Alma Katsu

Alma Katsu (born November 29, 1959) is an American writer of adult fiction. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages,^[1][2][3] and have been published in the United Kingdom,^[4][5] Brazil,^[6] Spain and Italy.^[7]

Alma Katsu
Born	Alma Katsu (1959-11-29) November 29, 1959 (age 64) Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.
Occupation	Author novelist writer
Nationality	American
Education	Brandeis University (BA) Johns Hopkins University (MA)
Genre	Paranormal romance, historical fiction, Gothic fiction, dark fantasy
Notable works	The Taker, The Reckoning, The Descent
Spouse	Bruce Katsu
Website
almakatsubooks.com

Katsu has also had a 29-year career in the US federal government working in a number of positions dealing with intelligence and foreign policy, with an emphasis on technology issues. She previously worked as a senior policy analyst for the RAND Corporation.^[8]

Biography

Katsu was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, the daughter of an American-born father and a Japanese-born mother. She spent the majority of her youth living near Concord, Massachusetts, to which she attributes her interest in the early American history featured in her novels.^[9] She attended Brandeis University (BA in literature and writing, 1981), where she studied with novelist John Irving and children's book author Margaret Rey, and the Johns Hopkins University (MA in fiction, 2004).^[10] She is also an alumna of the Squaw Valley writers workshops.^[11][12]

Career

Katsu's writing has received praise for its quality and ability to create authentic and realistic settings.^{[13][14][15][16]} She published her first novel, The Taker, in 2011 through Gallery Books. It received praise from outlets such as Booklist and The Washington Post^[17] and was recognized as one of the ten best debut novels of the year by the American Library Association.^[18]

Described as a literary take on the Faustian bargain,^[19] The Taker Trilogy tells the story of a young woman who has been given eternal life but comes to see this condition as a punishment for evil acts she perpetrated in life and is now condemned to revisit until the end of time.

Personal life

She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, musician Bruce Katsu.^[12]

Bibliography

Taker trilogy

• The Taker, Gallery Books, 2011 (ISBN 9781439197059)
• The Reckoning, Gallery Books, 2012 (ISBN 9781451651805)
• The Descent, Gallery Books, 2014 (ISBN 9781451651829)

Lyndsey Duncan novels

• Red Widow, G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2021 (ISBN 9780525539414)^{[20][21][22][23][24]}
• Red London, G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2023 (ISBN 9780593421956)

Standalone novels

• The Hunger, Transworld, March 2018 (ISBN 9781473542419)^{[25][26][27][28][29][30]}
• The Deep, Transworld, March 2020 (ISBN 9781787631342)^[15][31]

Short stories

• "The Witch Sisters," 2013 (ASIN B008N1YHPM)
• "The Marriage Price", 2012 (ASIN B00B0QITYC)
• "The Devil's Scribe", Gallery Books, 2012 (ASIN B006VFZPNU)
• "Pipefitter's Union", in anthology Enhanced Gravity, Paycock Press (ISBN 0931181208)

Awards

The Taker was named one of the ten best debut novels of 2011 by Booklist^[32] magazine, the publication of the American Library Association. The second novel, The Reckoning, was nominated for several year-end awards including Goodreads Readers Choice Award for best paranormal fantasy^[33] and RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award for best paranormal romance.^[34]The Deep was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel^[35] and a finalist for the Locus Award for Best Horror Novel.^[36]

References

1. "BEA Show Daily 2011: At Gallery- A One-Woman Show". Retrieved October 28, 2018.
2. "The Big Books of BEA 2011: Adult Titles". Retrieved October 28, 2018.
3. "The New (Para) Normal". Retrieved October 28, 2018.
4. "Supernatural debut for Cornerstone - The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
5. "Entertainment reviews: 14 April". April 14, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
6. "Alma Katsu - Autores no SKOOB". www.skoob.com.br. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
7. "Ecco come passare dalla Cia ai romanzi gotici". February 16, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
8. "RAND Corporation Provides Objective Research Services and Public Policy Analysis". www.rand.org. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
9. Former Beacon reporter publishes a novel, Margaret Smith, September 29, 2011, The Beacon newspapers, March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
10. "Alma Katsu". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
11. . www.squawvalleywriters.org. Archived from the original on October 4, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
12. "Bio". Almakatsubooks.com. from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
13. Taker, by Alma Katsu - Booklist Online. Retrieved October 28, 2018 – via www.booklistonline.com.
14. "Fiction Book Review: The Taker by Alma Katsu. S&S/Gallery, $25 (448p) ISBN 978-1-4391-9705-9". Retrieved October 28, 2018.
15. "Book Review: The Deep by Alma Katsu". Culturefly. March 11, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
16. "January 2012 Table of Contents". December 29, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
17. Hand, Elizabeth (December 27, 2011). "Alma Katsu's 'The Taker'". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
18. Top 10 First Novels: 2011, by Donna Seaman - Booklist Online. Retrieved October 28, 2018 – via www.booklistonline.com.
19. One Super(natural) Debut, Carolyn Cooke, Surrey Now newspaper, October 6, 2011, November 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
20. Weinman, Sarah (March 19, 2021). "She Awoke in Central Park, Handcuffed to a Stranger. What Happened?". New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
21. Duffy, Bob (March 31, 2021). "Red Widow: A Novel". Washington Independent Review of Books. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
22. LeBor, Adam (April 5, 2021). "The best new thrillers — tales of conflict and espionage". Financial Times. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
23. Lipez, Richard (March 5, 2021). "Five thrillers to read now — and soon". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
24. "Q&A Alma Katsu". Mystery and Suspense Magazine. March 21, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
25. "John Langan Reviews The Hunger by Alma Katsu". Locus Online. May 29, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
26. Macallister, Greer (March 15, 2018). "'The Hunger' Is a Supernatural Spin on the Donner Party". Chicago Review of Books. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
27. Spry, Jeff (March 7, 2018). "Author Alma Katsu on her new historical horror novel, The Hunger". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
28. Cha, Steph. "'The Hunger' relives horrors of Donner Party cannibalism, with supernatural twist". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
29. Lovegrove, James (June 1, 2018). "Short review: The Hunger by Alma Katsu". Financial Times. from the original on June 3, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
30. "Thrillers review: The Hunger; All the Beautiful Lies; Paper Ghosts". the Guardian. April 24, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
31. "Review "The Deep" by Alma Katsu". Suspense Magazine. May 11, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
32. "Book Review Site for Librarians in Public Libraries and School Libraries - Booklist Online". www.booklistonline.com. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
33. "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Paranormal Fantasy!". Goodreads. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
34. "RT Award Nominees & Winners". Retrieved October 28, 2018.
35. "The 2020 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot: Winners and Nominees". The Bram Stoker Awards. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
36. "2021 Locus Awards Top Ten Finalists". Locus Magazine. May 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alma Katsu.

• Alma Katsu official website: http://www.almakatsubooks.com
• Alma Katsu official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-Katsu-author/152469558105584
• Publisher's website: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Alma-Katsu/73879637
• Italian publisher's website:
• Brazilian publisher's website: http://www.editoranovoconceito.com.br/autores/alma-katsu