Robert Adams
Franklin Robert Adams, born on August 31, 1932, in Danville, Virginia, was an American author known for his contributions to the science fiction and fantasy genres. His military service during the Korean War and in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1962 influenced his writing, particularly in his notable Horseclans series. This series is set in a post-apocalyptic world decades after a nuclear disaster and features a nomadic people reminiscent of Mongolian culture, infused with elements from American cowboy traditions and military influences. Adams's female characters are notable for their significant status and agency, diverging from typical portrayals in contemporary heroic fantasy.
In addition to the Horseclans series, he authored the Castaways in Time series and collaborated with André Norton on the Ithkar series. Despite beginning his writing career later in life, Adams achieved recognition for his action-adventure narratives that blend speculative elements with engaging characters. He continued to write until his health declined in the late 1980s, passing away on January 4, 1990, in Apopka, Florida. Adams's works remain significant for their imaginative storytelling and complex character dynamics.
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Robert Adams
Author
- Born: August 31, 1932
- Birthplace: Danville, Virginia
- Died: January 4, 1990
- Place of death: Apopka, Florida
Biography
Franklin Robert Adams was born on August 31, 1932, in Danville, Virginia. His father, Frank Griffith Adams, was a sales manager, while his mother, Elmora, née Lillard, was a registered nurse. During the Korean War and later in the years 1961 to 1962, he served in the U.S. Army and became a sergeant. His military experience would later figure heavily in his writing, lending verisimilitude to the descriptions of combat and military operations, even in fantastic situations such as his post-apocalyptic Horseclans series. In civilian life, Adams followed his father’s footsteps into sales and sales management, and he was a successful salesman for many years. He belonged to the Unitarian-Universalist Church and considered himself a political conservative. He was married twice, first to Joanna Jeffers in February 1959, ending five years later in divorce. His second wife was Pamela Crippin Adams.
Only as Adams grew older did he began to write as a serious endeavor, concentrating primarily on science fiction of an action-adventure type. His best-known works are the Horseclans series, set in a future world generations after a nuclear war that has destroyed American society. Strange echoes and traces of the present can be recognized by the careful reader. Into this ruined future full of mutated monsters and strange perils rides the Horseclans, a nomadic people reminiscent of the Mongols, although they are clearly derived from both the cowboy culture of the American rangeland and the traditions of the U.S. military.
The women of the Horseclans enjoy considerable status and freedom. Adams’s female characters are not merely token prizes for the male protagonists, as are so many female characters in heroic fantasy of the early-to-mid-seventies. Some, including Bili the Axe, receive their own books. The Horseclans are led by Milo Morai, a mysterious immortal whose memories may well trace all the way back to the Catastrophe that destroyed the old world.
In addition to the Horseclans books, Adams was the author of the Castaways in Time series, in which time-travelers go back to ancient Ireland to enjoy “sword and sorcery” adventures. In collaboration with André Norton, Adams wrote three of the Ithkar books, another fantasy series. Although Adams continued to write as late as 1988, his health had been declining for some time, and after that point he was no longer able to write. He died on January 4, 1990, in Apopka, Florida.