The Beautiful Biting Machine

by Tanith Lee, Alicia Austen (Illustrator)

The Nightfair is a valley five miles long and four miles wide. It is only one of many attractions on this world, this pleasure planet. Qire is the owner of Malvanda's Mansion, a pavilion located within The Nightfair. Qire's pamphlets describe Malvanda as "The Night-Blooming Bella Donna of Eternal Gothic Fantasy." Through her unique capabilities, Malvanda is able to satisfy the different appetites of Qire's customers, and of his valued employee Beldeck.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Vampires

43 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Tanith Lee was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She also wrote four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.

Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.

Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.

Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.

Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.

Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.

Reviews

[ambyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my favorite Cheap Street edition; I don’t like the texture of the Gainsborough paper and I find the design a bit bland. On the other hand, I’m a sucker for a space vampire story.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was reprinted in Space Is Just a Starry Night.