Member-only story
Newest Damon Knight Grand Master — Mercedes Lackey!
SFWA has just announced that the 2021 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master will be Mercedes Lackey. She will be formally inaugurated at the Nebulas conference next May.
For those who don’t know, the title of Grand Master is given to a writer of science fiction and fantasy. It is a lifetime achievement award that is given to a living author who has demonstrated not just excellence in their body of work but also strong other contributions to the science fiction and fantasy community.
(Why the white horse? It’s a reference to her most famous secondary world).
Why Mercedes Lackey?
So, why has Mercedes Lackey earned this award. She’s an author I greatly respect, so I’m going to go through her achievements real quick so people who aren’t as savvy about the field understand why this is so hugely deserved.
A Prolific Body of Work
Lackey is one of the most prolific authors ever. She has published over 140 books. And I do mean full length books. While her novels are typically on the shorter side, these aren’t novellas.
Lackey just writes at a pace the rest of us can only envy, and with no reduction in quality. Her style tends to be on the lighter side (I reach for a Lackey book when I…