Alice Hastings Bradley, this was her birth name, was born on August 24, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. In the second half of the ’60s, she started writing science fiction by using the pseudonym James Tiptree Jr. to protect her academic reputation but also because a male name seemed a good way to blend in a male dominated field. She’s known especially for her short fiction, having written only two novels. She died tragically on May 19, 1987 committing suicide after killing her husband, who was very ill.