Pat Cadigan

Early years

Cadigan was born in Schenectady, New York, and grew up in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. She was educated at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in theater and the University of Kansas (KU), where she studied science fiction and science fiction writing under author and editor Prof. James Gunn.

Cadigan met her first husband Rufus Cadigan while in college; they divorced shortly after she graduated from KU in 1975. That same year Cadigan joined the convention committee for MidAmeriCon, the 34th World Science Fiction Convention being held in Kansas City, Missouri, over the 1976 Labor Day weekend; she served on the committee as the convention's guest liaison to writer guest of honor Robert A. Heinlein, while also working for fantasy writer Tom Reamy at his Nickelodeon Graphics typesetting and graphic design firm. Following Reamy's death in 1977, Cadigan went to work as a writer for Kansas City's Hallmark Cards. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she also edited the small press fantasy and science fiction magazines Chacal and later Shayol with her second husband, Arnie Fenner.

Writing career

Cadigan sold her first professional science fiction story in 1980; her success as an author encouraged her to become a full-time writer in 1987. She emigrated to London in the UK with her son Rob Fenner in 1996, where she is married to her third husband, Christopher Fowler (not to be confused with the author of the same name). She became a UK citizen in late 2014.

Cadigan's first novel, Mindplayers, introduces what becomes the common theme to all her works: her stories blur the line between reality and perception by making the human mind a real, explorable place. Her second novel, Synners, expands upon the same theme; both feature a future where direct access to the mind via technology is possible. While her stories include many of the gritty, unvarnished characteristics of the cyberpunk genre, she further specializes in this exploration of the speculative relationship between technology and the perceptions of the human mind.

Cadigan has won a number of awards. These include a 2013 Hugo Award for "The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi" in the Best Novelette category, presented at LoneStarCon 3, the 71st World Science Fiction Convention, held in San Antonio, Texas over the 2013 Labor Day weekend, and the Arthur C. Clarke Award both in 1992 and 1995 for her novels Synners and Fools.

Robert A. Heinlein in part dedicated his 1982 novel Friday to Cadigan after becoming her friend, following her being the guest liaison to him for the 34th Worldcon in Kansas City.

Childhood fantasies

In the 1960s Cadigan and a childhood girlfriend "invented a whole secret life in which we were twins from the planet Venus," she told National Public Radio. The Beatles "came to us for advice about their songs and how to deal with fame and other important matters," Cadigan says. "On occasion, they would ask us to use our highly developed shape-shifting ability to become them, and finish recording sessions and concert tours when they were too tired to go on themselves." The Venusian twins had other superpowers, that they would sometimes use to help out Superman, Wonder Woman and other heroes, she said.

Health

In 2013, Cadigan announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

Deadpan Allie

1. Mindplayers, (Bantam Spectra Aug. 1987) / (Gollancz Feb. 1988); revised and expanded from the following linked stories:
2. "The Pathosfinder," (nv) The Berkley Showcase: New Writings in Science Fiction & Fantasy, ed. John Silbersack & Victoria Schochet, Berkley July 1981
3. "Nearly Departed," (ss) Asimov's June 1983; read online
4. "Variation on a Man," (ss) Omni Jan. 1984
5. "Lunatic Bridge," (nv) The Fifth Omni Book of Science Fiction, ed. Ellen Datlow, Zebra Books April 1987
6. "Dirty Work," (nv) Blood Is Not Enough, ed. Ellen Datlow, Morrow 1989
7. "A Lie for a Lie," (nv) Lethal Kisses, ed. Ellen Datlow, Millennium Dec. 1996 {aka Wild Justice}

Dore Konstantin (TechnoCrime, Artificial Reality Division)

1. Tea from an Empty Cup, (Tor Oct. 1998); loosely based on the following linked novellas:
2. "Death in the Promised Land," (na) Omni Online March 1995 / Asimov’s Nov. 1995
3. "Tea from an Empty Cup," (na) Omni Online Oct. 1995 / Black Mist and Other Japanese Futures, ed. Orson Scott Card & Keith Ferrell, DAW Dec. 1997
4. Dervish is Digital, (Macmillan UK Oct. 2000) / (Tor July 2001)

The Web

Other novels

Chapbooks

Short stories

1. Patterns, (Ursus Sep. 1989)
2. Introduction, Bruce Sterling, (in) *
3. "Patterns," (ss) Omni Aug. 1987
4. "Eenie, Meenie, Ipsateenie," (ss) Shadows #6, ed. Charles L. Grant, Doubleday 1983
5. "Vengeance Is Yours," (ss) Omni May 1983
6. "The Day the Martels Got the Cable," (ss) F&SF Dec. 1982
7. "Roadside Rescue," (ss) Omni July 1985
8. "Rock On," (ss) Light Years and Dark, ed. Michael Bishop, Berkley 1984
9. "Heal," (vi) Omni April 1988
10. "Another One Hits the Road," (nv) F&SF Jan. 1984
11. "My Brother’s Keeper," (nv) Asimov’s Jan. 1988
12. "Pretty Boy Crossover," (ss) Asimov’s Jan. 1986
13. "Two," (nv) F&SF Jan. 1988
14. "Angel," (ss) Asimov’s May 1987; read online
15. "It Was the Heat," (ss) Tropical Chills, ed. Tim Sullivan, Avon 1988
16. "The Power and the Passion," (ss) *
17. Home By the Sea, (WSFA Press May 1992)
18. Introduction, Mike Resnick, (in) *
19. "Dirty Work," (nv) Blood Is Not Enough, ed. Ellen Datlow, Morrow 1989
20. "50 Ways to Improve Your Orgasm," (ss) Asimov’s April 1992
21. "Dispatches from the Revolution," (nv) Asimov’s July 1991; read online
22. "Home by the Sea," (nv) A Whisper of Blood, ed. Ellen Datlow, Morrow 1991; Read online
23. A Cadigan Bibliography, (bi) *
24. Dirty Work, (Mark V. Ziesing Sep. 1993)
25. Introduction, Storm Constantine, (in) *
26. "Dirty Work," (nv) Blood Is Not Enough, ed. Ellen Datlow, Morrow 1989
27. "Second Comings—Reasonable Rates," (ss) F&SF Feb. 1981
28. "The Sorceress in Spite of Herself," (ss) Asimov’s Dec. 1982
29. "50 Ways to Improve Your Orgasm," (ss) Asimov’s April 1992
30. "Mother’s Milt," (ss) OMNI Best Science Fiction Two, ed. Ellen Datlow, OMNI Books 1992
31. "True Faces," (nv) F&SF April 1992
32. "New Life for Old," (ss) Aladdin: Master of the Lamp, ed. Mike Resnick & Martin H. Greenberg, DAW 1992
33. "The Coming of the Doll," (ss) F&SF June 1981
34. "The Pond," (ss) Fears, ed. Charles L. Grant, Berkley 1983
35. "The Boys in the Rain," (ss) Twilight Zone June 1987
36. "In the Dark," (ss) When the Music’s Over, ed. Lewis Shiner, Bantam Spectra 1991
37. "Johnny Come Home," (ss) Omni June 1991
38. "Naming Names," (nv) Narrow Houses, ed. Peter Crowther, Little Brown UK 1992
39. "A Deal with God," (nv) Grails: Quests, Visitations and Other Occurrences, ed. Richard Gilliam, Martin H. Greenberg & Edward E. Kramer, Unnameable Press 1992
40. "Dispatches from the Revolution," (nv) Asimov’s July 1991; read online
41. "No Prisoners," (nv) Alternate Kennedys, ed. Mike Resnick, Tor 1992
42. "Home by the Sea," (nv) A Whisper of Blood, ed. Ellen Datlow, Morrow 1991; Read online
43. "Lost Girls," (ss) *
44. "Report Concerning the Presence of Seahorses on Mars" in Reach for Infinity (2014)

One of her early stories appeared in Rock On (1981), and in 1998 she contributed an original story to the collection Disco 2000.

Anthologies

Media novelizations/companion novels

Media tie-in non-fiction