About this episode
This episode explores the story 'Shambleau' by C L Moore, highlighting its significance in the science fiction genre and the author's contributions.
Shambleau. A name out of myth and legend. The Greeks on Earth had a name for it, as did the civilizations on countless other planets. Northwest Smith, itinerant adventurer, was about to find out just how mythical the creature was... "Shambleau" appeared in the November 1933 issue of "Weird Tales" on pages 531 to 550. "Shambleau" was the first published story of Moore's anti-hero, Northwest Smith. ----- Catherine Lucille Moore (January 24, 1911, Indianapolis, Indiana, US – April 4, 1987, Hollywood, California, US) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. She was among the first women to write in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Moore's work paved the way for many other female speculative fiction writers. Her early work included two significant series in Weird Tales. One features the rogue and adventurer Northwest Smith wandering through the Solar System; the other features the swordswoman/warrior Jirel of Joiry, one of the first female protagonists in sword-and-sorcery fiction. Moore married her first husband Henry Kuttner in 1940, and most of her work from 1940 to 1958 (Kuttner's death) was written by the couple collaboratively. They were prolific co-authors…
People in this episode
Host: Paul Lawley-Jones
Topics covered
- science fiction
- fantasy
- mythical creatures
- female authors
- adventure
Keywords
- C L Moore
- Shambleau
- Northwest Smith
- Weird Tales
- female speculative fiction
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Shambleau, Weird Tales
Places: Indianapolis, Indiana, US, Hollywood, California, US
More episodes of Golden Age Fiction
- Helen O’Loy, by Lester del Rey · June 7, 2026 · 31 min
- Runaround, by Isaac Asimov · May 31, 2026 · 47 min
- The Story of the Late Mr Elvesham, by H G Wells · May 24, 2026 · 49 min
- Compassion Circuit, by John Wyndham · May 17, 2026 · 27 min
- The Mordant, by Merab Eberle · May 10, 2026 · 31 min
- The Fate of the Poseidonia, by Clare Winger Harris · May 3, 2026 · 1h 0m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Golden Age Fiction podcast page.