Note on Sword and Sorceress and Marion Zimmer Bradley:
The Sword and Sorceress anthology series played a significant role in creating space for female authors and female led sword and sorcery at a time when both were marginalized within the genre. Hundreds of writers contributed to these volumes, many of whom built lasting careers and helped shape feminist fantasy through their work.
Marion Zimmer Bradley herself also produced several influential fantasy works, including long running series and novels that helped bring women centered stories into mainstream genre visibility. Her editorial leadership on Sword and Sorceress and her broader publishing footprint shaped opportunities for many writers who might not otherwise have found early platforms.
Her personal actions and legacy remain deeply troubling and stand in stark contradiction to both the values reflected in many of the stories published under her editorial leadership and the trust placed in her by the genre community. Those actions do not diminish the work of the contributing authors, nor do they negate the cultural importance of the anthology series as a platform for women’s voices in sword and sorcery.
This reference acknowledges the historical role of Sword and Sorceress in the genre’s development while centering the authors and stories themselves, not the editor who curated them.