{{Short description|American medievalist writer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}} '''Sandra Louise Miesel''' (born '''Sandra Louise Schwartz''' on November 25, 1941) in New Orleans<ref>[https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/miesel_sandra Science Fiction Encyclopedia website]</ref> is an American medievalist, writer, editor and fiction critic. Her early work was in science fiction and fantasy criticism, while her later writings focus on religious critiques.
== Writing career == Miesel was a member of science fiction fandom (a connection which sprang from a letter she had published in ''IF'' magazine<ref name="interview">{{cite web |author= |title=Catholics & Science Fiction: An Interview with Sandra Miesel |url=http://ignatiusinsight.com/features2005/smiesel_sfintervw1_mar05.asp |access-date=January 19, 2011 |website=ignatiusinsight.com |publisher=Ignatius Insight |archive-date=August 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822083215/http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2005/smiesel_sfintervw1_mar05.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref>). She published several critical articles in the science fiction fanzine ''Yandro'', especially on Anderson and Dickson, as well as other fanzines such as ''Granfalloon''.
She started her career as a critic in 1970s with ''Myth, Symbol and Religion in The Lord of the Rings'' (1973 chap) on J R R Tolkien.
She was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer three times (1973, 1974 and 1975)<ref>[http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/HugoNomList.html Hugo Nominees Database]</ref> and had two monographs published by Fannish small presses: ''Myth, Symbol and Religion in ''The Lord of the Rings (T-K Graphics, 1973) and ''Against Time's Arrow: The High Crusade of Poul Anderson'' (Borgo Press, 1978).<ref>Reid, Robin Anne. ''Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 1: Overviews'' Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2009; p. 284</ref>
Miesel has written many articles for the Catholic press, chiefly focusing on history, art, and hagiography. She wrote regularly for the ''Crisis'' Catholic magazine and is a columnist for the diocesan paper of the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut.
Miesel is also a public speaker, having spoken at religious and academic conferences, appeared on EWTN, and given numerous radio interviews.
==Highlighted works== Miesel has co-authored, ''The Da Vinci Hoax: Exposing the Errors in The Da Vinci Code'', with Carl E. Olson. This is a detailed critique of the popular novel based on her knowledge of Catholic history and teachings.
She is also the co-author of ''The Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy'' with Catholic journalist and canon lawyer Pete Vere. The book, published by Ignatius Press, offers a detailed critique of Philip Pullman's ''His Dark Materials'' trilogy from a Catholic point of view.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.AtheismForChildren.com/ |title=Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy |author=Miesel, Sandra and Pete Vere |work=www.AtheismForChildren.com |publisher=Ignatius Press |access-date=October 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516115712/http://www.atheismforchildren.com/ |archive-date=May 16, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
== Personal life == Miesel holds master's degrees in biochemistry and medieval history from the University of Illinois. She lives in the Indianapolis, Indiana area.<ref>[http://efanzines.com/CPG/CPG01.pdf Burton, David. "'Credentials?' We Don't Need No Stinkin' Credentials" ''Catchpenny Gazette'' #1 (February 2004), p. 2]</ref> She was married to John Miesel for 42 years until his death in 2006.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111018100959/http://sfsite.com/vault/news0609.htm Silver, Steven H. "News: Obituary" ''SF Site'' September 2006]</ref>
==Selected works== ===Fiction=== * {{cite book|author=Miesel, Sandra|title=Shaman|publisher=Baen|year=1989|isbn=0-671-69844-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/shaman00mies}} Speculative fiction. An earlier version was published as ''Dreamrider'' (Ace Books, 1982).
===Non-fiction=== * {{cite book|author=Miesel, Sandra | title=Myth, Symbol, and Religion in ''The Lord of the Rings''|publisher=T-K Graphics|year=1973|id=OCLC: 1242807 }} * {{cite book|author=Miesel, Sandra |title=Against Time's Arrow: The High Crusade of Poul Anderson|publisher=Borgo Press|year=1978|isbn=0-89370-124-6}} * "The Fan As Critic" in ''Science fiction fandom'' Joe Sanders, ed. (Contributions to the study of science fiction and fantasy, no. 62) Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1994. {{ISBN|0-313-23380-2}} * {{cite book|author=Olson, Carl E. |author2=Sandra Miesel|title=The Da Vinci Hoax: Exposing the Errors in The Da Vinci Code | publisher=Ignatius Press|year=2004|isbn=1-58617-034-1}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{wikiquote}} *[http://ignatiusinsight.com/features2005/smiesel_sfintervw1_mar05.asp Catholics and Science Fiction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822083215/http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2005/smiesel_sfintervw1_mar05.asp |date=August 22, 2010 }}, a short interview between Miesel and Ignatius Press. *{{ISFDB name|id=Sandra_Miesel|name=Sandra Miesel}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miesel, Sandra}} Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers Category:20th-century American novelists Category:20th-century American short story writers Category:20th-century American women journalists Category:20th-century American women novelists Category:20th-century Roman Catholics Category:21st-century Roman Catholics Category:American fantasy writers Category:American Roman Catholic writers Category:American science fiction writers Category:American women literary critics Category:American literary critics Category:American women medievalists Category:American medievalists Category:American women science fiction and fantasy writers Category:American women short story writers Category:Catholics from Louisiana