Zenna Henderson (nee Chlarson) was born in the foothills of the South Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona. She grew up in a strongly religious atmosphere that has had a profound effect on her writing. Henderson received a B.A. from Arizona State...

In the essay below, Mendlesohn examines gender roles and power structures in "Subcommittee," placing the story in the context of the time it was written, before the rise of feminism.

In the following essay, Erisman analyzes Henderson's use of the myth of the American frontier in her stories of the People. Henderson applies the concept of frontier broadly, the critic contends: "She is concerned with the timeless frontier that occurs whenever an individual or a people confronts a challenge."

In the conversation below, which was first published in 1974, Henderson recounts her life and career, and discusses her views on the genre of science fiction.