Birthday profile

Susan Shwartz

Susan Shwartz, American author

Born
December 31, 1949
Age in 2026
77
Zodiac sign
Capricorn
Birth year
1949

About Susan Shwartz

Susan Shwartz (born December 31, 1949) is an American author. == Education and career == She received her B.A. in English from Mount Holyoke College in 1972 and a PhD in English from Harvard University. Shwartz's Heirs to Byzantium trilogy – Byzantium's Crown (1987), The Woman of Flowers (1987) and Queensblade (1988) is an alternate history series. The Heirs to Byzantium novels are set in a world where Marc Antony defeats Octavius in the Battle of Actium, and joins with Cleopatra to make Byzantium capital of the Roman Empire. Shwartz's novel The Grail of Hearts (1992) is a fantasy that features the Holy Grail. It also features a sympathetic version of Kundry from Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal; Shwart's Kundry is depicted as a version of the Wandering Jew. Shwartz has published several novels and sixty short stories. == Works == === Novels === Hecate's Cauldron (1982), illustrated by Michael Whelan The Woman of Flowers (1987) Byzantium's Crown (1987) Silk Roads and Shadows (1988) Queensblade (1988) Arabesques: More Tales of the Arabian Nights (1988) Heritage of Flight (1989) Imperial Lady (1989) with Andre Norton Arabesques II (1989) The Grail of Hearts (1991) Empire of the Eagle (1993) with Andre Norton. Historical novel about a group of Romans who flee the Battle of Carrhae and travel to India and China. Shards of Empire (1996) Cross and Crescent (1997) Second Chances (2001) Hostile Takeover (2004) She has also collaborated with science fiction writer (and fellow Mount Holyoke alumna) Judith Tarr on the following works: S.M. Stirling – Blood Feuds (1993) (with Judith Tarr and Susan Shwartz and Harry Turtledove (Part of the "War World" sub-series in the "Co-dominium" series, originally created by Jerry Pournelle) and Blood Vengeance (1994) (with Susan Shwartz and Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove and Jerry Pournelle (Also part of the "War World" sub-series) CoDominium – Blood Feuds (1992) Susan Shwartz, S.M. Stirling, Judith Tarr, and Harry Turtledove and Blood Vengeance (1994) Susan Shwartz, S.M. Stirling, Judith Tarr, and Harry Turtledove.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Susan Shwartz timeline

  1. Shwartz's Heirs to Byzantium trilogy – Byzantium's Crown (1987), The Woman of Flowers (1987) and Queensblade (1988) is an alternate history series.
  2. Shwartz's novel The Grail of Hearts (1992) is a fantasy that features the Holy Grail.

The world when Susan Shwartz was born

Susan Shwartz was born in 1949. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1949

  • #1 song"Riders in the Sky" – Vaughn Monroe
  • Top movieAll the King's Men
  • Top TV showTexaco Star Theater
  • Best-selling bookThe Egyptian - Mika Waltari

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentJoe Louis retires from boxing as undefeated heavyweight champion
  • Top headlineNATO established
  • Technology milestoneFirst stored-program computer runs its first program
  • Defining fadSilly Putty
  • Notable inventionSilly Putty
  • World population2.52 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderHarry S. Truman
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonMinneapolis Lakers (BAA)
  • U.S. population149.2M

1949 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Susan Shwartz's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19492026
Gas$0.27$3.45/gal
Average home$8,400$435,000
Average income$5,000$67,500
Minimum wage$0.40$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.46$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population149.2M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Library of Congress. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.