Gary Jennings (September 20, 1928 – February 13, 1999) was an American author who wrote children's and adult novels. In 1980, after the successful novel Aztec, he specialized in writing adult
historical fiction novels.[1]
His novels were known for their historical detail and occasionally graphic content. Jennings' novels are well-researched: he lived for 12 years in
Mexico to research the Aztec novels, traveled the
Balkans while researching Raptor, and joined nine
circus troupes during the writing of Spangle. He also produced a number of novels for younger readers, such as A Rope in the Jungle and a history of the occult Black Magic, White Magic.[1]
Aztec (1980) : A story of the
Aztec empire just before and during the arrival of the Spaniards.
Aztec Autumn (1997), a story of the Aztecs following the
Spanish conquest.
Additional books in the series (Aztec Blood, 2002; Aztec Rage, 2006; Aztec Fire, 2008; Aztec Revenge, 2012) were written by Robert Gleason, Jennings's former editor, and
Junius Podrug.
Novels
The Terrible Teague Bunch (1975) : about a gang of Texas outlaws at the tail end of the Old West
Spangle (1987) : A chronicle of the lives of circus entertainers. Also released in paperback, split into a trilogy: The Road Show, The Center Ring and The Grand Promenade.
The Lively Lives of Crispin Mobey (by 'Gabriel Quyth') (1988) : "A novel of the hilarious chronicle of the exploits of an all-too-zealous missionary." Mostly assembled from a series of short stories published under Jennings's real name in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction 1972–1979.
Raptor (1992) : Thorn, a hermaphrodite, and his/her adventures in a post-Roman world.
For young adults
March of the Robots: From The Manikins Of Antiquity To The Space Robots Of Tomorrow (1962)
The Movie Book (1963)
Parades!: Celebrations and circuses on the march (1966)
The Teenager's Realistic Guide to Astrology (1971)
The Shrinking Outdoors (1972)
The Killer Storms: Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Tornadoes (1974)
Black Magic, White Magic (1975)
March of the Heroes: The folk hero through the ages (1975)
March of the Gods (1976)
The Rope in the Jungle (a novel) (1976)
March of the Demons (1977)
For preschool readers
The Earth Book (1975)
Nonfiction
Personalities of Language (1965)
World of Words: The Personalities of Language (1967)