Mendlesohn is a fan who was Professor and Head of the Department of English, Communication, Film and Media at Anglia Ruskin University. She was previously Reader in Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature in the Media Department at Middlesex University. She writes on the history of American religions and British and American SF and fantasy. She received her D. Phil. in History from the University of York in 1997.
She was the editor of Foundation — The International Review of Science Fiction from 2002 to 2007.
Her book Rhetorics of Fantasy won the BSFA Award for best non-fiction book in 2009; the book was also nominated for both the Hugo Award and the World Fantasy Award.
Awards, Honors and GoHships:
- 2001 — Best Related Book Hugo nominee
- 2005 — Best Related Book Hugo for The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction
- 2007 — Picocon 24
- 2008 — Finncon 2008
- 2009 — Best Related Book Hugo nominee, BSFA Award
- 2013 — Best Related Work Hugo nominee
- 2017 — Durhamcon