Photo: Larry D. Moore / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on September 1, 1964 in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, Martha Wells is a novelist, science fiction writer and author. That puts Martha Wells at 61 years old in 2026. Schooling on record includes Texas A&M University. Recorded honors include Nebula Award for Best Novella (2018), Locus Award for Best Novella (2018, 2019), Hugo Award for Best Novella (2018, 2019) and 3 more. Credited works include The Murderbot Diaries, Books of the Raksura and Ile-Rien.
My Take
As a science fiction reader, I am genuinely in awe of Martha Wells. The Murderbot Diaries, narrated by a misanthropic security unit that just wants to watch its shows, is one of the smartest character creations in modern SF. Sweeping the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards repeatedly between 2018 and 2021 is almost unheard of, and she did it after years of patient, lower-profile fantasy work. That late-career explosion moves me; it rewards persistence and craft over hype. Her novels reaching twelve languages proves the appeal is universal. Wells is proof that the best voices sometimes take decades to be fully heard.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Martha Wells
- Name (Japanese)
- マーサ・ウェルス
- Reading
- まーさ・うぇるす
- Born
- September 1, 1964 (age 61)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Dragon
- Origin
- Fort Worth, Texas, United States
- Occupation
- novelist / science fiction writer / author
2. Background
- University
- Texas A&M University
Awards & achievements
- 2018 Nebula Award for Best Novella
- 2018 Locus Award for Best Novella
- 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novella
- 2019 Locus Award for Best Novella
- 2019 Hugo Award for Best Novella
- 2021 Nebula Award for Best Novel
- 2021 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
- 2021 Hugo Award for Best Novel
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Murderbot Diaries | — | |
| Notable work | Books of the Raksura | — | |
| Notable work | Ile-Rien | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://marthawells.com/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/marthawellswriter/
- Xhttps://x.com/marthawells1
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha%20Wells
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6774606
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-18
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Martha Wells born?
Born September 1, 1964 (age 61).
Where is Martha Wells from?
Martha Wells is from Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
What does Martha Wells do?
Martha Wells works as novelist, science fiction writer, author.
What is Martha Wells known for?
Notable works include The Murderbot Diaries, Books of the Raksura, Ile-Rien.
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