Marion Zimmer Bradley

(June 3, 1930 – Sept 25, 1999)

A fan and pro writer originally named Marion E. Zimmer, known for a time as Marion Breen and sometimes known as MZB. Her brother was Paul Edwin Zimmer. Originally from Albany, NY, she married Robert Bradley in 1949 and lived Rochester, Texas through the early 60s, divorcing him in 1964 and marrying Walter Breen (of later Breendoggle fame.) She finished college in 1965 and moved to the Bay Area for graduate school, finishing in 1967. Subsequently, she lived in New York and the Bay Area.

She ran for TAFF in 1963. She was a member of IPSO, FAPA (of which she was OE), and the Fellowship of the Ring.

In 1966, she helped found and named the Society for Creative Anachronism where she was known as "Elfrida of Greenwalls." She was involved in developing several local SCA groups, including in New York and was an editor of Pennoncel and Banneret. In the 70s she lived in Greyhaven and she helped form the Vampire Society.

In 1961 she said of herself: "I am a member of Circus Fans of America, have other interests in Tolkien fandom, opera, folk songs, mountain climbing, and rock collecting."

Bradley and Breen separated in 1979 while remaining married, and continued a business relationship and lived on the same street. They divorced in 1990, after Breen was arrested on child molestation charges, though she later testified that she had been aware of his activities for many years.

Professionally, she is primarily known for the Darkover series. She made her first sale to Amazing Stories in 1949 with a story which had previously appeared in Spacewarp. She founded and sustained Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine. She briefly published the Darkover Newsletter.

Her Darkover novels Sword of Aldones was nominated for the 1963 Best Novel Hugo and The Forbidden Tower was nominated for the 1978 Best Novel Hugo.

Fanzines and Apazines:

• Allerlei (with her second husband Walter Breen)
• Anduril (with David Bradley and Paul Zimmer)
• Anything Box
• Astra's Tower
• Catch Trap
• Day*Star (for FAPA)
• Fantasy Ambler (for FAPA)
• Gemini Fapa
• MEZRAB (with her first husband Robert Bradley)
• On the Ragged Edge
• Tightbeam (at leas tone issue)
• Ugly Bird (with Redd Boggs)

Awards, Honors and GoHships:

• 1958 -- Southwestercon VI
• 1963 -- Best Novel Hugo nominee
• 1967 -- Westercon 20
• 1975 -- Witchcraft & Sorcery SF Convention
• 1976 -- MileHiCon 8, Forry Award
• 1977 -- LepreCon 3
• 1978 -- Noncon 1, BYOB-Con 8, Hamilton Memorial Award, Best Novel Hugo nominee
• 1979 -- Othercon II
• 1980 -- Fantasy Worlds Midwinter Festival, Darkover Grand Council 1980, Intervention Beta
• 1981 -- Stucon 1, CopperCon 1, Intervention Gamma
• 1982 -- Mythcon XIII, X-Con 6, Moscon IV, Earthcon II, Darkover Grand Council V, CopperCon 2
• 1983 -- Tropicon II, Albacon II
• 1984 -- InConJunction V, Esotericon, Western Recon
• 1985 -- DSC 23
• 1986 -- Mythcon 1986
• 1987 -- MisCon 2
• 1988 -- Norwescon X
• 1994 -- Con-Version XI
• 2000 -- World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement (posthumous)
• She was also more-or-less perpetual GoH at Darkover Grand Council.

---

Person

1930—1999

This is a biography page. Please extend it by adding more information about the person, such as fanzines and apazines published, awards, clubs, conventions worked on, GoHships, impact on fandom, external links, anecdotes, etc. See Standards for People and The Naming of Names.