Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson
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| Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson |
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| Author | George Alec Effinger |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Doubleday Books |
| Publication date | June 1993 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 978-1568651019 (hc) |
Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson is a 1993 anthology by George Alec Effinger, with cover and interior illustrations by Ken Kelly. They collect all of his stories about Maureen 'Muffy' Birnbaum, a Jewish American Princess who is magically teleported to various fantasy and science fiction universes, and later recounts the tales to her best friend, 'Bitsy' Spiegelman. Originally written on his own initiative, the character proved popular enough for Effinger to gain several requests from authors to have versions of their work visited by Muffy.
In addition to satirizing and spoofing the various stories, they had a feminist undertone, as Maureen dealt with the often sexist reactions of the inhabitants of the worlds she met, struggled to find the Martian prince she had fallen in love with, and contrasted her adventures with Bitsy, a housewife with an increasingly unhappy marriage.
[edit] Table of contents
| Title | Story mocked | Original publication | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Few Words from Muffy Birnbaum's Most Passionate Admirer | –– | This volume | Introduction by Mike Resnick |
| Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson | Barsoom | The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, 1982 | |
| Maureen Birnbaum at the Earth's Core | Pellucidar | The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, 1986 | |
| Maureen Birnbaum on the Art of War | Horseclans | Friends of the Horseclans, 1987 | |
| Maureen Birnbaum After Dark | "Nightfall" | Foundation's Friends, 1989 | |
| Maureen Birnbaum Goes Shopynge | Robin Hood | The Fantastic Adventures of Robin Hood, 1991 | |
| Maureen Birnbaum and the Saint Graal | Grail legend | This volume | Written for an anthology of Holy Grail stories |
| Maureen Birnbaum and the Looming Awfulness | Cthulhu Mythos | This volume | |
| Maureen Birnbaum's Lunar Adventure | None | This volume | Revised from an earlier version written for a science fiction convention booklet |
