About Karen A. Romanko
Karen A. Romanko has been a published author for over three decades. Her latest book, Women of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television: An Encyclopedia of 400 Characters and 200 Shows, 1950-2016 (McFarland, 2019), celebrates the essential contributions of women to science fiction and fantasy TV, with characters who run the gamut from superheroes, extraterrestrials and time travelers to witches, vampires and mere mortals who deal with the fantastic in their daily lives. This encyclopedic work covers 400 female characters from 200 series since the 1950s, including Samantha Stephens in Bewitched, Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, Wonder Woman, Xena: Warrior Princess, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and many more. "With female empowerment now a hot topic in films and television, author Romanko taps into a relevant subject by presenting a breezy, fun read that one can open to any page and find some interesting facts." -- Cinema Retro
Women of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television is a follow-up to Television's Female Spies and Crimefighters: 600 Characters and Shows, 1950s to the Present (McFarland, 2016), also an encyclopedic reference, but for TV's female spies, private investigators, amateur sleuths, police detectives, federal agents and crime-fighting superheroes. Over 350 female spies and crimefighters who have appeared in 250 television series since the 1950s are included, from Emma Peel with her "kinky boots" to Amanda King and her poppy seed cake, from Julie Barnes with her hippie pad to Honey West and her pet ocelot. "Written in accessible language--and with a sense of humor--this book will appeal to pop culture fans and academics alike." -- ARBA (American Reference Books Annual)
A former professional librarian, Karen began her writing career in 1986 with a "My Say" piece in Publishers Weekly about the image of librarians, a stereotype which did not square with her punky hair, red glasses, and loud voice. (Shh!) She went on to write articles about rock videos and science fiction movies/television for publications such as American Libraries and Library Journal.
As Karen's interest in science fiction and fantasy grew, she began to write poetry and short fiction in those genres. She has now seen over 100 of her short works published in venues such as Strange Horizons and Lone Star Stories. She has also edited speculative fiction and poetry anthologies under the Raven Electrick Ink imprint, including Cinema Spec: Tales of Hollywood and Fantasy (2009), Retro Spec: Tales of Fantasy and Nostalgia (2010), and Jack-o'-Spec: Tales of Halloween and Fantasy (2011).
Karen's next book will be Historical Women on Scripted Television to be published by McFarland. You can find more of Karen's writing on her blog Small Screen Pop, where she discusses retro TV and culture, with an emphasis on shows of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
When not hunched at the computer, Karen enjoys snapping pics and walking on the beach in Malibu with her biologist hubby, Bob Desharnais.
