Robert Holdstock

Robert Paul Holdstock ( born August 2, 1948 in Hythe, Kent; † 29 November 2009 London ) was a British author who mainly wrote fantasy and mythic sci-fi.

Hold Stocks first work appeared in 1968. His science fiction and fantasy novels deal with, among others, philosophical, psychological, anthropological and spiritual topics. He was honored three times with the BSFA Award and once with the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (1985).

Life

Robert Holdstock was the oldest of five siblings, was born in Hythe in Kent, near Romney Marsh. His father Robert Frank Holdstock was a policeman, his mother Kathleen Madeline Holdstock was a nurse. With seven years Holdstock attended Gillingham Grammar School in Medway. As a young adult, he worked in various jobs, including as a banana boat drivers, construction workers and as miners.

As an adult, Holdstock received a Bachelor of Science at Bangor University in Wales with a ceremony in Applied Zoology ( 1967-1970 ). He then continued his studies and graduated in 1971 with a Master of Science in Medical Zoology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine from. From 1971 to 1974 he conducted research at the Medical Research Council in London and was next at the same time working as a writer. In 1976 Holdstock made ​​the letter to his main activity.

Holdstock died on 29 November 2009 at the age of 61 after collapsing due to an E. coli infection of 18 November 2009.

Work

Robert Hold Stocks first published story " Pauper's Plot " was released in 1968 in the magazine New Worlds. His first novel was a science fiction work titled Eye Among the Blind and was published in 1976.

In the late 1970s and the entire 1980s Holdstock wrote several fantasy and science fiction novels, in addition to short stories, which were mostly published under a pseudonym. Some of Hold Stocks pseudonyms were Robert Faulcon, Chris Carlsen, Richard Kirk, Robert Black, Ken Blake and Steven Eisler.

Holdstock also wrote a story entitled The Dark Wheel, which was sold in 1984 to the computer game Elite. Furthermore, The Emerald Forest comes from his pen, whose plot is based on the eponymous film directed by John Boorman.

The breakthrough came with his novel Holdstock Mythago Wood, which was published in 1984. Mythago Wood is the start of Ryhope Wood series - whose seventh episode Avilion was released in July 2009.

From 2001 to 2007 Holdstock wrote the fantasy trilogy Merlin Codex, which consists of the novels Celtika, The Iron Grail and The Broken Kings.

Holdstock also published several non-fiction books, including Alien Landscapes, and an Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1978).

Critical Analysis

After Michael DC Drout Hold Stocks fantasy literature for the entire genre is significant. This it is, according to the fact that it succeeds Holdstock to create in the Ryhope - Wood series art that is similar to JRR Tolkien's works, but neither an imitation thereof ( "close imitation of ") nor a reaction to it ( "reaction against " ) is. Drout holds Holdstock, together with Ursula K. Le Guin, a worthy heir of the fantasy tradition which was founded by Tolkien.

According to a study of Tolkien's works from Patrick Curry Holdstock belongs to Ursula K. Le Guin, John Crowley and Marion Zimmer Bradley to a quartet of authors who write fantasy novels come close to Tolkien's imagination and even exceed it in some areas ( " in some respects surpass Tolkien ").

Another critic said, Hold Stocks ability to design landscapes and mythical pattern is excellent ( " Robert Holdstock 's gift for evoking landscapes and weaving mythic patterns is outstanding. ").

The cover images of Hold Stocks novels were designed by various major fantasy and science fiction illustrators. The original covers of Mythago Wood in the U.S. and the UK are the works of Christopher Zacharow. Geoff Taylor illustrated the original envelopes for the United Kingdom for the following novels Lavondyss, The Bone Forest, The Hollowing and Merlin 's Wood. Illustrators of books and other expenses are Jim Burns, Tom Canty, John Howe, Alan Lee, John Pallencar Jew, Larry Rostant and Ron Walotsky. John Howe said, Holdstock was for him one of the greatest living, contemporary, Celtic fantasy writers ( " Holdstock is to me one of the best Celtic fantasy authors alive today. ").

David Langford also praises the majority of Hold Stocks work. However, over Merlin 's Wood he thinks that the whole story suffers because too much emphasis is placed on loss and healing.

Prices

Holdstock won several awards and was nominated for more, there is a selection:

  • The narrative Mythago Wood won the BSFA Award for best short story in 1981, together with the World Fantasy Award for best short story in 1982.
  • The novel Mythago Wood won the 1984 BSFA Award for Best Novel, as well as the 1985 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. Mythago Wood was published as part of the Masterpieces of Fantasy series of Easton Press, who says of himself, she published works of " andauerndem meaning, beauty and importance."
  • Lavondyss received the 1988 BSFA Award for Best Novel.
  • The Bone Forest in 1992 nominated for the World Fantasy Award in the category of the best collections.
  • The Overlooked horn (along with Garry Kilworth ) won the 1992 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1994 and was nominated for the BSFA Award for Best Novel.
  • The Fetch won the 1992 Homer Award for horror novels.
  • The Iron Grail won the Czech Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Award for Best Novel in 2002.
  • La Forêt des Mythagos, ( the Mythago -Wood Collection ) won the 2003 Grand Prix de l' Imaginaire in the category of the Prix spécial.
  • Scarrowfell, Valley of Statues and Other Stories and his French translation was awarded the 2004 Prix d' Imaginales in category New Fantasy.
  • Celtika won the 2004 Grand Prix de l' Imaginaire in category " Foreign-language novel".

Bibliography (selection)

Ryhope Wood - series

  • Mythago Wood
  • Lavondyss
  • The Bone Forest, a narrative and collection of short stories
  • The Hollowing
  • Merlin 's Wood, a novel and two short stories (only in the United Kingdom published)
  • Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn
  • Avilion (announced for February 2009)

Merlin Codex series

  • Celtika
  • The Iron Grail
  • The Broken Kings

Other novels

  • Eye Among the Blind
  • Earth Wind
  • Necromancer
  • Where Time Winds Blow
  • In the Valley of the Statues ( collection of short stories )
  • The Emerald Forest (a novel for a film )
  • The Fetch ( also titled Unknown Regions published)
  • Ancient Echoes
November 29 Banana boat (boat) Bangor, Gwynedd London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Elite (video game) John Howe (Illustrator) Integrated Authority File
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