Gordon Randall Phillip David Garrett
[Garrett, Randall]
in ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' is a 1997 reference work concerning fantasy fiction, edited by John Clute and John Grant. Other contributors include Mike Ashley, Neil Gaiman, Diana Wynne Jones, David Langford, Sam J. Lundwall, Michael S ...
''; edited by John Clute
John Frederick Clute (born 12 September 1940) is a Canadian-born author and critic specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature who has lived in both England and the United States since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part ...
and John Grant; published 1997 (December 16, 1927 – December 31, 1987) was an American
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
and
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
author. He was a contributor to ''
Astounding'' and other science fiction magazines of the 1950s and 1960s. He instructed
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Gran ...
in the techniques of selling large quantities of action-adventure science fiction, and collaborated with him on two novels about men from Earth disrupting a peaceful agrarian civilization on an alien planet.
Biography and writing career
Garrett is best known for the
Lord Darcy books — the novel ''
Too Many Magicians'' and two short story collections — set in an
alternate world
A parallel universe, also known as a parallel dimension, alternate universe, or alternate reality, is a hypothetical self-contained plane of existence, co-existing with one's own. The sum of all potential parallel universes that constitute reali ...
where a joint Anglo-French empire still led by a
Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in b ...
dynasty 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
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
and
spy fiction
Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligen ...
: Lord Darcy is modeled on
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
), elements often appearing in the shorter works about the detective.
Michael Kurland
Michael Joseph Kurland (born March 1, 1938) is an American author, best known for his works of science fiction and detective fiction. Kurland lives in San Luis Obispo, California.
Writing career
Kurland's early career was devoted to works of sc ...
wrote two additional Lord Darcy novels.
Garrett wrote under a variety of
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...
s including: David Gordon, John Gordon, Darrel T. Langart (an
anagram
An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into ''nag a ram'', also the word ...
of his name), 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 Hightower" (a pun on "garret"). The short novel ''Brain Twister'', written by Garrett with author
Laurence Janifer (using the joint pseudonym
Mark Phillips
Captain Mark Anthony Peter Phillips (born 22 September 1948) is an English Olympic gold medal-winning horseman for Great Britain and the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal, with whom he has two children. He remains a leading figure in Briti ...
), was nominated for the
Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960.
An inveterate punster (defining a pun as "the odor given off by a decaying mind"), he was a favorite guest at science fiction conventions and friend to many fans, especially in Southern California. According to various anecdotes in a tribute volume, Garrett was cherished by his friends, who often repeated anecdotes of his behavior, but horrified many women, to whom he routinely introduced himself with obscene propositions.
['Robert Silverberg, ed., 'The Best of Randall Garrett'', 1982 Pocket Books ] He introduced himself to
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was an American author of fantasy, historical fantasy, science fiction, and science fantasy novels, and is best known for the Arthurian fiction novel ''The Mists of Avalon'' an ...
with the Latin sentence "Coito ergo sum,"
(
sic) which she didn't understand until it was explained to her some time later as an obscenity, and at another time to a pregnant
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-Irish writer known for the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, ''Weyr Search'', 19 ...
with "sly innuendoes" which horrified her.
Philip José Farmer recounted an anecdote where Garrett was punched by his then-wife for having a pair of someone else's lace underpants in his pocket, and later ran naked through a hotel after being caught having sex with another woman in the wrong room.
["The Man Who Came For Christmas", by Philip José Farmer, in ''The Best of Randall Garrett'' (pp. 7 - 9); edited by ]Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Gran ...
; published 1982 by Timescape Books
Timescape Books was a science fiction line from Pocket Books operating from 1981 to 1985. Pocket Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
It was named after the Gregory Benford novel ''Timescape'', which was not published by the Timescape imprin ...
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel ''Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked as ...
said "You could follow his movements around this
creative Anachronists' picnic by the squeals of the women whose bottoms he had just pinched."
Isaac Asimov
yi, יצחק אזימאװ
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR
, spouse =
, relatives =
, children = 2
, death_date =
, death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
, nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
referred to Garrett's offending
Judith Merril
Judith Josephine Grossman (January 21, 1923 – September 12, 1997), who took the pen-name Judith Merril around 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist, and one of the first women to be wid ...
enough, she emptied an ashtray over his and Garrett's heads.
Garrett was married to fellow author
Vicki Ann Heydron, who largely wrote the ''Gandalara Cycle'' fantasy series credited to both spouses; they met in 1975, at the home of their mutual
agent
Agent may refer to:
Espionage, investigation, and law
*, spies or intelligence officers
* Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another
** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...
, and were married in December 1978.
["About the authors" (p. 181) in ''The Steel of Raithskar''; published 1981 by ]Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. ...
; In 1986, Heydron specified that she had been Garrett's third wife "and at least his sixth collaborator".
[Introduction, by Vicki Ann Heydron, in ''Takeoff Too!'', p. 2; published March 1987 by Starblaze Graphics; ]
In 1999, Randall Garrett was posthumously awarded the
Sidewise Award for Alternate History
The Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year.
Overview
The awards take their name from the 1934 short story " Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in ...
Special Achievement Award for the Lord Darcy series. He was also ordained in the
Old Catholic Church
The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undivide ...
.
Glen Cook's private detective character
Garrett P.I. is named in honor of Garrett.
Understanding XML: Reinventing wheels
at O'Reilly Media
O'Reilly Media (formerly O'Reilly & Associates) is an American learning company established by Tim O'Reilly that publishes books, produces tech conferences, and provides an online learning platform. Its distinctive brand features a woodcut of ...
; published April 8, 2008; retrieved November 16, 2012
Health
In the summer of 1979, Garrett contracted a viral infection which led to meningitis
Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...
[ and/or ]encephalitis
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain. The severity can be variable with symptoms including reduction or alteration in consciousness, headache, fever, confusion, a stiff neck, and vomiting. Complications may include seizures, hallucinations ...
,[ and, subsequently, severe ]amnesia
Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
. Hoping that his condition was temporary, Heydron served as his caregiver
A caregiver or carer is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers. Caregivers most commo ...
for two years, but in August 1981, "for the sake of his health and er ownsanity, ..allowed him to be hospitalized."[Introduction, by Vicki Ann Heydron, in ''Takeoff Too!'', p. 1; published March 1987 by Starblaze Graphics; ]
In ''The Best of Randall Garrett'', a combined anthology and festschrift
In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the ...
which was published in January 1982, editor Robert Silverberg (a personal friend of Garrett's) stated that although the infection "for a time threatened arrett'slife and for a much longer time has made it impossible for him to work", Garrett was "fighting his way back to full recovery" — and, indeed, when Algis Budrys
Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome (in collaboration with Jerome Bixby), John ...
reviewed the anthology in the August 1982 issue of ''the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...
'', he stated that he had been told that "when last seen, Garrett was seated at a dinner table, cheerfully ignoring the assembled company and attempting to remember the words to a dirty song";["Books", review column by ]Algis Budrys
Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome (in collaboration with Jerome Bixby), John ...
, in ''the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...
''; August 1982; p 23 however, in October 1982, Dave Langford
David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for most ...
reported that the Hugo Award
The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier ...
ceremony at that year's Worldcon had included an announcement that Garrett "had permanently lost his memory".[Ansible #29]
October 1982; by Dave Langford
David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for most ...
; retrieved June 21, 2020 By 1986, the "about the authors" text in the novel ''The River Wall'', credited to Garrett and Heydron, described Garrett as having suffered "serious and permanent injury",[''The River Wall'', by Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron; published 1986 by Bantam Spectra] and in 2011, Langford and Brian M. Stableford's entry on Garrett in ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo Award, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus and BSFA Award, British SF Awards. Two print editions appeared ...
'' summarized him as having been "hospitalized from 1981 until his death" in 1987.[Garrett, Randall]
by Dave Langford
David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for most ...
and Brian M. Stableford, in ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo Award, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus and BSFA Award, British SF Awards. Two print editions appeared ...
''; retrieved June 21, 2020
Bibliography
Gandalara Cycle
By Garrett and his wife Vicki Ann Heydron; written by Heydron from a draft of the first volume and an outline of the series by Garrett.
# ''The Steel of Raithskar'' (1981)
# ''The Glass of Dyskornis'' (1982)
# ''The Bronze of Eddarta'' (1983)
# ''The Well of Darkness'' (1983)
# ''The Search for Kä'' (1984)
# ''Return to Eddarta'' (1985)
# ''The River Wall'' (1986)
* ''The Gandalara Cycle I'' (1986), omnibus of #1-3 above
* ''The Gandalara Cycle II'' (1986), omnibus of #4-6 above
Lord Darcy series
# '' Murder and Magic'' (1979), collection of 1964–1973 stories
# '' Too Many Magicians'' (1966), magazine serialization 1966
# '' Lord Darcy Investigates'' (1981), collection of 1974–1979 stories
* '' Lord Darcy'' (1983), omnibus containing all three books above. The 2002 edition adds two previously uncollected stories, with minor editing to remove repetitions of the backstory.
Nidorian series
With Robert Silverberg, as Robert Randall.
# '' The Shrouded Planet'' (1957)
# '' The Dawning Light'' (1959)
Collections
** '' Takeoff!'' (1980), composed of tongue-in-cheek imitations of a number of other authors and universes, such as E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman series and Reginald Bretnor's Ferdinand Feghoot (who is "Benedict Breadfruit" in Garrett's treatment).
Short stories
* " The Hunting Lodge (short Story) (1954)
* " The Best Policy" (1957) also as David Gordon. A smart Earthling is abducted by a reconnaissance group of hostile aliens, but convinces them that Earthlings are a far more advanced and superior race, so they end up sending humble ambassadors instead of conquering the planet. The catch is these aliens have a perfect truth detector, so the hero has to phrase his every comment very carefully so that he can pull off such a huge lie while being literally honest.
* " The Queen Bee" (1958)
* "Backward, Turn Backward" (1959)
* " Despoilers of the Golden Empire" (1959)
* " But, I Don't Think" (1959)
The collection ''Takeoff Too'' included a poem, which the editor titled "The Egyptian Diamond", which was erroneously credited to Garrett. It was actually written by Jack Bennett and originally published under the title "Ben Ali the Egyptian". Parts of "Ben Ali the Egyptian" ''were'' quoted in Garrett's short story "The Foreign Hand Tie."
References
External links
*
Bibliography
on SciFan
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garrett, Randall
1927 births
1987 deaths
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American novelists
20th-century American short story writers
American Old Catholics
American fantasy writers
American male novelists
American male short story writers
American science fiction writers
Analog Science Fiction and Fact people
Place of birth missing
Place of death missing
Sidewise Award winners