Award-winning SFF author Vonda N. McIntyre passed away on April 1, 2019.
“The world lost a force of nature, a brilliant, kind, generous, fiercely talented artist.”
—Jeanne Gomoll
Vonda’s books and short stories won Hugo & Nebula awards and her tie-ins and other novels are beloved by generations. Vonda founded Clarion West, a writing workshop for speculative fiction writers, and was a founding member of the Book View Cafe, an author-owned publishing cooperative. A quiet, tireless feminist, Vonda nurtured hundreds of writers. Through her writing, teaching, and works, Vonda both shaped and nurtured the SF/F community.
Since bringing Clarion West to Seattle in 1971, Vonda leaves behind generations of Clarion West graduates who benefited from her kindness, intelligence, grace, and wry sense of humor.
You can purchase a copy of Remembering Vonda, a tribute from friends, colleagues, students, and fans at Lulu Press.
News
The Exile Waiting
A beautiful reprint of Vonda’s first novel, published in 1975.
Printed by Handheld Press. Now available for purchase through the Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books/the-exile-waiting-9781912766093/9781912766093.
Other Events
- Handheld Press will be releasing a new selection of short fiction by Vonda soon and will include a number of her most beloved short stories.
- Do you want to know what’s happening with the The Moon and the Sun: Motion Picture? While yet to be released, it’s still making headlines. Here is an article about the film released in May 2020: https://www.filmstories.co.uk/features/the-kings-daughter-the-lost-pierce-brosnan-mermaid-movie/. Read about Vonda’s visit to Versailles at the Book View Café blog.
- Follow announcements about the speculative fiction world and new releases of Vonda’s works on Twitter.
Resources for Writers
- Pitfalls of Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy: General Useful Information & Other Opinionated Comments
- “Manuscript Preparation” [Venerable PDF handout; updated October 2008]
- Clarion West Writers Workshop, Seattle, WA, USA
- Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America
- Writer Beware
Math Crafts
Vonda famously made beaded and crochet Sea Creatures, including Jellyfish, anemones, nudibranchs, and marine flatworms. She contributed to the Smithsonian’s Exhibit of TheIFF’s Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef and participated in the Crochet Coral Reef.

Many Clarion West graduates have received her yarn “sea creatures” or “coral brains,” which she crocheted every year for the class as stress relievers.
More on the Website
- Biography: Just the facts.
- Comments on The Moon and the Sun.
- Comments on The Starfarers Quartet
- “Ursula K. Le Guin: Mutinous Navigator” (Essay)
- A window display by Jay Herrington.
Contribute to Scholarships and other funds in memory of Vonda N. McIntyre:
- Vonda N. McIntyre Memorial Scholarship for the Clarion West Six-Week Workshop. Click here to support and list “In Memory of Vonda N. McIntyre” in your donation notes.
- Women in Speculative Fiction Giving Circle to make a donation that supports year-round scholarships for women and instructor fees. Click here to support and list “In Memory of Vonda N. McIntyre” in your donation notes.
- Vonda N. McIntyre Sentient Squid Scholarship to support writers attending Writing the Other workshops.