Marion Zimmer Bradley biography

Marion Zimmer Bradley was born on the 3rd June 1930 and sadly died in 1999. She was an American science fiction and fantasy author who was well known for the feminist and Christian themes within her books. Her most famous piece of work is probably The Mists of Avalon, which was in essence a retelling of an Arthurian legend from the female perspective and her Darkover novels.

Zimmer Bradley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene in 1965.Zimmer Bradley wrote only for school magazines and fanzines until 1952. Did graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1965-67. She first become a fan of the science fiction and fantasy genre when she was a teenager. Her first published novel was the Falcons of Narabedla in 1957.

The young Marion Zimmer was heavily influenced by Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton and Leigh Brackett and these three authors had a large bearing on her future work.

Marion Zimmer married Robert Alden Bradley on October 26th 1949. They divorced on May 19th 1964. Only a few weeks later, on the June 3rd 1964 (her birthday), she married numismatist Walter Breen. They separated in 1979 and divorced on the 9th May 1990.

Marion Zimmer Bradley was awarded the World Fantasy Award in 2000 for her lifetime achievements. Sword of Aldones was nominated for a Hugo Award, as was The Forbidden Tower. The Heritage of Hastur received the Nebula Award nomination.

Marion Zimmer Bradley died in Berkeley, California on the 25th September 1999 four days after suffering a major heart attack. She was 69 years old. Two months later her ashes were scattered at Glastonbury Tor in England.