JAMES TIPTREE, JR. AWARD FOR A GENDER-BENDING SCIENCE FICTION OR FANTASY NOVEL 1992-2003 M.JOHN HARRISON

In February of 1991 at WisCon (the world's only feminist-oriented science fiction convention), SF author Pat Murphy announced the creation of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, an annual literary prize for science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender. The award is named for Alice B. Sheldon, who wrote under the pseudonym James Tiptree, Jr. By her chance choice of a masculine pen name, Sheldon helped break down the imaginary barrier between "women's writing" and "men's writing." Her fine stories were eagerly published and won many awards in the field.. The name, "Tiptree" was selected to illustrate the difficulty women have in gaining recognition and credibility for their art.