Sarah Elizabeth Monette, born November 25, 1974, is an American author known for her fantasy and horror novels and short stories. She also writes under the pseudonym Katherine Addison. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she specialized in Renaissance Drama, with her dissertation focusing on ghosts in English Renaissance revenge tragedy. This academic interest in spectral themes may inform her literary output. Monette began writing at age 12 and has since published numerous works across various genres.

Monette's career began with short fiction, earning the Spectrum Award in 2003 for "Three Letters from the Queen of Elfland." Her debut novel, "Mélusine," published in 2005, received critical acclaim. She continued to publish novels such as "The Virtu" and "The Mirador" in the "Doctrine of Labyrinths" series, all of which garnered positive reviews and appeared on Locus's Recommended Reading lists. Her short stories have been featured in prominent speculative fiction magazines and anthologies. In 2007, she established an archive of her papers at Northern Illinois University. Under the name Katherine Addison, she achieved significant recognition with the 2014 novel "The Goblin Emperor," which won the Locus Award and was nominated for major genre awards.

Monette's formal education provided a strong foundation for her writing. She holds degrees in Classics, English, and French from Case Western Reserve University and a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her doctoral research focused on Renaissance Drama, specifically exploring the motif of ghosts within English Renaissance revenge tragedy. This deep engagement with early modern dramatic literature and its exploration of the spectral and the uncanny likely informs the atmospheric and sometimes unsettling elements found in her fiction, which often delves into fantasy and horror.

Under her own name, Monette is known for the "Doctrine of Labyrinths" series, including "Mélusine" and "The Virtu." Her short fiction has been recognized with multiple Honorable Mentions in "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror." As Katherine Addison, her novel "The Goblin Emperor" is a major achievement, earning the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and receiving nominations for the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards. This novel, set in the world of "The Chronicles of Osreth," has been followed by related works such as the "Cemeteries of Amalo" trilogy. Her collections, "The Bone Key" and "Somewhere Beneath Those Waves," showcase the breadth of her short fiction.