Louis Vaczek

Louis Vaczek (16 November 1913 – 30 September 1983 ) was a Hungarian-Canadian-American author who published several novels in the 1950s and 1960s and who was also a science writer and editor as well as a teacher.

Early life, education, and early career Vaczek was born in Budapest, when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1913. The father was a diplomat for Hungary, before settling in the United States for the balance of her life. Vaczek himself stayed in the Middle East through 1941.

Writing and teaching career Early novels Following Vaczek's discharge from the RCAF, Vaczek and his wife lived in a log cabin in the Canadian North Woods during much of 1946. Then in parts of the year 1947, Vaczek studied journalism at Carleton College in Ottawa. During those studies he became interested in the history of settlers in the North Woods and Hudson Bay. In order to increase the realism of the portrayal, Vaczek took a canoe trip over the protagonist's route and also studied the records of 17th century Jesuits at Columbia University in New York. River and Empty Sea was praised by reviewers for its verisimilitude although there was concern that the pace of the work was slow.

Subsequent works

Editor and teacher From 1965 to 1972, During his second stint, classes he taught included "Fiction Workshop". In between, he taught at Roosevelt University in Chicago, from the years 1967 to 1979.

Works River and Empty Sea (Thomas Allen Limited, 1950) [in the United States by Houghton Mifflin, 1950] The Frightened Dove (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1951) [paperback Bantam Books, 1952] [under pseudonym Peter Hardin] The Hidden Grave (Harper, 1955) [paperback Dell, 1956] [under pseudonym Peter Hardin] The Golden Calf (William Sloane Associates, 1956) The Troubadour (William Sloane Associates, 1960) The Enjoyment of Chemistry (Viking Press, 1964) [softcover, Penguin Books, 1968] Travelers in Ancient Lands: A Portrait of the Middle East, 1839–1919 (New York Graphic Society, 1981) [co-author with Gail Buckland]