Philip José Farmer

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Philip José Farmer (2002)

Philip José Farmer (born January 26, 1918 in North Terre Haute , Indiana , † February 25, 2009 in Peoria , Illinois ) was an American writer . Farmer is best known for his over 70 science fiction and fantasy novels and over 100 short stories.

Life

Philip Farmer grew up in Peoria , Illinois, the oldest of five children; the middle name Josie, who became José in the chauvinistic milieu of the 30s, came from his grandmother Josephine, who died in a fire. He had to break off his attendance at college in the mid-1930s because his father's small business went bankrupt. Instead of studying and becoming a newspaper reporter as planned, he did every job an unskilled man could get: earthworkers, auxiliary electricians, steel workers and movie ticket tears. In addition to all these activities, he began to study in 1949 and promptly collapsed because of the double burden. Nevertheless, he made his Bachelor of Arts in English at Bradley University in 1950 and then worked as a technical journalist for various companies.

His first short story, O'Brien and Obrenov , was published in 1946 and was neither science fiction nor particularly promising. But in 1952 Farmer became famous with the story The Lovers (Eng. "The Lovers") when it appeared in the small magazine Startling Stories . The story, rejected for profanity by the leading science fiction magazines ( John W. Campbells Astounding and Horace L. Golds Galaxy ), is about the sexual relationship of a man from Earth with an extraterrestrial being. For the first time, the subject of sex was tied into a science fiction story and caused a tangible scandal in prudish America in the 1950s, especially since it was also about interracial sex. A year later, Farmer was honored with the Hugo Award as the best young author. A novel version of the story was published in 1961.

As a result, Farmer wrote other stories that strengthened his reputation as a taboo breaker, such as Mother ("Mother"), Open to Me, My Sister (" My Sister's Brother") or The Alley Man ("The Garbage Driver"), the sexual Covered topics such as incest . Farmer's science fiction porn satires also contributed to this reputation, such as The Image of the Beast (1968) and Blown (1969), which are about group sex and affairs between imaginary and real characters. The novel Fire in the Night (1962), which is not science fiction, tells the love story of a white man and a black woman, at that time another taboo breach.

Farmer was particularly successful with his adventure novels set in exotic worlds. Particularly noteworthy here is his series of novels, which take place in the river world , an artificially created world in which all people who have lived on earth since the Stone Age are resurrected at the same time. With the first novel in the series To Your Scattered Bodies Go ("The River World of Time") he won the Hugo Award again in 1972 .

Several of Farmer's works incorporate existing characters from literature and history. The Other Log of Phileas Fogg, for example, fills the time periods that were not described in Jules Verne's In Eighty Days Around the World . The Wind Whales of Ishmael ("Ishmael's Flying Whales") is a fantasy sequel to Moby-Dick . A Barnstormer in Oz ("A Heavenly Storm in Oz") is the science fiction sequel to L. Frank Baum's Oz books. In The Adventure of the Peerless Peer (1974) Farmer lets Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes meet, hiding himself behind the pseudonym John H. Watson as if he were Dr. Watson , Holmes' eternal sidekick . Farmer's game of pseudonyms went so far as to publish the novel Venus on a Half-Shell (1975) under the name Kilgore Trout, a chronically unsuccessful science fiction writer invented by Kurt Vonnegut . In addition, important people appear in his novels with his initials "PJF", for example Peter Jarius Frigate in the Riverworld cycle or Paul Janus Finnegan in The World of Tiers .

In 1999, The Dark Heart of Time: A Tarzan Novel was Farmer's first official Tarzan novel. On March 22, 2003, the television station SciFi-Channel broadcast a television version of the first novel in the Flusswelt cycle under the title Riverworld with a strongly changed plot. The show was intended as a pilot episode for a television series, but it was never realized.

Farmer also wrote a script draft for a follow-up film to George Pal's film " Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze " ( Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. 1975) entitled Doc Savage and the Cult of the Blue God , which after the disappointing response of the film, however, was not realized. The design was published in 2006 in the Pearls from Peoria collection .

Last resident in Peoria (Illinois), Philip José Farmer died in his sleep on February 25, 2009. He left behind his wife Bette, who died a few months after him on June 10, 2009, and two children as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Awards

  • 1953 Hugo Award as best young author (indirectly for The Lovers )
  • 1968 Hugo Award for the story Riders of the Purple Wage
  • 1972 Hugo Award for the novel To Your Scattered Bodies Go
  • 2001 Nebula Award in the "Grand Master Award" category
  • 2001 World Fantasy Award for life's work
  • 2003 First Fandom Award
  • 2003 Forry Award for his life's work

Works

Series and cycles

Riverworld cycle (Riverworld)
  • To Your Scattered Bodies Go (1971 - German: 1979 Die Flußwelt der Zeit )
  • The Fabulous Riverboat (1971 - German: 1979 On the Zeitstrom )
  • The Dark Design (1977 - German: 1980 The dark patterns )
  • The Magic Labyrinth (1980 - German: 1981 Das magische Labyrinth )
  • Gods of Riverworld (1983 - German: 1991 The Gods of the River World )

All five volumes were completely revised and reissued in 2008 by Piper Verlag. The first volume also contains the novella Riverworld (dt. On the river ), the fifth volume the novella Up the Bright River (dt. Up the shining river ).

Still published, but not in German-speaking countries:

  • Riverworld and Other Stories (1979, anthology with various short stories by the author, for German publications of individual parts see the main article Flusswelt ; the story of Riverworld is the only Flusswelt story)
  • River of Eternity (1983, revised version of the original version of the first novel from 1952)
  • Tales of Riverworld (1992, first anthology with river world stories by different authors; only Crossing the Dark River and A Hole In Hell are by Farmer)
  • Quest to Riverworld (1993, second anthology; only the stories Up the Bright River and Coda are by Farmer)
World of a thousand levels (World of Tiers)
  • The Maker of Universes (1965 - German: Master of Dimensions and Struggle of World Makers )
  • The Gates of Creation (1966 - German: Worlds like sand and gate of creation )
  • A Private Cosmos (1968 - German: Lord of the Stars )
  • Behind the Walls of Terra (1970 - German: 1980, Behind the earthly stage )
  • The Lavalite World (1977 - German: Planet of the melting mountains )
  • Red Orc's Rage (1991 - German: The Wrath of the Red Lord )
  • More Than Fire (1993)
  • The world of a thousand levels (1983, anthology, Knaur No. 5766, ISBN 3-426-05766-2 )
Exorcism Trilogy
  • The Image of the Beast (1968 - German: The embodiment of evil )
  • Blown (1969 - German: out of breath )
  • Traitor to the Living (1973 - German: Brücke ins Jenseits. 1976, ISBN 3-404-00308-X )
Doc Caliban and Lord Grandrith
  • A Feast Unknown (1969)
  • Lord of the Trees (1970)
  • The Mad Goblin / Keepers of the Secrets (1970)
Opar cycle
Dayworld cycle
  • Dayworld (1985 - German: Dayworld. 1987, ISBN 3-426-01547-1 )
  • Dayworld Rebel (1987)
  • Dayworld Breakup (1990)
Tarzan 2
  • Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke (1972)
  • The Dark Heart of Time (1999 - German: The Dark Heart of Time , 2000, ISBN 3-453-17226-4 )
Doc Savage
  • Doc Savage: His apocalyptic life (1973)
  • Escape from Loki (1991, as Kenneth Robeson)

Single novels

  • The Lovers (1952 - German: Die Liebenden. 1978, ISBN 3-442-25044-7 )
  • The Green Odyssey (1957 - German: The Odyssey of Mr. Green. 1968, ISBN 3-453-05375-3 )
  • A Woman a Day (1960 - German: When time stood still. 1973 and Eine Frau per Tag , ISBN 3-453-30081-5 )
  • Flesh (1960 - German: Der Sonnenheld und Fleisch. 1971/1989; an abridged and modified version of this novel was published in 1960 in the magazine Galaxy, ISBN 3-89996-437-3 )
  • Cache from Outer Space (1962 - German: Devils fell from the sky. 1964)
  • Fire and the night (1962)
  • Inside Outside (1964 - German: The synthetic soul. 1973)
  • Tongues of the Moon (1964 - German: Der Mondkrieg. 1972)
  • Dare (1965 - German: Die Welt der Wiyr, 1982. ISBN 3-426-05744-1 )
  • The Gate of Time (1966 - German: Das Tor der Zeit. 1969, ISBN 3-453-31152-3 )
  • Keepers of the secret (1970)
  • Love song (1970)
  • The Stone God Awakens (1970 - German: The Stone God awakens. 1974, ISBN 3-453-30253-2 )
  • Lord Tyger (1970 - German: Lord Tyger. 1975, ISBN 3-453-30343-1 )
  • The Wind Whales of Ishmael (1971 - German: Ismaels Fliegende Wale. 1980, ISBN 3-8118-3508-4 )
  • Time's Last Gift (1972 - German: Legacy of Time. 1983, ISBN 3-426-05764-6 )
  • The Other Log of Phileas Fogg (1973 - German: The real log of Phileas Fogg. 1976, ISBN 3-453-31016-0 )
  • The Adventures of the Peerless Peer (1974, as John H. Watson)
  • Venus on the Half-Shell (1974, as Kilgore Trout - German: The Birth of Venus. ISBN 3-426-05784-0 )
  • Ironcastle (1976, JH Rosny - German: Das phantastischen Land. 1988, ISBN 3-548-31168-7 )
  • Jesus on Mars (1979 - German: The Redeemer from Mars. 1984, ISBN 3-426-05777-8 )
  • Dark is the Sun (1979 - German: Dark is the sun. 1980, ISBN 3-8118-3502-5 )
  • The Cache (1981)
  • The Unreasoning Mask (1981 - German: Die toten Welten des Bolg. 1985, ISBN 3-426-05833-2 )
  • A Bannstormer in Oz (1982 - German: Ein Himmelstürmer in Oz. 1985, ISBN 3-426-05800-6 )
  • Stations of the Nightmare (1982)
  • Greatheart Silver (1982)
  • Nothing Burns in Hell (1988)
  • The Caterpillar's Question (1992, with Piers Anthony - German: Die Seelen Träumerin. 1994)
  • Naked came the farmer (1998)
  • The Dungeon 2 (2003, with Robin Wayne Bailey and Charles de Lint )
  • The City Beyond Play (2007, with Danny Adams)
  • The Evil in Pemberley House (2009, with Win Scott Eckert)

Short story collections

  • Strange Relations (1960 - German: Bizarre ties. 1983, Knaur 5771):
    • Mother (1953 - German: mother )
    • Daughter (1954 - German: daughter )
    • Son (1954 - German: son )
    • My Sister's Brother (former titles: The Strange Birth and Open to Me, My Sister. 1954 - German: The brother of my sister )
    • The Alley Man (1959 - German: Der Müllkutscher )
  • Down in the Black Gang (1971 - German partly in: Prometheus. 1977, Goldmann 242):
    • Down in the Black Gang (1969 - German: Programmierte hopelessness )
    • The Shadow of Space (1967 - German: Outside of space and time )
    • A Bowl Bigger than Earth (1967 - German: A bowl, larger than Earth )
    • Riverworld (1979, revised version)
    • A Few Miles (1960)
    • Prometheus (1961 - German: Prometheus )
    • The Blasphemers (1964 - German: The Blasphemers )
    • How Deep the Grooves (1963)
  • The Classic Philip José Farmer 1952–1964 (1984 - German: Beyond Space and Time. 1987, Heyne 4387):
    • Sail on! Sail on! (1952 - German: Sail on! Sail on! )
    • Mother (1953 - German: mother )
    • The God Business (1954 - German: The trade of the gods )
    • The Alley Man (1959 - German: Der Müllkutscher )
    • My Sister's Brother (former titles: The Strange Birth and Open to Me, My Sister. 1954 - German: The brother of my sister )
    • The King of Beasts (1964 - German: The greatest of all monsters )
  • The Classic Philip José Farmer 1964–1973 (1984 - German: Beyond Space and Time. 1987, Heyne 4387):
    • The Shadow of Space (1967 - German: Beyond Space and Time )
    • Riders of the Purple Wage (1967 - German: Die Reiter der Purpurnen Sozialhilfe or Das große Ding )
    • Don't Wash the Carats (1968 - German: You don't wash diamonds )
    • The Jungle Rot Kid on the Nod (1968 - German: Dschungel-Stuß-Kid im Tran )
    • The Oogenesis of Bird City (1970 - German: Die Ovogenese von Bird City )
    • The Sliced-Crosswise Only-on-Tuesday World (1971 - German: The Exclusively-on-Tuesday-World )
    • Sketches Among the Ruins of My Mind (1973 - German: Sketches in the ruins of my mind )
    • After King Kong Fell (1973 - German: After King Kong's fall )
  • Father to the Stars (1981 - German: Pater der Sterne. 1983, Knaur 5767):
    • The Night of Light (1957 - German: The Night of Light )
    • A Few Miles (1960 - German: Just a few miles )
    • Prometheus (1961 - German: Prometheus )
    • Father (1955 - German: Vater )
    • Attitudes (1953 - German: The right attitude )
  • The Grand Adventure (1984 - German: Weltraum Aventüren. 1986, Bastei-Luebbe 24088):
    • An Overview of the Fair (1984 - Impressions from the World's Fair)
    • Introduction: The Peoria-Colored Writer (1984 - Introduction: Writing in Peoria)
    • The Shadow of Space (1967 - German: Der Schatten des Weltraums )
    • A Bowl Bigger than Earth (1967 - German: A bowl bigger than the earth )
    • Sketches Among the Ruins of My Mind (1974 - German: Sketches in the ruins of my mind )
    • The Sliced-Crosswise Only-on-Tuesday World (1971 - German: Der Dienstagsmensch )
    • After King Kong Fell (1973 - German: After King Kong's fall )
    • Totem and Taboo (1954 - German: Totem and Tabu )
    • The Adventure of the Three Madmen [a rewritten and revised version of the short novel The Adventure of The Peerless Peer ] (1984 - German: The daring men in their dirigible airship )

German short story collections:

  • The Tuesday person . Edited, annotated and with an afterword by René Oth. Luchterhand, Darmstadt and Neuwied 1984, ISBN 3-472-61516-8 :
    • Totem and Taboo (1954 - German: Totem and Tabu )
    • The Shadow of Space (1967 - German: Der Schatten des Weltraums )
    • The Sliced-Crosswise Only-On-Tuesday World (1971 - German: Der Dienstagsmensch )
    • The Voice of the Sonar in My Vermiform Appendix (1971 - German: The Voice in the Appendix )
    • Sketches among the Ruins of My Mind (1973 - German: Sketches in the ruins of my mind )
    • After King Kong Fell (1973 - German: After King Kong's fall )
  • Shock visions . 1984 Knaur 5779:
    • Rastignac the Devil (1965 - German: Rastignac the Devil )
    • The Jungle Rot Kid on the Nod (1968 - German: Djungel-Stuß-Kid im Tran )
    • Son (1954 - German: son )
    • Brass and Gold (1971 - German: Blech und Gold )
    • Father's in the Basement (1972 - German: Father is in the basement )
    • The Henry Miller Dawn Patrol (1977 - German: Henry Miller on patrol flight )
    • Riverworld (1979 - German: Flußwelt )

editor

Dungeon cycle

Farmer organized this series of books, the individual volumes of which were written by 4 other authors. He contributed a preface to each volume.

  • Book 1: The black tower (1988 - German: The black tower , Heyne Verlag, ISBN 3-453-04502-5 ) written by Richard A. Lupoff
  • Book 2: The dark abyss (1989 - German: Der dunkle Abgrund , Heyne Verlag, ISBN 3-453-04503-3 ) written by Bruce Coville
  • Book 3: The valley of thunder (1990 - German: Das Tal des Donners , Heyne Verlag, ISBN 3-453-04504-1 ) written by Charles de Lint
  • Book 4: The lake of fire (1991 - German: Der See aus Feuer , Heyne Verlag, ISBN 3-453-04506-8 ) written by Robin W. Bailey
  • Book 5: The hidden city (1991 - German: Die Verborgene Stadt , Heyne Verlag, ISBN 3-453-04507-6 ) written by Charles de Lint
  • Book 6: The final battle (1991 - German: Das letzte Gefecht , Heyne Verlag, ISBN 3-453-04509-2 ) written by Richard A. Lupoff

literature

  • Hans Joachim Alpers , Werner Fuchs , Ronald M. Hahn : Reclam's science fiction guide. Reclam, Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-15-010312-6 , pp. 150-152.
  • Hans Joachim Alpers, Werner Fuchs, Ronald M. Hahn, Wolfgang Jeschke : Lexicon of Science Fiction Literature. Heyne, Munich 1991, ISBN 3-453-02453-2 , pp. 429-432.
  • Gordon Benson Jr., Phil Stephensen-Payne: Philip José Farmer: Good-Natured Ground Breaker: A Working Bibliography. Galactic Central Publications, Leeds, West Yorkshire 1990.
  • Mary Turzillo Brizzi: Philip José Farmer. Starmont House, Mercer Island, Washington 1980.
  • Mary Turzillo Brizzi: Farmer, Philip José . In: Noelle Watson, Paul E. Schellinger: Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers. St. James Press, Chicago 1991, ISBN 1-55862-111-3 , pp. 265-267.
  • Edgar L. Chapman: The Magic Labyrinth of Philip José Farmer. The Borgo Press, San Bernardino, California 1984.
  • John Clute , David Pringle : Farmer, Philip José. In: John Clute, Peter Nicholls : The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction . 3rd edition (online edition), version dated December 31, 2017.
  • Don D'Ammassa : Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Facts On File, New York 2005, ISBN 0-8160-5924-1 , pp. 138-140.
  • Leslie A. Fiedler: Thanks for the Feast. In: The Book of Philip José Farmer. DAW Books, New York 1973.
  • George Mann : The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Robinson, London 2001, ISBN 1-84119-177-9 , pp. 134-138.
  • Sam Moskowitz: Philip José Farmer. In: (ders.): Seekers of Tomorrow: Masters of Modern Science Fiction. World Publishing, Cleveland, Ohio 1966.
  • Robert Reginald : Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. A Checklist, 1700–1974 with contemporary science fiction authors II. Gale, Detroit 1979, ISBN 0-8103-1051-1 , p. 895 f.
  • Robert Reginald: Contemporary Science Fiction Authors. Arno Press, New York 1974, ISBN 0-405-06332-6 , pp. 93 f.
  • Donald H. Tuck : The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy through 1968. Advent, Chicago 1974, ISBN 0-911682-20-1 , p. 164 f.

Web links

Commons : Philip José Farmer  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Locus . Issue July 2009, p. 61.
  2. ^ PJ Farmers official homepage . As of Feb 28, 2009.
personal data
SURNAME Farmer, Philip José
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kilgore Trout (pseudonym); Manders, Harry (pseudonym)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American science fiction and fantasy writer
DATE OF BIRTH January 26, 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH North Terre Haute , Indiana
DATE OF DEATH February 25, 2009
Place of death Peoria , Illinois