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{{short description|American science fiction writer (1928–2018)}}
{{distinguish|Kati Wilhelm}}
{{Infobox writer
| name        = Kate Wilhelm
| image       = File:Kate Wilhelm.jpg
| alt         = 
| caption     = 
| pseudonym   =
| birth_name  = Katie Gertrude Meredith
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1928|06|08}}
| birth_place = [[Toledo, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|2018|03|08|1928|06|08}} 
| death_place = [[Eugene, Oregon]], U.S.
| occupation  = Author
| period      = 1956–2018
| genre       = Science fiction, mystery, fantasy
| subject     = <!-- nonfiction -->
|notableworks = 
| spouse      = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Joseph Wilhelm|1947|1962|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Damon Knight]]|1963|2002|end=d}}
}}
| children    = 2
<!-- see Template:Infobox writer -->
}}

'''Kate Wilhelm''' (June 8, 1928 –  March 8, 2018<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/obituaries/kate-wilhelm-prolific-science-fiction-writer-dies-at-89.html | title=Kate Wilhelm, Prolific Science Fiction Writer, Dies at 89 | newspaper=The New York Times | date=16 March 2018 | last1=Roberts | first1=Sam }}</ref>) was an American author. She wrote [[novel]]s and stories in the science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres, including the [[Hugo Award]]–winning ''[[Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang]]''. Wilhelm established the [[Clarion Workshop]] along with her husband [[Damon Knight]] and writer [[Robin Scott Wilson]].

==Life==
Katie Gertrude Meredith was born in [[Toledo, Ohio]], daughter of Jesse and Ann Meredith. She graduated from high school in [[Louisville, Kentucky]], and worked as a model, telephone operator, sales clerk, switchboard operator, and underwriter for an insurance company.

She married Joseph Wilhelm in 1947 and had two sons. The couple divorced in 1962 and Wilhelm married [[Damon Knight]] in 1963. She and her husband lived in [[Eugene, Oregon]], until his death in 2002<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xX4VAAAAIBAJ&pg=3244,1365663&dq=kate-wilhelm+eugene&hl=en|title=Literally Eugene|date=Dec 7, 2007|work=[[The Register-Guard]]|location=Eugene, OR|access-date=2010-02-19}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and she remained there until her own death in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/obituaries/kate-wilhelm-prolific-science-fiction-writer-dies-at-89.html|title=Kate Wilhelm, Prolific Science Fiction Writer, Dies at 89|date=March 16, 2018|author=Sam Roberts|website=New York Times|access-date=March 15, 2021}}</ref>

==Career==
Her first published short fiction was "The Pint-Size Genie" in the October 1956 issue of ''[[Fantastic (magazine)|Fantastic]]'', edited by [[Paul W. Fairman]] (assisted by [[Cele Goldsmith]], who was responsible for looking at unsolicited submissions to the magazine). The next year, her first accepted story, "The Mile-Long Spaceship", was published in [[John W. Campbell]]'s ''[[Astounding Science Fiction]]'', and ten of her speculative fiction stories were published during 1958 and 1959.<ref name=isfdb/> Her debut novel was a murder mystery, ''More Bitter Than Death'' (Simon & Schuster, 1963), and her science fiction novel debut, ''The Clone'' (1965) co-written with Theodore L. Thomas, was a finalist for the annual [[Nebula Award]].<ref name=isfdb/>

Her work has been published in<!-- this laundry list needs some knowledgeable selection and emphasis --> ''[[Quark/]]'', ''[[Orbit (anthology series)|Orbit]]'', ''[[The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction]]'', ''[[Locus (magazine)|Locus]]'', ''[[Amazing Stories]]'', ''[[Asimov's Science Fiction]]'', ''[[Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine]]'', ''[[Fantastic (magazine)|Fantastic]]'', ''[[Omni (magazine)|Omni]]'', ''[[Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine]]'', ''[[Redbook]]'' and ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]''.

She and her second husband, Damon Knight, mentored many authors and helped to establish the [[Clarion Writers Workshop]] and the [[Milford Writer's Workshop]]. After his death in 2002, Wilhelm continued to host monthly workshops, as well as lecturing at other events, until her death.

==Recognition==

The [[EMP Museum#Science Fiction Hall of Fame|Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame]] inducted Wilhelm in 2003, its eighth class of two deceased and two living writers.<ref name=sfhof-old/>

In 2009, she received one of three inaugural Solstice Awards from the [[Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America]] (founded by Knight in 1965), which recognize "significant impact on the science fiction or fantasy landscape".<ref name=SFAwards/><ref>{{cite book | title = Nebula Awards Ceremony 2009 | publisher = SFWA | year = 2009 | location = Los Angeles, CA | pages = 13}}</ref>

The Nebula Award trophy was designed for the first awards by J. A. Lawrence, based on a sketch by Wilhelm.<ref>{{cite book|title=Nebula Awards Showcase 2008 |editor-last=Bova |editor-first=Ben |year=2008 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=9781101212813 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DZpjjKWvv3UC&pg=PT496 |access-date=12 March 2018}}</ref>

She also won a few annual genre awards for particular works:<ref name=SFAwards/>

* [[Nebula Award for Best Short Story]], 1968, "The Planners"<ref name="Nebula">{{cite web|url=http://dpsinfo.com/awardweb/nebulas/|title=SFWA Nebula Awards|access-date=2010-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603193301/http://dpsinfo.com/awardweb/nebulas/|archive-date=2013-06-03|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Hugo Award for Best Novel]] and [[Locus Award for Best Novel]], both 1977, ''[[Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang]]''<ref name=SFAwards/>
* [[Nebula Award for Best Novelette]], 1986, "The Girl Who Fell into the Sky"<ref name="Nebula"/>
* [[Nebula Award for Best Short Story]], 1987, "Forever Yours, Anna"<ref name="Nebula"/>
* Hugo Award (best related book) and Locus Award (best nonfiction), both 2006, ''Storyteller: Writing Lessons and More from 27 Years of the Clarion Writers' Workshop'' (Small Beer Press, 2005; {{ISBN|0-7394-5613-X}})<ref name=SFAwards/>

The Hugo- and Locus Award-winning novel ''Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang'' was also a finalist for the Nebula Award, winner of the short-lived Jupiter Award from science fiction instructors, and third place for the academic [[John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel]].<ref name=SFAwards/>

In 2016, the SFWA renamed the Solstice Award the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.sfwa.org/2016/03/sir-terry-pratchett-receive-kate-wilhelm-solstice-award/ | title=Sir Terry Pratchett to Receive the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award | date=14 March 2016 }}</ref>

==Works==
{{Main|Kate Wilhelm bibliography}}

===Barbara Holloway mysteries===
Holloway is an attorney in Eugene, Oregon. She and her semi-retired lawyer father, Frank Holloway, solve mysteries that combine detective fiction with courtroom drama.

* ''Death Qualified: A Mystery of Chaos'' (1991)
* ''The Best Defense'' (1994)
* ''For the Defense'' also named ''Malice Prepense'' in hardbound editions (1996)
* ''Defense for the Devil'' (1999)
* ''No Defense'' (2000)
* ''Desperate Measures'' (2001)
* ''Clear and Convincing Proof'' (2003)
* ''The Unbidden Truth'' (2004)
* ''Sleight of Hand'' (2006)
* ''A Wrongful Death'' (2007)
* ''Cold Case'' (2008)
* ''Heaven Is High'' (2011)
* ''By Stone, by Blade, by Fire'' (2012)
* ''Mirror, Mirror'' (2017)

===Constance Leidl and Charlie Meiklejohn mysteries===
Meiklejohn is a former arson detective turned private investigator. His wife, Leidl, is a professional psychologist. Together they solve cases.

* ''The Hamlet Trap'' (1987)
* ''The Dark Door'' (1988)
* ''Smart House'' (1989)
* ''Sweet, Sweet Poison'' (1990)
* ''Seven Kinds of Death'' (1992)
* ''Whisper Her Name'' (2012)

====Collections====
* ''A Flush of Shadows: Five Short Novels'' (1995) – includes "With Thimbles, With Forks, and Hope", "Torch Song", "All for One", "Sister Alice", and "Gorgon Fields"
* ''The Casebook of Constance and Charlie'' Volume 1 (1999) – includes "The Hamlet Trap", "Smart House", and "Seven Kinds of Death"
* ''The Casebook of Constance and Charlie'' Volume 2 (2000) – includes "Sweet, Sweet Poison" and "The Dark Door", plus shorter stories "Christ's Tears", "Torch Song", and "An Imperfect Gift"

====Short stories in ''Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine'' ====
* "Christ's Tears" April 1996
* "An Imperfect Gift" Aug 1999
* "His Deadliest Enemy" Mar/Apr2004

===Standalone mystery/suspense novels===
* ''More Bitter Than Death'' (1962)
* ''The Clewiston Test'' (1976)
* ''Fault Lines'' (1977)
* ''Oh, Susannah!'' (1982)
* ''Justice for Some'' (1993)
* ''The Good Children'' (1998)
* ''The Deepest Water'' (2000)
* ''Skeletons: A Novel of Suspense'' (2002)
* ''The Price of Silence'' (2005)
* ''Death of an Artist'' (2012)

===Non-fiction===
* Storyteller: Writing Lessons & More from 27 Years of the Clarion Writers' Workshop (2005)

===Poems===
* ''Alternatives'' (1980)
* ''Four Seasons'' (1980)
* ''No One Listens'' (1980)
* ''The Eagle'' (1980)

===Editor===
* ''Clarion SF'' – anthology of 15 short stories by authors such as Damon Knight, Robert Crais, and Vonda N. McIntyre
* ''[[Nebula Award Stories 9]]'': anthology of Nebula Award–winning and nominated stories

===SF novels, noted stories and collections===
{{div col}}
* ''The Mile-Long Spaceship'' (1963)
* ''[[The Clone (Theodore L. Thomas novel)|The Clone]]'' (1965) – 1966 Nebula Award nominee, Best Novel
* ''The Nevermore Affair'' (1966)
* ''Andover and the Android'' (1966)
* ''[[Baby, You Were Great]]'' (1967) – 1968 Nebula Award nominee, Best Short Story
* ''The Killer Thing'' (1967), aka ''The Killing Thing'' (1967)
* ''The Planners'' (1968) – 1969 Nebula Award winner, Best Short Story
* ''The Downstairs Room'' (1968) – collection of 14 SF short stories (Dutch translation ''Het Anti-Verjaardagsfeest'' as by Kathleen Curran)<ref name=isfdb/>
* ''Let the Fire Fall'' (1969)
* ''The Year of the Cloud'' (1970)
* ''April Fool's Day Forever'' (1970) – 1971 Nebula Award nominee, Best Novella
* ''A Cold Dark Night with Snow'' (1970) – 1971 Nebula Award nominee, Best Short Story
* ''Abyss: Two Novellas'' (1971) – contains "The Plastic Abyss" (1992 Nebula Award nominee, Best Novella) and "Stranger in the House"
* ''Margaret and I'' (1971) - 1972 Nebula Award nominee, Best Novel
* ''City of Cain'' (1974)
* ''[[The Infinity Box]]'' (1975) – collection of nine SF short stories, including 1992 Nebula Award nominee "The Infinity Box", for Best Novella
* ''[[Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang]]'' (1976) – [[Hugo Award|Hugo]] and [[Locus Award]] winner; [[Nebula Award|Nebula]] nominee, Best Novel
* ''Somerset Dreams and Other Fiction'' (1978) – collection of 8 shorter SF stories/novellas
* ''Juniper Time'' (1979) – 1980 Nebula Award nominee, Best Novel
* ''The Winter Beach'' (1981) – 1982 Nebula Award nominee, Best Novella
* ''A Sense of Shadow'' (1981)
* ''Listen, Listen'' (1981) – contains four novellas: "Julian", "With Thimbles, With Forks and Hope", "Moongate", and "The Uncertain Edge of Reality"
* ''[[Welcome, Chaos]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Huysman's Pets]]'' (1985)
* ''Forever Yours, Anna'' (1987) – 1988 Nebula Award winner, Best Short Story
* ''Crazy Time'' (1988)
* ''Children of the Wind'' (1989) – contains "Children of the Wind", "The Gorgon Field" (1986 Nebula Award nominee, Best Novella), "A Brother to Dragons, A Companion of Owls", "The Blue Ladies", and "The Girl Who Fell into the Sky" (1987 Nebula Award winner, Best Novelette)<ref>https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?57858 Retrieved 17 December 2022.</ref>
* ''Cambio Bay'' (1990)
* ''Naming the Flowers'' (1992) – 1994 Nebula Award nominee, Best Novella
* ''And the Angels Sing'' (1992) – collection of 12 SF short stories
* ''I Know What You're Thinking'' (1994) – 1995 Nebula Award nominee, Best Short Story
* ''Fear is a Cold Black'' (2010) – collection of Wilhelm's early SF short stories
* ''Music Makers'' (2012) – collection of five stories: "Music Makers", "Shadows on the Wall of the Cave", "Mockingbird", "The Late Night Train", and "An Ordinary Day with Jason"
* ''The Bird Cage'' (2012) – collection of four stories: "The Bird Cage", "Changing the World", "The Fountain of Neptune", and "Rules of the Game"

{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal bar |Science fiction |Literature }} <!-- delete "bar" if/when there are enough ordinary See also -->

==References==

{{reflist |25em |refs=
<ref name=isfdb>
{{ISFDB name |66}} (ISFDB). Retrieved 2013-04-18.</ref>

<!-- some awards refs -->
<ref name=SFAwards>
[http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomLit148.html#5609 "Wilhelm, Kate"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110802213949/http://locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomLit148.html |date=2011-08-02 }}. ''The Locus Index to SF Awards: Index of Literary Nominees''. [[Locus Publications]]. Retrieved 2013-03-26.</ref>
<ref name=sfhof-old>
[http://www.midamericon.org/halloffame/ "Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521070009/http://www.midamericon.org/halloffame/ |date=2013-05-21 }}. Mid American Science Fiction and Fantasy Conventions, Inc. Retrieved 2013-03-26. This was the official website of the hall of fame to 2004.</ref>
}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190318191349/http://katewilhelm.com/ Former official website at the Internet Archive]
* {{sfhof |963 | Kate Wilhelm}}
* {{ISFDB name|66}}
*[http://storyoftheweek.loa.org/2018/10/baby-you-were-great.html "Baby, You Were Great" (1967) by Wilhelm], LoA reprint including story notes and an illustration by [[Ed Emshwiller]]
* [http://infinityboxpress.com Infinity Box Press], Wilhelm's publishing company
* [http://lccn.loc.gov/n78092017 Kate Wilhelm] at [[Library of Congress]] Authorities — with 58 catalog records
* [http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv40197 Guide to the Kate Wilhelm Papers at the University of Oregon]
* Battistella, Maureen Flanagan,[https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/wilhelm_kate/#.X5ir9FBlDcu Kate Wilhelm (1928-2018), Oregon Encyclopedia]

{{Hugo Award Best Novel 1971–1980}}
{{Locus Award Best Novel}}
{{Nebula Award Best Novelette}}
{{Nebula Award for Best Short Story}}
{{Authority control}} <!-- |GND=107805332 altho same VIAF bundle is only a nameholder that links 27 records of works -->

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilhelm, Kate}}
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century American women novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century American women novelists]]
[[Category:American fantasy writers]]
[[Category:American mystery writers]]
[[Category:American psychological fiction writers]]
[[Category:American science fiction writers]]
[[Category:Hugo Award–winning writers]]
[[Category:Nebula Award winners]]
[[Category:Novelists from Ohio]]
[[Category:Novelists from Oregon]]
[[Category:Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction people]]
[[Category:American women mystery writers]]
[[Category:American women science fiction and fantasy writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Eugene, Oregon]]
[[Category:Writers from Toledo, Ohio]]