Author Profiles: Diana Gabaldon - General Fiction

Author Name: Diana Gabaldon

Brief Biography:

Diana Gabaldon is the author of the award winning international best-selling Outlander novels, all featuring Claire and Jamie Fraser, who must be amongst the most inspiring heroine and hero ever created by the ‘pen’. Although American by birth, Diana has become fascinated by the history of Scotland, England, France and the USA in the mid-18th century when the struggles that would determine the shape of the modern world were taking place. The novels are fascinating in their detail, and incredibly well researched, so the reader learns a lot about history in the most enjoyable fashion. Add to that a good dose of romance and adventure and there is no doubt the result is a series of novels that are both gripping and entertaining. And not over yet – I for one can’t wait for the next instalment!

As well as the Outlander series itself, Diana has taken one of the characters therein, Lord John Grey, to star in his own series. Added to that for serious addicts we have The Outlandish Companion, which provides copious details about the settings, background, characters, research, and writing of the novels.

Diana Jean Gabaldon was born on January 11th, 1952 in Arizona, USA. Her father was from New Mexico and her mother’s family from Yorkshire, England. Her great-grandfather immigrated to Arizona from England in the 1860s. Diana grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona. She currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband, Doug Watkins; they have three adult children.

Dr Gabaldon holds three degrees in science: Zoology, Marine Biology, and Quantitative Behavioural Ecology, and spent a dozen years as a university professor with an expertise in scientific computation before beginning to write fiction. She has written scientific articles and textbooks; worked as an editor on the MacMillan Encyclopedia of Computers; founded the scientific-computation journal Science Software Quarterly; and has written numerous comic-book scripts for Walt Disney. None of this has anything whatever to do with her novels, however that strong scientific background adds weight and credibility to the fascinating text in her novels. I’d say it’s rare to encounter a talent that combines such a prodigious imagination with solid scientific knowledge.

Bibliography:

The Outlander Novels:
Cross Stitch (aka Outlander), 1991, published by Arrow Books Ltd
Dragonfly in Amber, 1991, published by Arrow Books Ltd
Voyager, 1993, published by Arrow Books Ltd
The Drums of Autumn, 1996, published by Arrow Books Ltd
The Fiery Cross, 2001, published by Arrow Books Ltd
A Breath of Snow and Ashes, 2005, published by Arrow Books Ltd
An Echo in the Bone, 2010, hardcover to be published by Orion Books Ltd in Jan, 2010

The Lord John Grey Novels:
Lord John and the Private Matter, 2003, published by Arrow Books Ltd
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, 2007, published by Arrow Books Ltd
Lord John and the Hand of the Devils, 2007, published by Century

Other works:
The Outlandish Companion, 1999, published by Delacorte Press
Naked Came the Phoenix, 2001, in collaboration with 12 other authors

Prizes and Awards:

1992 RITA award (best books of 1991) for Cross Stitch
2006 International Corine Book Award
2006 Quill Book Award (category Fantasy)