave once more, in order to look into the potential murder and sabotage that has occurred. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly remarked that "Hambly's fiercely burning picture of the horrors of slavery inevitably overwhelms the specifics of the plot, but she evokes the period marvelously." Writing for Booklist, Jenny McLarin found this installment in the January series to be a "disturbing but quite moving story."

Music enters the mix in Die upon a Kiss, as pianist January performs in a production of the opera Othello with the orchestra of an opera company whose Italian cast members seem marked for murder. While noting that the plot is sometimes confusing, a Publishers Weekly contributor praised Hambly's "exquisite evocation" of the "exotic culture and menacing politics of antebellum New Orleans." Hambly follows up with the next January adventure: Wet Grave. This novel builds around the rumors of what happened to the treasures of pirate Jean Lafitte after he settled down in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Some of the tales claimed Lafitte buried his riches there, but where was never revealed. Brothers Bertrand and Guifford Avocet become involved in a bout of treasure hunting, and their greed pits them against each other and leads to a slave uprising. Guardsman Abishag Shaw turns to January to assist him in keeping peace, even though January is already busy with an investigation of his own. A contributor for Kirkus Reviews remarked of this installment in the series that "historian Hambly has toned down her Grand Guignol propensities and her over-the-top syntax," and went on to call the book "as bracing as chicory-laced coffee." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly wrote that "when the author hits her stride, the tension ratchets up to an almost unbearable level." Marilyn Stasio, in a contribution for the New York Times Book Review, opined that "Hambly continues to delight us with her sensuous evocation of life in New Orleans in the turbulent era of the 1800's."

Murder and mayhem continue to cross January's path in Days of the Dead, as the black sleuth and his new wife, Rose, travel south to Mexico to help a friend suspected of murder. January's efforts to exonerate his friend for the murder of the son of wealthy and eccentric Don Prospero de Castellon make for a characteristically intricate plotline in which Hambly introduces readers to a Mexico that a Publishers Weekly contributor described as "frighteningly alive, from its rampant poverty and self-serving politicians to the nation's preoccupation with and devotion to its dead." Praising not only Days of the Dead but the entire "Benjamin January" series, David Pitt noted in Booklist that Hambly's hero is among the mystery genre's "most unusual and interesting protagonists" in a series that is tantamount to "literary time travel."

The travels and trials of Benjamin January continue in Dead Water, Hambly's 2004 addition to the series. In this book, January faces more dangerous adventures in and around 1836 New Orleans. First, he learns that the Bank of Louisiana has just been robbed by a crooked employee. Since the money that he and his wife, Rose, had saved to help support their girls' school was in that bank, January resolves to track down the thief and recover the funds. January soon finds himself posing as a servant to a white friend, Hannibal Sefton, aboard a steamship. As a Publishers Weekly reviewer noted, the boat is populated by "slave runners, abolitionists and a host of interesting, unsavory and downright terrifying individuals." Needless to say, life grows strange on the ship and January is challenged to keep his mission in mind for the sake of his family and the children under their care. As with her previous historical novels, Hambly draws a picture of the "antebellum South so alive you could swear the author traveled back in time to observe her settings firsthand," continued the Publishers Weekly reviewer. A Kirkus Reviews contributor wrote that "Hambly knows her stuff … and is one of a hand- ful of historical writers who's mastered the conventions of the classic mystery puzzle."

In 2001, Hambly joined forces with screenwriter Marc Scott Zicree, and together they wrote the fantasy adventure novel, Magic Time. Modern technology has been wiped out due to a top secret government experiment gone wrong, and civilization has been reduced to a far more primitive stage of development. The rogue energy that caused this disaster is also mutating certain members of the population into monsters. New York lawyer Cal Griffin finds that his boss is now a demonic killer who is hot on his trail, and Cal's sister is beginning to transform as well—literally into a ghost of her former self. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly noted: "Zicree's TV experience … is obvious in the swift, episodic pacing; unfortunately, that doesn't give Hambly's usual gift for characterization much to work with." Regina Schroeder, in a review for Booklist, called the book "a nail-biter with enough young characters and off-kilter magic to keep teens reading."

Sisters of the Raven, and its sequel, Circle of the Moon, are the stories of strong women becoming empowered as the men in their society lose their own abilities to rule. In the land of Yellow City, the old magic is dying, and as it does, the men who wield it find that their abilities are fading as well. At the same time, a new magic is thriving, one that women are able to tap into and use to gain power over the men. In Sisters of the Raven, a killer is stalking these new female practitioners of magic, and must be stopped. Jackie Cassada, in a review for the Library Journal, praised Hambly's "graceful storytelling style and flair for world-building." The follow-up story, Circle of the Moon, describes the building of the circle, in which other women may train in the magic that only a few women have learned. When a series of crises plague Yellow City, it is only through the power of the circle that the women may overcome disaster. Jackie Cassada, again reviewing for the Library Journal, commented on Hambly's blending of the cultures of the Middle East and Native Americans to fashion her fictional world, calling it "a unique cultural blend."

In 2005, Hambly told the story of the troubled First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. In her historical novel The Emancipator's Wife, Hambly tells the story of Todd's life from several different perspectives. Hambly is careful not to dismiss Mary Todd as simply the wife of Abraham Lincoln; instead, the author delves deeply into Todd's character before and after her first meeting with Lincoln in 1839. Mary Todd's achievements, as well as her many personal tragedies—such as the deaths of three sons and the assassination of her husband—are presented in this fact-based work of fiction. Moreover, Hambly looks at the meanings behind these events. "Issues of spiritualism, mental illness, addiction, race and politics are interwoven, giving the reader a clearer understanding of their pervasiveness and influence," wrote Ann Fleury in the Library Journal. Finally, Hambly examines the role these issues played in Civil Warera America. In telling Todd's story, Hambly not only sheds light on women's roles in the 1800s but also "supplies an evenhanded overview of the political and practical issues surrounding the emancipation of the slaves," according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Some reviewers praised the book, but took exception to its subject. Hambly "limns an absolutely convincing portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln—and that's the catch," commented a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Although Todd's character is brave and determined, she is "so depressing … 600-plus pages with a disagreeable woman tends to undercut empathy," the reviewer concluded.

Hambly turned to historical fiction with a look at four significant women in the early history of the United States: Patriot Hearts: A Novel of the Founding Mothers. While the men who founded the nation receive praise, the women who supported them are less often noticed. This book offers a fictionalized account of the lives of Martha Washington, wife of the first president; Abigail Adams, a devoted wife who was forced to endure long separations from her husband, John; Dolley Madison, who rescued her huband's important cabinet papers when the capital burned in 1814; and Sally Hemings, both slave and lover to Thomas Jefferson. In a review for Publishers Weekly, one contributor noted that Hambly's effort "is less a dramatically tense novel than a set of discrete fictionalized portraits designed to give history's women their due." Mary Ellen Quinn, writing for Booklist, stated: "This is superior historical fiction, firm in its grasp of history, not showy in its period details." Library Journal contributor Mary Kay Bird-Guilliams remarked of the historical backdrop of the book that "the perspective offered is distinctly feminine and gives readers a sense of peeking backstage at a play they know well." A contributor for Kirkus Reviews found the book to be "heartfelt, if sometimes confusing," but concluded: "The author's personal approach vividly brings familiar chapters in history to life."

Other books by the prolific Hambly include several novels based on the popular Star Wars films as well as two based on the Star Trek television series created by the late Gene Roddenberry. In Ishmael: A Star Trek Novel, the Starship Enterprise's First Officer Spock travels back in time to visit the earth in 1867 in an effort to thwart a Klingon plan to change human history. Roland Green of Booklist praised Hambly's effort, recommending it "not only for Star Trek collections but as a good novel in its own right." Ishmael grabs the reader's attention throughout "with humor, action and personal interplay," according to Roberta Rogow in a review for the Voice of Youth Advocates.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Detecting Women, Purple Moon Press (Dearborn, MI), 1996, p. 88.

Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, 1975-1991, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI), 1992.

St. James Guide to Fantasy Writers, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1996.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July, 1985, review of Roland Green, Ishmael: A Star Trek Novel, p. 1519; May 15, 1998, Emily Melton, review of Fever Season, p. 1564; February 8, 1999, p. 199; February 15, 1999, Roberta Johnson, review of Dragonshadow, p. 1048; April 15, 1999, Sally Estes, review of Graveyard Dust, p. 1478; May 15, 1999, p. 1678; February 1, 2000, Roberta Johnson, review of Knight of the Demon Queen, p. 1011; May 1, 2000, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of Those Who Hunt the Night, Traveling with the Dead, p. 1599, Jenny McLarin, review of Sold down the River, p. 1617; March 15, 2001, David Pitt, review of Die upon a Kiss, p. 1333; October 12, 2001, Regina Schroeder, review of Magic Time, p. 388; May 1, 2003, David Pitt, review of Days of the Dead, p. 1545; September 1, 2003, Roberta Johnson, review of Budayeen Nights, p. 74; July, 2004, review of Dead Water, p. 1798; December 1, 2004, review of The Emancipator's Wife, p. 618; December 16, 2006, Mary Ellen Quinn, review of Patriot Hearts: A Novel of the Founding Mothers, p. 22.

Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 1997, review of A Free Man of Color, p. 741; September 15, 2001, review of Magic Time, p. 1331; June 1, 2002, review of Wet Grave, p. 772; June 1, 2004, review of Dead Water, p. 519; December 15, 2004, review of The Emancipator's Wife, p. 1156; November 15, 2006, review of Patriot Hearts, p. 1147.

Library Journal, May 15, 1982, Susan L. Nickerson, review of The Time of the Dark, p. 1014; March 15, 1983, Susan L. Nickerson, review of The Walls of Air, p. 603; March 15, 1985, Janet Cameron, review of The Ladies of Mandrigyn, p. 599; August, 1995, Jackie Cassada, review of Traveling with the Dead, p. 122; March 15, 1999, Jackie Cassada, review of Dragonshadow, p. 112; July, 1999, Shirley Gibson Coleman, review of Graveyard Dust, p. 131; January, 2000, Jackie Cassada, review of Knight of the Demon Queen, p. 167; March 1, 2000, review of Sold down the River, p. S8; June 1, 2001, Rex Klett, review of Die upon a Kiss, p. 222; December, 2001, Jackie Cassada, review of Magic Time, p. 180; August, 2002, Jackie Cassada, review of Sisters of the Raven, p. 151; January 1, 2005, Ann Fleury, review of The Emancipator's Wife, p. 97; September 15, 2005, Jackie Cassada, review of Circle of the Moon, p. 58; December 1, 2006, Mary Kay Bird-Guilliams, review of Patriot Hearts, p. 110.

New York Times Book Review, August 2, 1998, Marilyn Stasio, review of Fever Season, p. 24; July 25, 1999, Marilyn Stasio, review of Graveyard Dust, p. 20; July 23, 2000, Marilyn Stasio, review of Sold down the River, p. 20; July 8, 2001, Marilyn Stasio, review of Die upon a Kiss, p. 18; July 21, 2002, Marilyn Stasio, review of Wet Grave, p. 16.

Publishers Weekly, September 4, 1995, review of Traveling with the Dead, p. 52; September 16, 1996, review of Mother of Winter, p. 74; May 5, 1997, p. 197; April 27, 1998, review of Fever Season, p. 48; February 8, 1999, review of Dragonshadow, p. 199; May 31, 1999, review of Graveyard Dust, p. 69; January 3, 2000, review of Knight of the Demon Queen, p. 61; June 5, 2000, review of Sold down the River, p. 75; April 23, 2001, review of Die upon a Kiss, p. 52; October 8, 2001, review of Magic Time, p. 48; May 13, 2002, review of Wet Grave, p. 53; June 9, 2003, review of Days of the Dead, p. 40; July 5, 2004, review of Dead Water, p. 41; January 10, 2005, review of The Emancipator's Wife, p. 38; November, 2006, review of Patriot Hearts, p. 33.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review, September, 1982, Michael W. McClintock, review of The Time of the Dark, pp. 30-31.

Tribune Books (Chicago, IL), July 6, 1997, Dick Adler, review of A Free Man of Color, p. 2.

Voice of Youth Advocates, February, 1986, Roberta Rogow, review of Ishmael, pp. 393-394; August-October, 1986, p. 162; April, 1989, Susan M. Schuller, review of Those Who Hunt the Night, p. 42.

ONLINE

Barbara Hambly Home Page,http://www.barbarahambly.com (April 25, 2007).