An Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction
Background
For over a century, his novels are mandatory reading for generations of youth eager for exotic adventures. In Italy Salgari's works were more widely read than those of Dante. Today he is still among the 40 most translated Italian authors. Many of his most popular novels have been adapted as comics, animated series and feature films. He is considered to be the father of Italian adventure fiction and Italian pop culture, and the "grandfather" of the Spaghetti Western ( a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s). The greatest fame he has achieved in Italy, Spain and Portugal. In English-speaking countries he is far less famous. In spite of great fame and huge circulation Salgari experienced financial difficulties all his life. Moreover Salgari's private life was clouded by several tragedies. In 1889 his father committed suicide. Then his wife, Ida became ill and Salgari's struggling increased with her medical bills. These events led Salgari to depression, and he attempted suicide in 1910. After Ida was committed to a mental ward in 1911, Salgari was overwhelmed and took his own life soon afterwards, imitating the Japanese ritual of seppuku
Education
From a young age, he had a desire to explore the seas, study seamanship and to become a sea captain. While studying he participated in the voyage around the Adriatic Sea. But, in general, his academic performance was so poor that he never graduated
Career
His first story "The Savages of Papua" was published at the age of 20. Then "The Tiger of Malaysia" came. In 1887 Emilio decided firmly to devote his life to literature. Salgari wrote more than 200 adventure stories and novels, setting his tales in exotic locations, with heroes from a wide variety of cultures. He gained inspiration from reading foreign literature and newspapers, travel magazines and encyclopedias, which he used to portray his heroes' worlds. Salgari’s heroes were mostly pirates, outlaws and barbarians, fighting against greed, abuse of power, and corruption. Salgari opposed colonization in his fiction.
His tales had been so popular that soon his publisher hired other writers to develop adventure stories under his name. They added 50 novels to his “canon”. Salgari's style was imitated by many, but no other Italian adventure writer managed to duplicate his popular success.