An Authors List: What Was Your Name Again?

This list is intended to index work of the more noteworthy pseudonyms assumed by various authors.

Stephen King used his Richard Bachman pen name before he became famous on his own while J.K. Rowling used hers after celebrity. Others, such as Alice B. Sheldon, reached their fame while writing as their pseudonym (James Tiptree, Jr.) but not all were so successful.

Sometimes names carry too much baggage. In the case of classic science fiction in particular, pen names were often employed to avoid bias that might come from a prejudiced public learning of a writer's true gender or race. For others it was simply a challenge; to duplicate success, to branch out in new directions or collaborate.

Aliases are used when possible.