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James Tiptree, Jr., was the pseudonym used by Alice Sheldon. Born Alice Bradly in 1915, she travelled extensively around the world with her parents (a travel writer and an explorer). She married in 1934, but was divorced in 1941. At the start of WWII, she joined the Army, and was later assigned to Army Air Force Intelligence. She was to remain involved with US Intelligence for most of her life.
In 1945 she met and married Huntingdon Sheldon, a fellow member of the AAFI. After the end of the 2nd World War, they moved to Virginia, where they were both involved with the then-fledgling Central Intelligence Agency. Alice left the CIA in 1956, and enrolled in George Washington University. She received her doctorate in experimental psychology in 1967.
After completing her degree, Sheldon found herself at a loss as to what to do. She'd long been interested in writing science fiction, but never had the time. Because of her ties to the US intelligence division, she knew she could not write using her real name. She came up with her famous pen name after seeing the name Tiptree on a jar of marmalade.
Sheldon/Tiptree burst onto the SF scene with the story "Birth of a Salesman." She was quite prolific for several years, and her stories were widely praised. Many of her works explored the confusion of gender roles and other sexual issues. Her short story, "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" won the 1973 Hugo Award for best short story.
In her later years, Sheldon suffered many illnesses, and spent most of her time caring for her ailing husband. In 1987, she killed her husband, and then took her own life. In 1991, the James Tiptree, Jr. award was founded. This award is given for excellence in exploring gender roles in science fiction and fantasy fiction.
