The Mysterious [sci-fi author] James Tiptree

[matweller]

I was listening to this today on this episode of RE:sound - http://www.thirdcoastfestival.org/library/1808-re-sound-205-the-imposter-show

That's the full episode with four stories the story I'm referring to by itself is here - http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/unfictional/the-big-lie/the-mysterious-james-tiptree

The Mysterious James Tiptree
by Eric Molinsky (Unfictional, KCRW, 2015)
James Tiptree Jr. was a science fiction writer in the late 60's and early 70's. His books and stories had a loyal following, and were notable for the way he handled gender issues and male/female relationships in an era when science fiction featured almost only male heroes. Tiptree was a mysterious figure and only communicated to a few friends and fans. That's because his career hinged on a very big secret.

[stePH]

I thought it was common knowledge that her real name was Alice Sheldon.

[eytanz]

It's common knowledge now, it was a very tightly kept secret for the first decade of her writing career, during which she published most of her stories.

[stePH]

Tangential: Caroline Janice Cherry did something similar, but was more subtle about it.
Also, I'm not sure how secret it was that C J Cherryh was a woman. I think I always knew it from when I first started reading her work.
Though I didn't know it about "Tiptree" when I had a book of her short stories that I rescued from a Crown Books dumpster around 1980 or so.

[UnfulredJohnson]

I could have sworn Robert Jordon was secretly a woman. By the wheel of time book seven I would have put money on it.

Does this still go on? I wonder does it ever work in reverse, like with a man writing under a female pseudonym? 

[stePH]

I could have sworn Robert Jordon was secretly a woman. By the wheel of time book seven I would have put money on it.

Does this still go on? I wonder does it ever work in reverse, like with a man writing under a female pseudonym? 

Romance writers might, I suppose.

[bounceswoosh]

I could have sworn Robert Jordon was secretly a woman. By the wheel of time book seven I would have put money on it.

Does this still go on? I wonder does it ever work in reverse, like with a man writing under a female pseudonym? 

Really? His portrayal of women was always so negative and one dimensional. At least for the first few books, which was as far as I got. That was 20 years ago, though, so I don't remember specifics.