Gary Jennings

Gary Jennings (September 20 1928 – February 13 1999) was a U.S. author who wrote children and adult novels. In 1980, after the successful novel Aztec, he specialized in writing adult historical fiction novels.

Biography

Born September 20 1928 in Buena Vista, Virginia, to Glen Edward and Vaughnye May Jennings, Gary Jennings attended little formal school after graduating from Eastside High School (of Lean on Me fame) in Paterson, New Jersey, and was mostly self-educated thereafter. His novels were known for their historical detail and occasionally graphic content. Jennings' novels are well-researched: he lived for 12 years in Mexico to research the Aztec novels, traveled the Balkans while researching Raptor, and joined nine circus troupes during the writing of Spangle. He also produced a number of novels for younger readers, such as A Rope in the Jungle and a history of the occult Black Magic, White Magic. Gary Jennings died on Friday the 13th of February 1999 in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, aged 70, from undisclosed causes.

Bibliography

Aztec series

1. Aztec (1980) : A story of the Aztec empire just before and during the arrival of the Spanish.
2. Aztec Autumn (1998), a story of the Aztecs following the Spanish conquest.
3. Aztec Blood (2002) : Cristo El Bastardo, a half-caste, sets out to discover the secret of his birth in the new Mexico. *
4. Aztec Rage (2006) : Set in the early 19th century, it deals with the Mexican war of independence with Spain. *

*The last two books were written by Robert Gleason, Gary's former editor, and Junius Podrug, working from notes that Gary left.

Novels

• The Journeyer (1984) : An account of the travels of Marco Polo to the Far East.
• Spangle (1987) : A chronicle of the lives of circus entertainers. Also released in paperback as a trilogy including "The Road Show", "The Center Ring" and "The Grand Promenade".
• Raptor (1992) : Thorn, a hermaphrodite, and his/her adventures in a post-Roman world.
• The Lively Lives of Crispin Mobey *As Gabriel Quyth (1988) : A novel of the hilarious chronicle of the exploits of an all-too-zealous missionary.
• Sow the Seeds of Hemp (1976)
• The Terrible Teague Bunch (1975)

For Young Adults

• March of the Gods (1976)
• March of the Heroes: The folk hero through the ages (1975)
• March of the Robots: From The Manikins Of Antiquity To The Space Robots Of Tomorrow (1962)
• March of the Demons (1977)
• The Rope in the Jungle (a novel) (1976)
• The Teenager's Realistic Guide to Astrology (19710
• The Shrinking Outdoors (1972)
• Black Magic, White Magic (1975)
• The Killer Storms: Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Tornadoes (1974)
• Parades!: Celebrations and circuses on the march (1966)
• The Movie Book (1963)

For Preschool Readers

• The Earth Book (1975)

For Adults

• The Treasure of the Superstition Mountains (1973)
• Personalities of Language (1965)
• World of Words: The personalities of language (1967)

External links

• Official website
• Unofficial website
• 1987 audio interview with Gary Jennings by Don Swaim at Wired for Books.