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James Tiptree Jr.American writer
Date of Birth: 24.08.1915
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Biography of James Tiptree Jr.
- Early Life and Education
- Personal Life and Military Service
- Writing Career and Pseudonym
- Literary Success and Legacy
- Tragic End and Legacy
Biography of James Tiptree Jr.
American writer James Tiptree Jr. was the pseudonym of American writer Alice Bradley Sheldon. Interestingly, this pseudonym was not revealed until 1977, when Tiptree Jr.'s works were already being widely published. She had an extraordinary life - at different times, she served in the army, ran a successful business, worked as a spy in the CIA, had numerous affairs, and was also a doctor of psychology. Alice's sexual orientation was never clearly defined. Unfortunately, she took her own life in 1987 to relieve her terminally ill husband of his suffering. Recently, one of Tiptree Jr.'s novellas, entitled 'The Girl Who Was Plugged-In,' was adapted into a "living book" - a book equipped with sensors that allow readers to physically sense the story.
Early Life and Education
Alice Bradley Sheldon, later known as James Tiptree Jr., was born in 1915 in Chicago, Illinois. She came from a creative and intellectual family. Her father, Herbert Bradley, was a lawyer and naturalist, while her mother, Mary Hastings Bradley, was a prolific writer of science fiction and travel books. From a young age, Alice traveled extensively with her parents, and in 1921-1922, she made her first trip to Africa. Later, Alice, who had a passion for drawing from childhood, became a graphic artist and painter. In the 1940s, she wrote an art column for the Chicago Sun under the pseudonym Alice Bradley Davey.
Personal Life and Military Service
Alice got married for the first time at the age of 19 to William Davey, and they were married until 1941. In 1942, Alice joined the army and served in the US Air Force's photo reconnaissance group after completing reconnaissance school. She quickly rose to the rank of major, which was an incredibly high rank for a woman at the time. Alice later admitted that she felt like a free woman in the army, experiencing a new sense of freedom. It was in the army that Alice met her second husband, Huntington D. Sheldon. In 1946, they moved to Paris, leaving the military behind.
Writing Career and Pseudonym
After leaving the army, Alice and her husband started a small business together, and in 1946, her first story, 'The Lucky Ones,' was published in The New Yorker. In 1952, Alice and her husband were recruited into intelligence work, where they served until 1955. However, it is unclear whether Alice left the intelligence work or disappeared in true spy fashion. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the American University and later pursued a doctorate in experimental psychology at George Washington University in the 1960s. It was during this period that she began publishing under the pseudonym James Tiptree Jr. to keep her academic and writing careers separate.
Literary Success and Legacy
Alice wrote science fiction and speculative fiction novels and short stories. Her works, such as 'Ten Thousand Light-Years from Home' (1973), 'Star Songs of an Old Primate' (1978), 'Byte Beautiful: Eight Science Fiction Stories' (1985), and 'Tales of the Quintana Roo' (1986), were highly popular among fans of the genre. Despite her popularity, Alice preferred to remain in the shadows and never made any public appearances. However, she maintained correspondence with her readers and always responded to fan letters. Her first full-length novel, 'Up the Walls of the World,' was published in 1978 and received the Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club Award.
The reason behind Alice's choice of a male pseudonym remains unclear. Some researchers suggest that it was due to her struggles with her own sexual orientation, while others believe she used a male name to navigate the male-dominated field of technical and scientific science fiction. Regardless, Alice enjoyed the mystification surrounding her identity and it remained undisclosed for many years. Unfortunately, she never provided any explanations, continuing to keep her personal life separate from her literary career.
Tragic End and Legacy
In later years, Alice's health deteriorated, as did her husband's health. She suffered several heart attacks, struggled with mental health issues, and frequently thought about suicide. On May 19, 1987, at the age of 71, Alice Bradley Sheldon shot her 84-year-old paralyzed and blind husband before taking her own life with a gunshot to the head. They were found hand in hand in their home in Virginia.
Alice's name is immortalized with 'The James Tiptree Jr. Award,' which is awarded annually for works of science fiction or fantasy that explore and expand the understanding of gender and gender identity.
Recently, it was revealed that James Tiptree Jr.'s book 'The Girl Who Was Plugged-In' became the first "living book" through a new development at MIT. The book is equipped with sensors connected to a special vest. During reading, the vest vibrates, tightens, or warms up, depending on the events in the book. This system, known as 'Sensory Fiction,' has sparked much anticipation for the future availability of "living books."
