Catherine Lucille Moore (January 24, 1911 – April 4, 1987) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
science fiction and
fantasy writer, who first came to prominence in the 1930s writing as C. L. Moore. She was among the first women to write in the science fiction and fantasy genres, though earlier woman writers in these genres include
Clare Winger Harris
Clare Winger Harris (January 18, 1891 – October 26, 1968) was an early science fiction writer whose short stories were published during the 1920s. She is credited as the first woman to publish stories under her own name in science fiction mag ...
,
Greye La Spina
Greye La Spina (July 10, 1880 – September 17, 1969) was an American writer who published more than one hundred short stories, serials, novelettes, and one-act plays. Her stories appeared in '' Metropolitan'', '' Black Mask'', '' Action Stori ...
, and
Francis Stevens, among others. Nevertheless, Moore's work paved the way for many other
female speculative fiction writers.
Moore married her first husband
Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Early life
Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
in 1940, and most of her work from 1940 to 1958 (Kuttner's death) was written by the couple collaboratively. They were prolific co-authors under their own names, although more often under any one of several
pseudonyms.
As "Catherine Kuttner", she had a brief career as a
television scriptwriter from 1958 to 1962. She retired from writing in 1963.
Early life
Moore was born on January 24, 1911, in
Indianapolis, Indiana. 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
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
to work as a secretary at the
Fletcher Trust Company in Indianapolis.
Early career
''The Vagabond'', a student-run magazine at
Indiana University, published three of her stories when she was a student there. The three short stories, all with a fantasy theme and all credited to "Catherine Moore", appeared in 1930/31. Her first professional sales appeared in
pulp magazines beginning in 1933. Her decision to publish under the name "C. L. Moore" stemmed not from a desire to hide her gender, but to keep her employers at Fletcher Trust from knowing that she was working as a writer on the side.
Her early work included two significant series in ''
Weird Tales'', then edited by
Farnsworth Wright
Farnsworth Wright (July 29, 1888 – June 12, 1940) was the editor of the pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' during the magazine's heyday, editing 179 issues from November 1924 to March 1940. Jack Williamson called Wright "the first great fantasy ...
. One features the rogue and adventurer
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 ...
wandering through the
Solar System; the other features the swordswoman/warrior
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 b ...
, one of the first female protagonists in
sword-and-sorcery
Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tal ...
fiction. Both series are sometimes named for their lead characters.
[ One of the Northwest Smith stories, "Nymph of Darkness" (''Fantasy Magazine'' (April 1935); expurgated version, ''Weird Tales'' (Dec 1939)) was written in collaboration with Forrest J Ackerman.
The most famous Northwest Smith story is "]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 reprinte ...
", which was also Moore's first professional sale. It originally appeared in the November 1933 issue of ''Weird Tales'',[ netting her $100, and later becoming a popular anthology reprint.]
Her most famous Jirel story is also the first one, "Black God's Kiss", which was the cover story in the October 1934 issue of ''Weird Tales'', subtitled "the weirdest story ever told" (see figure).[ Moore's early stories were notable for their emphasis on the senses and emotions, which was unusual in genre fiction at the time.
Moore's work also appeared in '']Astounding Science Fiction
''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'' magazine throughout the 1940s. Several stories written for that magazine were later collected in her first published book, '' Judgment Night'' (1952)[ One of them, the novella " No Woman Born" (1944), was to be included in more than 10 different science fiction anthologies including ''The Best of C. L. Moore''.
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.
]
Marriage to Henry Kuttner and literary collaborations
Moore met Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Early life
Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
, also a science fiction writer, in 1936 when he wrote her a fan letter under the impression that "C. L. Moore" was a man. They soon collaborated on a story that combined Moore's signature characters, Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry: "Quest of the Starstone" (1937).
Moore and Kuttner married in 1940 and thereafter wrote many of their stories in collaboration, sometimes under their own names, but more often using the joint pseudonyms C. H. Liddell, Lawrence O'Donnell, or Lewis Padgett — most commonly the latter, a combination of their mothers' maiden names. Moore still occasionally wrote solo work during this period, including the frequently anthologized "No Woman Born" (1944). A selection of Moore's solo short fiction work from 1942 through 1950 was collected in 1952's ''Judgement Night''. Moore's only solo novel, ''Doomsday Morning'', appeared in 1957.
The vast majority of Moore's work in the period, though, was written as part of a very prolific partnership. Working together, the couple managed to combine Moore's style with Kuttner's more cerebral storytelling. They continued to work in science fiction and fantasy, and their works include two frequently anthologized sci-fi classics: "Mimsy Were the Borogoves
"Mimsy Were the Borogoves" is a science fiction short story by Lewis Padgett (a pseudonym of American writers Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore), originally published in the February 1943 issue of '' Astounding Science Fiction Magazine''.. It was judge ...
" (February 1943), the basis for the film ''The Last Mimzy {{Infobox film
, name = The Last Mimzy
, image = The Last Mimzy.jpg
, caption = US Promotional poster
, director = Robert Shaye
, producer = Michael Phillips
, based_on = {{Based on, " Mimsy Were th ...
'' (2007), and ''Vintage Season
''Vintage Season'' is a science fiction novella by American authors Catherine L. Moore and Henry Kuttner, published under the joint pseudonym "Lawrence O'Donnell" in September, 1946. It has been anthologized many times and was selected for '' ...
'' (September 1946), the basis for the film '' Timescape'' (1992). As "Lewis Padgett" they also penned two mystery novels: ''The Brass Ring'' (1946) and ''The Day He Died'' (1947).
Later career
After Kuttner's death in 1958, Moore continued teaching her writing course at the University of Southern California, but permanently retired from writing any further literary fiction. Instead, working as "Catherine Kuttner", she carved out a short-lived career as a scriptwriter for Warner Bros. television, writing episodes of the westerns '' Sugarfoot'', '' Maverick'', and '' The Alaskans'', as well as the detective series '' 77 Sunset Strip'', all between 1958 and 1962. However, upon marrying Thomas Reggie (who was not a writer) in 1963, she ceased writing entirely.
Moore was the author guest of honor at Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
's fantasy and science fiction convention BYOB-Con 6, held over the U.S. Memorial Day weekend in May 1976. She was a pro guest of honor at Denvention II (the 39th World Science Fiction Convention) in 1981.
In a 1979 interview, she said that she and a writer friend were collaborating on a fantasy story, and how it could possibly form the basis of a new series. But nothing was ever published.
In 1981, Moore received two annual awards for her career in fantasy literature: the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, chosen by a panel of judges at the World Fantasy Convention, and the Gandalf Grand Master Award, chosen by vote of participants in the World Science Fiction Convention
Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...
.[ (Thus she became the eighth and final Grand Master of Fantasy, sponsored by the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, in partial analogy to the Grand Master of Science Fiction sponsored by the Science Fiction Writers of America.)
Moore was an active member of the Tom and Terri Pinckard Science Fiction literary ]salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (P ...
and a frequent contributor to literary discussions with the regular membership, including Robert Bloch
Robert Albert Bloch (; April 5, 1917September 23, 1994) was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime, psychological horror and fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and television. He also wrote a relatively small ...
, George Clayton Johnson, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Norman Spinrad, A. E. van Vogt, and others, as well as many visiting writers and speakers.
Later life
Moore developed Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
, but that 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; the nomination was withdrawn at the request of her husband, Thomas Reggie, who said the award and ceremony would be at best confusing and likely upsetting to her, given the progress of her disease. She died on April 4, 1987, at her home in Hollywood, California.
Awards
* 1978: Fritz Leiber Award
* 1980: World Fantasy Convention Lifetime Achievement Award
* 1981: Gandalf Grand Master Award
* 1998: Posthumous induction into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame[
* 2004: Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award
* 2019: Retro ]Hugo Award
The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...
for best Novelette for the year 1944
Selected works
* ''Earth's Last Citadel
''Earth's Last Citadel'' is a science fiction novel written by the American 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 1964.< ...
'' (with Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Early life
Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
; 1943)
* ''The Dark World
''The Dark World'' is a science fantasy novel credited to Henry Kuttner, although his wife C.L. Moore may have been an uncredited collaborator, or possibly even the author. The novel was first published in the July 1946 issue of ''Startling Sto ...
'' (credited to Henry Kuttner, but believed by many critics to be a collaboration, 1946)
* ''Vintage Season
''Vintage Season'' is a science fiction novella by American authors Catherine L. Moore and Henry Kuttner, published under the joint pseudonym "Lawrence O'Donnell" in September, 1946. It has been anthologized many times and was selected for '' ...
'' (novella written with Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Early life
Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
, as " Lawrence O'Donnell"; 1946). It was filmed in 1992 as '' Timescape''.
* ''The Mask of Circe
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
'' (with Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Early life
Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
; 1948, Illustrated by Alicia Austin
Alicia Austin (born 1942) is an American fantasy and science fiction artist and illustrator. She works in print-making, Prismacolor, pastels and watercolors.
Early life and education
Austin was born in Providence, Kentucky. As her father was c ...
; 1971)
* '' Beyond Earth's Gates'' (1949)
* '' Judgment Night'' (stories, 1952)
* '' Shambleau and Others'' (stories, 1953)
* ''Northwest of Earth
''Northwest 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 Northw ...
'' (stories, 1954)
* ''No Boundaries'' (with Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Early life
Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
; stories, 1955)
* '' Doomsday Morning'' (1957)
* ''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 b ...
'' (Paperback Library
Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the third largest trade and educational publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Grou ...
, 1969); ''Black God's Shadow
''Black God's Shadow'' is a collection of Fantasy fiction, fantasy short stories by American writer C. L. Moore and illustrator Alicia Austin. It was first published in 1977 in literature, 1977 by Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. in an edition of ...
'' ( Donald M. Grant, 1977)—the five Jirel stories collected; the latter a limited edition with color plates, signed, numbered, and boxed
* '' The Best of C. L. Moore'', edited by Lester Del Rey ( Nelson Doubleday, 1975)—includes a biographical introduction by Lester Del Rey, which is carefully noncommittal about the influence of her personal life on her writing, and an autobiographical afterword by Moore
* ''Black God's Kiss
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
'' ( Paizo Publishing, 2007; )—the five Jirel
The Jirels ( ne, जिरेल जाति) is an ethnic Kirat
The Kirati people, also spelled as Kirant or Kiranti, are a Sino-Tibetan ethnic group. They are peoples of the Himalayas, mostly the Eastern Himalaya extending eastward from ...
stories collected
* '' Northwest of Earth: The Complete Northwest Smith'' ( Paizo Publishing, 2008; )—the thirteen 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 ...
stories collected
Explanatory notes
References
Further reading
* Bleiler, Everett F. "Fantasy, Horror...and Sex: The Early Stories of C. L. Moore". ''The Scream Factory
The Scream Factory is an American publisher of horror American comic book, comics. Most, if not all titles published by The Scream Factory are film-related.
Overview
Formally announced on April 7, 2008 speculation to The Scream Factory and its ...
'' (Spring 1994): 41–47.
External links
*
*
*
*
*
Moore
an
Lewis Padgett
at Fantastic Fiction
*
*
by Bud Webster, at Galactic Central
''Shambleau'' read by the author, C. L. Moore
*
Lewis Padgett
at LC Authorities, with eight records, an
at WorldCat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, C.L.
1911 births
1987 deaths
20th-century American novelists
20th-century American women writers
American fantasy writers
American science fiction writers
American women novelists
Deaths from dementia in California
Deaths from Alzheimer's disease
Writers from Indianapolis
Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees
University of Southern California faculty
Women science fiction and fantasy writers
World Fantasy Award-winning writers
Writers from California
Novelists from Indiana
Weird fiction writers
American women academics