C.J. Cherryh Page

When I think of all the writers whose works I've read over the years, one of the most amazing things is that I've been reading the works of C.J. Cherryh since she published her first novel, Brothers of Earth, in 1976. Yes, Cherryh has already been writing for 20+ years, and is one of the best, brightest lights of the science fiction field. I've met C.J. several times over the years, and she is still the delightful lady that I came to know and like through her novels. I will be the first to admit that I am a big fan of C.J.'s Union/Alliance series of works, and I had always wondered how these works connected to her earlier ones. The connections are now apparent, as can be seen in the listing of C.J.'s works that accompany each of her novels, but at the time, it seemed staggering that she had created such a detailed universe, with a history spanning such a large chunk of time.

Cherryh's real claim to fame, if nothing else, is her ability to create such vivid and detailed alien species. Books such as Serpent's Reach, Hunter of Worlds, and the recent Atevi trilogy that began with Foreigner are indications of her skills at creating believable alien cultures. And of course, one can't omit her Hani books from this list, as Pyanfar Chanur is one of the most memorable characters (although some folks wouldn't use that word!) in recent science fiction. What makes C.J.'s writing admirable and so good, however, is her ability to create characters that are realistic and her ability to weave plots that combine social, economic, and political elements while still keeping a grasp on her characters, sometimes all within the same story. With three Hugo awards under her belt, C.J. Cherryh is a writer whose works should be read by every serious reader of science fiction.

The following is a listing of Carolyn Janice Cherryh's fiction to this point:

Series (The Ealdwood Novels)
Ealdwood (Gant, 1981)
The Dreamstone (1983)
The Tree of Swords and Jewels (1983)
[O/2N= Arafel's Saga (1984)= Ealdwood]

Series (The Alliance-Union Universe)
Brothers of Earth (1976)
Hunter of Worlds (1977)
Serpent's Reach (1980)
Downbelow Station (1981)
Merchanter's Luck (1982)
Port Eternity (1982)
Forty Thousand in Gehenna (Phantasia, 1983)
Voyager in Night (1984)
Cuckoo's Egg (Phantasia, 1985)
Cyteen (1988) [Hugo]
= Cyteen: The Betrayal (1989)
+ Cyteen: The Rebirth (1989)
+ Cyteen: The Vindication (1989
Rimrunners (1989)
Heavy Time (1991)
Hellburner (1992)
Tripoint (1994)
Finity's End (1997)

Series (The Chanur Novels)
The Pride of Chanur (1982) [Phantasia, 1987]
Chanur's Venture (Phantasia, 1984)
The Kif Strike Back (Phantasia, 1985)
Chanur's Homecoming (Phantasia, 1986)
Chanur's Legacy (1992)

Series (The Mri Wars)
The Faded Sun: Kesrith (1978)
The Faded Sun: Shon'Jir (1979)
The Faded Sun: Kutath (1980)
[O/3N= The Faded Sun Trilogy (1987)]

Series (The Morgaine Books)
Gate of Ivrel (1976)
Well of Shiuan (1978)
Fires of Azeroth (1979)
[O/3N= The Book of Morgaine (1979)= The Chronicles of Morgaine]
Exile's Gate (1988)

Series (Rusalka Series)
Rusalka (1989)
Chernevog (1990)
Yvgenie (1991)

Series (The Atevi)
Foreigner (1994)
Invader (1995)
Inheritor (1996)

Series (Nighthorse Series)
Rider at the Gate (1995)
Cloud's Rider (1996)

Series (Sword of Knowledge)
A Dirge for Sabis (with Leslie Fish) (1989)
Wizard Spawn (with Nancy Asire) (1989)
Reap the Whirlwind (with Mercedes Lackey) (1989)

Series (Heroes in Hell)
The Gates of Hell (with Janet E. Morris) (1986)
Kings in Hell (with Janet E. Morris) (1987)

Series (Fortress)
Fortress in the Eye of Time (1995)
Fortress of Eagles (1998)
Fortress of Owls (1999)

Hestia (1979)
Sunfall (1981) [C]
Wave Without a Shore (1981)
Angel With the Sword (1985) [N/ Mergovingen]
Visible Light (Phantasia, 1986) [C]
Glass and Amber (NESFA, 1987) [C]
Legions of Hell (1987) [N/ Heroes in Hell series]
The Paladin (1988)
The Goblin Mirror (1992)
Faery in Shadow (1993)

Edited Series (Merovingen Nights [rel. to Angel With the Sword])
Festival Moon (1987)
Fever Season (1987)
Troubled Waters (1988)
Smuggler's Gold (1988)
Divine Right (1989)
Flood Time (1990)
Endgame (1991)

Translations
The Green Gods by Nathalie & Charles Henneberg (1980)
The Book of Shai by Daniel Walther (1982)
Shai's Destiny by Daniel Walther (1985)

C.J. Cherryh has her own web page, and it's a neat site, with some good graphics on it. There's all sorts of neat links and C.J. presents a good history of her Union/Alliance stuff, and other books as well.