Early life Mary Soon Lee was born in London, England, to a
Malaysian Chinese father and an
Irish mother. As a child, she enjoyed reading science fiction and fantasy, especially the works of
Ursula K. Le Guin and
Robert A. Heinlein. She cites
J.R.R. Tolkien's
Lord of the Rings and the fantasy poetry of
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, among others, as works that influenced her relationship to literature from an early age. As a child, Lee wanted to be a scientist. Her focus narrowed to mathematics in her teenage years.
Education and career Lee earned a Master of Arts in mathematics and a diploma in computer science from
Trinity Hall, Cambridge. She also holds a Master of Science in Astronautics and Space Engineering from
Cranfield University. In 1990, Lee moved to the United States. She began writing television scripts and short stories shortly thereafter, making her first professional sale in 1993. Since that time, her poems and short stories, mostly pertaining to the genres of science fiction or fantasy, have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, and she has published collections of her work. ==Recognition==