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John Gardner was an American writer, literary critic, essayist and a university professor. His prolific writings include the 1971 novel Grendel which narrates the Beowulf myth from the monster point of view. He was born and raised in New York to a dairy farmer and a lay preacher father. His mother was an English teacher at a local school. Gardener parents were fond of Shakespeare and mostly recited Shakespeare literature together. As a child, the author attended public schools and most times worked at his father farm where his younger brother was accidentally killed y a cult packer which Gardener was driving. He carried the blame for his brother’s death which resulted in him experiencing flashbacks, nightmares his entire life. This incident formed a foundation of Gardner’s criticism and fiction.
Order of Boysie Oakes Series
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Liquidator | 1964 | Description / Buy | |
2 | Understrike | 1965 | Description / Buy | |
3 | Amber Nine | 1966 | Description / Buy | |
4 | Madrigal | 1967 | Description / Buy | |
5 | Hideaway (Short Story) | 1968 | Description / Buy | |
6 | Founder Member | 1969 | Description / Buy | |
7 | Traitor's Exit | 1970 | Description / Buy | |
8 | The Airline Pirates | 1973 | Description / Buy | |
9 | Air Apparent | 1973 | Description / Buy | |
10 | The Assassination File | 1974 | Description / Buy | |
11 | A Killer for a Song | 1975 | Description / Buy |
Order of Derek Torry Series
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | A Complete State of Death | 1970 | Description / Buy | |
2 | The Corner Men | 1976 | Description / Buy |
Order of Detective Sergeant Suzie Mountford Series
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bottled Spider | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
2 | Streets of Town | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
3 | Angels Dining at the Ritz | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
4 | Troubled Midnight | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
5 | No Human Enemy | 2007 | Description / Buy |
Order of Herbie Kruger Series
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Nostradamus Traitor | 1979 | Description / Buy | |
2 | The Garden of Weapons | 1981 | Description / Buy | |
3 | The Quiet Dogs | 1988 | Description / Buy | |
4 | Maestro | 1993 | Description / Buy | |
5 | Confessor | 1995 | Description / Buy |
Order of Professor Moriarty Series
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Return of Moriarty | 1974 | Description / Buy | |
2 | The Revenge of Moriarty | 1975 | Description / Buy | |
3 | Moriarty | 2008 | Description / Buy |
Order of Railton Family Series
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Secret Generations | 1985 | Description / Buy | |
2 | The Secret Houses | 1987 | Description / Buy | |
3 | The Secret Families | 1989 | Description / Buy |
Order of James Bond (Extended) Series
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Colonel Sun | 1968 | Description / Buy | |
2 | License Renewed | 1981 | Description / Buy | |
3 | For Special Services | 1982 | Description / Buy | |
4 | Icebreaker | 1983 | Description / Buy | |
5 | Role of Honor | 1984 | Description / Buy | |
6 | Nobody Lives Forever | 1986 | Description / Buy | |
7 | No Deals, Mr. Bond | 1987 | Description / Buy | |
8 | Scorpius | 1988 | Description / Buy | |
9 | Licence to Kill | 1989 | Description / Buy | |
10 | Win, Lose or Die | 1989 | Description / Buy | |
11 | Brokenclaw | 1990 | Description / Buy | |
12 | The Man from Barbarossa | 1991 | Description / Buy | |
13 | Death Is Forever | 1992 | Description / Buy | |
14 | Never Send Flowers | 1993 | Description / Buy | |
15 | SeaFire | 1994 | Description / Buy | |
16 | GoldenEye | 1995 | Description / Buy | |
17 | Cold Fall | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
18 | Zero Minus Ten | 1997 | Description / Buy | |
19 | Tomorrow Never Dies | 1997 | Description / Buy | |
20 | The Facts of Death | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
21 | The World is Not Enough | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
22 | High Time to Kill | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
23 | Doubleshot | 2000 | Description / Buy | |
24 | Never Dream of Dying | 2001 | Description / Buy | |
25 | The Man With the Red Tattoo | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
26 | Die Another Day | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
27 | Devil May Care | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
28 | Carte Blanche | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
29 | Solo | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
30 | Trigger Mortis | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
31 | Forever and a Day | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
32 | With a Mind to Kill | 2022 | Description / Buy |
Order of John Gardner Standalone Novels
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Censor | 1972 | Description / Buy | |
2 | Every Night's a Bullfight | 1973 | Description / Buy | |
3 | The Director | 1973 | Description / Buy | |
4 | To Run a Little Faster | 1976 | Description / Buy | |
5 | The Werewolf Trace | 1977 | Description / Buy | |
6 | The Dancing Dodo | 1979 | Description / Buy | |
7 | Golgotha | 1980 | Description / Buy | |
8 | The Last Trump | 1980 | Description / Buy | |
9 | Blood of the Fathers | 1992 | Description / Buy | |
10 | Day of Absolution | 2001 | Description / Buy |
Order of Best American Short Stories Series
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Best Short Stories of 1915 | 1916 | Description / Buy | |
2 | The Best Short Stories of 1916 | 1916 | Description / Buy | |
3 | The Best Short Stories of 1917 | 1917 | Description / Buy | |
4 | The Best Short Stories of 1918 | 1918 | Description / Buy | |
5 | The Best Short Stories of 1919 | 1919 | Description / Buy | |
6 | The Best Short Stories of 1921 | 1921 | Description / Buy | |
7 | The Best Short Stories of 1922 | 1922 | Description / Buy | |
8 | The Best Short Stories of 1923 | 1923 | Description / Buy | |
9 | The Best Short Stories 1924 | 1924 | Description / Buy | |
10 | The Best Short Stories of 1925 | 1925 | Description / Buy | |
11 | The Best Short Stories 1926 | 1926 | Description / Buy | |
12 | The Best Short Stories 1927 | 1927 | Description / Buy | |
13 | The Best Short Stories of 1928 | 1928 | Description / Buy | |
14 | The Best Short Stories of 1929 | 1929 | Description / Buy | |
15 | The Best Short Stories 1930 | 1930 | Description / Buy | |
16 | The Best Short Stories 1931 | 1931 | Description / Buy | |
17 | The Best Short Stories of 1932 | 1932 | Description / Buy | |
18 | The Best Short Stories 1933 | 1933 | Description / Buy | |
19 | The Best Short Stories 1934 | 1934 | Description / Buy | |
20 | The Best Short Stories 1935 | 1935 | Description / Buy | |
21 | The Best Short Stories 1936 | 1936 | Description / Buy | |
22 | The Best Short Stories 1937 | 1937 | Description / Buy | |
23 | The Best Short Stories of 1938 | 1938 | Description / Buy | |
24 | 50 Best American Short Stories, 1915-1939 | 1939 | Description / Buy | |
25 | The Best Short Stories 1939 | 1939 | Description / Buy | |
26 | The Best Short Stories of 1940 | 1940 | Description / Buy | |
27 | The Best Short Stories 1941 | 1941 | Description / Buy | |
28 | The Best American Short Stories 1942 | 1942 | Description / Buy | |
29 | The Best American Short Stories 1943 | 1943 | Description / Buy | |
30 | The Best American Short Stories 1944 | 1944 | Description / Buy | |
31 | The Best American Short Stories 1945 | 1945 | Description / Buy | |
32 | The Best American Short Stories 1946 | 1946 | Description / Buy | |
33 | The Best American Short Stories 1948 | 1948 | Description / Buy | |
34 | The Best American Short Stories 1949 | 1949 | Description / Buy | |
35 | The Best American Short Stories 1950 | 1950 | Description / Buy | |
36 | The Best American Short Stories 1951 | 1951 | Description / Buy | |
37 | The Best American Short Stories 1952 | 1952 | Description / Buy | |
38 | The Best American Short Stories 1953 | 1953 | Description / Buy | |
39 | The Best American Short Stories 1955 | 1955 | Description / Buy | |
40 | The Best American Short Stories 1956 | 1956 | Description / Buy | |
41 | The Best American Short Stories 1957 | 1957 | Description / Buy | |
42 | The Best American Short Stories 1958 | 1958 | Description / Buy | |
43 | The Best American Short Stories 1959 | 1959 | Description / Buy | |
44 | The Best American Short Stories 1960 | 1960 | Description / Buy | |
45 | The Best American Short Stories 1961 | 1961 | Description / Buy | |
46 | The Best American Short Stories 1962 | 1962 | Description / Buy | |
47 | The Best American Short Stories 1963 | 1963 | Description / Buy | |
48 | The Best American Short Stories 1965 | 1965 | Description / Buy | |
49 | The Best American Short Stories 1966 | 1966 | Description / Buy | |
50 | The Best American Short Stories 1967 | 1967 | Description / Buy | |
51 | The Best American Short Stories 1968 | 1967 | Description / Buy | |
52 | The Best American Short Stories of 1969 | 1969 | Description / Buy | |
53 | The Best American Short Stories 1970 | 1970 | Description / Buy | |
54 | The Best American Short Stories 1971 | 1971 | Description / Buy | |
55 | The Best American Short Stories 1972 | 1972 | Description / Buy | |
56 | The Best American Short Stories 1973 | 1973 | Description / Buy | |
57 | The Best American Short Stories 1974 | 1974 | Description / Buy | |
58 | The Best of Best American Short Stories 1915-1950 | 1975 | Description / Buy | |
59 | The Best American Short Stories 1975 | 1975 | Description / Buy | |
60 | The Best American Short Stories 1976 | 1976 | Description / Buy | |
61 | The Best American Short Stories 1977 | 1977 | Description / Buy | |
62 | The Best American Short Stories 1978 | 1978 | Description / Buy | |
63 | The Best American Short Stories 1979 | 1979 | Description / Buy | |
64 | The Best American Short Stories 1980 | 1980 | Description / Buy | |
65 | The Best American Short Stories 1981 | 1981 | Description / Buy | |
66 | The Best American Short Stories 1983 | 1983 | Description / Buy | |
67 | The Best American Short Stories 1984 | 1984 | Description / Buy | |
68 | The Best American Short Stories 1985 | 1985 | Description / Buy | |
69 | The Best American Short Stories 1987 | 1987 | Description / Buy | |
70 | The Best American Short Stories of the Eighties | 1990 | Description / Buy | |
71 | The Best American Short Stories 1990 | 1990 | Description / Buy | |
72 | The Best American Short Stories 1996 | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
73 | The Best American Short Stories 1997 | 1997 | Description / Buy | |
74 | The Best American Short Stories 1998 | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
75 | The Best American Short Stories 1999 | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
76 | The Best American Short Stories 2000 | 2000 | Description / Buy | |
77 | The Best American Short Stories 2001 | 2001 | Description / Buy | |
78 | The Best American Short Stories 2002 | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
79 | The Best American Short Stories 2005 | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
80 | The Best Short Stories of 1921, and the Yearbook of the American Short Story | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
81 | The Best American Short Stories 1921 | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
82 | The Best American Short Stories 2009 | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
83 | The Best American Short Stories 2015 | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
84 | The Best American Short Stories 2017 | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
85 | The Best American Short Stories 2018 | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
86 | The Best American Short Stories 2020 | 2020 | Description / Buy |
Order of John Gardner Non-Fiction Books
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | On Becoming a Novelist | 1983 | Description / Buy | |
2 | On Writers and Writing | 1994 | Description / Buy |
John Gardner Anthologies
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | 1999 | Description / Buy |
Gardner started his university studies at DePauw University, but he received his degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1995. He got his Ph.D. from the University of Lowa and later became a distinguished professor.
John Gardner best-known books include The Sunlight Dialogues which narrates the story of a disaffected cop who is asked to confront a madman who is fluent in classical mythology. October Light tells the story of an embittered sister and brother living and clashing with each other in Vermont. Gardner died in a motorcycle accident two miles from his home in Susquehanna County on 14th September 1982.
JOHN GARDNER AWARDS
October Light was the winner of the 1976 National Book Critics Circle Award.
BEST JOHN GARDNER BOOKS
These are three best books written by John Gardner, Mickelsson’s Ghosts, Nickel Mountain and Grendel.
Mickelson’s Ghost: The last novel that John Gardner wrote before his tragic death. The book narrates the sad tale of Peter Mickelsson, a once an upcoming philosopher, now a lecturer at Binghamton University divorced and almost broke, drunk, hounded by I.R.S and probably going mad. As the book opens up, Peter is seeking refuge from the heat of his apartment that his money had forced him to take, from the 3rd floor of an old house on Binghamton West Side- the beautiful part of the town.
With that move, Peter Mickelson finds himself in a strange territory, in the midst of water diviners, occasional religious cults and rumored haunting and soon discovers that the house he is living in is said to be haunted. Peter, the proud philosopher, starts a romantic affair with a young prostitute, a former colleague from the University. He starts contemplating robbing a man his money and begins seeing the rumored ghosts. His life is crashing down, and not his philosophy can save him.
John Gardner weaves one beautiful tale of a tortured soul. The novel is beautifully written, the story is sad, suspenseful, funny and philosophical as well.
Nickel Mountain: This is a remarkable love story. At the age of 42, the obese and anxious Henry marries Callie Wells, a 17 year old girl expecting a child of another man. It is more than the age difference that defines the distance between them. However, the beauty of this book is the revelation of the bond that forms as the two incredible couple experiences courtship and marriage, the birth of a son, forgiveness, isolation, and work. The plot eventually turns out tragic, possibly due to the acts of will or accidents involving a cast of character that includes a religious hysteric, an amputee veteran, and a roving goat lady. Questions of innocence, guilt, redemption, and humility begin to arise which results in the discovery of grace by Henry Soames.
Grendel: This is the retelling of an epic poem “Beowulf” told from the Grendel point of view. The poem was written between 8th and 11th century. In this novel, the narrator, a monster has been residing in a cave with his mother. He listens to Shapers; a blind harpist narrates a beautiful tale about ancient warriors. Upon reaching adulthood, he asks the philosophical question of a dragon that has a fatalistic point of view of life. This makes Grendel confused as he has heard Shapers heroic view in his narration. The dragon rewards Grendel with a magical gift such that no weapons could penetrate his skin.
Sharper narrates the tale of the sons of Adam, Cain, and Abel. Humans are the descendants of Abel, while Grendel is the descendant of Cain and even though the look different, Grendel and the humans shared a common language, heritage and ways of thinking. Grendel always felt lonely and isolated and found life boring since he had no companions to share with. Grendel would keep an eye on the Scyldings and attacked them for 12 years, until the day when Beowulf and Geats arrive to help Scyldings bring an end to the monster.
When Does The Next John Gardner book come out?
John Gardner doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The Liquidator and was released on November, 25th 2010. It is the newest book in the Boysie Oakes Series.
I give Gardner credit for his foray into the Bond series, but unfortunately his efforts fell flat. I will admit I only read the first book in the series so far, but it didn’t blow me away. I have yet to decide if I’ll continue reading the series, but perhaps I’ll take a break and venture into some of Gardner’s other books. Any suggestions as to where to being are appreciated.