Cunningham, Elaine 1957-

views updated

Cunningham, Elaine 1957-

PERSONAL:

Born August 12, 1957, in New York, NY; married; children: two sons. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, travel, Renaissance history, and folk, Celtic, classical, and Renaissance music.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—Donald Maass Literary Agency, Ste 801, 121 W. 27th St., New York, NY 10001. E-mail—elainecunningham@cox.net.

CAREER:

Writer. Has also worked as a teacher.

WRITINGS:

"FORGOTTEN REALMS" SERIES; FANTASY

The Harpers: Elfshadow, TSR (Lake Geneva, WI), 1991.

The Harpers: Elfsong, TSR (Lake Geneva, WI), 1994.

Daughter of the Drow: A Novel of the Underdark, TSR (Lake Geneva, WI), 1995.

The Harpers: Silver Shadows, TSR (Lake Geneva, WI), 1996.

Daughter of the Drow: Tangled Webs, TSR (Lake Geneva, WI), 1996.

Thornhold, TSR (Renton, WA), 1998.

Evermeet: Island of the Elves, TSR (Lake Geneva, WI), 1998.

The Dream Spheres, edited by Philip Athans, TSR (Renton, WA), 1999.

The Magehound, edited by Philip Athans, Wizards Publishing (Renton, WA), 2000.

The Floodgate, Wizards of the Coast (Renton, WA), 2001.

The Wizardwar, Wizards of the Coast (Renton, WA), 2002.

Wind Walker, Wizards of the Coast (Renton, WA), 2003.

(With Ed Greenwood) The City of Splendors: A Waterdeep Novel, Wizards of the Coast (Renton, WA), 2005.

OTHER

The Cloakmaster's Cycle, Book 4: The Radiant Dragon, TSR (Lake Geneva, WI), 1992.

The Unicorn Hunt (young adult novel), TSR (Lake Geneva, WI), 1995.

Elfshadow, Wizards Publishing (Renton, WA), 2000.

Elfsong, edited by Philip Athans, Wizards Publishing (Renton, WA), 2000.

Dark Journey ("Star Wars: The New Jedi Order" series), Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Shadows in the Darkness ("Changeling Detective Agency" series), Tor (New York, NY), 2004.

Shadows in the Starlight ("Changeling Detective Agency" series), Tor (New York, NY), 2006.

EverQuest: Blood Red Harp, CDS Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Short stories represented in anthologies, including Realms of Valor, TSR (Lake Geneva, WI), 1993; Realms of Infamy, TSR, 1994; Tales of Ravenloft, TSR, 1994; Realms of Magic, TSR, 1995; Realms of the Underdark, TSR, 1996; Realms of the Arcane, TSR, 1997; Cloaked in Shadow: Dark Tales of Elves, edited by W.H. Horner, Fantasist Enterprises, 2004; Modern Magic: Tales of Fantasy and Horror, edited by W.H. Horner, Fantasist Enterprises, 2005; Best of the Realms: The Stories ofElaine Cunningham, TSR, 2007; Realms of Mystery, TSR; Realms of Shadow, TSR; Realms of the Deep, TSR; Best of the Realms, Volume 1, TSR; and Realms of the Dragons, TSR. Contributor to magazines, including Dragon, Renaissance Magazine, and Star Wars Gamer. Several of Cunningham's books have been translated into other languages, including German, Polish, French, Hungarian, Greek, and Turkish.

SIDELIGHTS:

Best known as a fantasy and science fiction writer, Elaine Cunningham often contributes to existing series, such as the "Star Wars" and "Forgotten Realms" books. Her novel Dark Journey, part of the "Star Wars" series, has been on the New York Times bestseller list. A fan of Renaissance and Celtic history, Cunningham has written many fantasy stories in traditionally imaginary settings. More recently, however, her Shadows in the Starlight and Shadows in the Darkness take advantage of the currently popular subgenre that combines modern detective fiction with fantasy. The main character in these books is Gwen Gellman, a modern-day woman living in Providence, Rhode Island. After leaving the police force, she sets up a private detective agency. Gwen's life becomes complicated, however, when she discovers she has elf blood in her, which explains her psychic abilities and her preternaturally youthful appearance. Reviewing Shadows in the Darkness for Booklist, Kristine Huntley called the book "a fast, fun read with a likable, hip heroine," while a Publishers Weekly critic declared Shadows in the Starlight "almost too much of a good thing."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 2004, Kristine Huntley, review of Shadows in the Darkness, p. 394.

Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2005, review of Shadows in the Starlight, p. 1215.

Library Journal, September 15, 2004, Jackie Cassada, review of Shadows in the Darkness, p. 52; January 1, 2006, Jackie Cassada, review of Shadows in the Starlight, p. 104.

Publishers Weekly, September 13, 2004, review of Shadow in the Darkness, p. 63; November 21, 2005, review of Shadows in the Starlight, p. 31.