Karl Edward Wagner
Karl Edward Wagner was an American author, born on December 12, 1945, in Knoxville, Tennessee. He grew up in an upper-middle-class family that encouraged his academic pursuits, leading him to excel in school and earn a National Merit Scholarship to Kenyon College, where he graduated with a degree in history. Wagner developed a passion for science fiction, fantasy, and horror at a young age, drawing inspiration from notable authors like Ray Bradbury and H.P. Lovecraft, as well as gothic literature. By the age of fifteen, he created his most notable character, Kane, a reimagined biblical figure who embodies themes of exile and wanderlust.
Wagner initially pursued a career in medicine, earning an M.D. and specializing in psychiatry, but he chose to transition to full-time writing shortly after. He published several novels and short story collections featuring Kane, often categorized as heroic fantasy or sword and sorcery, although he preferred the label "epic fantasy." In addition to his writing, Wagner played a significant role in the publishing world as an editor, particularly for Daw Books' anthology series, where he supported emerging writers. He passed away on October 13, 1994, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, leaving a legacy that resonated deeply within the literary community.
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Karl Edward Wagner
Writer
- Born: December 12, 1945
- Birthplace: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Died: September 30, 1994
- Place of death: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Biography
Karl Edward Wagner was born on December 12, 1945, in Knoxville, Tennessee. His father was Aubrey J. “Red” Wagner, an engineer who served as long-term chairman of the board for the Tennessee Valley Authority; his mother, Dorothea Huber, was a homemaker. Wagner was the youngest of four children and his upper-middle-class family intentionally sent him to public schools and did not own a television set.
Wagner became interested in science fiction, fantasy, and horror at an early age and was a fan of such comics as Tales From the Crypt. Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft, and James Branch Cabell were influences, but he was also influenced by mythology and by eighteenth century gothic literature, especially the book Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin. By age fifteen, Wagner was already writing and had created his most famous character, Kane. Kane is the biblical character Cain who slew his brother Abel and was doomed to wander the earth. The character was a literary descendent of Maturin’s Melmouth.
Wagner went to Central High School in Knoxville, graduating in 1963 with a straight “A” average. After winning a National Merit Scholarship, he attended Kenyon College, where he earned a B.A. in the honors history program in 1967. He then attended medical school at the University of North Carolina, earning an M.D. with a specialization in psychiatry in 1974. However, he practiced psychiatry for less than a year before quitting to write full time. He had already sold his first book, Darkness Weaves with Many Shades (1970), while in medical school. In 1974, Wagner married Barbara Mott, his longtime fiancé. The relationship initially was happy but eventually ended in divorce.
Wagner published four novels and two collections of short stories about Kane. These tales are generally classified as heroic fantasy or sword and sorcery, although Wagner preferred the terms “epic fantasy” or “acid gothic.” Wagner also wrote horror stories, most of which are collected in three anthologies, and he wrote two pastiches about Robert E. Howard’s characters, most notably Conan. Despite his involvement with Howard’s legacy, Wagner’s Kane was not originally influenced by Conan. In a letter written in 1993, Wagner explained that “I began writing Bloodstone (1975) in 1960, and I finished and began submitting ’The Treasure of Lynortis’ at age sixteen (1961). I didn’t encounter REH (Robert E. Howard) or Conan until 1963, when a high school classmate lent me a copy of ’The Black Stranger.’”
Wagner cofounded Carcosa, a specialty publisher, and in 1980 became long-term editor for Daw Books’ anthology series Year’s Best Horror Stories. In his role as editor, he discovered and nurtured numerous young writers. Wagner died on October 13, 1994, at home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Although he may have suffered from cancer, the immediate cause of his death appears to have been liver failure induced by alcohol and substance abuse. His loss was deeply felt by many.