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Kurtz, Katherine

Entry updated 11 March 2024. Tagged: Author.

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(1944-    ) US author employed in various fields including oceanography and cancer research, as well as a stint as instructional designer for the Los Angeles Police Department. Her fiction, basically Fantasy, though with a sensation of underlying premises arguable in sf terms, has been dominated from the beginning by the unfolding Chronicles of the Deryni sequences, all set in a highly detailed, coherent Parallel World whose society is hierarchical and in many of its aspects medieval Welsh. By internal chronology they are: The Legends of Camber of Culdi, comprising Camber of Culdi (1976), Saint Camber (1978) and Camber the Heretic (1980); The Heirs of Saint Camber, comprising The Harrowing of Gwynedd (1989), King Javan's Year (1992) and The Bastard Prince (1994); The Chronicles of the Deryni comprising Deryni Rising (1970), Deryni Checkmate (1972) and High Deryni (1973) – all assembled as The Chronicles of the Deryni (omni 1985) – King Javan's Year (1992) and The Bastard Prince (1994); and The Histories of King Kelson, comprising The Bishop's Heir (1984), The King's Justice (1985), The Quest for Saint Camber (1986) and King Kelson's Bride (2000). These chronicles tell the history of a group of humans whose witchlike Psi Powers, the explanation for which hovers between sf and mysticism, cause them to be persecuted by a medieval Church. The first-written novel Deryni Rising is perhaps the best, but the whole is generally much above average for Heroic Fantasy and is well characterized, although sometimes archaic and modern language clash. Appended to the series are two supplementary volumes: The Deryni Archives (1986) and Deryni Magic: A Grimoire (1991).

Kurtz's other work of interest includes The Legacy of Lehr (1986), juvenile sf; and the Adam Smith sequence with Deborah Turner Harris [for these titles and for other fantasies, see Checklist]. [JC/PN]

see also: Del Rey Books; Magic.

Katherine Irene Kurtz

born Coral Gables, Florida: 18 October 1944

works

series

Chronicles of the Deryni

  • Deryni Rising (New York: Ballantine Books, 1970) [Chronicles of the Deryni: pb/Bob Pepper]
  • Deryni Checkmate (New York: Ballantine Books, 1972) [Chronicles of the Deryni: pb/Bob Pepper]
  • High Deryni (New York: Ballantine Books, 1973) [Chronicles of the Deryni: pb/Alan Mardon]
    • The Chronicles of the Deryni (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1985) [omni of the above three: Chronicles of the Deryni: hb/Dan Horne]

Chronicles of the Deryni: Legends of Camber of Culdi

  • Camber of Culdi (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1976) [Chronicles of the Deryni: Legends of Camber of Culdi: pb/Ted Coconis]
  • Saint Camber (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1978) [Chronicles of the Deryni: Legends of Camber of Culdi: pb/Darrell K Sweet]
  • Camber the Heretic (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1980) [Chronicles of the Deryni: Legends of Camber of Culdi: pb/Darrell K Sweet]

Chronicles of the Deryni: Histories of King Kelson

  • The Bishop's Heir (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1984) [Chronicles of the Deryni: Histories of King Kelson: hb/Darrell K Sweet]
  • The King's Justice (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1985) [Chronicles of the Deryni: Histories of King Kelson: hb/Darrell K Sweet]
  • The Quest for Saint Camber (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1986) [Chronicles of the Deryni: Histories of King Kelson: hb/Darrell K Sweet]
  • King Kelson's Bride (New York: Ace Books, 2000) [Chronicles of the Deryni: Histories of King Kelson: hb/Jon Sullivan]

Chronicles of the Deryni: Heirs of Saint Camber

  • The Harrowing of Gwynedd (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1989) [Chronicles of the Deryni: Heirs of Saint Camber: hb/Michael Herring]
  • King Javan's Year (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1992) [Chronicles of the Deryni: Heirs of Saint Camber: hb/Michael Herring]
  • The Bastard Prince (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1994) [Chronicles of the Deryni: Heirs of Saint Camber: hb/Edwin Herder]

Chronicles of the Deryni: The Childe Morgan

Chronicles of the Deryni: miscellaneous titles

  • The Deryni Archives (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1986) [coll: Chronicles of the Deryni: pb/Darrell K Sweet]
  • Deryni Magic: A Grimoire (New York: Ballantine Books/Del Rey, 1991) [Chronicles of the Deryni: pb/Michael Herring]
  • Codex Derynianus (Grass Valley, California: Underwood Books, 1998) with Robert Reginald [guide to Deryni: hb/Hannah M G Shapiro]
    • Codex Derynianus II (Grass Valley, California: Underwood Books, 2005) with Robert Reginald [exp vt of the above: guide to Deryni: pb/Hannah M G Shapiro]
  • Venture in Vain (San Bernardino, California: Millefleurs, 2001) [story: chap: Deryni: pb/]
  • Deryni Tales (New York: Ace Books, 2002) [anth: Chronicles of the Deryni: pb/Victor Stabin]
  • The King's Deryni (New York: Ace Books, 2014) [Chronicles of the Deryni: hb/S Ferdon, Christopher Brewer, Christos Georghiou]

Adam Smith/Adept

Knights Templar

individual titles

works as editor

series

Knights Templar

about the author

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