Diana Gabaldon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diana Gabaldon
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Gabaldon in 2017
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| Born | January 11, 1952 Williams, Arizona, US |
| Occupation | Novelist, professor |
| Education | |
| Period | 1991–present |
| Genre | Speculative fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, historical mystery, historical fantasy, scientific literature |
| Notable works |
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| Spouse | Doug Watkins |
| Children | 3 (including Sam Sykes) |
| Parents | Tony Gabaldon (father) |
Diana J. Gabaldon (born January 11, 1952) is an American author and TV writer. She is most famous for her popular book series called Outlander. Her books mix different types of stories, including historical fiction (stories set in the past), romance, mystery, adventure, and science fiction or fantasy. The Outlander novels were even turned into a TV show that started on Starz in 2014.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Diana Gabaldon was born on January 11, 1952, in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Her parents were Jacqueline Sykes and Tony Gabaldon. Her father was a state senator in Arizona for many years.
Diana grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona. She studied science in college. She earned a bachelor's degree in zoology (the study of animals) from Northern Arizona University between 1970 and 1973. Later, she got a master's degree in marine biology (the study of ocean life) from the University of California, San Diego in 1975. She then completed her PhD in behavioral ecology (how living things interact with their environment) from Northern Arizona University in 1978.
Career as a Writer
Before becoming a full-time author, Diana Gabaldon worked in science. In 1984, she became the first editor of Science Software Quarterly. This was while she worked at Arizona State University. During the 1980s, she wrote reviews for computer programs and articles about science. She also wrote for Disney comics. She was a professor at Arizona State University for 12 years, teaching about scientific computing. Then, she decided to leave and write books full-time.
How Her Novels Began
In 1988, Diana Gabaldon decided to write a novel just "for practice." She didn't plan to show it to anyone. Since she was a research professor, she thought a historical novel would be easiest to research. She didn't know much about history at first and didn't have a specific time period in mind.
Then, she watched an old episode of the TV show Doctor Who called "The War Games." One of the characters was a young Scottish man from around 1745 named Jamie McCrimmon. This character gave her the idea for her main male character, James Fraser. It also inspired her to set her novel in Scotland in the mid-18th century.
To explain why her character acted like someone from modern times, Diana decided to use time travel in her story. When she started writing, the internet (World Wide Web) didn't exist. So, she did all her research by herself, using books.
Later, Diana shared a small part of her novel online in a writing forum. Another author, John E. Stith, introduced her to a literary agent named Perry Knowlton. This agent decided to represent her based on her unfinished first novel, which she called Cross Stitch. Her first book deal was for three books: the first novel and two sequels she hadn't written yet.
Her publishers in the US changed the first book's title to Outlander. However, in the UK, it kept the name Cross Stitch. Diana said her British publishers liked Cross Stitch because it was a clever play on words. But the American publisher thought it sounded "too much like embroidery" and wanted a more "adventurous" title. After she finished her second book, Diana left her job at Arizona State University to become a full-time writer.
The Outlander Series
As of 2021, the Outlander series has nine published novels. The ninth book, Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone, came out on November 23, 2021. Diana Gabaldon also wrote The Exile (An Outlander Graphic Novel) in 2010.
She also writes the Lord John series. These books are part of the Outlander world but focus on a different character from the original series. In September 2021, Diana announced that she is working on the tenth Outlander book, which might be the last one.
Personal Life
Diana Gabaldon lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband, Doug Watkins. They have three adult children. Her son, Sam Sykes, is also a fantasy writer.
Diana Gabaldon is a Roman Catholic.
Book and TV Adaptations
The Outlander series is available as audiobooks. Some of the Lord John books are also available in audiobook form.
The Outlander books were made into a TV show that started on Starz in the US on August 9, 2014. Diana Gabaldon even had a small acting part (a cameo appearance) in an episode in August 2014 called "The Gathering." She also works as a paid consultant for the show and wrote the script for an episode in 2016 called "Vengeance Is Mine."
In 2010, Diana Gabaldon turned the first part of Outlander into a graphic novel called The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel. A graphic novel is like a comic book but longer. In the same year, a musical based on Outlander was released, featuring 14 songs.
Images for kids
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Gabaldon signing books at the 2017 Phoenix Comicon
See also
In Spanish: Diana Gabaldon para niños
