However, Wallace managed to gain a literary reputation (at least in Indiana) and was encouraged to continue in his literary pursuits. The greatest criticism was the unpronounceable names of the Aztec heroes such as Guatamozin and Hualpa. The title of the novel came from the light complexion of the conquistadors whom the Aztecs believed represented their returning god, Quetzalcoatl. Nevertheless, James Osgood published The Fair God in 1873. Wabash College president Charles White discouraged him from his literary pursuits. Wallace’s venture into literature was not without detractors. He drew on these experiences to better depict his characters and settings. His service in the Mexican War and in Mexico after the American Civil War afforded him many opportunities to study the people, language, and geography. Wallace developed this novel about the conquest of the Aztec for the next 25 years. Wallace believed this history had all of the ingredients of a great novel: adventure, combat, heroism and “civilization and religion in mortal issue.” The Fair God: or, the Last of the ‘Tzins, 1873 One book that consumed his attention was William Prescott’s Conquest of Mexico. He found this occupation monotonous, and often spent his evenings studying and writing. Wallace began writing his first novel in the late 1840s while employed in the Marion County Clerk’s office. Lew Wallace was the author of seven major works, including Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, the best-selling novel of the 19th century.
“I would rather write another book than be rich.” –Lew Wallace
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