Talk:John Christopher

Origin of surname
Is Youd an English surname? Badagnani 05:33, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

- I'm English; it's not one I recognize. Could it be a Hebrew or Arabic name?

I can't provide a direct link to the map but you can do a search and get a map of the distribution of people with the surname in 1881 and 1998 on this site http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/ If you do that you discover that he comes from the area where most people of his name live.MidlandLinda (talk) 14:10, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

The tag "citation needed" is appended to this sentence, as follows: "His surname, Youd, is of Dutch origin, from the French Flemish dialect.[citation needed]". But the "Youd" in that sentence is itself already linked to a Wikipedia article explaining the origin of the Youd name, with Samuel Youd listed as an example. So surely "citation needed" is not needed. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.56.97.110 (talk) 14:10, 6 February 2012 (UTC)

Youd is a huguenot name. That was brought back to Europe from the Holy lands during the crusades. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.145.138.208 (talk) 19:49, 26 September 2013 (UTC)

I have been through a number of theories of the origin of the name, and the most convincing is that it is an old Cheshire name. Though rare, it can be traced back for over four centuries. See Youd, and in particular the thorough genealogical information that can be found at Reference 2 on that page. Argoskuon (talk) 22:22, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

Availability
This article says both that the novels are hard to get or out of print, and that they are collectors' items. It also that (at least some of them) are widely read. Surely, this is contradictory. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.232.221.61 (talk) 08:36, 4 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Neither fact was supported by third parties commenting on it. books being widely read is par for the course for notable authors, and books going out of print is ALSO par for the course. in any case, not mentioned here any more, as not notable in this case.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 05:24, 3 August 2011 (UTC)

Star Trek link
In his day, John Christopher was a popular enough writer that he warranted what has become a tradition in Star Trek by paying homage to famous SF writers through naming characters, places and often space programs after them. In the first season episode "Tomorrow is Yesterday" of the original Star Trek series, the Air Force pilot beamed aboard the Enterprise was named John Christopher. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Emyvine (talk • contribs) 16:46, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
 * that may be true, but john christopher is a common name, so unless there is a reliable sourc, we cant add it.66.80.6.163 (talk) 20:04, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

couple refernces to help article writers
http://riddleburger.wordpress.com/2007/11/30/john-christopher-week-author-interview/

http://www.springerlink.com/content/x17043vm47505qt8/

TCO (talk) 23:49, 1 November 2008 (UTC)

The Cover of The Little People
Must be seen to be believed.  KevinOKeeffe (talk) 13:18, 25 October 2010 (UTC)
 * changed source for the image you are highlighting to a fair use site, but i agree, book should have an article just for the cover. In fact, i just created an article for the artist, Hector Garrido, who did other lurid covers, such as for The Baroness (novels), as a category of Good Girl Art.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 05:27, 3 August 2011 (UTC)

Overall quality of articles
The whole group of articles on this author and his novels are of very inconsistent quality and level of detail. The books are very important in the history of juvenile SF, and thus deserve better. his adult novels are important as well. It would be really nice to have some concerted focus on these articles. I would love to do so, but its rather daunting, and Im not sure where i would start. Ill try to present the major issues at some point. I hope others reading the articles take the time to check the talk page to see that some of us are aware of the spotty nature of them.(mercurywoodrose)75.61.138.151 (talk) 06:35, 13 July 2011 (UTC)
 * possible source for pub dates etc: 66.80.6.163 (talk) 19:58, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Death
A message on the Fictionmags list from Phil Stephensen-Payne notes that "Sam Youd (aka John Christopher) died at ten o'clock last night in a nursing home in Bath. He had been suffering from bladder cancer and associated problems but apparently was peaceful at the end." That would put death date as Fri 3rd Feb 2012. No citable source yet (Fictionmags is just a mailing list), but Phil P-S is credible so I think we just need something citable - David Gerard (talk) 11:13, 4 February 2012 (UTC)

Name
His generally used name (check google) is Samuel Youd. The only possible alternative name for this article would be John Christopher. Sam Youd is not used by almost any sources, see the obituary listings. I will move it again. I do note that the SF encyclopedia lists the facts about his name as Sam Youd, but thats not how he is known for the most part.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 06:39, 15 March 2012 (UTC)


 * How does one check google for a "generally used name". (For what it's worth Google now reports only 500,000 hits for Samuel Youd; 1.4 million for Sam Youd; 56000 and 55000 as single terms, ie quoted searches.)
 * What did he publish as Samuel Youd? If he was legally "Sam Youd" as we say, called "Sam" by his friends and acquaintance, and used other names professionally (C.S. Youd, Christopher Samuel Youd, John Christopher), it doesn't make sense to name the biography Samuel Youd, however many others call him that (mistakenly under these circumstances). A redirect from Samuel Youd to Sam Youd will be entirely adequate for everyone who is fooled. --P64 (talk) 18:48, 2 August 2012 (UTC)


 * I'd be keen to support P64's suggestion, that the primary link for my father should be Sam Youd. For once, google seems to have got it right!
 * If there's any question of proof, I can provide copy of birth certificate. NJY Argoscuon (talk) 16:48, 25 March 2013 (UTC)


 * Thanks or the info --and the offer but we shouldn't need the bc.
 * This spring I expanded the list of pseudonyms and (in the lead) cited ISFDB as one source, with the hidden WP:COMMENT that it is a source only for "variations of his own name" and for short fiction as William Vine; as another source.
 * VIAF is not reliable, in that its Related Names do generally include co-authors, illustrator partners, etc. But "1922-2012" for all except Stanley Winchester shows that those are pseudonyms are great coincidences. --P64 (talk) 22:10, 11 June 2013 (UTC)

Assessment

 * first of multiple new sections at once

Is this biography skimpier than any other with grade C? Parents, siblings, spice, children --are they all complete mysteries? How is his education summarized by the name, city, county of one school and a date when he was ten years old? Where did he live? Did he do anything but write --and write freelance? What about cricket (see wikiprojects above and categories in the footer)? Was he employed as a cricket journalist aka a sportswriter? Did he write cricket fiction (ISFDB list only one "nongenre" book)? Are any of his essays notable? -P64
 * his existing NYT obit source on  the page mentions service in WW2, his parents, 2 marriages & 5 children (from wife #1). Don't think it names his wives though. By the way, the NYT calls him "John Christopher". 220  of  Borg 15:02, 20 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Just had a closer read of the page and The NYT contradicts whats currently on the page, in some areas, like "born ... Knowsley, in Lancashire", page says "Huyton"! - 220  of  Borg 10:04, 21 October 2015 (UTC)

Serialization

 * second of two new sections at once

When in 1957 did Saturday Evening Post serialize his second SF novel? I have written up his early SF writing career in the text by ref ISFDB. Not in the text, ISFDB gives months April for U.S. publication of that second novel as a book; August U.S. publication of the first one in a magazine. Certainly if SEP serialized the second novel before April that belongs in section Biography and it may belong otherwise.

Was Caves of Night serialized before its first publication as a book? (ISFDB gives 1958 without month for both UK and US)

--P64 (talk) 18:48, 2 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Regarding John Christopher's attainment of trans-atlantic success in 1957, the US Library of Congress Catalog Record shows that Give the Devil His Due (Joe Dust #1) was published in the U.S. within the year. --that is, same year as the UK edition, we say. In some fashion this too should probably be in the biography. --by an editor who can place it on the younger/older children younger/older teen spectrum. --P64 (talk)

Requested move

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the proposal was moved. --BDD (talk) 17:29, 23 July 2013 (UTC)

Samuel Youd → John Christopher – Both common name and primary topic, the herbalist can be treated as a hatnote. Relisted. Favonian (talk) 17:33, 14 July 2013 (UTC). PatGallacher (talk) 12:53, 7 July 2013 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.