teven Erikson

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This article is about the Canadian fantasy author. For the American surrealist n
ovelist, see Steve Erickson.
Steven Erikson
September 2007
Born
October 7, 1959 (age 55)
Toronto, Canada
Occupation
Author
Nationality
Canadian
Period Since 1991[1]
Genre Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction
Steven Erikson (born October 7, 1959) is the pseudonym of Steve Rune Lundin, a C
anadian novelist, who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anth
ropologist.[1]
His best-known work is the ten-volume fantasy series Malazan Book of the Fallen,
which by 2012 had sold over 1,000,000 copies worldwide.[2] SF Site has called t
he series "the most significant work of epic fantasy since Donaldson's Chronicle
s of Thomas Covenant,"[3] and Fantasy Book Review described it as "the best fant
asy series of recent times."[4] Fellow fantasy author Stephen Donaldson refers t
o Erikson as "an extraordinary writer".[5] In an interview with sffworld.com, Er
ikson acknowledged that he originally doubted the series would become "mainstrea
m", and was subsequently surprised at how successful the series has been.[6] He
also noted how people "either hate the series or love it".[6]
Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Malazan Book of the Fallen series
2.1 Conception
2.2 Style
2.3 Reception
3 Bibliography
4 See also
5 Footnotes
6 References
7 External links
7.1 Essays
7.2 Interviews
Biography[edit]
Steven Erikson was born in Toronto, Canada, and grew up in Winnipeg.[1] He subse
quently lived in the UK with his wife and son, but has since returned to Winnipe
g.[1] He is an anthropologist and archaeologist by training and is a graduate of
the Iowa Writers' Workshop.[7] For his thesis at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Er
ikson wrote a "story cycle" of short stories titled A Ruin of Feathers about an
archaeologist in Central America. Subsequently, Erikson received a grant to fini
sh the work which was published by TSAR, a small Canadian publishing house. For
his next work Erikson co-won the Anvil Press International 3-Day Novel Contest f
or which he signed away the rights, a mistake he attributes to inexperience. Eri
kson's third book was also published by TSAR, and consisted of a novella and sho
rt stories titled Revolvo and other Canadian Tales. Later, upon moving to Englan
d, Erikson sold what he refers to as his "first real novel" to Hodder and Stough
ton
This River Awakens
written when he still lived in Winnipeg. The first four b
ooks were published under Erikson's real name, and are currently out of print.[8
] In addition to writing, Erikson paints using oil paints.[8]
Malazan Book of the Fallen series[edit]
Main article: Malazan Book of the Fallen
Conception[edit]

The Malazan world was devised by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont, initi
ally as a setting for a role-playing game.[9][10] Gardens of the Moon began as a
movie script but evolved into a novel, which Erikson completed in 1991 92 but fai
led to sell.[11]
Gods are always messing with mortals in Erikson's work, but the mortals also, by
their patterns of belief, create their own gods, their own greater powers. Ever
ything is in flux. Men and women ascend to godhood; gods die or lose their power
s.... It's a messy, complicated business, and there are no easy answers, or clea
r heroes.
Andrew Leonard writing for Salon.com[12]
In the late 1990s, Transworld
a division of Random House bought Gardens of the M
oon and requested Erikson write additional books in the series.[13] Using the hi
story of the Malazan world he created with Esslemont, Erikson plotted nine addit
ional novels. After the publication of Gardens of the Moon, reviews spread via t
he internet, and Orion publications attempted to lure Erikson away from Transwor
ld. However, Transworld retained an option on additional novels in the series an
d offered 675,000 for the remaining nine books of the series.[13]
Style[edit]
Erikson has stated explicitly that he enjoys playing with and overturning the co
nventions of fantasy, presenting characters that violate the stereotypes associa
ted with their roles.[6] Erikson deliberately began the Malazan Book of the Fall
en series mid-plot rather than beginning with a more conventional narrative.[6][
9] Erikson's style of writing includes complex plots with masses of characters.
In addition, Erikson has been praised for his willingness to kill central charac
ters when it enhances the plot.[1]
Reception[edit]
Word of mouth is very powerful in fantasy, and the net carries its own energy. I
t made a huge difference people were picking [Gardens of the Moon] up from Amste
rdam to the US.
Steven Erikson[13]
Erikson's first novel of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Gardens of the M
oon (1999), was well received. It was short-listed for a World Fantasy Award[14]
It has also earned him the reputation as one of the best authors in the fantasy
genre.,[14] and was described as "An astounding dbut".[5] The novel was acclaime
d for its "combination of originality and intelligent, strong and exciting story
telling".[14] The second book in the series, Deadhouse Gates (2000), was voted o
ne of the ten best fantasy novels of 2000 by SF Site.[15]
During a 2008 question and answer session in Seattle, Washington, Erikson stated
he had signed a deal to write two more trilogies and six novellas;[16] Erikson
planned to use the novellas to continue the Bauchelain and Korbal Broach storyli
ne[17] while one of the trilogies would be a prequel to the main series, detaili
ng the history of Anomander Rake and Mother Dark.[16] He also said that he would
write a trilogy on the Toblakai.