About me

I’m C.J. Cherryh. I write science fiction and fantasy. I travel, I figure skate, I take photos, I sometimes do art. I’ve been most of the way around the world—the only exception being the stretch fromPerth, Australia, to Ephesus, in Turkey: haven’t ever been in that sector of the globe.

I used to teach, I trained in linguistics and archaeology, and I have a web page at www.cherryh.com, if you didn’t happen to arrive here by that route. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, and I share a house with Jane Fancher, another writer, and two cats, who have about 100,000 miles of travel on them. Jane’s webpage is www.janefancher.com —if you want the other side of any story. Plus I’m a klutz about picture managment and she loves doing it, so almost all incriminating pictures are on her website and Flickr account.

I’ve kept a journal for  many years on my website, and quite a lot of people know me pretty well from those pages, so if everybody else seems to ‘know things’ that aren’t in this blog, don’t panic. Just ask, and I or somebody else will answer.

This blog/webpresence is in no wise meant to supplant, replace, or take over from the several sites that have had content relating to my work (you know who you are, and I fully support your continuance.)

I also have a philosophy about the web. It is a place, like science fiction conventions, which grew up with rules, among the original participants, often good rules, and success brought in a whole lot of people who came in and brought different ways. I try, so far as I am able and have knowledge, to run two sites where you don’t get bombarded by ads, you don’t pick up tracking cookies, and where, if we sell something, it’s a decent value. I cannot control the Amazon store aspect of my website, and you may pick up cookies past that doorway, but it was a way to get you access to my books—all 500-odd links. Any page I would have made with those links would have been hopeless to navigate.

When I offer files for sale as e-books they will be DRM-free. I try to be honest with my readers, and hope my readers will be honest with me—and enable me to keep the lights on.

Let’s have fun on this site. I’ll be posting about my work, my life, the general craziness of a writer’s existence, my friends, and what I’m up to. Plus—the current project—the creation of Closed Circle—three writers’ response to the difficulties in the publishing industry: we are going to offer inexpensive e-books, and hope to be able to do it long-term.

71 Comments

  1. Dededuncanwisbrock

    Salve, Miss Cherry!

    I’m just now nosing about your new website – I like what you’ve done with the place….

    Reading your daily journal entries was such a fun way to keep with you…I hope all has been well with you lately. I know the new website has been taking up most of your time.

    I’ll touch base again soon…take care!

    Dede

  2. CJ

    Salve tibi quoque, Dede! I saw that name turn up in my advisory e-mail and instantly wondered…yes, you are. Welcome! So good to hear from you!

  3. Dededuncanwisbrock

    Woopah! Thanks for the reply….it’s great to hear from you too! I must tell you…my husband & I sing in our church choir as well as in a semi-professional chorus and we do a lot of pieces in Latin. Musical Latin is pronounced quite differently than how I learned Latin from you. I’m sure your ears are burning frequently because I’m forever saying in rehearsals that you would not approve. 🙂

    D.

  4. Laughing Muse

    Just came back after the revamp – looks good!!

  5. ToddRM

    May I ask how you pronounce your last name? I have been a fan for close to two decades, and I have read a large chunk of your novels. You have ranked in my top favorite authors for as long, but whenever anyone asked me who my favorites are I alwasys struggle with how to pronounce your last name. The H has me all befuddled, the one at the end, not the first one. =)

  6. CJ

    🙂 A very good question! Pronounce it as cherry. The extra h was my publisher Don Wollheim’s idea: he was afraid I’d get shelved with the romances. Now it’s so much a part of me I don’t even think about it.

  7. taletiger

    Hello!

    I thought I was the only one who watched Japanese Animation in Japanese…My most recent interest was “The Big O.” Which ones are you currently watching?

    • CJ

      Bleach. We have way many of these. We also like Samurai 7 and got into anime with Descendants of Darkness, which turned up on the AZN channel. Since then, oh, quite a few. Chevalier d’Eon. Monte Cristo. Oh, and not to forget Saiyuki, one of our alltime favorites.

      • Knnn Envoy

        Chevalier d’Eon sounds a bit like The Rose of Versaille (or ベルサイユのばら, Berusaiyu no Bara). Have you heard of it? The anime adaptation of the manga was done in the late 70s, but it stands out in my mind as really first rate stuff.

        • CJ

          Not seen that one. We should give it a look.

          • libera

            i finally find a little flaw!!! Come on! in my country entire generations (i don’t know if it is correct to say so) grew up watching that anime!!! every little girls (and boys too) dreaming after lady Oscar adventures (more the “love” ones than the politics…).
            In my opinion a little overestimated but, at least in Italy, a piece of recent past pop culture…

            😉

  8. Barry Carter

    Good morning, I’ve been a dedicated fan/reader for several decades and have just recently discovered your online sites. Just catching up on your blog has been fascinating.

    I am intrigued by the possibilities with e-books, especially the opportunities for authors to received a much larger share of the profits from their books.

    I’m currently reading ‘Conspirator’ (never can remember the proper method to write a book title) and it’s been wonderful. Like an old friend dropping in for a long-awaited visit.

    I recently tried to order your signed graphics from Jane Fancher [via the Amazon portal] but the email address provided is no longer acccepting messages. Are these still available and is there another way to place an order?

    Wishing you a lovely morning.

    More coffee.

    • CJ

      Yes, there is. And I’m wondering which portal and if it’s a bad address on my site.
      Write to us via the post office box given in the “Contact us” button down the line from this one…
      Or be patient a few days until we get the Closed Circle site up and functioning and we’ll have them available there more conveniently. We’re in a great state of flux right now, having totally revised 3 websites, created 2 blogs, and now a commercial site—so a bad link is a distinct possibility!

    • CJ

      We’re still putting together the Closed Circle store. We’re getting closer, but we haven’t quite got the order buttons to behave.

  9. taletiger

    Huh…being fairly new to Japanese Anime, I can’t say I know the names you mentioned. I will look for them though, even if I don’t get into town with much time these days.

    Just finished “Cyteen”…I had avoided it for years because I knew it was “politics,” but I actually enjoyed it! I was pleased that Ari thought animals were important.(…wonder what they would have done with a giraffe…?)

  10. gracelessgirl

    It’s been a very, very long time since I checked in here. Last I recall, you were moving to the PNW… so forgive me if this is in an inappropriate place.

    Anyway, I just finished “Conspirator”. Because it had been a while, I reread all the preceding books to get ready for it (and I’ve had a nasty cold, so there was plenty of time). I’m so pleased there will be more!

    I just had an encounter with a (harmless) snake that crawled in to the ivy around my window and ran out of ivy, dangling in the middle of my window before falling back down to earth, that got me wanting a mongoose (I’m in Michigan, so calculate the chances of that). Do you think Ilisidi would mind if I named said (hopefully not entirely mythical) mongoose after her? If I had a first born, no question, hands down. Failing that, I think a mongoose or a cat – preferably cougar – would be appropriate…

    • CJ

      I think Ilisidi would approve of mongooses…

      • Brent

        Hi CJ,

        I finally joined the site so that I could suggest to you and everyone else to go and see the IMAX Hubble 3D movie. I think it’s right up everyone’s alley. The visualizations of the data amassed by Hubble are truly amazing. You can actually feel space; and as we traveled to the Orion Nebula, I could not help but think of you and all of your work.

        I had to drive 2.5 hours to Davenport, Iowa to see it and it was absolutely worth it. I will be dragging others to see it when it is released locally =)

        Great job on the blog too! Coming here always helps me approach that critical mass where I finally decide to get off my lazy butt and do something creative lol.

        Brent

        • CJ

          It sounds great—thanks: we will catch that!

  11. LauryT

    I’ve been a fan for years. I started reading your work with the original publication of the Faded Sun series way back when. I can proudly say that I have all the Foreigner and Chanur sagas as well. One of my personal favorites however has always been “Brothers of Earth”. Something about that one really just speaks to me. I re-read the Faded Sun series ever year or so simply because I enjoy them so much.

    I’ve always liked how your stories give us not just “characters”, but people (of whatever sort) that you can identify with and care about. Thanks for many years of enjoyment of your work.

    Laury

  12. NandiAllison

    Hi there, I am just a few pages away from finishing Conspirator. I really love the whole Atevi series. The best part is that which you do so well with other novels also —- the getting into the heads of the characters so that you can see what they are thinking. The intrigue is breathtaking! Would love to see a return to the Company Wars series too…. Next on my list is Regenesis… Allison

  13. wisewillow

    Hi, this is my first post. I just finished ‘Conspirator’. Wow a real page turner! I almost read it in one sitting. I was wondering about filing intent? Did anyone do it during the timeline of the book? Did the violence just sort of happen? Oh is there a no spoilers rule?
    I met you at a con called MapleCon a long time ago. I think the second or third Chanur book had just come out. I loved the Chanur books and was excited to meet you. You seemed nice. Looking at all the books you have written is amazing. I have read around 30. I’d say you are possibly my favourite science fiction author. You write books that aren’t too long, and have just the right amount of action, politics, and character development for me. I wait for each Foreigner novel eagerly.
    I try to write stories too, but as a gamemaster. Staring at a blank screen and trying to write a novel is a whole different discipline. I should get back to my Mutants and Masterminds.
    Ciao

    • CJ

      Welcome in; and mighosh, Maplecon! That was a while ago, for sure!

  14. Kat-to-fay Learg

    I would like to greet one of my most favourite authers. I beg Your pardon if my English is not quite good – I haven’t enough practice in translation from Russian into English since 2003, so there can be a lot of mistakes.
    First of all I’d like to tell how much I love Your books, especially the Morgaine, Arafel and Chanur sagas. And my dream was to have a possibility for express my thanks to you for those beautiful books. It’s a great pity that the “Excile’s Gate”, “Chanur’s Homecoming” and “Chanur’s Legacy” have never been translated into Russian so it’s no chance for me to read them, to find out the end and to enjoy reading about my favourite heroes’ advantures (of course it’s my own problem that in Russia there’s no possibilities to buy English version, it’s no differense for me what language it’s written, English or Russian, but…)
    Sorry if I couldn’t tell clearly enough how much I’m pleased You… It’s so funny filling myself like Skkukkuk in front uf Pyanfar…

    • CJ

      Welcome! I hope that as more and more books become available in electronic versions, they may find readers in other countries. Welcome to the blog, and I hope you’ll like what we’re doing here.

  15. Kat-to-fay Learg

    Of course I do! I’m already reading it all day long. So may I later on ask you some questions about pronounsation of characters’ and places names, if you’d be so pleased?! Of course, later, later on

  16. Kat-to-fay Learg

    oh, thank you! It really means much for me.

  17. gattaca12

    Hi there, I thought at long last I should officially join this site and express my appreciation for your work. I discovered you by picking up ‘The Gate of Ivrel’ many years ago, and since then have been hooked by the way you write. My favourite series definitely are the Morgaine chronicles, plus the Foreigner and Fortress series (which I have managed to get hardcover copies of all because I read them often and PBs tend to fall apart after a while)
    I am excited to hear that you are intending on another Fortress story, it will definitely be one I would purchase, but will miss the joy of turning pages and seeing the Spine sitting next to the rest of the series. Will you have artwork covers for your e-books as well?
    I am also looking forward to the next installment of Bren’s adventures, and hopefully I will have my collection by my side again to re-read before March next year, as I have just moved countries again and they are in transit.
    Once again thank you so much for sharing your worlds with us, and I hope we will have many years more to enjoy your offerings(especially now you will be doing e-books and note being at the mercy of publishers deciding what we want).

  18. CJ

    Welcome!
    There will be covers and even interior art: with e-books we can do as we darned well please without economic and marketing thou-shalt-nots from the bean-counter aspect of publishing.

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