Literary Career
Lanier's career as an author and editor began during 1961, when his first short story was published and he became an editor for Chilton Books.
He was with Chilton in 1965, when he was instrumental in persuading the firm to publish Frank Herbert’s Dune Having read Dune World in Analog magazine, he was responsible for tracking down the author and conveying Chilton's offer. More than twenty other publishing companies had already turned the book down. Ironically, Lanier's brilliant insight on the worth of the book probably led to his dismissal from Chilton a year later because of high publication costs and poor initial book sales. Lanier also worked as an editor for the John C. Winston Company and McRae-Smith.
The most prominent of Lanier's own writings are his stories of the crypto-adventurer Brigadier Donald Ffellowes (told in the 'club story' style of Lord Dunsany's Jorkens tales), and the post-apocalyptic novels Hiero’s Journey (1973) and The Unforsaken Hiero (1983). His short story "A Father's Tale" (1974) was a World Fantasy Award nominee. His major works including Hiero's Journey, The Unforsaken Hiero and the Brigadier Ffellows stories are now available in an electronic version for Kindle.
Read more about this topic: Sterling E. Lanier
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