Andrew J. Offutt
Encyclopedia
Andrew Jefferson Offutt (born August 16, 1934 in a log cabin in rural Kentucky
) is an American
science fiction
and fantasy
author. He has written as Andrew J. Offutt, A. J. Offutt, and Andy Offutt. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, has all his name in lower-case letters.
, Jeff Offutt, Professor of Software Engineering at George Mason University, Scotty Hyde, copy editor for the Park City Daily News in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Melissa Offutt, who is a sales executive for Sprint in San Diego. Offutt also has five grandchildren, Sam, Steffi, James, Joyce, and Andrew.
Offutt has written and published numerous novels and short stories, including several in the "Thieves World
" series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey
, which feature his best known character, the thief, Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn
(and, later, Chance). His "Iron Lords" series, likewise, was popular. Offutt also wrote two series of books based on characters by Robert E. Howard
, one on Howard's best known character, Conan, and one on a lesser known character, Cormac mac Art. He also wrote the 19-book science fiction "Spaceways" series, over half of which were collaborations.
As an editor Offutt produced a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint
. From 1976 to 1978 he served as president of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA).
Offutt also wrote a large number of pornographic/erotic works under twelve different pseudonyms, not all of them identified. Known pseudonyms include John Cleve, J.(John) X. Williams, Jeff Douglas, Turk Winter, Farrah Fawkes, & Baxter Giles. His main works in this area include the historical "Crusader" series.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
author. He has written as Andrew J. Offutt, A. J. Offutt, and Andy Offutt. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, has all his name in lower-case letters.
Life and family
Offutt has been married for over 50 years to Jodie McCabe Offutt of Lexington, Kentucky. They have four children; author Chris OffuttChris Offutt
Christopher John "Chris" Offutt is an American writer.The son of author Andrew J. Offutt, Chris Offutt grew up in a small former mining community in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky. He quit high school to join the army, but failed the physical...
, Jeff Offutt, Professor of Software Engineering at George Mason University, Scotty Hyde, copy editor for the Park City Daily News in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Melissa Offutt, who is a sales executive for Sprint in San Diego. Offutt also has five grandchildren, Sam, Steffi, James, Joyce, and Andrew.
Career
Offutt began publishing in 1954 with the story "And Gone Tomorrow" in If. Despite this early sale, he doesn't consider his professional life to have begun until he sold the story "Blacksword" to Galaxy in 1959. His first true SF novel was Evil Is Live Spelled Backwards in 1970. Offutt disliked the title of this book, calling it "embarrassingly amateur".Offutt has written and published numerous novels and short stories, including several in the "Thieves World
Thieves World
Thieves' World is a shared world fantasy series created by Robert Lynn Asprin in 1978. The original series comprised twelve anthologies, including stories by such science fiction authors as Poul Anderson, John Brunner, Andrew J. Offutt, C. J. Cherryh, Janet Morris, Chris Morris...
" series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey
Lynn Abbey
Lynn Abbey is an American computer programmer and author.-Background:Born in Peekskill, New York, Abbey was daughter of Ronald Lionel and Doris Lorraine . She attended the University of Rochester, where she began as an astrophysics major. She earned a A.B...
, which feature his best known character, the thief, Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn
Shadowspawn
In the world of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Shadowspawn include a number of species, with varying levels of sentience, that have been created by the Dark One or other agents of the Shadow.-Trollocs:...
(and, later, Chance). His "Iron Lords" series, likewise, was popular. Offutt also wrote two series of books based on characters by Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
, one on Howard's best known character, Conan, and one on a lesser known character, Cormac mac Art. He also wrote the 19-book science fiction "Spaceways" series, over half of which were collaborations.
As an editor Offutt produced a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint is a Canadian fantasy author and folk musician. He is also the chief book critic for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction....
. From 1976 to 1978 he served as president of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA).
Offutt also wrote a large number of pornographic/erotic works under twelve different pseudonyms, not all of them identified. Known pseudonyms include John Cleve, J.(John) X. Williams, Jeff Douglas, Turk Winter, Farrah Fawkes, & Baxter Giles. His main works in this area include the historical "Crusader" series.
Thieves' World
- Shadowspawn (1987)
- Deathknight (1990)
- The Shadow of Sorcery (1993)
War of the Gods on Earth
- The Iron Lords (1979)
- Shadows Out of Hell (1980)
- The Lady of the Snowmist (1983)
War of the Wizards
- Demon in the Mirror (1977) (with Richard K. Lyon)
- The Eyes of Sarsis (1980) (with Richard K. Lyon)
- Web of the Spider (1981) (with Richard K. Lyon)
Conan
- Conan and the SorcererConan and the SorcererConan and the Sorcerer is a fantasy novel written by Andrew J. Offutt and illustrated by Esteban Maroto featuring Robert E. Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian, the first in a trilogy continuing with Conan the Mercenary and concluding with The Sword of Skelos...
(1978) - Conan: The Sword of Skelos (1979)
- Conan the MercenaryConan the MercenaryConan the Mercenary is a 1981 fantasy novel written by Andrew J. Offutt and illustrated by Esteban Maroto featuring Robert E. Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian, the second volume in a trilogy beginning with Conan and the Sorcerer and concluding with The Sword of Skelos. It...
(1980)
Cormac Mac Art
- Sword of the Gael (1975)
- The Undying Wizard (1976)
- The Sign of the Moonbow (1977)
- The Mists of Doom (1977)
- When Death Birds Fly (1980) (with Keith TaylorKeith Taylor (author)Keith John Taylor is an Australian science fiction and fantasy writer.-Biography:Born in Tasmania, Taylor now resides in Melbourne, Australia. Getting his start in Ted White's Fantastic magazine, Taylor went on to collaborate with Andrew J. Offutt on two novels based upon the Robert E. Howard...
) - The Tower of Death (1982) (with Keith TaylorKeith Taylor (author)Keith John Taylor is an Australian science fiction and fantasy writer.-Biography:Born in Tasmania, Taylor now resides in Melbourne, Australia. Getting his start in Ted White's Fantastic magazine, Taylor went on to collaborate with Andrew J. Offutt on two novels based upon the Robert E. Howard...
)
Non-series novels
- Evil is Live Spelled Backwards (1970)
- The Great 24 Hour "Thing" (1971)
- The Chamber of Pleasures (1971)
- The Castle Keeps (1972)
- The Galactic Rejects (1973)
- Messenger of Zhuvastou (1973)
- Ardor on Aros (1973)
- Operation: Super Ms. (1974)
- The Black Sorcerer of the Black Castle (1974) [short story]
- Genetic Bomb (1975) (with D. Bruce Berry)
- Chieftain of Andor (1976; aka Clansman of Andor)
- My Lord Barbarian (1977)
- Rails Across the Galaxy (1982, magazine publication only) (with Richard LyonRichard LyonRichard Lyon may refer to:*Richard F. Lyon , Confederate Georgia jurist*Richard Francis Lyon , co-founder of Foveon Inc., inventor of Xerox optical mouse...
)
Edited works
- Swords Against DarknessSwords Against DarknessSwords Against Darkness is an anthology of fantasy stories, edited by Andrew J. Offutt. It was first published in paperback by Zebra Books in February 1977....
(1977) - Swords Against Darkness IISwords Against Darkness IISwords Against Darkness II is an anthology of fantasy stories, edited by Andrew J. Offutt. It was first published in paperback by Zebra Books in 1977....
(1977) - Swords Against Darkness IIISwords Against Darkness IIISwords Against Darkness III is an anthology of fantasy stories, edited by Andrew J. Offutt. It was first published in paperback by Zebra Books in March 1978....
(1978) - Swords Against Darkness IVSwords Against Darkness IVSwords Against Darkness IV is an anthology of fantasy stories, edited by Andrew J. Offutt. It was first published in paperback by Zebra Books in September 1979....
(1979) - Swords Against Darkness VSwords Against Darkness VSwords Against Darkness V is an anthology of fantasy stories, edited by Andrew J. Offutt. It was first published in paperback by Zebra Books in November 1979....
(1979)
Spaceways
- Of Alien Bondage (1982) (as John Cleve)
- Corundum's Woman (1982) (as John Cleve)
- Escape from Macho (1982) (as John Cleve)
- Satana Enslaved (1982) (as John Cleve)
- Master of Misfit (1982) (as John Cleve)
- Purrfect Plunder (1982) (as John Cleve)
- The Manhuntress (1982) (with Geo. W. Proctor as by John Cleve)
- Under Twin Suns (1982) (as John Cleve)
- The Quest of Qalara (1982) (as John Cleve)
- The Yoke of Shen (1983) (with Geo. W. Proctor as by John Cleve)
- The Iceworld Connection (1983) (with Jack C. Haldeman IIJack C. Haldeman IIJack Carroll "Jay" Haldeman II was an American biologist and science-fiction writer. He was the older brother of SF writer Joe Haldeman.- Biography :...
and Vol Haldeman as by John Cleve) - Star Slaver (1983) (with G. C. EdmondsonG. C. EdmondsonG. C. Edmondson was the working name of science fiction author Garry Edmonson . During World War II he served in the U. S...
as by John Cleve) - Jonuta Rising! (1983) (with Victor KomanVictor KomanVictor Koman is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and agorist. A three time winner of the Prometheus Award, Koman is mainly popular in the libertarian community. He is the owner of the publishing house ....
as by John Cleve) - Assignment - Hellhole (1983) (with Roland J. GreenRoland J. GreenRoland James Green is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and editor. He has written as Roland Green and Roland J. Green; and had 28 books in the Richard Blade series published as Jeffrey Lord .- Early life and personal matters :Green was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1944...
as by John Cleve) - Starship Sapphire (1983) (with Robin Kincaid as by John Cleve)
- The Planet Murderer (1984) (with Dwight V. SwainDwight V. SwainDwight Vreeland Swain , born in Rochester, Michigan, was an American writer.His first published story was "Henry Horn's Super Solvent", which appeared in Fantastic Adventures in 1941. He contributed stories in the science fiction, mystery, Western, and action adventure genres to a variety of pulp...
as by John Cleve) - The Carnadyne Horde (1984) (with Victor KomanVictor KomanVictor Koman is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and agorist. A three time winner of the Prometheus Award, Koman is mainly popular in the libertarian community. He is the owner of the publishing house ....
as by John Cleve) - Race Across the Stars (1984) (with Robin Kincaid as by John Cleve)
- King of the Slavers (1984) (as John Cleve)
Crusader
- The Accursed Tower (1974) (as John Cleve)
- The Passionate Princess (1974) (as John Cleve)
- The Crusader: Books I and II (omnibus) (1980) (as John Cleve)
- Julanar The Lioness (1975) (as John Cleve)
- My Lady Queen (1975) (as John Cleve)
- The Crusader: Books III and IV (omnibus) (1981) (as John Cleve)
- Saladin's Spy (1986) (as John Cleve)
Non-series novels
- Slave of the Sudan (1969) (as John Cleve)
- Barbarana (1970) (as John Cleve)
- Call me Calamity (1970) (as John Cleve) (Calamity #1)
- Captives in the Chateau de Sade (1970) (as John Cleve)
- Manlib! (1970) (as John Cleve)
- The Devoured (1970) (as John Cleve)
- Fruit of the Loins (1970) (as John Cleve)
- Jodinareh (1970) (as John Cleve)
- The Juice of Love (1970) (as John Cleve) (Calamity #2)
- The Balling Machine (1971) (with D. Bruce Berry as by Jeff Douglas)
- The Sex Pill (1971) (as J. X. WilliamsJ. X. WilliamsJ.X. Williams is an American avant-garde filmmaker and director. Numerous critics have cited him to be one of the most influential figures in American avant-garde cinema . Williams was an innovative cult director for several notorious exploitation films produced in the 1960s and 1970s...
) - Holly Would (1973) (as John Cleve)
- Every Inch a Man (1974) (as John Cleve)
- A Vacation in the Erogenous Zones (1974) (as John Cleve)
- The Sexorcist (1974; aka Unholy Revelry) (as John Cleve)
- Punished Publisher (1975) (as John Cleve)