Ardath Mayhar (1930–2012)
Author of Golden Dream
About the Author
Ardath Mayhar was born in Timpson, Texas on February 20, 1930. She began her writing career as a poet when she was 19 and began publishing science fiction in 1979. During her lifetime, she wrote more than 60 books in almost every fiction genre. She also wrote under the pseudonyms Frank Cannon, show more Frances Hurst and John Killdeer. She won the Balrog Award for a horror narrative poem in Masques I and was honored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America as an Author Emeritus in 2008. She died on February 1, 2012 at the age of 81. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Ardath Mayhar
The Twilight Dancer 4 copies
Things Come Out At Night 4 copies
The Crystal Skull 4 copies
Who Courts A Reluctant Maiden 2 copies
The Gift 2 copies
The Little Finger on the Left Hand 2 copies
Hermione at Moon House [short story] 2 copies
Hermione The Spy 2 copies
A Cat's Private Diary 1 copy
Kyrannon 1 copy
The Very Early Hermione 1 copy
Hermione To The Rescue 1 copy
A Snap Of The Fingers 1 copy
The One Who Followed Dream 1 copy
The Weapon 1 copy
Mayhar-Bibliography 1 copy
Snow White Pony 1 copy
The Adapter {short story} 1 copy
A Game For The Ginli 1 copy
Something To Bear In Mind 1 copy
Down In The Dark 1 copy
Early Encounter 1 copy
The Eight Who Hated 1 copy
Bare Bones 1 copy
You Can't Go Home Again 1 copy
Yhitagh 1 copy
The Orphan 1 copy
Grimm's Way 1 copy
Footprints 1 copy
Coon Hunt With Distractions 1 copy
In The Green Sand 1 copy
Lonesome Canefield Blues 1 copy
Down In The Bottomlands 1 copy
Thurigon Agonistes 1 copy
The Reaping 1 copy
Fungi 1 copy
Concerto 1 copy
Hallimore's Dog 1 copy
The Pass To Death 1 copy
In The Mists Of Gellorn 1 copy
Only To A Death 1 copy
Knyghte Kellin 1 copy
First-in 1 copy
Echo Of Thunder 1 copy
Cage Of The Heart 1 copy
A Night In Possum Holler 1 copy
The Face In The Glass 1 copy
The Nicholas Caper 1 copy
Like Mother Used To Make 1 copy
Trapline 1 copy
The Anthologist 1 copy
The Immortal Part 1 copy
Needles And Pins 1 copy
The Dig 1 copy
Ash-nialle 1 copy
Digging Up Arthur 1 copy
Crawfish 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Mayhar, Ardath Frances Hurst
- Other names
- Cannon, Frank
Hurst, Frances
Killdeer, John - Birthdate
- 1930
- Date of death
- 2012-02-01
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Timpson, Texas, USA
- Places of residence
- Chireno, Texas, USA
- Organizations
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
- Awards and honors
- Mark Twain Award (nomination)
Balrog Award for Professional Achievement 1985
SFWA Author Emeritus (2008) - Short biography
- Ardath Mayhar began writing poetry when she was nineteen, and was first published in 1943. She has written over 60 books in genres including science fiction, horror, fantasy, young adult, historical, and western. She has many award nominations for fiction and poetry, including the Mark Twain Award. In 2008 she was chosen by Science Fiction Writers of America as their Author Emeritus.
Members
Reviews
Soul-singer Of Tyrnos by Ardath Mayhar
Classic pulp fantasy, if there is such a thing. I love Mayhar's terse style of writing that assumes that the reader can catch up. Very different from what the fantasy genre has become, yet lovely and recognizable for those who enjoy it.
Introduces us to a galaxy where humanity has spread, then splintered into factions, with each trying to rule the whole. Follows one plot to remove a king of one clan" for the furthering of another clan. Nothing special, but enjoyable with promise for a huge amount of stories.
Having never played Battletech/Mechwarrior, I am just getting into this universe. I thought the introduction did a good job of summarizing the galaxy to date."
Having never played Battletech/Mechwarrior, I am just getting into this universe. I thought the introduction did a good job of summarizing the galaxy to date."
2.5 stars
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Araminta Palomer is the daughter of an elderly wealthy businessman and his second wife. Minta has been sheltered for all her life, living in the family mansion which is surrounded by high walls and patrolling Doberman Pinschers. She has a governess and is driven to town only rarely for shopping. Because sheƒ??s lonely, Minta creates an imaginary friend ƒ?? an egg-shaped furry creature who loves her. Prophetically, she names him Willbe and she imagines him with sharp needle-like teeth because sheƒ??s got a really nasty older stepbrother.
At first, Willbe is the perfect companion; heƒ??s warm and furry and sleeps next to Minta at night. The problems start when Willbe begins to manifest as a real creature whenever Minta feels threatened ƒ?? and heƒ??s not afraid to use those teeth. When Minta is kidnapped and Willbe steps in to protect her, the police start asking questions. Most people canƒ??t see Willbe, but the governess, who has spent some time in Tibet, recognizes the creature as a Tulpa. She understands that Minta has summoned the tulpa, but she doesnƒ??t know how to get rid of him, and heƒ??s gradually getting more dangerous as he resists Mintaƒ??s control. He racks up several murders by the end of the story.
The Tulpa by Ardath Mayhar, who died this year, is a relatively short novel (168 pages in paperback, 5 hours in audio) that was originally published as The Tulpa: A Novel of Supernatural Horror in 2005 in ebook format. The plot is straightforward and linear ƒ?? there is no divergence from the chronological storyline about Willbe. Since itƒ??s a horror story, some departure or tension relief would have been welcome. The story isnƒ??t particularly scary or gory, itƒ??s just single-minded to a fault.
At first I was confused about Ardath Mayharƒ??s setting because Aramintaƒ??s family is so worried about her being kidnapped, she lives behind high walls, she has a governess instead of going to school, and her mother has been told that reading fiction causes children to become unhealthily fanciful. Then the governess mentions surfing the Internet and itƒ??s clear that the setting is modern U.S.A. This all seemed incongruent to me.
Probably what saved The Tulpa for me was Kate Ruddƒ??s narration of the audiobook version (published by Wildside Press). I have always enjoyed her performances and, though I accused her of being too angsty in the last audiobook I listened to her narrate, I didnƒ??t find that to be a problem here (when she had even more cause to be angsty). She made Minta feel more real than Ardath Mayhar did.
If youƒ??re looking for a short fast-paced supernatural horror story thatƒ??s not too gross or scary, The Tulpa will fit the bill. Donƒ??t expect more than an uncomplicated unswerving monster story, though.
Ardath Mayharƒ??s writing style is pleasant, and I look forward to reading more of her work. I have one of her novels on my shelf and I fully intend to crack it open sometime soon.
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.… (more)
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Araminta Palomer is the daughter of an elderly wealthy businessman and his second wife. Minta has been sheltered for all her life, living in the family mansion which is surrounded by high walls and patrolling Doberman Pinschers. She has a governess and is driven to town only rarely for shopping. Because sheƒ??s lonely, Minta creates an imaginary friend ƒ?? an egg-shaped furry creature who loves her. Prophetically, she names him Willbe and she imagines him with sharp needle-like teeth because sheƒ??s got a really nasty older stepbrother.
At first, Willbe is the perfect companion; heƒ??s warm and furry and sleeps next to Minta at night. The problems start when Willbe begins to manifest as a real creature whenever Minta feels threatened ƒ?? and heƒ??s not afraid to use those teeth. When Minta is kidnapped and Willbe steps in to protect her, the police start asking questions. Most people canƒ??t see Willbe, but the governess, who has spent some time in Tibet, recognizes the creature as a Tulpa. She understands that Minta has summoned the tulpa, but she doesnƒ??t know how to get rid of him, and heƒ??s gradually getting more dangerous as he resists Mintaƒ??s control. He racks up several murders by the end of the story.
The Tulpa by Ardath Mayhar, who died this year, is a relatively short novel (168 pages in paperback, 5 hours in audio) that was originally published as The Tulpa: A Novel of Supernatural Horror in 2005 in ebook format. The plot is straightforward and linear ƒ?? there is no divergence from the chronological storyline about Willbe. Since itƒ??s a horror story, some departure or tension relief would have been welcome. The story isnƒ??t particularly scary or gory, itƒ??s just single-minded to a fault.
At first I was confused about Ardath Mayharƒ??s setting because Aramintaƒ??s family is so worried about her being kidnapped, she lives behind high walls, she has a governess instead of going to school, and her mother has been told that reading fiction causes children to become unhealthily fanciful. Then the governess mentions surfing the Internet and itƒ??s clear that the setting is modern U.S.A. This all seemed incongruent to me.
Probably what saved The Tulpa for me was Kate Ruddƒ??s narration of the audiobook version (published by Wildside Press). I have always enjoyed her performances and, though I accused her of being too angsty in the last audiobook I listened to her narrate, I didnƒ??t find that to be a problem here (when she had even more cause to be angsty). She made Minta feel more real than Ardath Mayhar did.
If youƒ??re looking for a short fast-paced supernatural horror story thatƒ??s not too gross or scary, The Tulpa will fit the bill. Donƒ??t expect more than an uncomplicated unswerving monster story, though.
Ardath Mayharƒ??s writing style is pleasant, and I look forward to reading more of her work. I have one of her novels on my shelf and I fully intend to crack it open sometime soon.
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.… (more)
It takes a little bit to catch on to what's happening - but this is that story that explains how a species native to a planet can be in an economic crises because there is only ONE creature that gives them an essential nutrient - and the entire race is dying out.
In Golden Dream we learn WHY the Fuzzies were facing these problems, what they thought of the Big Ones who came to them in their time of need - and just generally fun reading.
In Golden Dream we learn WHY the Fuzzies were facing these problems, what they thought of the Big Ones who came to them in their time of need - and just generally fun reading.
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- Works
- 111
- Also by
- 35
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- Rating
- 3.6
- Reviews
- 10
- ISBNs
- 105
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