Charles R. Saunders facts for kids

Charles Robert Saunders (born July 12, 1946 – died May 2020) was an American writer and journalist. He was known for creating the "sword and soul" type of fantasy stories. His most famous works are the Imaro novels. Throughout his career, he wrote many books, non-fiction articles, movie scripts, and radio plays.

About Charles R. Saunders

Charles Robert Saunders was born on July 3, 1946. His hometown was Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. He later moved to Norristown. He then went to Lincoln University. He earned a degree in psychology in 1968.

In 1969, he moved to Canada. He lived in cities like Toronto, Hamilton, Ontario, and Ottawa. In 1985, he moved to Nova Scotia. He lived there for the rest of his life. Nova Scotia has a large Black community. Many of them are descendants of African Americans. These ancestors came to Nova Scotia after the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. They were given freedom and land there.

Saunders' Work as a Journalist

Saunders worked as a civil servant and teacher until 1989. Then, he started a new career in journalism. A poet named George Elliott Clarke suggested him for a job. Saunders was hired by the Halifax Daily News.

He worked as a copy editor at night. He also wrote a weekly column about African-Nova Scotian life. He often wrote the newspaper's unsigned editorials too. He wrote four non-fiction books about the Black community in Nova Scotia. He also helped with a book called The Spirit of Africville (1992). This book was important for the community of Africville.

The Daily News closed in 2008. Saunders then retired. He passed away in May 2020. Many people, including other writers and publishers, remember him as an inspiration.

Charles R. Saunders' Books

Saunders said he started reading science fiction in 1958. This made him interested in writing fantasy stories. He was inspired by Africa. He created a fictional continent called Nyumbani. This name means "home" in Swahili. His Imaro stories take place there.

The Imaro Series

In 1974, Saunders wrote short stories for a magazine called Dark Fantasy. One of his Imaro stories was noticed by editor Lin Carter. Carter included it in his Year's Best Fantasy Stories collection in 1975. This helped Saunders get noticed by DAW Books. The publisher, Donald A. Wollheim, suggested he turn his Imaro stories into a novel.

Six of his short stories were used in his first novel, Imaro. It was published in 1981. However, a problem with the book's cover caused delays. This led to lower sales. Saunders still wrote and sold two more books in the series: The Quest for Cush (1984) and The Trail of Bohu (1985).

In 2000, editor Sheree Renée Thomas published one of Saunders' original short stories. She also published his essay, "Why Blacks Should Read (and Write) Science Fiction." This helped new readers discover his work. In 2006, Night Shade Books published an updated edition of Imaro. This new edition did not include one story. Saunders felt it was too similar to the Rwandan genocide.

In 2008, the second Imaro novel, The Quest for Cush, was published. In 2009, he released The Trail of Bohu. He also released The Naama War, the fourth Imaro novel.

The Dossouye Series

In 2008, Saunders also released Dossouye. This book was made from several short stories. Dossouye is a woman warrior. She was inspired by the real-life female warriors of the West African Kingdom of Dahomey. Her first stories appeared in anthologies like Amazons! and Sword and Sorceress. These books aimed to show more female heroes in fantasy. One of her stories was even made into a movie script for the film Amazons (1986).

In 2012, he released Dossouye: The Dancers of Mulukau. This was the second novel in the Dossouye series.

Other Works

In 2017, Saunders released "Nyumbani Tales." This was a collection of stories set in Nyumbani. It included a story about Imaro's mother, "Katisa." In 2018, he published another Imaro story in the book The Mighty Warriors.

See also

In Spanish: Charles R. Saunders para niños