Melissa Scott

Melissa Scott is a highly regarded American author, known for her inventive and intelligently paced science-fiction novels. Scott was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she discovered her love for science fiction after breaking her arm in junior high gym class. This discovery led her to devour every science fiction book she could find in her school's library, and later, the collection created by the Little Rock Public Library’s À Son Goût Trust. Scott went on to study history at Harvard College and Brandeis University, where she earned her PhD in comparative history.

Scott's work is known for its elaborate and well-constructed settings and her inclusion of diverse characters, including many who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered. These elements are integrated seamlessly into her stories, rarely taking center stage. Scott's first novel was published in 1984, and she has since written over two dozen science fiction and fantasy works, including three co-authored with her partner, Lisa A. Barnett. She has won multiple awards for her writing, including the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction in 1986 and several Lambda Literary Awards.

In addition to her work as a writer, Scott also teaches writing through her website and has published a writing guide. She lived with Barnett in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for 27 years until Barnett's death in 2006. After Barnett's death, Scott focused on short fiction, but has since returned to longer works, including tie-in novels for Stargate: Atlantis and a new series of adventure novels set in the 1930s. Scott currently lives in North Carolina, where she continues to write and publish original science fiction and fantasy.