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John Varley Papers

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Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

John Varley was born in Austin, Texas, in 1947 and attended Michigan State University before travelling and settling upon a career in writing. Between 1977 and 1980, Varley published a trilogy, beginning with The Ophiuchi Hotline and concluding with The Titan, and The Wizard. Varley's most well-known collections of short stories are The Persistence of Vision, In the Hall of the Martian Kings, and The Barbie Murders and Other Stories. Since 1974 Varley has published dozens of short stories in a variety of science fiction magazines. After years of work, Varley saw his story "Millennium" transformed into a film starring Cheryl Ladd and Kris Kristofferson in 1988. Varley has won the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards several times each.

This collection consists primarily of manuscripts and proofs of stories, novels, and movie screenplays. The manuscripts include typescripts and proofs for novels, stories, and film treatments including "Blue Champagne," "Entropy," "Air Raid," The Gate, Galaxy, Labyrinth, "Millennium," Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, "Press Enter," The Master, The Ophiuchi Hotline, Titan, The Phantom of Kansas, "The Persistence of Vision," "The Pusher," "Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo," Steel Beach, and Wizard. Related to Varley's work as a screenwriter are clippings, memoranda, conceptual drawings, architectural drawings, color negatives, storyboards, scripts, photographs, videotapes, crew lists, production stills, production schedules, typescripts, notes, and a small amount of correspondence, primarily related to the production of Millennium.

The collection is arranged into 2 series as follows:

Series 1: John Varley Papers, circa 1970s-1990s
Series 2: 1990-2005 Additions, circa 1970s-2005

Donated by John Varley, 1977-2005.

Original audiovisual materials, as well as preservation and duplicating masters, may not be played. Researchers must consult use copies, or if none exist must pay for a use copy. Certain digital files may also be inaccessible. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.

Original accession processed and finding aid prepared in approximately 1993. Finding aid revised according to contemporary archival standards and additional accessions added in December 2014 by Katy Rawdon, Coordinator of Technical Services.

Publisher
Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
Finding Aid Author
Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
Finding Aid Date
October 2024
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research. Photocopying of more than three pages requires the permission of the author. Permission to quote from or copy any part of Gas Giant is expressly denied by the author.

Use Restrictions

The John Varley Papers are in the custody of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.

Collection Inventory

Scope and Contents

Series 1 is comprised of manuscript and proofs of short stories, novels, and screenplays by Varley, film production records and videotapes from the making of the movie Millennium, and a small number of color photographic negatives.

"Air Raid", undated.
Box 1 Folder 1
"Amputee", undated.
Box 1 Folder 2
"Bagatelle", undated.
Box 1 Folder 3
"Bagatelle", undated.
Box 1 Folder 4
"Barbie Murders", undated.
Box 1 Folder 5
"Barbie Murders", undated.
Box 1 Folder 6
"Beatnik Bayou", undated.
Box 1 Folder 7
"Bellman", undated.
Box 1 Folder 8
"Black Hole Passes", undated.
Box 1 Folder 9
"Blue Champagne", undated.
Box 1 Folder 10
'"Blue Champagne", undated.
Box 1 Folder 11
"Choice of Enemies", undated.
Box 1 Folder 12
"Entropy", undated.
Box 1 Folder 13
"Equinoctial", undated.
Box 1 Folder 14
"Equinoctial, undated.
Box 1 Folder 15
Demon, first draft, circa 1980s.
Box 2 Folder 1
Demon, first draft, circa 1980s.
Box 2 Folder 2
Demon, second draft, circa 1980s.
Box 2 Folder 3
Demon, second draft, circa 1980s.
Box 2 Folder 4
Demon, second draft, circa 1980s.
Box 2 Folder 5
Demon, fragment, typesetting copy, circa 1980s.
Box 2 Folder 6
"Funhouse Effect", undated.
Box 3 Folder 1
"Funhouse Effect", undated.
Box 3 Folder 2
Galaxy, first, second drafts, screenplay, undated.
Box 3 Folder 3
Galaxy, first, second drafts, screenplay, undated.
Box 3 Folder 4
The Gate, treatment and novel, undated.
Box 3 Folder 5
The Gate, treatment and novel, undated.
Box 3 Folder 6
The Gate, treatment and novel, undated.
Box 3 Folder 7
"Goodbye, Robinson Crusoe," draft, proofs, undated.
Box 3 Folder 8
"Goodbye, Robinson Crusoe," draft, proofs, undated.
Box 3 Folder 9
"Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance," draft, rewrite, undated.
Box 3 Folder 10
"Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance," draft, rewrite, undated.
Box 3 Folder 11
Gas Giant, first draft, undated.
Box 4 Folder 1
Gas Giant, first draft, undated.
Box 4 Folder 2
Gas Giant, second draft, undated.
Box 4 Folder 3
Gas Giant, second draft, undated.
Box 4 Folder 4
Gas Giant, original typescript, undated.
Box 4 Folder 5
Gas Giant, original typescript, undated.
Box 4 Folder 6
Gas Giant, original typescript, undated.
Box 4 Folder 7
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, screenplay, undated.
Box 5 Folder 1
"In the Bowl", undated.
Box 5 Folder 2
"In the Hall of Martian Kings", undated.
Box 5 Folder 3
Labyrinth, original treatment, undated.
Box 5 Folder 4
Labyrinth, screenplay, first draft, undated.
Box 5 Folder 5
Labyrinth, screenplay, second draft, undated.
Box 5 Folder 6
"Lollipop and Tar Baby", undated.
Box 5 Folder 7
"Lollipop and Tar Baby", undated.
Box 5 Folder 8
The Ophiuchi Hotline, draft/notes, circa 1970s.
Box 6 Folder 1
The Ophiuchi Hotline, additional draft/notes, circa 1970s.
Box 6 Folder 2
The Ophiuchi Hotline, typesetting draft, circa 1970s.
Box 6 Folder 3
The Ophiuchi Hotline, typesetting draft, circa 1970s.
Box 6 Folder 4
The Ophiuchi Hotline, typesetting draft, circa 1970s.
Box 6 Folder 5
The Ophiuchi Hotline, corrections/proofs, circa 1970s.
Box 6 Folder 6
The Ophiuchi Hotline, corrections/proofs, circa 1970s.
Box 6 Folder 7
The Ophiuchi Hotline, first draft, undated.
Box 7 Folder 1
The Ophiuchi Hotline, draft, undated.
Box 7 Folder 2
The Ophiuchi Hotline, draft, undated.
Box 7 Folder 3
The Ophiuchi Hotline, revised draft, undated.
Box 7 Folder 4
Millennium, novel, discarded first draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 8 Folder 1
Millennium, first draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 8 Folder 2
Millennium, first draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 8 Folder 3
Millennium, first draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 8 Folder 4
Millennium, typesetting draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 8 Folder 5
Millennium, typesetting draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 8 Folder 6
Millennium, typesetting draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 8 Folder 7
Millennium, Screenplay Air Raid, treatment, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 1
Millennium, treatment, draft 1 and 2, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 2
Millennium, treatment, draft 1 and 2, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 3
Millennium, research notes, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 4
Millennium, first draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 5
Millennium, first draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 6
Millennium, first draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 7
Millennium, second draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 8
Millennium, third draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 9
Millennium, third draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 10
Millennium, third draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 11
Millennium, third draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 12
Millennium, 4th draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 13
Millennium, 4th draft, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 14
Millennium, revisions, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 15
Millennium, revisions, circa 1970s-1980s.
Box 9 Folder 16
Millennium, director's version, May 1983.
Box 10 Folder 1
Millennium, revised draft, April 1987.
Box 10 Folder 2
Millennium, revised draft, April 1987.
Box 10 Folder 3
Millennium, revised, February 18, 1988.
Box 10 Folder 4
Millennium, revised, February 18, 1988.
Box 10 Folder 5
Millennium, revised, February 24, 1988.
Box 10 Folder 6
Millennium, revised, May 1988.
Box 10 Folder 7
Millennium, revised, May 1988.
Box 10 Folder 8
Millennium, revised, May 1988.
Box 10 Folder 9
Millennium, revised, May 1988.
Box 10 Folder 10
Millennium, revised scenes, 1980s.
Box 10 Folder 11
Millennium, revised scenes, 1980s.
Box 10 Folder 12
Millennium, film production, memoranda, correspondence, 1980s.
Box 11 Folder 1
Millennium, film production, crew lists, 1980s.
Box 11 Folder 2
Millennium, film production, clippings, 1980s.
Box 11 Folder 3
Millennium, film production, publicity/box office, 1980s.
Box 11 Folder 4
Millennium, film production, critique, November 1982-March 1983.
Box 11 Folder 5
Millennium, film production, critique, November 1982-March 1983.
Box 11 Folder 6
Millennium, film production, daily location schedules, June 1988.
Box 11 Folder 7
Millennium, film production, daily location schedules, June 1988.
Box 11 Folder 8
Millennium, film production, crew/cast photos, 1980s.
Box 12 Folder 1
Millennium, film production, research/work flow, 1980s.
Box 12 Folder 2
Millennium, film production, production stills, 1980s.
Box 12 Folder 3
Millennium, film production, production stills, 1980s.
Box 12 Folder 4
Millennium, film production, storyboards, March-April 1988.
Box 12 Folder 5
Millennium, film production, storyboards, March-April 1988.
Box 12 Folder 6
Millennium, film production, storyboards, March-April 1988.
Box 12 Folder 7
Millennium, film production, continuity sketches, March 24, 1988.
Box 12 Folder 8
Millennium, film production, continuity sketches, March 28, May 9 and 16, 1988.
Box 12 Folder 9
Millennium, Videotapes, 1980s.
Box 13 Folder 1
Millennium, Videotapes/slides, 1980s.
Box 14 Folder 1
Millennium, 63 drawings and sketches for sets, circa 1980s.
Map Folder M43a Folder 1
Millennium, 63 drawings and sketches for sets, circa 1980s.
Map Folder M43a Folder 2
"Persistence of Vision," original draft, undated.
Box 15 Folder 1
"Persistence of Vision," corrected draft, undated.
Box 15 Folder 2
"Persistence of Vision," corrected draft, undated.
Box 15 Folder 3
"Persistence of Vision," galleys, undated.
Box 15 Folder 4
Phantom of Kansas, screenplay, original draft, undated.
Box 15 Folder 5
Phantom of Kansas, second draft, undated.
Box 15 Folder 6
"Picnic at Nearside," draft, undated.
Box 15 Folder 7
"Picnic at Nearside," proofs, undated.
Box 15 Folder 8
"The Manhattan Phone Book," draft, undated.
Box 16 Folder 1
"Manikins," original draft, undated.
Box 16 Folder 2
"Manikins," proofs, undated.
Box 16 Folder 3
The Master, treatment, undated.
Box 16 Folder 4
The Master, notes, undated.
Box 16 Folder 5
The Master, screenplay, first, second drafts, undated.
Box 16 Folder 6
The Master, screenplay, first, second drafts, undated.
Box 16 Folder 7
"Press Enter," draft, undated.
Box 16 Folder 8
"PSI Olympics," draft, undated.
Box 16 Folder 9
"The Pusher," draft, undated.
Box 16 Folder 10
Published stories, copies, undated.
Box 16 Folder 11
"Options," draft, undated.
Box 16 Folder 12
"Overdrawn at Memory Bank," draft, undated.
Box 16 Folder 13
"Retrograde Summer," draft, undated.
Box 16 Folder 14
"Scoreboard," draft, undated.
Box 16 Folder 15
Steel Beach, first draft, circa 1990s.
Box 17 Folder 1
Steel Beach, first draft, circa 1990s.
Box 17 Folder 2
Steel Beach, first draft, circa 1990s.
Box 17 Folder 3
Steel Beach, first draft, circa 1990s.
Box 17 Folder 4
Steel Beach, second draft, circa 1990s.
Box 18 Folder 1
Steel Beach, second draft, circa 1990s.
Box 18 Folder 2
Steel Beach, second draft, circa 1990s.
Box 18 Folder 3
Steel Beach, second draft, circa 1990s.
Box 18 Folder 4
Steel Beach, third draft, circa 1990s.
Box 19 Folder 1
Steel Beach, third draft, circa 1990s.
Box 19 Folder 2
Steel Beach, third draft, circa 1990s.
Box 19 Folder 3
Steel Beach, third draft, circa 1990s.
Box 19 Folder 4
Steel Beach, research/background info., circa 1990s.
Box 19 Folder 5
Steel Beach, chapter 1, critique, circa 1990s.
Box 19 Folder 6
Steel Beach, pasteups, chapter headings, circa 1990s.
Box 19 Folder 7
Titan, notes/fragments, circa 1970s.
Box 20 Folder 1
Titan, original draft, circa 1970s.
Box 20 Folder 2
Titan, first draft, circa 1970s.
Box 20 Folder 3
Titan, first draft, circa 1970s.
Box 20 Folder 4
Titan, second draft, circa 1970s.
Box 20 Folder 5
Titan, second draft, circa 1970s.
Box 20 Folder 6
Titan, second draft, circa 1970s.
Box 20 Folder 7
Titan, revised draft/typesetting copy, circa 1970s.
Box 21 Folder 1
Titan, revised draft/typesetting copy, circa 1970s.
Box 21 Folder 2
Titan, revised draft/typesetting copy, circa 1970s.
Box 21 Folder 3
Titan, First Feature, typesetting copy, circa 1970s.
Box 21 Folder 4
Titan, Second Feature, typesetting feature, circa 1970s.
Box 21 Folder 5
Titan, Third Feature, typesetting copy, circa 1970s.
Box 21 Folder 6
"Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo," draft, undated.
Box 22 Folder 1
"The Unprocessed Word," draft, undated.
Box 22 Folder 2
Wizard, first draft, circa 1970s.
Box 22 Folder 3
Wizard, early draft, circa 1970s.
Box 22 Folder 4
Wizard, early draft, circa 1970s.
Box 22 Folder 5
Wizard, typesetting copy, circa 1970s.
Box 22 Folder 6
Wizard, typesetting copy, circa 1970s.
Box 22 Folder 7
Wizard, typesetting copy, circa 1970s.
Box 22 Folder 8
"Win Free Sex", undated.
Box 22 Folder 9
Wizard, galleys, circa 1970s.
Box 23 Folder 1
Color negatives, personal, undated.
Box 23 Folder 2

Scope and Contents

Series 2 contains later additions to the papers, including manuscripts, proofs, and screenplays, as well as correspondence and ephemera related to Varley's work.

Millennium, The Ophiuchi Hotline, Steel Beach, Wizard, Titan, and Demon: Book jacket art and design, photographs and proofs, undated.
Box 24 Folder 1
The Barbie Murders, version 1, script by Anne Richardson and Mark Ruzzin, undated.
Box 24 Folder 2
The Barbie Murders, version 2, script by Anne Richardson and Mark Ruzzin, undated.
Box 24 Folder 3
The Barbie Murders, second draft, script by Anne Richardson and Mark Ruzzin, undated.
Box 24 Folder 4
Super-Hero anthology edited by John Varley, typescript, undated.
Box 24 Folder 5-7
Scope and Contents

Includes introduction by Varley, and stories by Steve Antczak, P. J. Beese, Jerry Bingham , Brenda W. Clough, Dwight R. Decker, Laurell K. Hamilton, Gerald Hausman, Alan Dean Foster, Roland J. Green, Richard A. Knaak, Brad Linaweaver, William Marden, Frieda A. Murray, Jody Lynn Nye, Dennis O'Neil, Jonathan V. Post, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Mike Resnick and Schimel, Josepha Sherman, Michael A. Stackpole, Brian M. Thomsen, John Varley ("Truth, Justice, and the Politically-Correct Socialist Path"), Lawrence Watt-Evans, and Roger Zelazny

Steel Beach, promotional jacket and brochure/poster, circa 1990s.
Box 24 Folder 8
Steel Beach, page proofs, 1993.
Box 24 Folder 9
Steel Beach, page proofs, 1993.
Box 25 Folder 1-3
Red Thunder, page proofs, circa 2000.
Box 26 Folder 1-2
Red Thunder, typescript, circa 2000.
Box 27 Folder 1-3
The John Varley Reader, page proofs, circa 2004.
Box 28 Folder 1-3
Writings: drafts, correspondence, publicity, circa 1970s-1990s.
Box 29
Correspondence and other papers, circa 1970s-1990s.
Box 30
Writings drafts, correspondence, ephemera, circa 1970s-1990s.
Box 31
Mammoth, page proofs, circa 2005.
Box 32 Folder 1-2

Print, Suggest