Elizabeth Bear American writer Date of Birth: 22.09.1971 Country: USA

Biography of Elizabeth Bear

Elizabeth Bear is an American writer known for her work in the speculative fiction genre, specifically speculative fiction. She was born Sarah Elizabeth Wishnevsky on September 22, 1971, in Hartford, Connecticut, to a family with Ukrainian and Swedish roots.

Early Career in Media Industry
Before establishing herself as a writer, Bear worked in various fields in the media industry. She worked as a stablehand, a reporter, and helped compile instructions for microbiological control for a city hospital. Bear also worked as a typesetter, a technical editor, and even as a donut maker for a company called "The Whole Donut" starting at three in the morning. She also spent some time living in Las Vegas, Nevada, which served as the setting for some of her stories such as "One-Eyed Jack and the Suicide King," "Follow Me Light," and "This Tragic Glass." Bear returned to Connecticut in January 2006.

Literary Career
Bear's literary career began with the publication of her first novel, "Hammered," in 2005. The story revolves around a former soldier named Jenny Casey, who loses her hand and eye in battle and has them replaced with cybernetic prosthetics. Jenny's former commander, who helped her become a cyborg, recruits her for a secret government project. While "Hammered" received mixed reviews, with critics noting uneven prose and convoluted storytelling, it won the Locus Award for Best First Novel.

Bear continued Jenny Casey's adventures with the novels "Scardown" and "Worldwired," both published in 2005. These two novels, along with the short story "Gone to Flowers," formed a trilogy. Bear also published a collection of speculative fiction stories called "The Chains That You Refuse" in May 2006.

In 2007, Bear released her novel "Undertow," which follows the story of Andre Deschen, a hired assassin who wants to become someone else. The story takes place on a mining planet inhabited by water-dwelling beings, and Deschen tries to learn how to influence future events. Later that year, Bear co-authored the novel "A Companion to Wolves" with Sarah Monette, a story set in a frozen land where warriors form telepathic bonds with giant wolves to protect their people from trolls and wyverns. The book was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award in 2008.

Bear's collaboration with Sarah Monette continued with several short stories, including the atmospheric tale "Boojum," a Lovecraftian space opera about a girl pirate and her living spaceship with a golden heart.

Other Contributions
Bear donated her archives to the Northern Illinois University's Rare Books and Special Collections in 2008. She has also been involved in various literary workshops and seminars, such as the "Viable Paradise" weekly seminar focused on speculative fiction and the "Clarion West Writers Workshop," where she taught aspiring writers.

Bear's work has also made appearances in popular culture, with quotes from her story "Seven for a Secret" featured in an episode of the TV series "Criminal Minds." She is also a regular participant in the science fiction podcast "SF Squeecast," which won the Hugo Award for Best Fancast in 2012 and 2013.