Andre Norton Vintage Paperback Collection
Earned reputation as the “grand dame of sci-fi and fantasy”, Alice Mary Norton wrote under the name Andre after publishers told her that a masculine sounding name would help with sales. Norton, a former children’s librarian, wrote for over 70 years in various genres including mystery, gothic, and spy novels. The “Witch World” series, begun in 1963, dealt with an imaginary planet reached through hidden gateways and included more than 30 novels. She was often classified as a YA writer, but was known to write stories with strong female characters that appealed to readers of all ages.
“I’m drawn to the science fiction genre because it imposes no limits on my imagination,” she once said. “My themes haven’t really changed over the years. I’ve always written stories about the loner, the person who doesn’t give up. I use female protagonists because it makes for a better story.”
Norton was the first woman to receive the Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy award, presented by the World Science Fiction Society in 1977. And she was the first woman to be given the Grand Master Award, presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1983.