View source for Charles R. Saunders

'''Charles Robert Saunders''' (July 12, 1946 – May 2020) was a Canadian zine editor and writer.

With Charles de Lint, Saunders co-published [[Dragonfields]], The title was released in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, by Triskell Press. Four issues appeared, although not always under that title.

The first issue was published in Spring 1978, called ''Dragonbane'', and edited by Charles Saunders. In the autumn of that year issue two followed, edited by de Lint, this time with the title ''Beyond the Fields We Know''. The titles were then merged as ''Dragonfields'' for two more issue; issue three, which was released in Summer 1980, and issue four, appearing in Winter 1983.

Saunders also published [[Stardock (Canada)|Stardock]], a science fiction and fantasy fanzine published on behalf of the Ottawa Science Fiction Society (OSFS).

Six issues were released from the Summer of 1977 till Fall 1986. The first few issues were edited by Charles Saunders. The fourth issue was edited by Jeff Cohen, with Kim Kofmel one of the subsequent editors. 

Charles R. Saunders writing first appeared in [[Dark Fantasy]]. This zine, first published by Howard Eugene 'Gene' Day in 1973, is noted for featuring the first publication of the "Imaro" stories of Charles Saunders.  The lack of black protagonists and the stereotyped portrayal of black characters in heroic fiction, combined with a love of African culture, history and mythology, inspired Sauders to create the "Imaro" character and stories. Several issues featured these stories, and issue 18 was the "All Imaro Issue".

To describe his stories, Charles Saunders created the description "Sword-and-Soul": As defined by Saunders, sword-and-soul is "fantasy fiction with an African connection in either the characters or the setting...or both.  The setting can be the historical Africa of the world we know, or the Africa of an alternate world, dimension or universe. But that's not a restriction, because a sword-and-soul story can feature a black character in a non-black setting, or a non-black character in a black setting.  Caveat: Tarzan of the Apes need not apply."

The ''Imaro'' stories were published as a novel by DAW Books in 1981. In 2006, the publishers Night Shade Books released an updated edition of Imaro. His other fantasy titles include ''The Quest for Cush''; ''Dossouye''; and ''Abengoni: First Calling''. As well, he has published four books on African-Nova Scotian history, including ''Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers from the Halifax Forum to Caesar’s Palace''; ''Spirit of Africville, Share & Care: The Story of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children''; and ''Black & Bluenose: The Contemporary History of a Community''.  

===Books===
'''Fiction'''
*''Imaro'' 
*''The Quest for Cush''
*''Dossouye''  
*''Abengoni: First Calling''
'''Nonfiction'''
*''Black & Bluenose: The Contemporary History of a Community''
*''Spirit of Africville, Share & Care: The Story of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children''
*''Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers from the Halifax Forum to Caesar’s Palace''

===Zines===
*[[Dragonfields]]
*[[Stardock (Canada)|Stardock]]

===Contributions===
*[[Astral Dimensions]]
*[[Black Lite]]
*[[Borealis]]
*[[Dark Fantasy]]
*[[The Diversifier]]
*[[Paragon]]
*[[Phantasy Digest]]
*[[Potboiler]]
*[[REH: Two-Gun Raconteur]]
*[[Simba]]
*[[Space and Time]]
*[[Toadstool Wine]]
*[[Wax Dragon]]
*[[Windhaven]]

==External Links==
*[https://differentdrumming.com '''Charles R. Saunders''' Official Site]
*[http://www.reindeermotel.com/CHARLES/charles_home.html Another site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070706214750/http://www.zone-sf.com/crsaunders.html Interview with '''Charles R. Saunders''' by Amy Harlib]
*[http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?2590 Charles R. Saunders at the ISFDB]

[[Category:Zinester|Saunders, Charles R.]]
[[Category:Canada Zinesters|Saunders]]
[[Category:POC Zinester|Saunders]]
[[Category:Author|Saunders, Charles R.]]