Esther Friesner

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Esther Friesner (also known as Esther M. Friesner) is a fantasy author best known for her humorous works, though she spans the Sliding Scale of Silliness Versus Seriousness. Friesner was named Outstanding New Fantasy Writer by Romantic Times in 1986. She won the Skylark Award in 1994. She has been nominated a number of times for the Hugo Award and Nebula Award, winning the Nebula Award for Best Short Story in 1995 and 1996 for, respectively, "Death and the Librarian" and "A Birth Day". She has also edited a large number of anthologies, perhaps most famously the Chicks In Chainmail series.

She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, two rambunctious cats, and a fluctuating population of hamsters.

Her website can be found here.

Works written by Esther Friesner include:
  • Chronicles of the Twelve Kingdoms
    • Mustapha and His Wise Dog, 1985
    • Spells of Mortal Weaving, 1986
    • The Witchwood Cradle, 1987
    • The Water King's Laughter, 1989
  • Demons Trilogy
    • Here Be Demons, 1988
    • Demon Blues, 1989
    • Hooray For Hellywood, 1990
  • New York by Knight Trilogy
    • New York by Knight, 1986
    • Elf Defense, 1988
    • Sphynxes Wild, 1989
  • Gnome Man's Land Trilogy
    • Gnome Man's Land, 1991
    • Harpy High, 1991
    • Unicorn U, 1992
  • Majyk Trilogy
    • Majyk by Accident, 1993
    • Majyk by Hook Or Crook, 1994
    • Majyk by Design, 1995
  • Becca of Wiserways
    • The Psalms Of Herod, 1996
    • The Sword Of Mary, 1996

Expanded Universe novels

The Historical Fiction series Princesses of Myth [1]

  • Nobody's Princess, 2007
  • Nobody's Prize, 2008
  • Sphinx's Princess, 2009
  • Sphinx's Queen, 2010
  • Spirit's Princess, publication date set for April 2012

Non-series novels

  • Harlot's Ruse, 1986
  • The Silver Mountain, 1986
  • Druid's Blood, 1988
  • Yesterday We Saw Mermaids, 1992
  • Split Heirs (with Lawrence Watt-Evans), 1993
  • Wishing Season, 1993
  • The Sherwood Game, 1995
  • Child of the Eagle, 1996
  • Playing with Fire, 1997
  • E.Godz (with Robert Asprin), 2003
  • Temping Fate, 2006
  • Threads and Flames, 2010

Short Story Collections

  • It's Been Fun
  • Up The Wall & Other Tales of King Arthur and His Knights
  • Death and the Librarian and Other Stories

Antholgies edited

  • Alien Pregnant by Elvis!
  • Chicks in Chainmail
    • Chicks in Chainmail
    • Did You Say Chicks?!
    • Chicks 'n Chained Males
    • The Chick is in the Mail
    • Turn the Other Chick
  • Witches
    • Witch Way to the Mall
    • Strip Maul
  • Vampires
    • Blood Muse
    • Fangs for the Mammaries


Esther Friesner provides examples of the following tropes: