Alice Mary Norton — best known to the world by her penname Andre Norton — was the author of over a dozen series in the genres of fantasy and science fiction, as well as a host of standalone works, including everything from young adult stories and historical adventures to wild science-fantasy mashups and sword-and-sorcery. Her best known and most enduring work is Witch World, itself consisting of story cycles running the gamut from portal fantasies incorporating science fiction to straight up high fantasy. Her long and varied publishing career would influence many a future writer, result in Norton being honored as the first woman to receive the SFWA Grand Master Award, and, of course, inspire dozens upon dozens of evocative book covers.
This Grande Dame of SF&F also has the distinction of being the first to write a novel based on Dungeons & Dragons, Quag Keep, after having been personally invited to game with Gary Gygax in 1976.
