Ursula Vernon

Ursula Vernon at Worldcon 75, Helsinki, 2017

Ursula Vernon (born May 28, 1977) is an American writer, artist, and illustrator. She has won numerous awards for her work in various mediums, including Hugo Awards for her graphic novel Digger, fantasy novel Nettle & Bone, and fantasy novella Thornhedge; the Nebula Award for her short story "Jackalope Wives"; and Mythopoeic Awards for adult and children's literature. Vernon's books for children include Hamster Princess and Dragonbreath. Under the name T. Kingfisher, she is also the author of books for older audiences. She writes short fiction under both names.

Ursula Vernon was born in Japan to a military family and grew up in Oregon and Arizona. She studied anthropology at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she first took art classes.

She first became known for her webcomics and as a freelance artist, particularly for her works containing anthropomorphic animals. She then moved into writing and illustrating children's books, her first being published in 2008, and then books for adults under the pseudonym T. Kingfisher. She started using the pseudonym in order to avoid confusion for parents who were only familiar with her as a children's book author. She chose it both because she loves kingfishers and as an homage to Ursula K. Le Guin, who once joked that the initials "U.K." could stand for "Ulysses Kingfisher". Vernon has published short fiction under both names, and has won a number of awards for them including the Hugo Award and Nebula Award.

She regularly attends conventions to exhibit and sell her work. She was a guest of honor at Midwest FurFest 2004 and 2009, and the Artist Guest of Honor at Further Confusion 2010. In August 2014, Vernon was the Author Guest of Honor for Mythcon 45 and a Guest of Honor at Eurofurence 20. She was the Author Guest of Honor at Arisia 2017.

The game Black Sheep designed by Reiner Knizia and published by Fantasy Flight Games uses art by Vernon on its playing cards. Her artwork titled The Biting Pear of Salamanca became an internet meme in the form of the "LOL WUT pear".

In June 2023, Vernon announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer; by December of that year, she announced that her treatment had been successful and she was cancer-free.

• .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#bf3c2c)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#bf3c2c)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}Dragonbreath. Dial Books. June 11, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8037-3363-3.

• Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs. Dial Books. January 1, 2010. ISBN 978-0-8037-3365-7.

• Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Weiner. Dial Books. September 16, 2010. ISBN 978-0-8037-3469-2.

• Dragonbreath: Lair of the Bat Monster. Dial Books. March 17, 2011. ISBN 978-0-8037-3525-5.

• Dragonbreath: No Such Thing as Ghosts. Dial Books. July 11, 2011. ISBN 978-0-8037-3527-9.

• Dragonbreath: Revenge of the Horned Bunnies. Dial Books. January 10, 2012. ISBN 978-0-8037-3677-1.

• Dragonbreath: When Fairies Go Bad. Dial Books. September 13, 2012. ISBN 978-0-8037-3678-8.

• Dragonbreath: Nightmare of the Iguana. Dial Books. January 29, 2013. ISBN 978-0-8037-3846-1.

• Dragonbreath: The Case of the Toxic Mutants. Dial Books. August 29, 2013. ISBN 978-0-8037-3847-8.

• Dragonbreath: Knight-napped!. Dial Books. January 6, 2015. ISBN 978-0-8037-3849-2.

• Dragonbreath: The Frozen Menace. Dial Books. January 12, 2016. ISBN 978-0-8037-3986-4.

• Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible. Dial Books. August 18, 2015. ISBN 978-0-8037-3983-3.

• Hamster Princess: Of Mice and Magic. Dial Books. March 15, 2016. ISBN 978-0-8037-3984-0.

• Hamster Princess: Ratpunzel. Dial Books. October 18, 2016. ISBN 978-0-8037-3985-7.

• Hamster Princess: Giant Trouble. Dial Books. May 9, 2017. ISBN 978-0-399-18652-3.

• Hamster Princess: Whiskerella. Dial Books. January 23, 2018. ISBN 978-0-399-18655-4.

• Hamster Princess: Little Red Rodent Hood. Dial Books. September 25, 2018. ISBN 978-0-399-18658-5.

• Nurk: The Strange Surprising Adventures Of A (Somewhat) Brave Shrew. Clarion Books. June 1, 2008. ISBN 978-0-15-206375-7.

• Castle Hangnail. Dial Books. April 21, 2015. ISBN 978-0-8037-4129-4.)

• Clockwork Boys. Clocktaur War #1. Red Wombat Tea Company. November 21, 2017. ISBN 978-1-61450-406-1.

• The Wonder Engine. Clocktaur War #2. Red Wombat Tea Company. February 27, 2018. ISBN 978-1-61450-417-7.

• Swordheart. Swordheart #1. Argyll Productions. November 27, 2018. ISBN 978-1-61450-463-4.

• Daggerbound. Swordheart #2. Tor Bramble. August 25, 2026. ISBN 978-1-250-40008-6.

• Paladin's Grace. The Saint of Steel #1. Red Wombat Studio. February 11, 2020. ISBN 978-1-61450-521-1.

• Paladin's Strength. The Saint of Steel #2. Red Wombat Studio. February 28, 2021. ISBN 978-1-61450-530-3.

• Paladin's Hope. The Saint of Steel #3. Red Wombat Studio. October 9, 2021. ISBN 978-1-61450-551-8.

• Paladin's Faith. The Saint of Steel #4. Red Wombat Studio. December 5, 2023. ISBN 978-1-61450-609-6.

• What Moves The Dead. Tor Nightfire. July 12, 2022. ISBN 978-1-250-83075-3.

• What Feasts at Night. Tor Nightfire. February 13, 2024. ISBN 978-1-250-83085-2.

• What Stalks the Deep. Tor Nightfire. September 30, 2025. ISBN 978-1-250-35492-1.

• Jackalope Wives and Other Stories. Argyll Productions. September 12, 2017. ISBN 978-1-61450-403-0.

As Ursula Vernon

• It Made Sense at the Time: Selected Sketches. Sofawolf Press. November 18, 2004. ISBN 978-0-9712670-6-0.
• Black Dogs Part 1: The House of Diamond. Sofawolf Press. March 1, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9769212-4-0.
• Black Dogs Part 2: The Mountain of Iron. Sofawolf Press. January 1, 2011. ISBN 978-1-936689-03-3.

As T. Kingfisher

• Nine Goblins. Red Wombat Tea Company. October 27, 2013. ISBN 978-1-310-50576-8.

• The Seventh Bride. Red Wombat Tea Company. November 11, 2014. ISBN 978-1-5039-4975-1.

• Bryony & Roses. Red Wombat Tea Company. May 18, 2015. ISBN 978-1-61450-399-6.

• The Raven & The Reindeer. Red Wombat Tea Company. February 7, 2016. ISBN 978-1-61450-389-7.

• Summer in Orcus. Red Wombat Tea Company. September 2016. ISBN 978-1-936689-60-6.

• The Halcyon Fairy Book. NESFA Press. January 19, 2017. ISBN 978-1-61037-326-5.

• Minor Mage. Argyll Productions. July 29, 2019. ISBN 978-1-61450-500-6.

• The Twisted Ones. Simon & Schuster. October 1, 2019. ISBN 978-1-5344-2957-4.

• A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking. Argyll Productions. July 21, 2020. ISBN 978-1-61450-524-2.

• The Hollow Places. Simon & Schuster. October 6, 2020. ISBN 978-1-5344-5112-4.

• Nettle & Bone. Tor Books. April 26, 2022. ISBN 978-1-250-24404-8.

• Illuminations. Argyll Productions. November 25, 2022. ISBN 978-1-61450-577-8.

• A House with Good Bones. Tor Nightfire. March 28, 2023. ISBN 978-1-250-82979-5.

• Thornhedge. Tor Books. August 15, 2023. ISBN 978-1-250-24409-3.

• A Sorceress Comes to Call. Tor Books. August 6, 2024. ISBN 978-1-250-24407-9.

• Hemlock & Silver. Tor Books. August 19, 2025. ISBN 978-1-250-34203-4.

• Snake-Eater. 47North. December 1, 2025. ISBN 978-1-6625-2509-4.

• Wolf Worm. Tor Nightfire. March 24, 2026. ISBN 978-1-250-82982-5.

• Digger

  • Vol. 1 (ISBN 978-0-9769212-2-6)
  • Vol. 2 (ISBN 978-0-9769212-6-4)
  • Vol. 3 (ISBN 978-0-9791496-3-4)
  • Vol. 4 (ISBN 978-0-9819883-3-7)
  • Vol. 5 (ISBN 978-0-9819883-9-9)
  • Vol. 6 (ISBN 978-1-936689-06-4)
  • Digger: The Complete Omnibus Edition (ISBN 978-1-936689-32-3)

• Irrational Fears

• "Little Creature"

  • "Little Creature and the Redcap"

Personal websites

• RedWombatStudio.com
• Bark Like a Fish, Damnit!, public Livejournal blog (last updated 2017)
• Digger webcomic

Socials

• Interview and profile at Armed With A Book, 2025
• Ursula Vernon on Bluesky
• Ursula Vernon on Goodreads
• Ursula Vernon on DeviantArt (last updated 2017)

Catalogs

• Ursula Vernon at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Ursula Vernon at Fantastic Fiction
• Free Speculative Fiction Online, accessed March 4, 2022,

Publishers

• Ursula Vernon at Penguin Random
• Ursula Vernon at Argyll
• Ursula Vernon on Uncanny Mag
• Ursula Vernon on Audible