James Tiptree, Jr. cover art

James Tiptree, Jr.

The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

James Tiptree, Jr.

By: Julie Phillips
Narrated by: Angele Masters
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £25.99

Buy Now for £25.99

About this listen

James Tiptree, Jr. burst onto the science fiction scene in the 1970s with a series of hard-edged, provocative short stories. Hailed as a brilliant masculine writer with a deep sympathy for his female characters, he penned such classics as Houston, Houston, Do You Read? and The Women Men Don't See. For years he corresponded with Philip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, Ursula Le Guin. No one knew his true identity. Then the cover was blown on his alter ego: A 61-year-old woman named Alice Sheldon. As a child, she explored Africa with her mother. Later, made into a debutante, she eloped with one of the guests at the party. She was an artist, a chicken farmer, a World War II intelligence officer, a CIA agent, an experimental psychologist. Devoted to her second husband, she struggled with her feelings for women. In 1987, her suicide shocked friends and fans. The James Tiptree, Jr. Award was created to honor science fiction or fantasy that explores our understanding of gender. This fascinating biography by Julie Phillips, 10 years in the making, is based on extensive research, exclusive interviews, and full access to Alice Sheldon's papers.

©2006 Julie Phillips; Excerpts from the Letters of Harlan Ellison reprinted by permission of, and arrangement with, the Author, and The Kilimanjaro Corporation. Copyright 2006 by The Kilimanjaro Corporation (P)2020 Audible, Inc.
Art & Literature Authors Entertainment & Celebrities Women Celebrity Science Fiction Fiction Espionage Star Trek
All stars
Most relevant
A really excellent biography whether you know Sheldon's work or not. Sad and often funny.

Convincing, insightful and moving

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.