Helene Wecker

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-08-11

Helene Wecker is an American novelist born in September 1975 in Libertyville, Illinois. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Carleton College and a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University. Before turning to fiction full-time, she worked in marketing and communications, eventually returning to what she has called her first love, fiction writing. Wecker is best known for her debut novel The Golem and the Jinni (2013), a work of historical fantasy blending Jewish and Middle Eastern folklore in early twentieth-century New York, which she followed with a sequel, The Hidden Palace: A Tale of the Golem and the Jinni (2021). Her short fiction includes the story Majnun (2017). The Golem and the Jinni won the 2014 Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature, was a finalist for the James Tiptree Jr. Award, and was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel, establishing Wecker as a distinctive voice in contemporary speculative fiction. She has spoken about her ongoing plans for a third book in the series, while expressing some uncertainty about further sequels beyond that. Wecker resides near San Francisco with her husband and daughter, where she continues to write novels rooted in folklore, immigrant history, and the intersection of myth and the modern world.

Universe(s)

Books

• The Golem and the Jinni (2013) · The Golem and the Jinni Core Canon
• The Hidden Palace (2021) · The Golem and the Jinni Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 2 books
• Award recognitions across all universes: 6 (2 won, 2 finalist mention, 2 nomination)

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