Esther M Friesner was educated at Vassar College, where she completed B.A.s in both Spanish and Drama. She went to on to Yale University, where within five years she was awarded an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish. She taught Spanish at Yale for a number of years before going on to become a full-time author of fantasy and science fiction. She is best known for her humorous style of writing, both in the titles and the works themselves. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, two rambunctious cats, and a fluctuating population of hamsters.