It’s the birthday of insanely prolific fantasy author Piers Anthony (b. 1934), best known for his series about Xanth, the fifth book of which, Ogre, Ogre (1982), was the first paperback original fantasy novel ever to hit the New York Times bestselling list. The Xanth series has 41 novels, with four more in various stages of publication/development.

Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob was born in Oxford, England, to Quaker academics studying at the university. After doing relief work for the Spanish Civil war, his parents moved the family to the U.S. in 1940 and eventually settled in a utopian community in Vermont. But Anthony had a difficult childhood: his parents divorced, and he attended an expensive private school where he felt completely marginalized. (Anthony has said he refuses to give money to that school because of his many bad experiences there.)

Anthony graduated from Goddard College in Vermont in 1956 and married his wife, Carol Marble, whom he’d met there. He worked some odd jobs, did a couple years in the military, and tried teaching; then he and his wife agreed that if he could sell a piece of writing that year, she would support them while he continued writing. He published a short story later that year.

Anthony’s first novel was Chthon (1967), and he has gone on to create at least 17 different series. Writing several books in a single year, Anthony has published over 165 books, including novels starting with every letter of the alphabet. His best-known series, besides Xanth, are probably Incarnations of Immortality and Apprentice Adept.

Over 30 years ago, a fifteen year old boy, miserable at home and school, ran away from home and travelled 1,000 miles to Anthony’s Florida farm, where he presented himself to the author, burst into tears, and asked if he could live with him and his family. It’s a fascinating and moving story and includes an interview about the incident with Anthony; listen to it on This American Life here.

Have a fine sunny Tuesday and stay scrupulously honest to the data.