Eric Flint papers

Collection

Identifier: SCA-RBSC-SFWA-026

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Eric Flint Papers consists of manuscripts, correspondence, and digital materials related to Flint's science fiction authorial career. Series I is devoted to his literary works at various stages of publication including fiction series novels, standalone novels, anthologies and a small selection of works by others. This series includes drafts, revisions, page proofs, and handwritten research material. The bulk of the series pertains to Flint's expansive... 1632 series co-written with various authors.

Series II consists of Flint's correspondence with publishers and editors including a lengthy correspondence history with Henry C. Crosby Jr., who wrote exclusively under the pseudonym of Christopher Anvil.

Series III houses 10 flash drives containing the bulk of Flint's authorial work.

Dates

Creation: 1969-2019

Creator

Flint, Eric (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research under the terms of the NIU Special Collections & Archives. Photographs and photocopies of collection are prohibited.

Restrictions, where applicable, are noted at the item level.

Conditions Governing Use

Property Rights are transferred to the University Libraries per the signed Deed of Gift Document. Literary Rights are retained by the content creator. Any copyrights so stated in the materials remain in force.

Biographical Note

Eric Flint (1947-2022) was an American novelist, short story author, editor, and e-publisher writing primarily in the genres of science fiction and fantasy with a penchant for alternate histories. He graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s degree and worked toward a Ph D in History, but left academia in 1971. After this, he took various jobs, with the main one being a machinist. Eric also spent his years during that time as a political activist and... was a member of the Socialist Workers Party.

The short story that broke him onto the writing scene was entitled, "Entropy, and the Strangler" (1993) which won the Winter 1992 Writer’s of the Future Contest. He published his first novel in 1993, Mother of Demons. Flint worked collaborated with various authors including Richard Poach, David Drake, Dave Freer, Mercedes Lackey, and many others. Perhaps he is best known for the 1632 series, an expansive alternate history series with over 17 books published in addition to many fan-written and collaborative short fiction.

Flint is noted as a co-founder and editor of the Baen Free Library. The library is an ongoing experiment in electronic publishing. Both Flint and Jim Baen, his co-founder, advocated for the availability of unprotected e-books in multiple online formats. The Baen Free Library published many of Flint's experimental serializations including the Grantville Gazette, a fan-fiction ezine set in the 1632 universe.

Extent

5.05 Linear Feet : 2 record boxes; 6 archival boxes; 2 artifact boxes.

43.88 Gigabytes : 10 flash drives.

Language of Materials

English

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Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Initital donation was transfered at WindyCon 2008. Additional donations received from Eric Flint on 03/10/2010, 09/22/2010, 09/29/2011, 12/12/2012, 12/20/2013, 12/14/2014, 12/02/2015, 12/14/2017, 12/04/2018, and 12/11/2019.

Separated Materials

Autographed and limited edition books included in the Flint donations were individually catalogued in the Science Fiction Writers of America collection. These items can be found in the NIU Libraries catalog, link here.