E. Charles Vivian
E. Charles Vivian, born Charles Henry Cannell on October 19, 1882, in Lodden, Norfolk, England, was a prolific writer who produced nearly one hundred titles across various genres, particularly during the interwar period. After a strained relationship with his family, he emigrated to South Africa and served in the Boer War, later changing his name to Evelyn Charles Vivian. Returning to England in 1902, he ventured into publishing and journalism, eventually gaining recognition for his science-based novel "Passion-Fruit," which paved the way for his exploration of speculative fiction.
Vivian's narrative style and adventurous themes defined much of his work, including fast-paced stories involving lost cities and mythical races, despite him never having traveled to the exotic locations he depicted. He also found success in the mystery genre under the pseudonym Jack Mann, especially with his series featuring the character Gees, which incorporated supernatural elements. Throughout World War II, he maintained a significant writing output, even as his personal life was disrupted by the Blitz. After his death on May 21, 1947, Vivian's work fell somewhat out of favor as literary tastes shifted, yet his imaginative storytelling and dedication to the craft left a lasting legacy.
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E. Charles Vivian
Writer
- Born: October 19, 1882
- Birthplace: Lodden, Norfolk, England
- Died: May 21, 1947
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Despite writing almost one hundred titles in a variety of genres that enjoyed respectable sales in England between the world wars, E. Charles Vivian remains something of a mystery to contemporary biographers. He was born Charles Henry Cannell in Lodden, Norfolk, England, on October 19, 1882. At sixteen, he had falling out with his father, who managed a farm; their disagreement most likely arose from Cannell’s lack of interest in the family business. Whatever the cause, Cannell never spoke to his family again. He emigrated to South Africa, where he served in the Boer War and ultimately changed his name to Evelyn Charles Vivian.
In 1902, he returned to England and worked for a time in publishing and journalism. After several forgettable apprentice novels, primarily coming-of-age stories and formulaic romances with supernatural touches, Vivian published Passion-Fruit, a science-based novel about a remarkable new type of steel that threatens civilization when it falls into the wrong hands. That book, which met with considerable sales success, turned Vivian toward speculative fiction, which he would take up with prodigious energy after World War I. During the war, he covered the fighting as a journalist and edited a magazine devoted to aviation; he later published several volumes of military and aviation history that became standard reference works.
Beginning with City of Wonder in 1922, Vivian helped define fantasy and adventure fiction for nearly a decade. His particular interests—lost-race narratives that drew on the legendary city of Atlantis, a variety of South American cities rumored to have existed deep in the forbidding AndesMountains, or Pacific island communities established by alien visitors—found expression in fast-paced adventure stories. These stories were defined by Vivian’s cinematic sense of riveting scene, his gift for immediacy in dialogue, his signature feel for endearing heroic characters, and his sweeping panoramic eye that helped him depict scenes of exotic, imaginary landscapes, all the more remarkable because Vivian never visited the Far East, the South Pacific, or South America.
By the close of the 1920’s, Vivian had produced more than a dozen adventure titles, some under the pseudonym Jack Mann, before turning to the mystery genre, specifically mysteries that involved the paranormal. His series of eight mysteries, written under the Jack Mann pen name and featuring Gregory George Gordon Green, more commonly known as Gees, was published in the late 1930’s; over the years, the series grew increasingly more bizarre, introducing werewolves, spectral apparitions, and ancient curses. However, the series found a wide readership seeking the elegant escape of the books’ vivid fantasies, even as Britain was drawn into the harsh reality of World War II. Throughout the war, Vivian continued to publish more than a title year, which actually represented a drop in productivity for him, even though his home and boxes of unfinished manuscripts were destroyed during the Blitz.
By his death on May 21, 1947, Vivian’s work was marginalized as the postwar British novel turned toward social realism and avant-garde experiments in narrative techniques. Nevertheless, Vivian’s considerable body of work testifies to a singularly rich imagination, a passionate dedication to the craft of storytelling, and a gift for character and action.