Sonya Dorman

author

Sonya Dorman

1924–2005

A poet with a sharp, experimental streak, this writer brought the energy of the science-fiction New Wave into stories that still feel daring. Her work moves easily between lyrical language and unsettling ideas, making her a memorable voice in both poetry and speculative fiction.

1 Audiobook

The Putnam Tradition

The Putnam Tradition

by Sonya Dorman

About the author

Born in New York City in 1924 as Sonya Gloria Hess, she was raised by foster parents on a farm in West Newbury, Massachusetts. She later wrote under the names Sonya Dorman, Sonya Dorman Hess, and Sonya Hess, building a career that reached across poetry, short fiction, and science fiction.

She began publishing science fiction in the early 1960s and became associated with the New Wave, a movement known for more experimental and literary approaches to the genre. Among her best-known stories are When I Was Miss Dow and Go, Go, Go, Said the Bird, and she also published work in mainstream magazines as well as poetry collections.

Outside science fiction, she was widely recognized as a poet. She died in Taos, New Mexico, on February 14, 2005.