Vardis Fisher

Vardis Fisher (July 19, 1895 – February 12, 1977) was an American novelist, short‑story writer, and literary scholar. He is best known for his historical novels about the American West, particularly the five‑volume series The Testament of Man (also published as The Story of Man), as well as for the novel Children of God (1939), which was a bestseller and later adapted into a film.

Early Life and Education

• Born in Richfield, Utah, to a family of Mormon heritage.
• Graduated from Richfield High School in 1914.
• Attended the University of Utah, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1919.
• Completed a Master’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1924, where he studied under novelist and literary critic William H. Starr.

Academic Career

• Served as a professor of literature at the University of Utah (1930–1946), teaching composition, American literature, and creative writing.
• His academic work included research on American frontier literature and the cultural development of the western United States.

Literary Career

• Published his first novel, The King of the Lambs (1922), a semi‑autobiographical work set in Utah.
• Gained national attention with Children of God (1939), a novel depicting the lives of Mormon pioneers; the book was a New York Times bestseller and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.
• Authored the Testament of Man series (1935‑1943), a five‑volume fictionalized history tracing human development from prehistoric times to the Renaissance.
• Other notable works include The Conquering (1931), The Devil’s Lantern (1932), A Rite of Passage (1944), and The Lost Journey (1969).

Themes and Style

• Fisher’s writings often explore the interaction between individuals and the harsh environments of the American West.
• He incorporated detailed historical research, portraying the psychological and moral struggles of his characters.
• His narrative style is marked by a realist approach, with occasional incorporation of biblical and mythic motifs, especially in the Testament of Man series.

Personal Life

• Married three times; his third wife, Mabel H. Fisher, was a frequent collaborator on research for his historical novels.
• Father of four children.

Legacy and Influence

• Recognized for contributing to the development of western historical fiction in the 20th century.
• His works have been studied in academic courses on American literature, Mormon studies, and frontier historiography.
• Children of God was adapted into the 1941 film The Devil’s Doorway (released under the title The Devil’s Door in some regions).

Awards and Honors

• Received the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Utah (1950).
• Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for fiction (1943).

Selected Bibliography

Death
Vardis Fisher died on February 12, 1977, in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the age of 81. His papers are housed at the University of Utah’s Marriott Library.