John Varley

John Varley began writing science fiction short stories in the early 1970s. His full name is John Herbert Varley, and his friends call him "Herb."

His first novel, The Ophiuchi Hotline, was published in 1977. From the beginning, his work reflected feminist concerns, perhaps most obviously in the Gaea trilogy (consisting of Titan, Wizard and Demon). This series features Lesbian heroine Cirocco Jones and her sidekick/lover Gaby Plauget, in an extraordinarily lyrical and complex alien environment known as Gaea. As Varley was the first prominent male SF author to write respectful and plausible Lesbian characters, the (incorrect) rumor that he was actually a Lesbian writing under a pseudonym spread far and wide.

Many of his stories and some novels are set in the "Eight Worlds" universe where characters can (and do) change gender at will. Of particular note in this context is "Options," which takes place decades earlier than most Eight Worlds fiction, and describes the early social effect of quick and easy gender changes when a particular couple confronts the process.

He has won the Nebula Award once (for "Press Enter") and the Hugo Award three times (for "The Persistence of Vision," "The Pusher," and "Press Enter." In addition, he has nine Locus Awards to his credit, plus a 1976 "special award" for having four novelettes in the top ten for that category.

Varley has continued to produce sporadic novels, and many fewer short stories, since his period of high output in the 1970s and early 1980s. One early novel, Millennium (based on the short story "Air Raid") was made into a movie which Varley on his own site describes as "bad."

He lives in southern California.

Works

The Gaean trilogy

• Titan (1979) Berkley Publishing Group
• Wizard (1979) Berkley Publishing Group
• Demon (1984) Berkley Publishing Group

"Podkayne" series

• Red Thunder (2003) Berkley Publishing Group
• Red Lightning (2006) Berkley Publishing Group
• Rolling Thunder (2008) Berkley Publishing Group

Standalone Novels

• The Ophiuchi Hotline (1977) Dial Press (set in the author's "Eight Worlds" universe)
• Millennium (1983) based on "Air Raid"
• Steel Beach (1992) (set in the author's "Eight Worlds" universe)

" The Golden Globe (1998) Ace Books (set in the author's "Eight Worlds" universe)

• Mammoth (2005) Berkley Publishing Groupo

Short Story Collections

• The Persistence of Vision (1978) Quantum/Dial Press
• The Barbie Murders (1980), reissued as Picnic on Nearside (1984), both from Berkley Publishing Group
• Blue Champagne (1986), Berkley Publishing Group

Short stories

• "Lollipop and the Tar Baby"

Further reading

• the author's website