The Hyborian Age Archives

Identity elements

Reference code

TxAM-CRS C000158

Name and location of repository

Level of description

Collection

Title

The Hyborian Age Archives

Date(s)

  • 1938-1968 (Creation)

Extent

1 box

Name of creator

(1907-1988)

Biographical history

John D. Clark (1907-1988) was a noted American chemist and science fiction writer and fan. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford in 1934. From 1949 to 1970 he was the Chief Chemist at the Naval Air Rocket Test Station in Dover, New Jersey, which later became the Liquid Rocket Propulsion Laboratory of Picatinny Arsenal, where he developed liquid propellants. In 1972 he published a nonfiction work, Ignition! An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants which included a preface by his friend, Isaac Asimov.

Clark was an active member of the early science fiction community. He published several stories in the 1930s with his friend L. Sprague de Camp and was friendly with other notable figures including L. Ron Hubbard and Fletcher Pratt. He became a fan of Robert E. Howard's fantasy stories in the 1930s. With P. Schuyler Miller, Clark worked out an outline of Conan's career as well as a map of his world, which he sent to Howard, who confirmed and corrected their findings, which were eventually published in the 1938 fanzine The Hyborian Age. Recognized as an early authority on Howard's work, Clark was invited to write introductions to the Gnome Press collections of his work in the 1950s. The Archive contains the materials relating to the publication and revisions of these items.

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

An archive of documents from the Robert E. Howard file of John D. Clark. Includes correspondence, manuscript (including drawn maps of Howard's Hyborian Age universe, and published material relating to the 1950s republication of Conan the Barbarian stories.

System of arrangement

Papers are arranged chronologically.

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

Physical access

These materials are stored offsite and require additional time for retrieval.

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

Language and script notes

Finding aids

Acquisition and appraisal elements

Custodial history

From the estate of John D. Clark.

Immediate source of acquisition

Purchased by L.W. Currey.

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Notes element

General note

Bib ID 3936603

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Sources used

Archivist's note

© Copyright 2012 Cushing Library. All rights reserved.

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