The Lin Carter Literary Archive
A Preliminary Guide and Inventory
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INTRODUCTION

Lin Carter (1930-1988) was a noted American fantasy and science fiction author, anthologist, and critic who wrote over fifty novels, compiled over 25 anthologies, and authored multiple critical studies of the science fiction and fantasy genres. Best known for his Callisto and Thongor series of novels, Carter made a name for himself as a latter-day pulp author, imitating the successful adventure tale formulas made fashionable by earlier writers such as Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan of the Apes; The Mars/Barsoom series), Robert E. Howard (Conan the Barbarian), and Lester Dent (Doc Savage). Although many critics today dismiss his work as overly derivative, Carter was an important figure in American genre fiction for over two decades, helping to popularize fantasy and science fiction not just through his own stories, but by anthologizing and promoting the works of many authors who would eventually become famous and influential in their own right.

The Lin Carter Literary Archive focuses primarily on works Carter produced during the 1970s. Most of the items are full manuscripts for novels from a number of Carter’s most popular series (Callisto, Thongor, The Green Star), as well as manuscript materials related to his critical studies of the fantasy genre and the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien. Also included are galleys and page proofs for some of his novels and literary anthologies, and a variety of other materials—including dramatic scripts, occasional correspondence, and materials related to Carter’s involvement in science fiction and fantasy fandom.

Overview of the Collection:

Box Listing:

Box 1

• untitled Thongor manuscript
• Tolkien: A Look Behind the Lord of the Rings (manuscript)
• Untitled manuscript: “Ch. 16: ‘The Mind Search’”
• The Nemesis of Evil (manuscript)
• Renegade of Callisto (manuscript)
• Under the Green Star (manuscript)
• Across the Gulf of Space (manuscript)
• Renegade of Callisto (manuscript)
• The Barbarian of World’s End (manuscript)
• Flight from Yolarn (manuscript)

Box 2

• The Nemesis of Evil (page proofs)
• Realms of Wizardry (page proofs)
• 2 copies of “Galleon of Dream: Poems of Fantasy and Wonder.” The Sign of the Centaur Publishers, 1734 Neward St., St. Petersburh, Fla., 1953)
• Book I: Defenders of Valorous (manuscript)
• Part I: The Last Stand (manuscript)
• Pendragon: Draft One (manuscript)
• Mind Wizards of Callisto (manuscript)
• The Volcano Ogre (manuscript)
• The City Outside the World (manuscript)
• When the Green Star Calls (manuscript)
• The Warrior of World’s End (manuscript)
• Ylana of Callisto(manuscript)

Box 3

• Zarkon, Lord of the Unknown, in The Nemesis of Evil (manuscript)
• The Hobbit: A Narrative Guide for Coffehouse Presentation. Narrative, Music, and Additional Lyrics by: Dan Goggin and Marvin Solley. Original Lyrics and Story: J.R.R. Tolkien (w/ original manuscript and music manuscript)
• The Enchantress of World’s End (manuscript)
• Lankar of Callisto (manuscript)
• Zarkon, Lord of the Unknown, in Invisible Death (manuscript)
• Imaginary Worlds: A History of Fantasy (manuscript)
• Realms of Fantasy(manuscript)
• The Wizard of Lemuria (page proofs)
• By the Light of the Green Star (manuscript)
• The Valley Where Time Stood Still (manuscript)

Box 4

• The Black Star (photocopy of manuscript)
• Zarkon, Lord of the Unknown, in Invisible Death (photocopy of manuscript)
• Tolkien’s Sources (manuscript)
• Destination Saturn (manuscript)
• The Destiny of Mr. Shaw (manuscript)
• Thongor in the City of Magicians (manuscript)
• Time War (manuscript)
• Lost World of Time (manuscript)
• So Late Into the Night (manuscript)
• Ages in Peril(manuscript)
• Tower at the End of Time (original carbon copy)
• By the Light of the Green Star (table of contents and front matter)
• Outworlder (manuscript)

Box 5

• The Volcano Ogre (final galley)
• Imaginary Worlds (readers’ proof)
• The Art of Fantasy (readers’ proof)
• The Nemesis of Evil(final galley)
• The Valley Where Time Stood Still (final galley)
• As the Green Star Rises (manuscript)
• Wizard of Oz script — produced for RKO Teleradio Pictures, Inc. (manuscript)
• miscellaneous materials related to Carter’s early fanzine, Kadath
• fragment of untitled story (manuscript)
• The Keep of Gondomir (original carbon copy)
• 1 copy of “Galleon of Dream: Poems of Fantasy and Wonder.” The Sign of the Centaur Publishers, 1734 Neward St., St. Petersburg, Fla., 1953)
• Handwritten research notes on Thomas Mallory and Arthurian legend, with hand-drawn map of the British Isles and miscellaneous related notes (the Saxon method of fighting, drawings of heraldic shields, etc.)
• Thongor in the Valley of Demons: Film Treatment by Milton Subotsky from the novel The Wizard of Lemuria
• The Kingmakers(manuscript)
• handwritten lists of names, places, and potential titles
• The Warrior of World’s End (photocopy of manuscript)
• Lin Carter in Oz (manuscript)
• Flame of Iridar (photocopy of manuscript)
• The Man Without a Planet(manuscript)
• The Desolation of… (manuscript)
• The Warrior of World’s End (manuscript)
• As the Green Star Rises (manuscript)