Diana Gabaldon
Encyclopedia
Diana J. Gabaldon is an American
author
of Mexican-American and English
ancestry. Gabaldon is the author of the Outlander Series. Her books they contain elements of romantic fiction
, historical fiction
, mystery
, adventure
, and science fiction
.
, (U.S.A.). Her father, Tony Gabaldon
(1931–1998) was an Arizona state senator from Flagstaff. He moved to Flagstaff from New Mexico at the age of thirteen.http://www.azleg.state.az.us/legtext/43leg/2r/bills/sr1002p.htm Her mother's family are originally from Yorkshire
(England
); her great-grandfather immigrated to Arizona from England in the 1860s.
Gabaldon grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona
. She has received three degrees from two different institutions: a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Zoology
from Northern Arizona University
, 1970–1973; a Master of Science (M.S.) in Marine Biology
from the University of California, San Diego
, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1973–1975; and a Ph.D. in Ecology
from Northern Arizona University, 1975-1978. Her M.S. research topic was "Agonistic Interactions of Hermit Crabs." Her Ph.D. dissertation title is "Nest Site Selection in Pinyon Jays, Gymnorhynchus cyanocephalus)." Gabaldon received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) degree from Northern Arizona University in 2007. Gabaldon Hall, a dormitory on the campus of Northern Arizona University, is named in honor of her father.
As a full-time assistant professor in the Center for Environmental Studies at Arizona State University in the 1980s, Gabaldon did research, was a scientific computing and database expert, and taught university classes for college credit in anatomy and other subjects. She was the founding editor of Science Software Quarterly
.
During the mid-1980s, Gabaldon also designed and taught personal computer courses part-time as a faculty member of the ASU Computer Institute, located in the Tower Shopping Center in Phoenix. The ASU Computer Institute offered non-credit, one-day, evening, and Saturday classes for students, business professionals, and others who wished to learn PC computing. Students received a certificate and could obtain Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for classes they completed successfully. During this period, she wrote computer articles and software reviews for popular national computer publications such as Byte magazine
, PC Magazine, and InfoWorld. During this time, her husband founded and ran a successful company which provided computer programming services and support to Phoenix-area businesses.
Gabaldon currently lives in the Phoenix, Arizona
area with her husband, Doug Watkins; they have three adult children.
The use of time travel came when Gabaldon decided it would be interesting to have "an Englishwoman to play off all these kilted Scotsmen," but her female character who "took over the story and began telling it herself, making smart-ass modern remarks about everything." Gabaldon realized that she would have to provide an explanation for the character's modern behavior and attitudes, and chose to do so using time travel.
Later in 1988, Gabaldon posted a short excerpt of her novel on the CompuServe
Literary Forum, which led to her being introduce to the agent of author John E. Stith, who was impressed by her post. The agent, Perry Knowlton, represented her on the basis of an unfinished first novel, tentatively titled Cross Stitch. Her first book deal was for a trilogy, the first novel plus two future sequels. The title of the first book was changed from Cross Stitch to Outlander
in the United States before release, but it bears the original title in the U.K. About this name change, Gabaldon says, that Cross Stitch was " a play on "a stitch in time", and that the British publishers liked it. The American publisher, though, said that it "sounded too much like embroidery" and wanted a more "adventurous" title. Gabaldon resigned her faculty position at ASU after the first book deal was finalized, and became a full-time fiction author.
There are presently seven novels in the Outlander series, with the eighth installment, Written in My Own Heart's Blood, to be published in 2013. The novels center on (Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser) and (James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser), and are set in Scotland
, France
, the West Indies, England
, and America
. The Lord John Series is a spin-off
from the Outlander books, and centers on a secondary character from the original series.
Gabaldon has also published a graphic novel, The Exile (An Outlander Graphic Novel) (2010).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of Mexican-American and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
ancestry. Gabaldon is the author of the Outlander Series. Her books they contain elements of romantic fiction
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
, historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
, mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
, adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
, and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
.
Early life and science career
Diana J. Gabaldon was born on January 11, 1952, in ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, (U.S.A.). Her father, Tony Gabaldon
Tony Gabaldon
Tony Gabaldon was an Arizona state senator of Mexican-American ancestry. Senator Gabaldon represented citizens of District 2 in Arizona, which includes Flagstaff, the largest city in northern Arizona, and Navajo and Apache counties.-Biography:...
(1931–1998) was an Arizona state senator from Flagstaff. He moved to Flagstaff from New Mexico at the age of thirteen.http://www.azleg.state.az.us/legtext/43leg/2r/bills/sr1002p.htm Her mother's family are originally from Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
(England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
); her great-grandfather immigrated to Arizona from England in the 1860s.
Gabaldon grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
. She has received three degrees from two different institutions: a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
from Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
, 1970–1973; a Master of Science (M.S.) in Marine Biology
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
from the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1973–1975; and a Ph.D. in Ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
from Northern Arizona University, 1975-1978. Her M.S. research topic was "Agonistic Interactions of Hermit Crabs." Her Ph.D. dissertation title is "Nest Site Selection in Pinyon Jays, Gymnorhynchus cyanocephalus)." Gabaldon received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) degree from Northern Arizona University in 2007. Gabaldon Hall, a dormitory on the campus of Northern Arizona University, is named in honor of her father.
As a full-time assistant professor in the Center for Environmental Studies at Arizona State University in the 1980s, Gabaldon did research, was a scientific computing and database expert, and taught university classes for college credit in anatomy and other subjects. She was the founding editor of Science Software Quarterly
Science Software Quarterly (journal)
The Science Software Quarterly was a scientific journal for scientists of all disciplines who used computers in the 1980s, particularly desktop platforms such as the IBM-PC , the Apple Macintosh , and the Apple II...
.
During the mid-1980s, Gabaldon also designed and taught personal computer courses part-time as a faculty member of the ASU Computer Institute, located in the Tower Shopping Center in Phoenix. The ASU Computer Institute offered non-credit, one-day, evening, and Saturday classes for students, business professionals, and others who wished to learn PC computing. Students received a certificate and could obtain Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for classes they completed successfully. During this period, she wrote computer articles and software reviews for popular national computer publications such as Byte magazine
Byte (magazine)
BYTE magazine was a microcomputer magazine, influential in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s because of its wide-ranging editorial coverage...
, PC Magazine, and InfoWorld. During this time, her husband founded and ran a successful company which provided computer programming services and support to Phoenix-area businesses.
Gabaldon currently lives in the Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
area with her husband, Doug Watkins; they have three adult children.
Novel writing
In March 1988, Gabaldon decided to "write a novel for practice, in order to learn how." She did not intend to share it with anyone at the time, or to try to get it published. While "casting about for an appealing time and place" for the novel she happened to see an old Doctor Who rerun on PBS, titled "War Games." One of the Doctor's companions was a young Scot from around 1745, a young man about 17 years old named Jamie MacCrimmon, who provided the initial inspiration for her main male character, James Fraser, and the mid-18th century time period. She used the name “Jamie” from the Dr. Who character, though she has stated that "other than the kilt and the first name (which I used in compliment to the Scottish inspiration), there’s no resemblance between Jamie MacCrimmon and James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser."The use of time travel came when Gabaldon decided it would be interesting to have "an Englishwoman to play off all these kilted Scotsmen," but her female character who "took over the story and began telling it herself, making smart-ass modern remarks about everything." Gabaldon realized that she would have to provide an explanation for the character's modern behavior and attitudes, and chose to do so using time travel.
Later in 1988, Gabaldon posted a short excerpt of her novel on the CompuServe
CompuServe
CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
Literary Forum, which led to her being introduce to the agent of author John E. Stith, who was impressed by her post. The agent, Perry Knowlton, represented her on the basis of an unfinished first novel, tentatively titled Cross Stitch. Her first book deal was for a trilogy, the first novel plus two future sequels. The title of the first book was changed from Cross Stitch to Outlander
Outlander (novel)
Outlander is the first novel in a series of seven by Diana Gabaldon. The book focuses on two main characters, Claire Randall and James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, and takes place in 18th- and 20th-century Scotland...
in the United States before release, but it bears the original title in the U.K. About this name change, Gabaldon says, that Cross Stitch was " a play on "a stitch in time", and that the British publishers liked it. The American publisher, though, said that it "sounded too much like embroidery" and wanted a more "adventurous" title. Gabaldon resigned her faculty position at ASU after the first book deal was finalized, and became a full-time fiction author.
There are presently seven novels in the Outlander series, with the eighth installment, Written in My Own Heart's Blood, to be published in 2013. The novels center on (Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser) and (James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser), and are set in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the West Indies, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Lord John Series is a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
from the Outlander books, and centers on a secondary character from the original series.
Gabaldon has also published a graphic novel, The Exile (An Outlander Graphic Novel) (2010).
Outlander series
- OutlanderOutlander (novel)Outlander is the first novel in a series of seven by Diana Gabaldon. The book focuses on two main characters, Claire Randall and James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, and takes place in 18th- and 20th-century Scotland...
(1991) - Dragonfly in AmberDragonfly in Amber (novel)Dragonfly in Amber, the second book in the best-selling Outlander series, is written by Diana Gabaldon.Her books are difficult to classify by genre, since they contain elements of romantic fiction, historical fiction, and science fiction...
(1992) - Voyager (1994)
- Drums of AutumnDrums of Autumn (novel)Drums of Autumn is the fourth book in the Outlander series, written by Diana Gabaldon. The stories center around a time-travelling 20th century doctor and her 18th century Scottish husband , and are located in Scotland, France, and America.The heroine of the bestselling Outlander, Claire, returns...
(1997) - The Outlandish Companion (1999), a guide to the Outlander series containing synopses, a character guide, and other notes and information
- The Fiery CrossThe Fiery Cross (novel)The Fiery Cross is book five in the best-selling Outlander series, written by Diana Gabaldon. The stories center around a time-travelling 20th-century doctor and her 18th-century Scottish husband , and are located in Scotland, France, and America.The heroine of the bestselling Outlander, Claire,...
(2001) - A Breath of Snow and AshesA Breath of Snow and Ashes (novel)A Breath of Snow and Ashes is the sixth volume of the best-selling Outlander series, written by Diana Gabaldon.-Plot summary:Claire is the wife of Jamie Fraser, her 18th century husband, and facing the politics and turmoil of the forthcoming American Revolution...
(2005) - An Echo in the BoneAn Echo in the BoneAn Echo in the Bone is the seventh book in the Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. It was first published on September 22, 2009. This book continues the adventures of Claire Fraser, the time-traveling doctor, and her 18th century Scottish husband, Jamie Fraser, in the 18th century, as...
(2009) - The Exile – An Outlander Graphic Novel (2010)
- "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows" (2010), a short story in Songs of Love and Death, an anthology
- Written in My Own Heart's Blood (forthcoming)
Lord John series
- Lord John and the Hellfire ClubLord John and the Hellfire Club (novella)Lord John and the Hellfire Club is a historical novella written by Diana Gabaldon, a New York Times best-selling author. The story was initially released in audio form only...
(1998, initially an audio-only release), novella - Lord John and the Private MatterLord John and the Private Matter (novel)Lord John and the Private Matter is a historical mystery novel written by Diana Gabaldon. It was originally intended to be another novella, but became much longer than planned...
(2003) - Lord John and the SuccubusLord John and the Succubus (novella)Lord John and the Succubus is a short story written by Diana Gabaldon.It was initially published in Legends II, edited by Robert Silverberg , and then collected in 2007 in the volume Lord John and the Hand of Devils....
, novella published in Legends IILegends II (book)Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy is a collection of 11 short stories by a number of noteworthy fantasy authors, edited by Robert Silverberg. All the stories were original to the collection, and set in the authors' established fictional worlds...
, edited by Robert SilverbergRobert SilverbergRobert Silverberg is an American author, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple nominee of the Hugo Award and a winner of the Nebula Award.-Early years:... - Lord John and the Brotherhood of the BladeLord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (novel)Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade is a historical novel written by Diana Gabaldon.-External links:*...
(2007) - Lord John and the Haunted SoldierLord John and the Haunted Soldier (novella)Lord John and the Haunted Soldier was written by Diana Gabaldon. It was initially published in Germany, but made its English language debut in the Lord John and the Hand of Devils collection. Historically taking place during the Seven Years War, non-fictional historic events and characters...
(2007), novella - Lord John and the Hand of DevilsLord John and the Hand of Devils (collection)Lord John and the Hand of Devils was written by Diana Gabaldon and collects the novellasLord John and the Hellfire Club, Lord John and the Succubus, and Lord John and the Haunted Soldier...
(2007), collection of three novellas - The Custom of the Army (2010), novella published in WarriorsWarriors (anthology)Warriors is a cross-genre, all-original fiction anthology featuring stories on the subjects of war and warriors; it was edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. The book's Introduction, "Stories from the Spinner Rack," was written by Martin...
, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner DozoisGardner DozoisGardner Raymond Dozois is an American science fiction author and editor. He was editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine from 1984 to 2004... - Lord John and the Plague of Zombies (2011), novella published in Down These Strange Streets, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner DozoisGardner DozoisGardner Raymond Dozois is an American science fiction author and editor. He was editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine from 1984 to 2004...
(2011) - The Scottish PrisonerThe Scottish Prisoner (A Lord John Novel)The Scottish Prisoner is the next novel in the Lord John series by Diana Gabaldon. Set in 1760, this is a two-person book, alternating between Jamie Fraser's point of view and that of Lord John Grey.It is scheduled to be released on November 29, 2011....
(2011)
Mysteries
- Red Ant's Head, a contemporary mystery set in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, featuring private investigator Thomas Kolodzi. Dr. Gabaldon is currently working on this book along with the eighth book in the Outlander series. (Information from her official web page, posted in October, 2010.)
Short stories and novellas
Below are short stories and novellas by Dr. Gabaldon that are independent of the Outlander and Lord John series:- "Humane Killer," a short story written with new author Samuel Sykes in The Dragon Book: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy, edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois. This anthology has dragon stories from a wide variety of notable authors such as Jane Yolen, Jonathan Stroud, Tanith Lee, Harry Turtledove, Tad Williams, and Cecilia Holland. Released in hardcover by Ace Books in the U.S.A. on November 3, 2009. ISBN 0441017649.
- Phoenix Noir (2009) http://www.akashicbooks.com/phoenixnoir.htm, a short story collection with fifteen other authors. It is a departure for Gabaldon, as the character she writes about is very different from the characters in her Outlander and Lord John series.
Other works
- Naked Came the PhoenixNaked Came the Phoenix (novel)Naked Came the Phoenix: A Serial Novel is a 2001 mystery novel written in serial installments by thirteen popular female authors, including collaboration editor Marcia Talley...
(2001), a collaboration with twelve other authors.
Audiobooks
The Outlander series has been released in unabridged audiobooks (read by Davina Porter) and abridged audiobooks (read by Geraldine James). The licenses for the abridged books have not been renewed and the unabridged versions, which Diana Gabaldon prefers, will be the only ones available when the licenses expire. Several of the Lord John books have been released in audiobook form, read by Jeff Woodman.Awards
- 1992: RITA Award given by the Romance Writers of AmericaRomance Writers of AmericaRomance Writers of America is a national non-profit genre writers association. It provides networking and support to individuals seriously pursuing a career in romance fiction and supports top authors such as Nora Roberts and Judith McNaught.-History:...
in the category Best Book of 1991 for the novel Outlander. - 2006: Quill Book AwardQuill AwardsThe Quill Award was an American literary award that ran for three years in 2005-07. It was a "consumer-driven award created to inspire reading while promoting literacy." The Quills Foundation, the organization behind the Quill Award, was supported by a number of notable media corporations,...
in 2006 in the category Science Fiction / Fantasy / Horror