Celia S. Friedman

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C.S. Friedman

Celia S. Friedman (born January 12, 1957) is a writer of science fiction and fantasy.

Friedman writes epic science fiction and fantasy novels which feature complex interweavings of plot and richly detailed settings. To date she has published eight novels, several short stories, and a sourcebook for White Wolf's RPG Vampire: the Masquerade. Originally a costume designer by trade, Friedman began her publishing career in 1986, and quit costuming in 1996 to write full-time.

Though her books often center on traditional fantasy themes like magic, vampires, and telepathy, Friedman prides herself on providing the kind of detail and consistency that makes the imaginary seem real. She rejects traditional Fantasy's clearly-delineated dichotomy between good and evil, preferring to explore the uncertain and often uncomfortable grey zone between the two. Her work is often dark, and some of her most compelling characters are also her most disturbing.

Friedman is currently working on a new fantasy series, the first volume of which will be released in January 2007. entitled Feast of Souls. Details can be found on the author's homepage, www.csfriedman.com, along with more personal information and previews of work-in-progress.

[edit] Works

In Conquest Born, 1986 - (ISBN 0-7564-0043-0)
The Madness Season, 1990 - (ISBN 0-88677-444-6)
The Coldfire trilogy
1. Black Sun Rising, 1991 - (ISBN 0-88677-527-2)
2. When True Night Falls, 1993 - (ISBN 0-88677-615-5)
3. Crown of Shadows, 1995 - (ISBN 0-88677-717-8)
This Alien Shore, 1998 - (ISBN 0-88677-799-2)
The Erciyes Fragments (novella), 1998 - (ISBN 1-56504-297-2)
The Wilding, 2004 (sequel to In Conquest Born) - (ISBN 0-7564-0202-6)
Feast of Souls, 2007 (Book One of the Magister Trilogy) - (Expected release January 2007)

[edit] Writing Style

Ms Friedman writes long (500+ pages) novels that are not light reading. Each one explores a major theme and several subthemes. Black Sun Rising for instance, explores the duality of evil and morality using the subthemes of religion, faith vs. science, and man's need for control. Characters and the worlds they inhabit, though richly detailed and developed, are on certain levels just tools she uses to examine and probe the major theme she is exploring. Each book can be read on one or more of these levels. In Conquest Born can be read as a simple space opera about combating generals, but it can also be read as a discussion on how men compete with each other, or on the nature of aggressive behavior, or even as an examination of the role of women in human society.

World building is another strength. This is especially apparent with In Conquest Born, where two diametrically opposed civilizations are created with incredible detail. And unlike most authors who describe a universe in the first few chapters and never bother to develop it again, Ms Friedman is constantly providing insight into the workings of the cultures in which her characters live. It is a style similar to Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, wherein the culture of the protagonists is just as carefully depicted as the people themselves, to the point where the setting becomes a character in its own right.

She has a penchant (and skill) for indirect writing. This is where a chapter outwardly written about a minor character is really meant to provide through an indirect view insights into a major character's behavior or background, and thus, his motivations. The second chapter of The Madness Season not only introduces us to Marra, but also depicts the Tyr from a second point of view completely different from that of Daetrin. By examining a subject from multiple vantage points, we get a greater insight into that subject than if told strictly from first person.