Amanda Downum

Background

She was born on July 15, 1979, in Virginia. Amanda Downum was born on 15 July 1979 into a middle-class family in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in the United States of America.

Education

Amanda Downum graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in English Literature and a minor in German.

Career

She is most known for her necromancer chronicles: The Drowning City, The Bone Palace, and Kingdoms of Dust. Downum’s books consist of themes relating to identity, gender roles and sexuality, death, secrets and social stratification. Downum"s parents would read Downum fantasy/science fiction authors such as: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, C. South. Lewis, Ursula K. Le Guin and, Madeleine L"Engle.

As Downum grew older, she formed a Goth persona from reading novels such as The Hobbit and Prince Caspian and reading H.P. Lovecraft’s horror novels.

These authors/books have influenced Downum’s genre, fantasy fiction, since her early childhood. Downum wanted to be a writer at the age of six and her first attempt at writing a novel was in high school.

Many of her present characters and events were created/drawn from her early unpublished writings and/or childhood memories. During her time at college, Downum considered being a writer again when she found an Online Writing Workshop and realized that she could drastically improve her writing.

Over the course of her writing career, Amanda Downum has been inspired by “books, movies, music, the news, boring road trips, and dreams”.

According to Downum, her focus in fantasy should primarily be credited to her mother, who read the young Downum numerous fantasy novels, including Tolkien, Lewis, Le Guin, and L’engle. Later on in her life, Hurricane Katrina coupled with her experiences living in Asia inspired her to write the Drowning City, book one in her “Necromancer Chronicles” trilogy. The Hobbit, and particularly the character Sauron, known and referred to as the Necromancer, captivated her interest in the darker side of fantasy characters and helped inspire her Necromancer Chronicles.

Achievements

• Amanda Downum first received recognition for her novel, The Drowning City, when it was shortlisted for the 2009 David Gemmell Morning Star award. Downum’s The Drowning City also received a nomination the following year, in 2010, for the David Gemmell Legend Award. In December 2010, Downum’s second novel in the Necromancer Chronicles, The Bone Palace, was shortlisted for the James Tiptree, Junior. Award. Downum’s inclusion of significant positive explorations of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender characters, themes, and issues in The Bone Palace also helped her novel receive the 2011 nomination for the Gaylactic Spectrum Award.

Politics

Although Downum does not speak often on politics or religion in any of her blogs or interviews, some of the organizations and associations that are supported by her include The National Association to Protect Children, RAINN, Lambda, and Amnesty International.

Interests

• Writers

  Her three favorite contemporary authors and biggest influences are Barbara Hambly, Elizabeth Bear, and Caitlin R. Kiernan.