ISLAND FICTION — CHRONOLOGICAL

AUTHORS HAVE BEEN BASING FICTIONAL ACCOUNTS ON AND AROUND THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS SINCE 1902. THE STORIES ARE LISTED CHRONOLOGICALLY AND SPAN MORE THAN A CENTURY.

ISLAND FICTION — CHRONOLOGICAL

• 1902. Holder, Charles Frederick. The Adventures of Torqua Being the life and remarkable adventures of three boys, refugees on the Island of Santa Catalina in the 18th century. [1] Boston: Little Brown 1902. 282 pages.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 1911. Herbert, Victor. Natoma An Operetta in Three Acts, one of which is on Santa Cruz Island.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1915. Atherton, Gertrude. The Splendid Idle Forties. Stories of Old California. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, (1915). Red cloth. 389 pages. The Isle of Skulls is a short story about San Miguel Island, pp. 255-280. Originally published as Before the Gringo Came, 1894. First appeared as Splendid Idle Forties in 1902. Gertrude Atherton (1857-1948) was born in San Francisco. She began her literary career late in life, in the 1880s, and produced books until she was almost 90. [=Franklin Horn.]

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily] [Baird & Greenwood #113]

• 1921. Herr, Charlotte Bronte. Their Mariposa Legend A Romance of Santa Catalina Island. Illustrated by Orrin White. Pasadena: Post Printing and Binding, 1921. Printed hard cover. 106 pages. First issue May, 1921. 106 pages. Signed: Very sincerely yours, Charlotte B. Herr.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1920. Conrad, Joseph. The Rescue London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1920. First English edition in d.j. A Romance of the Shallows. Filmed at Santa Cruz Island.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 1921. Conrad, Joseph. The Rescue A Romance of the Shallows. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1921. 470 pages, cloth in pictorial dust jacket. A Romance of the Shallows. Illustrated with scenes from the photoplay starring Ronald Coleman. A Samuel Goldwyn picture released by United Artists. Photographs show filming at Santa Cruz Island. Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was a Ukraine-born novelist who settled in England.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1925 & 1926. Gibbs, Robert A. The Page Cadets at Catalina (Volume 1: Western Tales; Volume 2: Sea Stories. ) Los Angeles: Page Military Academy, 1925 & 1926. Orange pictorial cloth. 284 & 304 pages. The author was Headmaster of Page Military Academy. These volumes contain stories told to the youthful cadets while in camp on Santa Catalina Island.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily] [Not in Baird & Greenwood]

• 1931 Culp, William Maurice. Tumba of Torrey Pines With thirty-six block prints by Harry Howes Hall. First edition in d.j. San Francisco: Harr Wagner Publishing Company, 1931. Decorated yellow boards in dust jacket. 115 pages. Torrey Pines are endemic to Santa Rosa Island and San Diego, CA. This is a fictional romantic narrative about the trees.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1939. Rigsby, Howard Vechel. Voyage to Leandro New York: Harper & Brothers, 1939. Blue-green cloth. 242 pages. An adventure novel which takes place on the mythical California Channel Island of Leandro. The voyage begins in San Francisco Harbor, and proceeds around several of the southern California islands. "Off the south coast of southern California, there is a handful of small, arid, chaparral-grown islands, one of which, Catalina, is famous...Of all these islands, Leandro is the most inaccessible and desolate and the days I spent there shall always haunt me."

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily] [Not in Baird & Greenwood]

• Clason, Clyde B. Murder Gone Minoan New York: Doubleday, Doran & Co., 1939. Red cloth. 304 pages. Published for the Crime Club, Inc. A murder mystery novel set on an island kingdom off the coast of California. A mild little detective, Professor Theocritus Lucius Westborough, solves the crime involving a department store magnate.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily] [Baird & Greenwood #488]

• 1940. Parsons, Ruth & Verne Valcour. Fiesta Los Angeles: Odyssey Book House, 1940. First edition. Red cloth with pictorial dust jacket. 606 pages. Signed by both authors and dated July 1940. An adventure mystery and romance set in early Santa Barbara with scenes set also on Santa Cruz Island. "A captivating novel of adventure, mystery and romance in the colorful days of early Santa Barbara." "The fascinating story of Barbara Gomez... of an old Santa Barbara family which many years ago held a Spanish royal grant to Santa Cruz Island." Characters include Old Jose, a shepherd on Santa Cruz Island. Map of Santa Cruz Island facing title page. Place names include Painted Cave, Ruby Rock, Hazzard Cove, Lady's Harbor, Punta Diablo, Fry's Harbor, Pelican Bay, Prisoners Harbor, China Harbor, Cavern Point.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily] [Baird & Greenwood #1977]

• 1958. Caire, Helen. Señor Castillo: Cock of Santa Cruz Island New York: Rinehart and Company, 1958. 75 pages. First edition in d.j. Fictional story about an island rooster and his adventures on Santa Cruz Island. The author was the granddaughter of island owner, Justinain Caire. She spent time as a child on the island.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 1958. Marble, Dana. Sail Into Silence New York: Mystery House, 1958. Grey cloth in pictorial dust jacket. 221 pages. First edition in d.j. A Mystery House fictional drama which takes place aboard a 38 foot yawl anchored at Smugglers Cove, Santa Cruz Island.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1960. O'Dell, Scott. Island of the Blue Dolphins New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1960. 182 pages. First edition in dust jacket. Inscribed, by the author: To Ingle Barr I wrote this for children, but even so you may like it since it has two levels of thought and the chime is for everyone. Children, for instance, will find the ending a happy one, but it really went to the seeing eye of the adult. Scott O'Dell, September 1960." It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, a Native American left alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island in the 19th century. The 50th Anniversary edition includes a new introduction by Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry and also includes extracts from Father Gonzales Rubio in the Santa Barbara Mission's Book of Burials. Island of the Blue Dolphins won the Newbery Medal in 1961. It was adapted into a film of the same name in 1964. O'Dell later wrote a sequel, ZIA, published in 1976.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1963. Shannon, Terry. Wakapoo and the Flying Arrows. Chicago: Albert Whitman & Company, 1963. Children's book, illustrated by Charles Payzant. In color. Opening sentence: Birds sang and small animals scurried about on the island of Santa Cruz, off the coast of Southern California... First edition in pictorial boards, 48 pages; ex-lib.marks, poor condition.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1982. O'Dell, Scott. The Spanish Smile Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1982. First edition, cloth in pictorial dust jacket 182 pages. A novel takes place on Isla de Oro off the coast of California. "Lucinda's life on Isla de Oro, off the coast of California, had always been like that of a young princess..."

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1985. Tompkins, Walker Allison DX Brings Danger Philadelphia: Macrae, 1985. A ham radio novel based on San Miguel Island. Wraps.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 1990. Lee, Rebecca Lawrence. Kori and the Island of Enchantment Santa Barbara: Fithian Press, 1990. Wraps. 80 pages. A fictional children's novel based on Santa Cruz Island. First edition.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1992. Thornton, Lawrence Ghost Woman New York: Tichnor & Fields, 1992. 302 pages. A novel loosely based on the Chumash Indians and the story of the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 1995. Hudson, Gary. A Killing on Catalina USA: Belle Publishing, 1995. Wraps. 224 pages. Illustrated with photographs and a map of Avalon Harbor. Signed by the author.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• William, Kate. A Killer on Board New York: Bantam Books, 1995. Wraps. 227 pages. Sweet Valley High. Juvenile novel set off Santa Catalina Island.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1996. Bray, Marian F. Lost on Catalina Island Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996. Wraps. 125 pages. Juvenile story set on Santa Catalina Island. The author lives in Santa Ana, California and was director of the Christian Writer Fellowship.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 1996. Gibbs, Tony. Shot in the Dark New York: The Mysterious Press, 1996. Blue boards in dust jacket. 328 pages.The first Harbormaster Mystery Novel. Set at Santa Barbara Harbor. Harbormaster Neal Donahoe works with Coast Guard Lieut. Tory Lennox on a drug bust. A DEA boat is sunk off San Pedro Point, Santa Cruz Island.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1997. Gibbs, Tony. Fade to Black New York: The Mysterious Press, 1997. 245 pages. Black boards in dust jacket. The second Harbormaster Mystery Novel. Set at Santa Barbara Harbor. Includes action at San Miguel Island.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1997. Sessions, Richard. Island Woman Oregon: Arch Grove Press, 1997. First edition. Pictorial wraps. 287 pages. Abby Spence, a recent graduate of Reed College, time travels to to the Channel Islands in an adventure in history and time. On Santa Cruz Island she encounters Chumash Indians and Spaniards.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• Woods, Stuart. Swimming to Catalina New York: Harper Collins, 1998. First edition in d.j. A novel about the kidnapping of Arriana Harrington, wife of Hollywood star, Vance Calder. Calder hires New York detective Stone Barrington to find her. She is kept aboard Contessa, anchored off Santa Catalina Island.

[original in SCIF archives] [ex-lib M. D. Daily]

• 1999. Landauer, Lyndall. Ride the Scorpion 1999. First edition in d.j. In 1939 with the world on the brink of war, Christy Ogden receives an invitation from a college chum to go on a sailing vacation off the coast of California (Santa Cruz Island). She learns to sail, is involved in adventure, excitement and danger and meets someone who changes her life forever. XLibris (self-publishing).

[original in SCIF archives]

• Hoffman, Margaret . Dead in the Water North Carolina: Coastal Plains Publishing, 2003. First edition in d.j. Inside the labyrinth of a very real cave on Santa Cruz Island, reality melts into suspense and murder. Rear cover blurb by Marla Daily. Also uncorrected proofs in wraps.

[originals in SCIF archives]

• 2004. Barre, Richard. Burning Moon Santa Barbara: Capra Press, 2004. First edition in d.j. The 5th Wil Hardesty novel. Off San Miguel Island a fishing boat struggles in the battering-ram seas and binding rain of a sudden squall.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 2006. Erickson, John. Devil's Ashes unpublished manuscript. Young adult novel, (2006).

[original in SCIF archives]

• 2007. Colt, Jennifer. The Con Artist of Catalina Island Santa Monica: Tessera Books, 2007. Wraps. A McAffee Twins Christmas Novel.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 2011. Boyle, T. C. When the Killing's Done. New York: Bloomsbury, 2011. Advance uncorrected proofs—not for sale. Wraps. Inscribed by the author to Marla [Daily] Environmental drama set on Santa Cruz Island.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 2011. Boyle, T. C. When the Killing's Done. New York: Bloomsbury, 2011. First edition in d.j. Environmental drama set on Santa Cruz Island.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 2012 . Boyle, T. C. San Miguel New York: Bloomsbury, 2012. Wraps. Advance uncorrected proofs. Wraps. 367 pages. Fictionalized accounts of the lives of the Waters and Lester families on San Miguel Island.

[original in SCIF archives]

• 2015. Kornreich, Dale Santa Cruz. The Island of Limuw United States: ebook, 2015. 673 pages. First edition. Wraps.

[original in SCIF archives]