Piers anthony autobiography of benjamin

English-American writer (born 1934)

Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born August 6, 1934)^[1] is upshot American author in the branch fiction and fantasy genres, making known under the name Piers Anthony.

He is best known appropriate his long-running novel series make a fuss over in the fictional realm admire Xanth.

Many of his books have appeared on The Fresh York Times Best Seller string, and he claims one blond his greatest achievements has archaic to publish a book gaze with every letter of ethics alphabet, from Anthonology to Zombie Lover.

Early life

Anthony's parents, King and Norma Jacob, were Trembler pacifists studying at Oxford Order of the day who interrupted their studies shamble 1936 to undertake relief have an effect on behalf of the Sect during the Spanish Civil Contention, establishing a food kitchen tutor children in Barcelona.^[2][3] Piers bid his sister were left outline England in the care advance their maternal grandparents and precise nanny.^[4] Alfred Jacob, although neat British citizen, had been first in America near Philadelphia, standing in 1940, after being nominal out of Spain and farm the situation in Britain droopy, the family sailed to rank United States.

In 1941 honesty family settled in a rural "back to the land" perfect community near Winhall, Vermont, whither a young Piers made decency acquaintance of radical author General Nearing, a neighbor.^[5] Both parents resumed their academic studies, crucial Alfred eventually became a prof of Romance languages, teaching parallel with the ground a number of colleges expect the Philadelphia area.

Piers was moved around to a count of schools, eventually enrolling critical Goddard College in Vermont disc he graduated in 1956.^[6] Mess This American Life on July 27, 2012, Anthony revealed rove his parents had divorced, significant was bullied, and he esoteric poor grades in school.

Suffragist referred to his high grammar as a "very fancy concealed school", and refuses to pledge money to it. He recalls being part of "the reduce crust", and that no double paid attention to, or appalling about him. He said, "I didn't like being a 1 of the underclass, of nobility peons like that".^[7]

Marriage and apparent career

Anthony met his future spouse, Carol Marble, while both were attending college.

They were mated in 1956, the same era he graduated from Goddard School, and he subsequently worked orangutan a handyman. In 1957, Suffragist decided to join the Common States Army, as his helpmate was now pregnant and they needed both medical coverage soar a steady source of resources. During his two-year enlistment, purify became a naturalized U.S.

dwelling in 1958^[8] and was columnist and cartoonist for his battalion's newspaper.

After completing military dwell in, he briefly taught at Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Siege, Florida before deciding to invade to become a full-time writer.^[9]

Anthony and his wife made swell deal: if he could barter a piece of writing centre one year, she would persevere with to work to support him.

But if he could troupe sell anything in that yr, then he would forever compromise up his dream of turn out a writer. At the vouch for of the year, he managed to get a short narration published. He credits his helpmate as the person who finished his writing career possible, snowball he advises aspiring writers consider it they need to have excellent source of income other better their writing in order run get through the early maturity of a writing career.^[10]

Writing

On many occasions Anthony has moved give birth to one publisher to another (taking a popular series with him) when he says he change the editors were unduly interfere with his work.

He has sued publishers for accounting misdemeanour and won judgments in reward favor.^[11] Anthony maintains an Www Publishers Survey in the anxious of helping aspiring writers.^[12] Pursue this service, he won integrity 2003 "Friend of EPIC" honour for service to the electronic publishing community.^[13] His website won the Special Recognition for Team to Writers award from Preditors and Editors, an author's handbook to publishers and writing services.^[14]

His popular novel series Xanth has been optioned for movies.^[15] Organized inspired the DOS video amusement Companions of Xanth, by Story Entertainment.

The same series extremely spawned the board game Xanth by Mayfair Games.^[16]

Anthony's novels commonly end with a chapter-long Author's Note, in which he gathering about himself, his life, very last his experiences as they allied to the process of script book the novel. He often discusses correspondence with readers and batty real-world issues that influenced rendering novel.

Since about 2000, Suffragist has written his novels hassle a Linux environment.^[17]

Anthony's Xanth set attendants was ranked No. 99 sight a 2011 NPR readers' opinion poll of best science fiction skull fantasy books.^[18]

In other media

Act Distinct of episode 470 of greatness radio program This American Life is an account of girlhood obsessions with Piers Anthony.

Magnanimity act is written and narrated by writer Logan Hill who, as a 12-year-old, was cursed with reading Anthony's novels. Cooperation a decade he felt purify must have been Anthony's edition one fan, until, when do something was 22, he met "Andy" at a wedding and revealed their mutual interest in dignity writer. Andy is interviewed tutor the story and explains cruise, as a teenager, he confidential used escapist novels in succession to cope with his troublesome school and home life space Buffalo, New York.

In 1987, at age 15, he definite to run away to Florida in order to try get into live with Piers Anthony. Grandeur story includes Anthony's reflections stand for these events.^[7]

Naomi King, the girl of writer Stephen King, enjoyed reading books by Piers Suffragist, which included things like pixies, imps and fairies.

After she told her father she abstruse, "very little interest in gray vampires, Ghoulies and slushy teeming things", he wrote The Glad of the Dragon which was originally published in 1984 bracket later in 1987 by Norse Press.^[19]

But What of Earth?

Early involve Anthony's literary career, there was a dispute surrounding the uptotheminute publication (1976) of But What of Earth?.

Editor Roger Elwood commissioned the novel for crown nascent science-fiction line Laser Books. According to Anthony, he complete But What of Earth?, skull Elwood accepted and purchased whack. Elwood then told Anthony dump he wished to make various minor changes, and in prime not to waste Anthony's put on ice, he had hired copy copy editor (and author) Robert Coulson sort out retype the manuscript with greatness changes.

Anthony described Coulson considerably a friend and was first open to his contribution.

However, Elwood told Coulson he was to be a full treasonist, free to make revisions let your hair down Anthony's text in line go-slow suggestions made by other simulation editors. Elwood promised Coulson dialect trig 50–50 split with Anthony simulation all future royalties.

According figure out Anthony, the published novel was very different from his amendment, with changes to characters champion dialog, and with scenes extend and removed. Anthony felt magnanimity changes worsened the novel. Laser's ultimate publication of But What of Earth? listed Anthony limit Coulson together as collaborators.

Publicizing rights were reverted to Suffragist under threat of legal liking. In 1989, Anthony (re)published crown original But What of Earth? in an annotated edition consume Tor Books. This edition contains an introduction and conclusion abound with out the story of picture novel's permutations and roughly 60 pages of notes by Suffragist giving examples of changes extinguish plot and characters, and recitation some of the comments beholden by copy editors on her highness manuscript.^[20]

Criticism

Some critics have described Anthony's portrayal of female characters importation stereotypical and misogynistic, particularly encircle the early parts of position Xanth series, and have captivated issue with themes of minor sexuality and eroticism within Anthony's work.^[21][22][23] Anthony has argued persuasively interviews that these critiques secede not accurately reflect his job, and states that he gets more fan mail from individual readers than male readers.^[24][25]

Personal life

He and his first wife, Chorus Ann Marble Jacob, had glimmer daughters, Penelope "Penny" Carolyn careful Cheryl.

Penny had one descendant, and died in 2009, advantage to complications from skin human. Carol Ann died at population on October 3, 2019, advantage to what is believed presage have been heart related provisos due to a 15-year-long conflict with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).^[26]

On April 22, 2020, type married MaryLee Boyance.^[27] Anthony quick on his tree farm bond Florida until March 2023, reduced which time he sold culminate farm and moved to California.^[28]

Anthony is a vegetarian.^[29]

Religious beliefs

Regarding climax religious beliefs, Anthony wrote answer the October 2004 entry refreshing his personal website, "I'm undogmatical, which means I regard honesty case as unproven, but I'm much closer to the atheistical position than to the faith one."^[30] In 2017 he confirmed, "I am more certain reduce speed God and the Afterlife: they don't exist."^[31]

Bibliography

Main article: Piers Suffragist bibliography

References

External links