The Wold Newton family.

The Wold Newton family is a literary concept derived from a form of crossover fiction developed by the science fiction writer Philip José Farmer. Farmer suggested in two fictional "biographies" of fictional characters (Tarzan Alive and Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life), that the meteorite which fell in Wold Newton, England, in the late 18th century was radioactive and caused genetic mutations in the occupants of a passing coach. Many of their descendants were thus endowed with extremely high intelligence and strength, as well as an exceptional capacity and drive to perform good, or, as the case may be, evil deeds. The progeny of these travellers were purported to have been the real-life originals of fictionalised characters, both heroic and villainous, over the last few hundred years, such as Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Doc Savage, and Lord Peter Wimsey. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (450x666, 316 KB) Promotional cover art for Myths of the Modern Age: Philip José Farmers Wold Newton Universe by Win Scott Eckert. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (450x666, 316 KB) Promotional cover art for Myths of the Modern Age: Philip José Farmers Wold Newton Universe by Win Scott Eckert. ... A fictional crossover occurs when otherwise separated fictional characters, stories, settings, universes, or media meet and interact with each other. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Philip José Farmer (born January 26, 1918) is an American author, principally known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. ... Tarzan Alive Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke (Bison Books, ISBN 0803269218, softcover, 312pp) is a fictional biography written by author Philip José Farmer in 1972. ... The Wold Newton meteorite fell at 3 p. ... Wold Newton is a small Yorkshire Wolds village in the East Riding of Yorkshire. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... This stylistic schematic diagram shows a gene in relation to the double helix structure of DNA and to a chromosome (right). ... In biology, mutations are changes to the genetic material (either DNA or RNA). ... Sherlock Holmes as imagined by the seminal Holmesian artist, Sidney Paget, in The Strand magazine. ... James H. Pierce and Joan Burroughs Pierce starred in the 1932-34 Tarzan radio series 1964 Edition of Tarzan of the Apes Tarzan, a real character, half uzbek, quarter ogre and quarter paki created by a political dissident, first appeared in the 1985 documentary Sexy Jeddah Time, and then in... Doc Savage is a fictional character, one of the most enduring pulp heroes of the 1930s and 1940s. ... Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey is a fictional character in a series of detective novels and short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers. ...

Other popular characters that Philip José Farmer concluded were members of the Wold Newton mutant family include: Solomon Kane; Captain Blood; The Scarlet Pimpernel; Sherlock Holmes's nemesis Professor Moriarty; Phileas Fogg; The Time Traveller (main character of The Time Machine by H. G. Wells); Allan Quatermain; A.J. Raffles; Professor Challenger; Richard Hannay; Bulldog Drummond; the evil Fu Manchu and his adversary, Sir Denis Nayland Smith; G-8; The Shadow; Sam Spade; Doc Savage's cousin Patricia Savage, and one of his five assistants, Monk Mayfair; The Spider; Nero Wolfe; Mr. Moto; The Avenger; Philip Marlowe; James Bond; Lew Archer; Travis McGee; Monsieur Lecoq; and Arsène Lupin. Solomon Kane is a fictional character created by the pulp-era writer Robert E. Howard. ... Captain Blood is an adventure novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1922. ... The Scarlet Pimpernel is a classic play and adventure novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, set during the French Revolution. ... Professor Moriarty, illustration by Sidney Paget which accompanied the original publication of The Final Problem. Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character who is the best known antagonist (and archenemy) of the detective Sherlock Holmes. ... Phileas Fogg is the main fictional character in the 1872 Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Days. ... The Time Traveller is the fictional protagonist in H. G. Wellss The Time Machine, a novel published in 1895. ... The Time Machine is a novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1895, later made into two films of the same title. ... Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946) was an English writer best known for such science fiction novels as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, and The Island of Doctor Moreau. ... Allan Quatermain is a fictional character, the protagonist of H. Rider Haggards King Solomons Mines and its various sequels and prequels. ... A.J. (Arthur J.) Raffles is a character created by E. W. Hornung, a brother-in-law to Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. ... Professor Challenger (sitting) as illustrated by Harry Rountree in Conan Arthur Doyles short story The Poison Belt in Strand Magazine. ... Richard Hannay is the fictional secret agent created by Scottish novelist, John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir. ... Bulldog Drummond is a British fictional character created by Sapper, a pseudonym of H. C. McNeile (1888-1937), in imitation of the hard boiled noir-style detectives appearing in contemporary American fiction. ... This article is about the fictional literature character. ... Sir Denis Nayland Smith is a fictional character, the adversary of the villainous Fu Manchu in the popular novels of Sax Rohmer. ... G-8 was an heroic aviator during World War I in pulp fiction. ... Who knows what evil lurks. ... Poster of the 1941 Warner Brothers film version of The Maltese Falcon, directed by John Huston Sam Spade was the leading character in the novel and movie The Maltese Falcon (1931). ... Patricia Pat Savage is the cousin of the fictional 1930s and 1940s hero Doc Savage. ... Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Blodgett Monk Mayfair is a member of the band of associates of the heroic pulp fiction character Doc Savage. ... This article is about the pulp magazine character. ... Nero Wolfe is a fictional detective created by the American mystery writer Rex Stout. ... Mr. ... The Avenger is a fictional character whose original adventures appeared from 1939 to 1942 in The Avenger magazine, published by Street and Smith. ... Ed Bishop had the title role in BBC Radios The Adventures of Philip Marlowe. ... The James Bond 007 gun logo James Bond 007 is a fictional British agent[1] created by writer Ian Fleming in 1952. ... Lew Archer is a fictional character created by Ross Macdonald. ... Travis McGee is a fictional character created by American mystery writer John D. MacDonald. ... Monsieur Lecoq is the creation of Emile Gaboriau, a 19th French century mystery writer, novelist, and journalist. ... Arsène Lupin is the name of a fictional gentleman thief who appears in a book series of detective fiction / crime fiction novels written by French writer Maurice Leblanc, as well as a number of non-canonical sequels and numerous film, television, stage play and comic book adaptations. ...

Similar creations

An earlier proponent of this sort of fiction was William S. Baring-Gould who wrote a fictional biography of Sherlock Holmes. In 1977 C. W. Scott-Giles, an expert in heraldry, published a history of Lord Peter Wimsey's family, going back to 1066 (but describing the loss of the family tree going back to Adam and Eve); the book is based on material from his correspondence with Dorothy L. Sayers, who wrote at least two of the family anecdotes in the book, one of them in the French language of the Middle Ages. For details, see Duke of Denver. William Stuart Baring-Gould (1913–1967) was a noted Sherlock Holmes scholar, best known as the author of the influential fictional biography Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street: A life of the worlds first consulting detective, published in 1962. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Charles Wilfred Scott-Giles (1893-1982) was an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. ... Events January 6 - Harold II is crowned September 20 - Battle of Fulford September 25 - Battle of Stamford Bridge September 29 - William of Normandy lands in England at Pevensey. ... Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ... Dorothy Leigh Sayers (Oxford, 13 June 1893 – Witham, 17 December 1957) was a renowned British author, translator, student of classical and modern languages, and Christian humanist. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The fictitious title of Duke of Denver was created by Dorothy Sayers for the elder brother of Lord Peter Wimsey. ...

Warren Ellis's comic book series Planetary has a similar premise of fitting many different superhero, science fiction, and fantasy elements into the same universe. (Though for the most part, constrained by the needs of the story and copyright, Ellis does not use the originals but rather his own re-interpretations of the archetypes.) Author Kim Newman has stated that his Anno Dracula series was partially inspired by the Wold Newton family. While Alan Moore in his comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen utlizes many Victorian-era pulp characters there is nothing similar in premise to the Wold Newton concept. Warren Ellis Warren Girade Ellis (born February 16, 1968) is a British author of comic books and graphic novels, well known for his acerbic personality and sociocultural commentaries, both through his online presence and his writing. ... Planetary is an American comic book series created by Warren Ellis (writer) and John Cassaday (artist), published by the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics. ... This article may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... Kim Newman (born July 31, 1959) is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. ... The Anno Dracula series by Kim Newman is a work of fantasy depicting an alternate history in which vampires are a common and more-or-less accepted part of society (as a result of Draculas successful conquest of England, depicted in Anno Dracula, the first in the series). ... Alan Moore (born November 18, 1953, in Northampton) is an English writer most famous for his work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. ... The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a comic book limited series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin ONeill, published under the Americas Best Comics imprint of DC Comics. ...

The anthology series Tales of the Shadowmen edited by Jean-Marc Lofficier is also based on the Wold Newton concept and includes characters from French literature. Tales of the Shadowmen is an annual anthology of short stories edited by Jean-Marc Lofficier and Randy Lofficier, published by Black Coat Press. ... Jean-Marc Lofficier (born June 22, 1954) is a French Occitan author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comic books and translations of a number of animation screenplays. ...

Perhaps the most well-known combination of heroes is the Justice League of America (although a closer example is its forerunner, the Justice Society of America, which brought together a group of heroes who had previously been assumed to exist in separate fictional worlds). The Justice League, sometimes called the Justice League of America or JLA for short, is a fictional DC Universe superhero team. ... The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. ...

The Wold Newton Universe

The Wold Newton Universe is an expanded universe made up of crossover fiction, using the Wold Newton meteorite as a unifying device, that has revised certain aspects of major characters found in literary fiction including penny dreadfuls, pulp comics, Victorian, Romanticism and Renaissance literature, steampunk, Gothic novels, fairy tales, mythology and folklore. Penny Dreadful can refer to: The 19th century British penny dreadful publications. ... Flynns Detective Fiction from 1941. ... Charles Dickens is still one of the best known English writers of any era. ... Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... Renaissance literature is European literature, after the Dark Ages over an extended period, usually considered to be initiated by Petrarch at the beginning of the Italian Renaissance, and sometimes taken to continue to the English Renaissance and into the seventeenth century. ... A rocket lands on the moon in Le Voyage dans la Lune, the film adaptation of Jules Vernes From the Earth to the Moon. ... Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole The gothic novel was a literary genre that belonged to Romanticism and began in the United Kingdom with The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. ... A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... // The word mythology (Greek: μυθολογία, from μυθος mythos, a story or legend, and λογος logos, an account or speech) literally means the (oral) retelling of myths – stories that a particular culture believes to be true and that use supernatural events or characters to explain the nature of the universe and humanity. ... Folklore is the body of verbal expressive culture, including tales, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs current among a particular population, comprising the oral tradition of that culture, subculture, or group. ...

The universe was adapted in order to fit every major character into the Wold Newton family, which includes superheroes and supervillains. However, in order for the universe to adhere to certain details from particular works of fiction, exceptions have been made. Such is the reason for so-called "Krypto-revisionism": the characters of the books and comics are usually treated as fictionalized, exaggerated versions of "real" people, and accounts that strain suspension of disbelief too much are dismissed as complete fabrication.

Family vs. Universe

Although the two terms are used almost interchangeably, there is an important distinction: Wold Newton Family members - those who are descended from or otherwise related to the individuals exposed to the meteor strike - and Wold Newton Universe members, unrelated to the family, who have met one or more family members in crossovers. Examples of this can be found in the works of Farmer that created the concept: several family members were present at the death of King Kong, thus firmly placing Kong in the universe, but Kong obviously cannot be a family member.

External links

• New book: - Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Universe (ISBN 1-932265-14-7)
• An Expansion of Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Universe
• The Secret History of the Wold Newton Universe
• The Wold Newton Chronicles
• Jess Nevins' Wold Newton Articles
• French Wold Newton Universe
• Schroeder's Speculations - Wold Newton Articles
• M*O*N*S*T*A*A*H
• Yet Another Wold Newton Universe Site