author
Elizabeth G. Birkmaier
1847–1912
A little-known American writer and clubwoman, she is remembered for an imaginative 1892 novel that dives into Atlantis with romance, myth, and early speculative flair. Her work now stands out as one of the rare women-authored entries in that corner of 19th-century fantasy.
1 Audiobook
Poseidon's paradise: the romance of Atlantis
by Elizabeth G. Birkmaier
About the author
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Elizabeth Green Davey Birkmaier was an American writer and clubwoman whose best-known book is Poseidon's Paradise: The Romance of Atlantis (1892). She also wrote two Atlantis-themed dramas, Atlantis (1894) and Deucalion (1912), showing a lasting fascination with mythic lost worlds.
Beyond her writing, she was active in civic and social life in Alameda, California. Sources describe her as the founder and first president of the Tea Club of Alameda, and also note her involvement with the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Birkmaier was married to George Lewis Birkmaier and had three children. She died in East Orange, New Jersey, on December 30, 1912. Although she is not widely known today, Poseidon's Paradise has continued to attract attention from historians of early science fiction and fantastic literature.