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Lynne M. Thomas

Goodreads Author

Born

in Worcester, MA, The United States

Website

http://lynnemthomas.com

Twitter

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Genre

Nonfiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Professional & Technical

Member Since

October 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/lynnemthomas

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In my day job, I am the Head of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library and Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Rare Book and Manuscript Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, one of the largest public university rare book collections in the country. I used to manage pop culture special collections that include the papers of over 70 SF/F authors at Northern Illinois University. I also occasionally teach a Special Collections course as an adjunct in the iSchool at Illinois, and used to do so at SJSU.

I'm a twelve-time Hugo Award winner, and the former Co-Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Uncanny Magazine with my ex-husband Michael Damian Thomas. The former Editor-in-Chief of Apex Magazine (2011-2013), I co-edited the Hugo Award- ...more

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Lynne M. Thomas's Blog

Book review: The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo

The cover of The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo, featuring an Asian woman in a blood red gown, holding a mask, surrounded by ghostly hands.

Holy shit.

I received this as an eARC via Netgalley.

This is just a stunning work. The Gilded Age meets the most horrific version of Labyrinth’s ballroom scene that you can imagine. Vo’s worldbuilding is beautiful, horrific, meticulous and without parallel; everything c

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Lynne M. Thomas’s books

Average rating: 3.86 · 11,382 ratings · 3,264 reviews · 105 distinct works • Similar authors

	Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Tara O'Shea (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.84 avg rating — 772 ratings — published 2010	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uncanny Magazine, Issue 15, March/April 2017 by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Michael Damian Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), J.Y. Yang (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.11 avg rating — 655 ratings — published 2017	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uncanny Magazine Issue 18: September/October 2017 by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), N.K. Jemisin (Goodreads Author), Fran Wilde (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 433 ratings — published 2017	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uncanny Magazine Issue 13: November/December 2016 by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Michael Damian Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.93 avg rating — 415 ratings — published 2016	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uncanny Magazine, Issue 10, May/June 2016 by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Michael Damian Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Seanan McGuire (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.94 avg rating — 398 ratings — published 2016	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uncanny Magazine, Issue 25, November/December 2018 by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Michael Damian Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Isabel Yap (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.94 avg rating — 339 ratings — published 2018 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uncanny Magazine Issue 16: May/June 2017 by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Michael Damian Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Ursula Vernon (Contributor) 3.87 avg rating — 341 ratings — published 2017	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Apex Magazine Issue 50 by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Rachel Swirsky (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Catheryne M. Valente (Contributor) 3.21 avg rating — 365 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uncanny Magazine, Issue 23, July/August 2018 by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Michael Damian Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Sam J. Miller (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.87 avg rating — 285 ratings — published 2018	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uncanny Magazine Issue 32: January/February 2020 by Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Michael Damian Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Chimedum Ohaegbu (Editor) 3.90 avg rating — 263 ratings — published 2020 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Series by Lynne M. Thomas

Dig Time Lords (2 books)
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Lynne M. Thomas (Goodreads Author) (Editor),

Tara O'Shea (Goodreads Author) (Editor),

Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

Sophie Aldred (Contributor),

Elizabeth Bear (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

Mary Robinette Kowal (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

Carole E. Barrowman (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

Seanan McGuire (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

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3.85 avg rating — 940 ratings

Lynne is Currently Reading

Lynne is currently reading

The Shattering Peace (Old Man's War, #7)

by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, science-fiction-and-fantasy

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All Hail Chaos (Time of Iron, #2)

by Sarah Rees Brennan (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, science-fiction-and-fantasy

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Jul 10, 2026 11:35AM

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Lynne is 31% done with The Shattering Peace The Shattering Peace (Old Man's War, #7) by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author) progress:	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Lynne is 19% done with The Shattering Peace The Shattering Peace (Old Man's War, #7) by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author) progress:	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Lynne is currently reading The Shattering Peace (Old Man's War, #7) by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Science Fiction	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20 hours, 42 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lynne rated a book it was amazing The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Holy shit. I received this as an eARC via Netgalley. This is just a stunning work. The Gilded Age meets the most horrific version of Labyrinth's ballroom scene that you can imagine. Vo's worldbuilding is beautiful, horrific, meticulous and without par ...more
Jul 22, 2026 02:33PM · like · see review
Lynne rated a book it was amazing The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1) by Becky Chambers (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Loved, loved, loved this. I’m usually a tough sell for space opera, but this book had everything I needed for a hook: characters that feel real, want things, and have to work together when stuff goes sideways, which it does. This is a cast of charact ...more
Jul 18, 2026 01:10PM · 7 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lynne wants to read The Enchanted Greenhouse (Spellshop, #2) by Sarah Beth Durst (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 15, 2026 08:58AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lynne wants to read Sea of Charms (Spellshop, #3) by Sarah Beth Durst (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Lynne is currently reading All Hail Chaos (Time of Iron, #2) by Sarah Rees Brennan (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 10, 2026 11:35AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Lynne rated a book it was amazing Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I received this as an ARC at the American Library Association conference, and enjoyed it on the train trip home. Mike Boyd is a former federal employee (dept of Agriculture), moving back in with his dad and stepmother in a small town in Ohio. As he r ...more
Jul 10, 2026 08:13AM · 1 like · like · see review
Lynne made a comment on her review of Monsters of Ohio " I received this as an ARC at the American Library Association conference, and enjoyed it on the train trip home. Mike Boyd is a former federal employe ...more "
Jul 10, 2026 07:56AM · see review

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Quotes by Lynne M. Thomas (?)

“You may still have to design this spaceship, even though you shouldn’t have to, but do not let them make you think you have to be grateful for being allocated this patch of emptiness, for being permitted to find a way to exist. Don’t think, when I said to design your own spaceship, I meant you must think it is okay that you have to use every last piece of your precious energy to cobble together a ship from old parts. Don’t think that this means you must carve out your own space because you will never belong in theirs, that you have the right—grudgingly offered—to fly and breathe and eat, but not to pilot and explore and maintain and repair and upgrade. You can fly alone if you like, and you can fly alone if you have to. But we’re not just designing spaceships here, we’re designing whole universes. Universes where you make that choice rather than it being made for you.”
― Lynne M. Thomas, Uncanny Magazine, Issue 24, September/October 2018: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction! Special Issue

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“what I love the most is the format itself, the way a gap between panels can be a minute or a decade, the way you can destroy a planet, a plant, or a plan in the same amount of space, how the words can be lying while the pictures tell the truth, or vice versa.”
― Lynne M. Thomas, Chicks Dig Comics: A Celebration of Comic Books by the Women Who Love Them

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“Yet, even beyond the allure of hidden physical strength, the fantasy of secret identity has an appeal that transcends demographics. For anybody who knows the experience of getting lost in a make-believe world – for anyone who knows the experience, in other words, of being a geek and being a fan – the secret identity has an appeal that is part of the text itself. It’s a dream of meaning, a wish for purpose. Beyond this day-to-day life, beyond what you see of me, I am working on something extraordinary.”
― Lynne M. Thomas, Chicks Dig Comics: A Celebration of Comic Books by the Women Who Love Them

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