C. L. Moore
Encyclopedia
Catherine Lucille Moore was an American
science fiction
and fantasy
writer
, as C. L. Moore. She was one of the first women to write in the genre, and paved the way for many other female writers in speculative fiction
.
. She was chronically ill as a child and spent much of her time reading literature of the fantastic. She left college during The Great Depression to work as a secretary at the Fletcher Trust Company in Indianapolis. Her first stories appeared in pulp magazines in the 1930s, including two significant series in Weird Tales
.
One series concerns the rogue and adventurer, Northwest Smith
, and his wanderings through the Solar System
; the other is a short fantasy
series about Jirel of Joiry
(one of the first female protagonists in sword-and-sorcery fiction).
The most famous of the Northwest Smith stories is "Shambleau
", which marked Moore’s first professional sale. It appeared in the magazine in November 1933, with the sale netting her a hundred dollars.
The first and most famous of the Jirel of Joiry
stories is "Black God’s Kiss", which received the cover illustration (painted by Margaret Brundage
) in the October 1934 Weird Tales. Her early stories were notable for their emphasis on the senses and emotions, which was highly unusual at the time.
Moore's work also appeared in Astounding Science Fiction magazine throughout the 1940s. Several stories written for that magazine were later collected in her first published book, Judgment Night
, published by Gnome Press
in 1952.
Included in that collection were “Judgment Night” (first published in August and September, 1943), the lush rendering of a future galactic empire
with a sober meditation on the nature of power and its inevitable loss; “The Code” (July, 1945), an homage to the classic Faust
with modern theories and Lovecraftian
dread; “Promised Land” (February, 1950) and “Heir Apparent” (July, 1950) both documenting the grim twisting that mankind must undergo in order to spread into the solar system; and “Paradise Street” (September, 1950), a futuristic take on the Old West
conflict between lone hunter and wilderness-taming settlers.
Moore met Henry Kuttner
, also a science fiction writer, in 1936 when he wrote her a fan letter (mistakenly thinking that "C. L. Moore" was a man), and they married in 1940.
Afterwards, almost all of their stories were written in collaboration under various pseudonyms, most commonly “Lewis Padgett
”. (Another pseudonym, one Moore often employed for works that involved little or no collaboration, was "Lawrence O’Donnell".)
In this very prolific partnership they managed to combine Moore's style with Kuttner's more cerebral storytelling. Their stories include the classic "Mimsy Were the Borogoves
" (the basis for the film The Last Mimzy
) and "Vintage Season
".
They also collaborated on a story that combined Moore’s signature characters, Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry: "Quest of the Starstone" (1937).
After Kuttner's death in 1958, Moore wrote almost no fiction and taught his writing course at the University of Southern California
. She did write for a few television
shows under her married name, but upon marrying Thomas Reggie (who was not a writer) in 1963, she ceased writing entirely.
C. L. Moore was an active member of the Tom and Terri Pinckard Science Fiction literary salon, and was a frequent contributor to literary discussions with the regular membership including Larry Niven, Norman Spinrad. A.E. van Vogt, Jerry Pournelle, Robert Bloch, George Clayton Johnson, and others, as well as many visiting writers and speakers. Over time she developed Alzheimer's but this was not obvious for several years. She had ceased to attend the meetings when she was nominated to be the first woman Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America, but the nomination was withdrawn at the request of her husband, Thomas Reggie, who said that due to the Alzheimer's progress the award and ceremony would be at best confusing and likely upsetting to her. This was a cause of considerable dismay to the SFWA former presidents with whom she was a great favorite for receiving the award.
C. L. Moore died on April 4, 1987 at her home in Hollywood, California after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease
.
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...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, as C. L. Moore. She was one of the first women to write in the genre, and paved the way for many other female writers in speculative fiction
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
.
Biography
She was born on January 24, 1911 in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. She was chronically ill as a child and spent much of her time reading literature of the fantastic. She left college during The Great Depression to work as a secretary at the Fletcher Trust Company in Indianapolis. Her first stories appeared in pulp magazines in the 1930s, including two significant series in Weird Tales
Weird Tales
Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published in March 1923. It ceased its original run in September 1954, after 279 issues, but has since been revived. The magazine was set up in Chicago by J. C. Henneberger, an ex-journalist with a taste for the macabre....
.
One series concerns the rogue and adventurer, Northwest Smith
Northwest Smith
Northwest Smith is a fictional character, and the hero of a series of stories by science fiction writer C. L. Moore.- Story setting :Smith is a spaceship pilot and smuggler who lives in an undisclosed future time when humanity has colonized the solar system....
, and his wanderings through the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
; the other is a short 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...
series about Jirel of Joiry
Jirel of Joiry
Jirel of Joiry is a fictional character created by American writer C. L. Moore, who appeared in a series of sword and sorcery stories published first in the pulp horror/fantasy magazine Weird Tales. Jirel is the proud, tough, arrogant and beautiful ruler of her own domain—apparently somewhere in...
(one of the first female protagonists in sword-and-sorcery fiction).
The most famous of the Northwest Smith stories is "Shambleau
Shambleau
"Shambleau" is a short story by American science fiction and fantasy writer C. L. Moore. Though it was her first professional sale, it is her most famous story. It first appeared in the November 1933 issue of Weird Tales and has been reprinted numerous times...
", which marked Moore’s first professional sale. It appeared in the magazine in November 1933, with the sale netting her a hundred dollars.
The first and most famous of the Jirel of Joiry
Jirel of Joiry
Jirel of Joiry is a fictional character created by American writer C. L. Moore, who appeared in a series of sword and sorcery stories published first in the pulp horror/fantasy magazine Weird Tales. Jirel is the proud, tough, arrogant and beautiful ruler of her own domain—apparently somewhere in...
stories is "Black God’s Kiss", which received the cover illustration (painted by Margaret Brundage
Margaret Brundage
Margaret Brundage, born Margaret Hedda Johnson was an American illustrator and painter who is remembered chiefly for having illustrated the pulp magazine Weird Tales...
) in the October 1934 Weird Tales. Her early stories were notable for their emphasis on the senses and emotions, which was highly unusual at the time.
Moore's work also appeared in Astounding Science Fiction magazine throughout the 1940s. Several stories written for that magazine were later collected in her first published book, Judgment Night
Judgment Night (collection)
Judgment Night is a 1952 collection of science fiction short stories by C. L. Moore. It was first published by Gnome Press in 1952 in an edition of 4,000 copies. The collection contains the stories that Moore selected as the best of her longer work...
, published by Gnome Press
Gnome Press
Gnome Press was an American small-press publishing company primarily known for publishing many science fiction classics.The company was founded in 1948 by Martin Greenberg and David A. Kyle. Many of Gnome's titles were reprinted in England by Boardman Books...
in 1952.
Included in that collection were “Judgment Night” (first published in August and September, 1943), the lush rendering of a future galactic empire
Galactic empire
Galactic empires are a common trope used in science fiction and science fantasy, particularly in space opera. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background, or written about the growth or decline of such an empire...
with a sober meditation on the nature of power and its inevitable loss; “The Code” (July, 1945), an homage to the classic Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
with modern theories and Lovecraftian
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
dread; “Promised Land” (February, 1950) and “Heir Apparent” (July, 1950) both documenting the grim twisting that mankind must undergo in order to spread into the solar system; and “Paradise Street” (September, 1950), a futuristic take on the Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
conflict between lone hunter and wilderness-taming settlers.
Moore met Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.-Early life:Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915...
, also a science fiction writer, in 1936 when he wrote her a fan letter (mistakenly thinking that "C. L. Moore" was a man), and they married in 1940.
Afterwards, almost all of their stories were written in collaboration under various pseudonyms, most commonly “Lewis Padgett
Lewis Padgett
Lewis Padgett was the joint pseudonym of the science fiction authors and spouses Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore, taken from their mothers' maiden names. They also used the pseudonyms Lawrence O'Donnell and C. H...
”. (Another pseudonym, one Moore often employed for works that involved little or no collaboration, was "Lawrence O’Donnell".)
In this very prolific partnership they managed to combine Moore's style with Kuttner's more cerebral storytelling. Their stories include the classic "Mimsy Were the Borogoves
Mimsy Were the Borogoves
"Mimsy Were the Borogoves" is a science fiction short story by Lewis Padgett that was originally published in the February 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction Magazine...
" (the basis for the film The Last Mimzy
The Last Mimzy
The Last Mimzy is a 2007 science fiction family film directed by Bob Shaye and loosely adapted from the acclaimed 1943 science fiction short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett...
) and "Vintage Season
Vintage Season
"Vintage Season" is a science fiction novella by Henry Kuttner and Catherine L. Moore . It has been anthologized many times and was selected for The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume 2A.-Authorship:...
".
They also collaborated on a story that combined Moore’s signature characters, Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry: "Quest of the Starstone" (1937).
After Kuttner's death in 1958, Moore wrote almost no fiction and taught his writing course at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. She did write for a few television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
shows under her married name, but upon marrying Thomas Reggie (who was not a writer) in 1963, she ceased writing entirely.
C. L. Moore was an active member of the Tom and Terri Pinckard Science Fiction literary salon, and was a frequent contributor to literary discussions with the regular membership including Larry Niven, Norman Spinrad. A.E. van Vogt, Jerry Pournelle, Robert Bloch, George Clayton Johnson, and others, as well as many visiting writers and speakers. Over time she developed Alzheimer's but this was not obvious for several years. She had ceased to attend the meetings when she was nominated to be the first woman Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America, but the nomination was withdrawn at the request of her husband, Thomas Reggie, who said that due to the Alzheimer's progress the award and ceremony would be at best confusing and likely upsetting to her. This was a cause of considerable dismay to the SFWA former presidents with whom she was a great favorite for receiving the award.
C. L. Moore died on April 4, 1987 at her home in Hollywood, California after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
.
Partial bibliography
- Earth's Last CitadelEarth's Last CitadelEarth's Last Citadel is a novel written by the husband and wife team of C.L. Moore and Henry Kuttner. It was first published in 1943 in the magazine Argosy and in book form it was published first in 1950.-Plot:...
(with Henry Kuttner; 1943) - Vintage SeasonVintage Season"Vintage Season" is a science fiction novella by Henry Kuttner and Catherine L. Moore . It has been anthologized many times and was selected for The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume 2A.-Authorship:...
(with Henry Kuttner, as "Lawrence O'Donnell"; 1946) - filmed in 1992 as TimescapeTimescape (1992 film)Timescape, released on video as Grand Tour: Disaster in Time, is a 1992 American science fiction film by Director David Twohy. This time-travel-themed film is based on the novel Vintage Season by Henry Kuttner andC.L...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104362/ - The Mask of Circe (with Henry Kuttner; 1948)
- Beyond Earth's Gates (1949)
- Judgment NightJudgment Night (collection)Judgment Night is a 1952 collection of science fiction short stories by C. L. Moore. It was first published by Gnome Press in 1952 in an edition of 4,000 copies. The collection contains the stories that Moore selected as the best of her longer work...
(stories, 1952) - Shambleau and OthersShambleau and OthersShambleau and Others is a 1953 collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories by C. L. Moore. The book was originally announced by Arkham House but never published by them. It was first published by Gnome Press in 1953 in an edition of 4,000 copies. The collections contains stories...
(stories, 1953) - Northwest of EarthNorthwest of EarthNorthwest of Earth is a 1954 collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories by C. L. Moore. It was first published by Gnome Press in 1954 in an edition of 4,000 copies. The collections contains stories about Moore's characters Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry...
(stories, 1954) - No Boundaries (with Henry Kuttner; stories, 1955)
- Doomsday Morning (1957)
- Jirel of JoiryJirel of Joiry (collection)Jirel of Joiry is a collection of five fantasy stories by C. L. Moore, often characterized as sword and sorcery. The volume compiles all but one of Moore's stories featuring the title character, a female warrior in an imagined version of medieval France. All the stories were published in Weird...
(1969) - The Best of C. L. Moore, edited by Lester Del ReyLester del ReyLester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. Del Rey was the author of many of the Winston Science Fiction juvenile SF series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction branch of Ballantine Books, along with his fourth wife Judy-Lynn del Rey.-Birth...
. Nelson Doubleday, 1975. Contains an autobiographical afterword by C. L. Moore, and a biographical introduction by Del Rey, which is carefully noncommittal about the influence of her personal life on her writing. - Black God's ShadowBlack God's ShadowBlack God's Shadow is a collection of fantasy short stories by C. L. Moore. It was first published in 1977 by Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. in an edition of 2,550 copies, of which 150 were bound in buckram, boxed, and signed by the author and artist. The stories feature Moore's character Jirel...
(1977) - Black God's Kiss. Paizo Publishing, LLC. 2007. ISBN 978-1-60125-045-2. The five Jirel of Joiry stories collected in one volume.
- Northwest of Earth: The Complete Northwest Smith. Paizo Publishing, LLC. 2008. ISBN 978-1-60125-081-0. 13 Northwest Smith stories collected in one volume.