Fred Saberhagen

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Fred Saberhagen bigraphy, stories - American writer

Fred Saberhagen : biography

18 May 1930 – 29 June 2007

Fred Thomas Saberhagen (May 18, 1930 – June 29, 2007) was an American science fiction and fantasy author most famous for his Berserker series of science fiction short stories and S.F. novels.

Saberhagen also wrote a series of vampire novels in which the vampires (including the famous Dracula) are the protagonists, and a series of post-apocalyptic mytho-magical novels beginning with his popular Empire of the East and continuing through a long series of Swords and Lost Swords novels. Saberhagen died of cancer, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Additional Work by Saberhagen

  1. "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Séance for a Vampire,"

more commonly recognized by his fan base for his Berserker series, Fred Saberhagen contributed this story to the series of books under the "Titan" brand label (The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes). It was released in June 2010. (in) *;

Published works

Dracula sequence

Saberhagen’s Dracula novels are based on the premise that vampires are morally equal to normal humans: they have the power to do good or evil, it is their choice. The first in the series, The Dracula Tape, is the story of Bram Stoker’s Dracula told from Dracula’s point of view. (Saberhagen depicts Dracula as the historical figure Vlad Ţepeş, who as voivode of Wallachia was known as Drakulya, who in Saberhagen’s stories became a vampire after being murdered. The character said it was "by a transcendent act of will" that he refused to die but in reality it’s apparent that even he is uncertain how he really became a vampire. Most vampires in the series are created when a human drinks the blood of another vampire which he claims he never did. In this version, Dracula survives the best efforts of Harker, Van Helsing and company, who are portrayed largely as bungling fools, Van Helsing in particular as a fraud and heretic. Dracula was violent and ill-tempered but nonetheless is bound by his own sense of honor and is loyal to his loved ones. Dracula, in his mortal life, fought the encroach of the Ottoman Turkish Empire into Europe. ("There is not an ounce of soil here which has not been enriched by the blood of patriots.") In later novels, Dracula interacts with other literary characters including Sherlock Holmes. This series was often listed in Ace promotional materials as "The New Dracula". His success with this series was such that he was hired to write the novelization of the 1992 movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

  1. The Dracula Tape (Warner June 1975) / (Ace Jan. 1980)
  2. The Holmes-Dracula File (Ace Nov. 1978). Allegedly this was not Saberhagen’s choice of title, as it gives away what was intended to be a surprise plot point.
  3. An Old Friend of the Family (Ace June 1979)
  4. Thorn (Ace Sep. 1980); text restored and/or revised: (Tor Feb. 1990)
  5. Dominion (Tor June 1982)
  • "From the Tree of Time" (short story) Sorceror’s Apprentice #14 1982
A Matter of Taste (Tor July 1990) A Question of Time (Tor May 1992) Seance for a Vampire (Tor June 1994); republished as The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Seance for a Vampire (Titan Books, June 2010) A Sharpness on the Neck (Tor Oct. 1996) 
  • "Box Number Fifty" (short story). Dracula in London, ed. P. N. Elrod, Ace Nov. 2001
A Coldness In the Blood (Tor Oct. 2002) 

Volumes 3 & 4 were reprinted in omnibus version Vlad Tapes, (Baen July 2000)

Ardneh sequence

Empire of the East series

  1. The Broken Lands, (Ace 1968)
  2. The Black Mountains, (Ace 1971)
  3. Changeling Earth, (DAW Feb. 1973); revised as Ardneh’s World for 1979 printing, see below
  4. Ardneh’s Sword, (Tor May 2006)