Randall Garrett

Randall Garrett (December 16, 1927 - December 31, 1987) was a prolific writer for Astounding and other science fiction magazines in the 1950s.

Related Topics:
December 16 - 1927 - December 31 - 1987 - Astounding

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He instructed Robert Silverberg in the techniques of selling large quantities of action-adventure sf, and collaborated with him on two novels about Earth bringing civilization to an alien planet.

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He is best known for the Lord Darcy books--the novel Too Many Magicians and two short story collections--set in an alternate world where a joint British-French empire has survived into the twentieth century and where magic works and has been scientifically codified. The Darcy books are rich in jokes, puns, and references (particularly to works of detective and spy fiction: Lord Darcy is himself partially modelled on Sherlock Holmes), elements that often appear in his shorter works. Michael Kurland would continue to write Lord Darcy stories.

Related Topics:
Lord Darcy - Too Many Magicians - Alternate world - Twentieth century - Detective - Spy fiction - Sherlock Holmes - Michael Kurland

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He wrote under a variety of pseudonyms including: David Gordon, Darrel T. Langart, Alexander Blade, Richard Greer, Ivar Jorgensen, Clyde Mitchell, Leonard G. Spencer, S. M. Tenneshaw, Gerald Vance. He was also a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, as "Randall of the High Tower" (a pun on "garret").

Related Topics:
Pseudonym - Society for Creative Anachronism

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Garrett suffered an attack of encephalitis in the early 1980s and was not able to write after that; he spent the last years of his life in a coma.

Related Topics:
Encephalitis - 1980s - Coma

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In 1999, Randall Garrett won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History Special Achievement Award for the Lord Darcy series.

Related Topics:
1999 - Sidewise Award for Alternate History

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