Elizabeth Bear was born on the same day as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, but in a different year. This, coupled with a childhood tendency to read the dictionary for fun, led her inevitably to penury, intransigence, the mispronunciation of common English words, and the writing of speculative fiction. She grew up in New England and lived in Las Vegas for seven years. She now resides near Hartford in a tiny apartment with a presumptuous cat and has no plans to leave the Northeast ever again, except on brief exploratory excursions. She is an instructor at the Viable Paradise writing workshop on Martha's Vineyard and has taught at Clarion West. Her published works to date include the following: from Bantam Spectra, the Jenny Casey trilogy: (Hammered, Scardown, and Worldwired (all 2005)), Carnival (2006), Undertow (2007), and the two books of the the Jacob's Ladder trilogy, Dust (2008) and Chill (2010). Another book in this series is forthcoming — Grail. From ROC, the Promethean Age, contemporary and historical fantasy: Blood & Iron (2006), Whiskey & Water (2007), Ink & Steel (July 2008), Hell & Earth (August 2008). From Tor, Norse epic fantasy in two worlds — A Companion to Wolves (cowritten with Sarah Monette, October 2007), with two more books forthcoming. Also from Tor, the Edda of Burdens, a steampunk noir technofantasy series starting with All the Windwracked Stars (October 2008) and By the Mountain Bound (October 2009), with The Sea thy Mistress (forthcoming December 2010). Also forthcoming from Tor, epic fantasy series The Steles of the Sky, starting in 2011.

Collections include The Chains That You Refuse (Night Shade Books, 2006), and a mosaic novel, New Amsterdam (Subterranean Press, 2007). She is also involved in Shadow Unit, an innovative ongoing hyperfiction project based at www.shadowunit.org, along with Holly Black, Leah Bobet, Chelsea Polk, Emma Bull, Sarah Monette, Will Shetterly, and Amanda Downum. In addition, she has over seventy short stories in print, and two independently bound novellas — Bone & Jewel Creatures (2010) and Seven for a Secret (2009) both from Subterranean Press. Another novella, The White City, is forthcoming from Subterranean.

Her awards include the 2005 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, the 2006 Locus Award for Best First Novel for the Jenny Casey trilogy, a 2007 Special Citation of Excellence from the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award for Carnival, an Asimov's Reader Choice Award, a short story Hugo, and a Sturgeon Award for "Tideline," and a best novelette Hugo for "Shoggoths in Bloom." She's also the recipient of the 2009 Gaylactic Spectrum Award for Best Novel for The Stratford Man (Ink and Steel and Hell and Earth). Other major nominations include two BSFA short fiction and a Lambda nomination.