Present Writers: Madeleine Robins

This is the latest in a recurring series! For more about the series, please read the original post on Marta Randall, or subsequent posts on Dorothy Heydt, Barbara Hambly, Jane Yolen, Suzy McKee Charnas, Sherwood Smith, Nisi Shawl, Pamela Dean, Gwyneth Jones, Caroline Stevermer, Patricia C. Wrede, Lois McMaster Bujold, Nancy Kress, Diane Duane, Candas Jane Dorsey, Greer Gilman, Robin McKinley, Laurie Marks, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman,Rosemary Kirstein, Karen Joy Fowler, Susan Cooper, Ellen Klages, Lisa Goldstein, C.J. Cherryh, Kate Elliott, and Molly Gloss.

I keep noticing that a lot of the authors I want to profile with this series wear a lot of hats, and that is certainly true of Madeleine Robins. (Also could probably rock a stylin' cloche, but Marissa Picks Hats For Writers is a different blog series, let's not get sidetracked.) Robins has published in fantasy, mystery, and romance. I can only vouch for the first two, but they're both really good, and I would make a bet on the last one based on that.

I think one of the things I particularly like about the Sarah Tolerance mysteries that is also true of Robins's two stand-alone fantasies is that they have a very strong sense of place. In most of her work, that place is urban in some way or another, but also she has a keen eye for characterization within its context. (Which...is the ballgame. Characterization without context is incoherent.) Her books are witty but never jokey at the expense of the story, fun without losing sight of serious life issues. In fact in some ways I think they'll be the perfect pandemic rereads.

Let's get on that.