The recent Outlander series hit has allowed many readers to discover the work of Diana Gabaldon, an American writer who began specializing in ecological studies to end up becoming the author of historical fiction. We invite you to immerse yourself in the biography and best books of Diana Gabaldon in order to travel through new worlds and characters.
Biography of Diana Gabaldon
Photography: Gage Skidmore
Born to a father of Mexican descent and a mother of English origins, Diana Gabaldon (1952, Arizona) never thought of writing as a means of success as a child. In fact, after growing in the population of Flagstaff, in Arizona, studied Zoology at Northern Arizona University between 1970 and 1973, training that was linked to a master's degree in Marine Biology and a doctorate in Behavioral Ecology.
After starting work at the Center for Environmental Studies at Arizona State University, in the early 80s the future writer began to combine her research in databases and her anatomy classes with writing scientific articles, passion that led her to found the Science Software Quarterly magazine. Shortly after, already seduced by the writing, she began to create content for Disney-edited comics.
Her transition to writing led her to set herself the task of starting a novel without the slightest aspiration to publish it, but simply as a way to prove herself. He decided to write historical fiction, despite his lack of training in this area but relying on his ability to investigate and collect data. However, inspiration was slow to come. It would be in 1988, watching a chapter of the television series Dr. Who, when the appearance of a certain Scottish boy named Jamie MacCrimmon would lay the basis for her first work: a story set in XNUMXth century Scotland and starring James Fraser. At the same time, and as a way to convey his own perspective on history, Gabaldon created a female protagonist who could travel from a more recent time to the past through time.
That's how he was born Outlander (known in Spanish as Forastera), title of a first work that would be awarded the RITA prize of the Romance Writers of America association in 1991, at the same time that hundreds of copies were sold that were followed by others seven deliveries that make up one of the most exciting literary sagas of the last years.
So much so that the novel itself was adapted as a television series in 2014. A new way to discover the work of a writer who, in addition to the novel, has dared with other genres and formats such as the comic, the short story or even the graphic novel.
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Best books by Diana Gabaldon
Outsider Saga
The well-known Outlander saga began to take shape in the late 80s until the first title, Outside, was published in 1991. The story of Forastera counts as protagonist with Claire Randall, a nurse who during World War II she is reunited with her partner, without foreseeing the presence of some strange stones that, after being discovered, provoke in her a strange trance. Upon awakening, Claire realizes that traveled to Scotland in 1734, stage where you will meet James fraser, a soldier with great abilities to learn different languages. An interesting story that, thanks to its perfect combination of romance, science fiction and history, would become a success, leading to another seven books that became multisold after their respective publications:
Trapped in time (1992)
En Trapped in time, Claire returns to the scene of the first novel accompanied by her daughter Brianna and a brilliant historian named Roger. On this occasion, the protagonist will try to set out in search of the graves of the fallen in the Battle of Culloden in 1745.
Traveler (1994)
The third title in the saga, Traveler, draws on more exotic influences as he brings Claire and James' adventures to the Caribbean islands during the colonial days of British rule.
Drums of Autumn (1997)
Set in 1766, Drums of autumn moves its two protagonists to America, a continent where they arrive to settle in the mountains of North Carolina in order to get away from the American Revolution. In this history Claire's daughter Brianna takes on a bigger role when entering a parallel adventure in order to know the origin of his father traveling since 1968.
The burning cross (2001)
The burning cross It is set in 1771 and is considered one of the most exciting in the series. In it Claire, even knowing the effects that the conflicts will have in the future, decides to take part in the confrontation between the English Crown and the thirteen American colonies.
Wind and Ash (2005)
Catapulted to the number 1 of best sellers from The New York Times, Wind and ash It is set one year after the previous one, once the effects of the revolution have turned the streets of America into a sea of bodies and uncertainty.
Echoes of the Past (2009)
Still immersed in the American Revolution, the protagonists will try to take advantage of Claire's ability to divine the future after her many trips in order to save as many members of the family as possible.
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Written with the blood of my heart (2014)
En Written with the blood of my heart, the last installment of the saga published until now, the American Revolution comes to an end at the same time that Claire must debate between the love of two men.
In turn, the Forastera saga has also been the subject of the odd story or anthology based on the content of the work. For example, the guide The Outlandish Companion, published in 1999, or the short story A leaf on the wind of all hallowes, which was released in 2010.
Finally, a saga also drinks from Outsider as a spin off: Lord john, composed of five short novels and three long novels published between 1998 and 2011.
The next book in the series will be called Go tell the bees that I am gone, although the release date has not yet been announced.
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