Scott O'Dell
Description
Scott O'Dell was an American children's author, not an original manga creator. His significance in the context of anime stems from his 1966 historical novel The King's Fifth, which served as the literary source and inspiration for the acclaimed 1982 Japanese-French anime co-production The Mysterious Cities of Gold, known in Japan as Taiyou no Ko Esteban.
Born Odell Gabriel Scott on May 23, 1898, in Los Angeles, California, O'Dell worked a variety of jobs before becoming a full-time writer. He was a cameraman and technical director in Hollywood, a book critic for the Los Angeles Mirror and the Los Angeles Daily News, and served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. His name was changed due to a typesetter's error on an early work, a new name he liked and adopted legally. He began writing fiction and articles for adults in 1934 before transitioning to children's literature in the late 1950s.
O'Dell authored 26 novels for young people, along with three adult novels and four nonfiction books. He wrote primarily historical fiction, with many of his children's novels set in historical California and Mexico. His most famous work, Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960), won the Newbery Medal in 1961. Other award-winning books include The King's Fifth (1966), The Black Pearl (1967), Sing Down the Moon (1970), and Black Star, Bright Dawn (1988), all of which were Newbery Honor books. In 1972, he received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his lasting contribution to children's literature.
The connection between O'Dell and anime is directly through The King's Fifth. This novel, whose French title is La Route de l'or, is based on the Spanish quest for the Seven Cities of Gold. It was adapted into the television anime series The Mysterious Cities of Gold, a co-production between Japan's Studio Pierrot and France's DiC Entertainment. While O'Dell is credited as the original creator for the anime, significant differences exist between the book and the series. The general theme and some character names are retained, but the anime's script was entirely rewritten. O'Dell's novel is known for its somber realism, depicting the greed of Spanish conquistadors and concluding with an unhappy ending for its heroes, a stark contrast to the more adventure-oriented tone of the animated series.
The recurring themes in O'Dell's work are consistent with those found in The King's Fifth. He frequently explored historical injustices, particularly the impact of European colonization on indigenous peoples of the Americas. His stories often feature characters in conflict with nature and their own societies, grappling with greed, survival, and moral responsibility. His writing is noted for its respect for lost cultures and its criticism of unchecked human ambition and the destruction of the natural world.
O'Dell's industry significance is considerable in the field of children's historical fiction. His work brought serious historical themes to young readers with literary sophistication. In 1981, he established the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, a 5,000 dollar prize given annually to an outstanding work of historical fiction published in English. The award continues to be given in his name. He died of prostate cancer on October 15, 1989, in Mount Kisco, New York. While not a manga artist or a creator who worked directly within the Japanese anime industry, his literary work provided the foundational story for one of the most enduring and beloved anime series of the early 1980s.
Born Odell Gabriel Scott on May 23, 1898, in Los Angeles, California, O'Dell worked a variety of jobs before becoming a full-time writer. He was a cameraman and technical director in Hollywood, a book critic for the Los Angeles Mirror and the Los Angeles Daily News, and served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. His name was changed due to a typesetter's error on an early work, a new name he liked and adopted legally. He began writing fiction and articles for adults in 1934 before transitioning to children's literature in the late 1950s.
O'Dell authored 26 novels for young people, along with three adult novels and four nonfiction books. He wrote primarily historical fiction, with many of his children's novels set in historical California and Mexico. His most famous work, Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960), won the Newbery Medal in 1961. Other award-winning books include The King's Fifth (1966), The Black Pearl (1967), Sing Down the Moon (1970), and Black Star, Bright Dawn (1988), all of which were Newbery Honor books. In 1972, he received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his lasting contribution to children's literature.
The connection between O'Dell and anime is directly through The King's Fifth. This novel, whose French title is La Route de l'or, is based on the Spanish quest for the Seven Cities of Gold. It was adapted into the television anime series The Mysterious Cities of Gold, a co-production between Japan's Studio Pierrot and France's DiC Entertainment. While O'Dell is credited as the original creator for the anime, significant differences exist between the book and the series. The general theme and some character names are retained, but the anime's script was entirely rewritten. O'Dell's novel is known for its somber realism, depicting the greed of Spanish conquistadors and concluding with an unhappy ending for its heroes, a stark contrast to the more adventure-oriented tone of the animated series.
The recurring themes in O'Dell's work are consistent with those found in The King's Fifth. He frequently explored historical injustices, particularly the impact of European colonization on indigenous peoples of the Americas. His stories often feature characters in conflict with nature and their own societies, grappling with greed, survival, and moral responsibility. His writing is noted for its respect for lost cultures and its criticism of unchecked human ambition and the destruction of the natural world.
O'Dell's industry significance is considerable in the field of children's historical fiction. His work brought serious historical themes to young readers with literary sophistication. In 1981, he established the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, a 5,000 dollar prize given annually to an outstanding work of historical fiction published in English. The award continues to be given in his name. He died of prostate cancer on October 15, 1989, in Mount Kisco, New York. While not a manga artist or a creator who worked directly within the Japanese anime industry, his literary work provided the foundational story for one of the most enduring and beloved anime series of the early 1980s.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview