Manuscript Register

Warren B. Smith Papers

Collection Dates: 1960 -- 1999
(Bulk Dates: 1980 -1995)
4.5 linear ft.

 This document describes a collection of materials held by the
Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1420
Phone: 319-335-5921
Fax: 319-335-5900
e-mail: lib-spec@uiowa.edu

Posted to Internet: August 2003

Acquisition Note: These materials were donated to the University of Iowa Libraries by Warren Smith's eldest daughter, Sue Coon, in 2003.

Access and Restrictions: This collection is open for research.

Digital Media: Box 4

Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections Department.

Copyright:  Please read The University of Iowa Libraries' statement on "Property Rights, Copyright Law, and Permissions to Use Unpublished Materials"

Use of Collections: The University of Iowa Libraries supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-paper-based materials. Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement.

Biographical Note

Warren William (Billy) Smith was a writer who lived in Iowa from 1953, residing first in Davenport, then Durant, and from 1960 in Clinton, Iowa, until his death on May 9, 2003. He published many newspaper reviews of automobiles, newspaper and magazine articles on boating and other subjects, and from 1965 until near his death, a substantial number of non-fiction and genre fiction titles in paperback editions.

Scope and Contents

The Warren Smith Papers consist of (1) correspondence files documenting Smith's work as a writer (including correspondence with agents, publishers, and colleagues). Many of Smith's books appeared under his own name, some under pseudonyms, and he was contracted to write some by other authors (and in turn sub-contracted part or all of some of the work published under his name); (2) Smith's journals, from about 1984 until near his death in 2003, which contain biographical information, lists of projects and ideas, and document his recurrent problems with alcohol and depression; (3) holograph, typescript, and computer printout notes on ideas, possible projects, drafts of stories and novels, etc.; (4) four boxes of 3.5" computer disks containing drafts of Smith's writing; (5) copies of about 35 of Smith's books; and (6) a mimeograph copy of an early draft of James Jones' Some Came Running (1957).

Box List

Box 1

Handy, Lowney (The Handy Colony, Marshall, Illinois). Folder of letters from Handy to WBS encouraging the latter's writing, dated early 1960s; includes an early WBS story edited by Handy.

Correspondence with publishers, clipped articles and automobile reviews, proofs of book covers.

Miscellaneous correspondence, royalty statements.

Correspondence with publishers.

Journal:

---- 1984 --1989

---- Ideas, addresses, etc., circa 1991

----, October 1990, April -- June; June -- August, 1991

----, October -- December, 1991

----, August -- September, 1992

---- September -- October, 1992

---- 1992-1993

---- January - June 1994

---- June -- November, 1995

---- October -- December 1997; December 1997 -- April 1998

---- 2002 -- 2003.

Drafts, ideas, projects (about 18" of material, not further sorted)

Box 2

Drafts and printouts of stories and novels. Some may be unpublished.

Box 3

Four boxes of 3.5" floppy computer disks containing WBS's writing.

A copy of a list of published books is present in the collection, and apparently includes all of Smith's books 1965-1980; the list ends with a note: "1981 to present: several more Rakers and other Zebra titles". Those titles available in the collection are indicated with a "P".

Warren Smith & Eugene Olson. The Menace of Pep Pills. Merit Books, 1965. P.
Johnny Shearer. Sodom, U.S.A. Brandon House, 1965. P.
----. The Male Hustler. Brandon House, 1965. P.
Warren Smith. Finder's Keepers. Belmont, 1965. P.
Warren Smith with Brad Steiger. Treasure Hunting. Ace Books, 1965.
Warren Smith with Gabrial Green. Let's Face Facts About Flying Saucers. Popular Library, 1967.
Warren Smith. Strange Women of the Occult. Popular Library, 1968. P.
----. Strange & Miraculous Cures. Ace Star Books, 1968. P.
----. Strange Powers of the Mind. Ace Star Books, 1968. P.
----. Strange ESP. Popular Library, 1969. P.
----. Into the Strange. Popular Library, 1969. P.
----. Abominable Snowmen. Award, 1969.
----. Strange Murderers & Madmen. Popular Library, 1969. P.
Eric Norman. The Under People. Lancer Books, 1969. P; also 1997 Japanese edition.
----. Buried Treasure Guide. Award, 1970. P.
Warren Smith. Strange Abominable Snowmen. Popular Library, 1970. P.
----. Strange Hexes. Popular Library, 1970. P.
Robert E. Smith. The Man Who Sees Tomorrow. Paperback Library, 1970. P.
Eric Norman. Gods, Demons & UFOs. Lancer Books, 1970.
Warren Smith & Brad Steiger. What the Seers Predict for 1971. Lancer Books, 1970. P.
Warren Smith. Talking to the Spirits. Pinnacle, 1971.
Warren Smith & Brad Steiger. Satan's Assassins. Lancer, 1971. P.
----. Predictions for 1972. Lancer, 1971.
Paul Warren. The Sensual Male. Pinnacle, 1971.
Robert E. Smith. We Live Many Lives. Paperback Library, 1971. P.
Warren Smith. Bitter Harvest. Delton Press, 1971.
Eric Norman. Gods, Demons and UFOs. Lancer, 1971. P.
Warren Smith. The Strange Ones. Popular Library, 1972. P.
Eric Norman. Beyond the Strange. Popular Library, 1972. P.
Robert E. Smith. The Healing Faith. Lancer, 1972. P.
Eric Norman. This Hollow Earth. Lancer, 1972. P in 1997 Japanese edition.
Warren Smith. Predictions for 1973. Award, 1972.
----. Chains of Fear. Delton Press, 1972.
Eric Norman. Gods and Devils from Outer Space. Lancer, 1973. P.
Warren Smith. Predictions for 1974. Award, 1973. P.
Barbara O'Brien. Martinis, Manhattans or ME? Zebra, 1974. P.
Barbara Brooks. High Society. Pinnacle, 1974.
Warren Smith. Predictions for 1975. Award, 1974. P.
----. Triangle of the Lost. Zebra, 1975. P.
----. Myth & Mystery of Atlantis. Zebra, 1975. P.
----. Predictions for 1976. Award, 1975. P.
----. Secret Forces of the Pyramids. Zebra, 1975. P.
----. Authentic Directory of CB. Award, 1976. P.
----. UFO Trek. Zebra, 1976. P.
----. Predictions for 1977. Award, 1976. P.
----. The Hidden Secrets of the Hollow Earth. Zebra, 1976. P.
----. Lost Cities of the Ancients--Unearthed! Zebra, 1976. P.
----. Secrets of the Loch Ness Monster. Zebra, 1976. P.
----. Ancient Mysteries of the Mexican & Mayan Pyramids. Zebra, 1977.
----. The Book of Encounters. Zebra, 1977. P.
----. The Secret Origins of Bigfoot. Zebra, 1977. P.
Joanna Warren. The Conrad Chronicles: Belle Mead. Zebra, 1978. P.
David Norman. The Frontier Rakers. Zebra, 1979. P.
----. The Frontier Rakers #2: The Forty Niners. Zebra, 1979. P.
Joanna Warren. The Conrad Chronicles #2: The Dreamers. Zebra, 1980. P.
----. The Conrad Chronicles #3: The Destined. Zebra, 1980. P.
David Norman. Frontier Rakers #3: Gold Fever. Zebra, 1980. P.
----. Frontier Rakers #4: Silver City. Zebra, 1980. P.
----. Frontier Rakers: Montana Pass. Zebra, 1982. P.
----. Frontier Rakers: Santa Fe Dream. Zebra, 1983. P.
Norma Warren. Trails West. Zebra, 1985.
Jake Logan. High, Wide, and Deadly. Berkley Western, 1987. P.
----. Gold Fever, Berkley Western, 1989. P.
Warren B. Smith. "Dreams of Darkness, Deams of Light." In Dragon Lance Tales, Volume 1: The Magic of Krynn edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. TSR, Inc., 1987.

Box 4

James Jones. Some Came Running. Undated mimeograph, well over 1,000 legal-size sheets , with note on title page: To be published by Charles Scribner's Sons -- Winter 1957. The cover sheet bears three holograph notes, the first at the top of page which reads, "Now, this shitbird Wouk is coming out cracking at stuff in this book -- I never read -- or tried to read anything so ghastly as this Young Blood Hawk and Wouks supposedly story about Kentucky, his (Wouk's) dialogue of Southerners is a farce and they lie if they say he is writing Tom Wolfe" and apparently continues on the left side of the sheet, "Wouk was assisted in the book of brain wash by about six editors at Doubleday!" At the bottom of the sheet, a note reads, "Mc. A. made 25 mimeographed copies and it was from these the movie was sold --- 2 lawyers spend a year whittling on it -- which Jim (no longer full of fight) allowed -- There is much that might interest you -- Lowney Handy."