About Diana Gabaldon
Diana Gabaldon is the author of the award-winning, #1 NYT-bestselling OUTLANDER novels, described by Salon magazine as “the smartest historical sci-fi adventure-romance story ever written by a science Ph.D. with a background in scripting “Scrooge McDuck” comics.”The adventure began in 1991 with the classic OUTLANDER (“historical fiction with a Moebius twist”), has continued through six more New York Times-bestselling novels–DRAGONFLY IN AMBER, VOYAGER, DRUMS OF AUTUMN, THE FIERY CROSS, A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES, and AN ECHO IN THE BONE, with nineteen million copies in print worldwide
The series is published in 26 countries and 23 languages, and includes a nonfiction (well, relatively) companion volume, THE OUTLANDISH COMPANION, which provides details on the settings, background, characters, research, and writing of the novels. Gabaldon (it’s pronounced “GAA-bull-dohn”—rhymes with “stone”) has also written several books in a sub-series featuring Lord John Grey (a major minor character from the main series): LORD JOHN AND THE PRIVATE MATTER, LORD JOHN AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLADE, and LORD JOHN AND THE HAND OF DEVILS. Another Lord John book, LORD JOHN AND THE SCOTTISH PRISONER, will probably be published in 2011).
Returning to her comic-book roots, she has also written a graphic novel titled THE EXILE (set within the OUTLANDER universe and featuring the main characters from OUTLANDER), but told from the viewpoint of Jamie Fraser and his godfather, Murtagh. The graphic novel is illustrated by Hoang Nguyen, published by Del-Rey.
Gabaldon is presently working on the third Lord John novel (LORD JOHN AND THE SCOTTISH PRISONER), and the eighth book in the OUTLANDER series. In addition, she is working on a contemporary mystery series, set in Phoenix, and has written Highly Scholarly Introductions (with masses of footnotes) to recent Modern Library editions of Sir Walter Scott’s IVANHOE and Thomas Paine’s COMMON SENSE.
Dr. Gabaldon holds three degrees in science: Zoology, Marine Biology, and Quantitative Behavioral Ecology, (plus an honorary degree as Doctor of Humane Letters, which entitles her to be “Diana Gabaldon, Ph.D., D.H.L.” She supposes this is better than “Diana Gabaldon, Phd.X,”) 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 a contributing 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, but there it is.
She and her husband, Douglas Watkins, have three adult children and live mostly in Scottsdale, Arizona.
You can visit Diana online at www.DianaGabaldon.com
About Outlander
In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon–when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord…1743.Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire’s destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life …and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire…and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
My Thoughts:
I started reading the Outlander series when it was first released in 1991 and from the first page I was immersed in this great time travel story. Granted the books in the series are huge but the writing is such that the length of the book passes into insignificance as the pages turn. What could be better in a novel than standing stones, castles and men in kilts?? Once Claire is transported back to 1700's England/Scotland she finds herself in a world that she knew from the history books and she is in for the ride of her life.. this book is full of romance, mystery, history of Scotland, lots of engaging characters in the past and present of the book. There is violence and sexual situations also that contribute to the story. Once you start reading this series you will not want to stop and you will never want the story of Jamie and Clair to end... but the good news is that this is only the first in this series so you will be able to read about the love between Jamie and Claire for a long time...
To learn more about Diana Gabaldon or the Outlander series go to:Pump Up Your Books
I received a copy of this book from Pump Up Your Books and was not monetarily compensated for my review.
Thanks for the great review of Diana's book. John Jakes writes some pretty big books too, so I'm used to reading ones that can double as doorstops. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm still in awe that I had never heard of this series until I was asked to promote Outlander. I'm making it a goal to read at least this one before the year is out.
Thanks again.
Cheryl
Nothing better than a well written big fat historical [g] Except, of course, when it's a series... I can't get enough of these books!
ReplyDeleteIt's always good to hear from a longtime fan of the OUTLANDER series! Please visit my blog, Outlandish Observations, for the latest news and information about Diana Gabaldon's books. I try to keep it as up to date as possible.
ReplyDeleteAnd for those of you who haven't yet read any of the OUTLANDER books, I highly recommend them!
Karen
Sounds like a series I'd enjoy. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book. I mean, I REALLY loved this book. It was absolutely packed with adventure, passion, thievery, witchcraft, heart-stopping suspense, love, war, escape, buggery, revenge, even some wolves were in there for good measure! Diana writes with spirited intelligence, heart, and humour. Her charcaters are full of life and will live on long after you close the cover, and pop it back onto the shelf, and to my delight, the love scenes are written with imagination and freshness- no ridiculous "he touched her quivering milky bosoms" here. The research for factual information in this superb novel is first-rate, and meticulous, which makes this book an even greater pleasure to read.
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