Ian C. Esslemont

Last updated

Ian Cameron Esslemont
BornIan Cameron Esslemont
1962 (age 6162)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Pen nameIan C. Esslemont
OccupationAuthor
LanguageEnglish
Nationality Canadian
CitizenshipCanadian
Genre High fantasy
Notable works
  • Novels of the Malazan Empire
  • Path to Ascendancy
SpouseGerri Brightwell

Ian Cameron Esslemont (born 1962) is a Canadian writer. He was trained and has worked as an archaeologist. He is best known for his series Novels of the Malazan Empire, which is set in the same world as the Malazan Book of the Fallen epic fantasy series written by his friend and collaborator, Steven Erikson. Esslemont is the co-creator of the Malazan world. [1]

Contents

Biography

Esslemont was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He has lived and worked in Southeast Asia, including four years spent in Thailand and Japan. He is currently working on a new trilogy set in the Malaz world. He lives in Alaska with his wife, novelist Gerri Brightwell, and their three sons. [2]

Works

Esslemont and Erikson co-created the Malazan world in 1982 as a setting for a tabletop role-playing game campaign. In 1991 they collaborated on a feature film script set in the same world entitled Gardens of the Moon . When the script did not sell, Erikson expanded the story and turned it into a novel. The two writers agreed to then both write books set in the same world. Eight years later, Gardens of the Moon was published by Bantam UK and Erikson agreed to continue the story. Life and work commitments delayed Esslemont's own entries to the series until 2004, when his first novel, Night of Knives , was published as a limited edition by PS Publishing (a mass-market release by Bantam UK followed in 2007). This book was a prequel to the main Malazan sequence. His second novel, Return of the Crimson Guard , takes place within the main Malazan sequence, shortly after the events of the sixth book, The Bonehunters . It was published by PS Publishing in May 2008 and by Bantam UK later that year. Both Night of Knives and Return of the Crimson Guard have now been bought by Tor for publication in the United States. His third novel, Stonewielder , was published by Bantam UK in 2010 and Tor in the US. His fourth novel, Orb Sceptre Throne was published in 2012. In spring 2014 he signed a contract with Bantam for three more novels set in the Malazan world.

Books

Novels of the Malazan Empire

This six-part series covers events roughly simultaneous with Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, and features the Crimson Guard, the succession of the Malazan Empire, events in Korel and Jacuruku and the mystery of Assail. A number of these events are hinted at during the course of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Characters include Kyle, Greymane and such members of the Crimson Guard like Shimmer, Blues, K'azz, Skinner and Cowl.

TitlePublishedApproximate Word CountPages
Night of Knives 1 September 2004104,000304
Return of the Crimson Guard 15 August 2008272,000702
Stonewielder 25 November 2010198,000634
Orb Sceptre Throne 20 February 2012188,000605
Blood and Bone 22 November 2012183,000586
Assail 5 August 2014168,000544
Approximate Total:1,120,0003375

Path to Ascendancy

The Path to Ascendancy is a prequel series set in the world of Malazan, written by Ian Cameron Esslemont. [3] The stories deal with the early adventures of Dancer and Kellanved (Dorin and Wu, in this series) and their eventual rise to power on Quon Tali.

TitlePublishedApproximate Word CountPages
Dancer's Lament 25 February 2016 (UK), 31 May 2016 (US) [4] 145,000416
Deadhouse Landing [5] 15 November 2017136,000400
Kellanved's Reach [6] 21 February 2019 (UK), 2 April 2019 (US)n/a352
Forge of the High Mage [7] 6 April 2023 (UK)n/a460

Footnotes

  1. Jones, Jeremly L. C. (2009). "The Minimal and Finely Focused Fantasy of Ian C. Esslemont". Clarkesworld Magazine. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  2. "Ian C Esslemont Biography". Penguin Books. Archived from the original on 23 July 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  3. "Dancer's Lament | Ian C. Esslemont | Macmillan". Macmillan. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  4. Erikson, Steven. "Steven Erikson's Reddit AMA reveals New Trilogy titles". Reddit . Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  5. Esslemont, Ian (14 April 2016). "Esslemont interview" . Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  6. Esslemont, Ian. "Esslemont interview" . Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  7. "Conversation with Ian Cameron Esslemont" (Podcast). Ten Very Big Books. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Erikson</span> Canadian fantasy author

Steve Rune Lundin, known by his pseudonym Steven Erikson, is a Canadian novelist who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist.

<i>Gardens of the Moon</i> Book One of Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steve Erikson

Gardens of the Moon, published on April 1, 1999, is the first of ten novels in Canadian author Steven Erikson's high fantasy series the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

<i>Malazan Book of the Fallen</i> Fantasy book series by Steven Erikson

Malazan Book of the Fallen is a series of epic fantasy novels written by the Canadian author Steven Erikson. The series, published by Bantam Books in the U.K. and Tor Books in the U.S., consists of ten volumes, beginning with Gardens of the Moon (1999) and concluding with The Crippled God (2011). Erikson's series presents the narratives of a large cast of characters spanning thousands of years across multiple continents.

<i>The Crippled God</i> (novel)

The Crippled God is the tenth and final volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

<i>Night of Knives</i>

Night of Knives is the first novel of the Novels of the Malazan Empire series by Canadian author Ian Esslemont, set after the prologue, but before the main body of Gardens of the Moon, the first novel in the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

<i>The Healthy Dead</i>

The Healthy Dead is a novella by Canadian author Steven Erikson, set in the world of his Malazan Book of the Fallen epic fantasy series. It continues the story line of Bauchelain, Korbal Broach and Emancipor Reese, three characters who had a cameo appearance in the novel Memories of Ice and were the focus for the previous novella, Blood Follows.

<i>The Lees of Laughters End</i>

The Lees Of Laughter's End is a novella by Canadian author Steven Erikson, set in the world of his Malazan Book of the Fallen epic fantasy series. It continues the storyline of Bauchelain, Korbal Broach and Emancipor Reese, three characters who had a cameo appearance in the novel Memories of Ice and were the focus for the previous two novellas, Blood Follows and The Healthy Dead. Although this novella was written after The Healthy Dead, its place in the storyline is immediately following Blood Follows and prior to The Healthy Dead.

<i>Return of the Crimson Guard</i>

Return of the Crimson Guard is a fantasy novel by Canadian author Ian Cameron Esslemont, his second book set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, co-created with friend and colleague Steven Erikson. Chronologically, Return of the Crimson Guard takes place after the events in Erikson's sixth Malazan novel, The Bonehunters. Return of the Crimson Guard is the second of six planned novels by Esslemont to take place in the Malazan world, starting with Night of Knives and followed by Stonewielder.

<i>Orb Sceptre Throne</i>

Orb Sceptre Throne is the fourth fantasy novel by Canadian author Ian Cameron Esslemont set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, co-created with Esslemont's friend and colleague Steven Erikson. Orb Sceptre Throne is the fourth of six novels by Esslemont to take place in the Malazan world.

<i>Assail</i> (novel)

Assail is the sixth and final volume of the Novels of the Malazan Empire series by Canadian author Ian Cameron Esslemont. The novel is set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, co-created with Esslemont's friend and colleague Steven Erikson.

<i>Forge of Darkness</i>

Forge of Darkness is the first novel of The Kharkanas Trilogy by Canadian author Steven Erikson, set before the events of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

The Kharkanas Trilogy is an epic fantasy series by the Canadian writer Steven Erikson. The series consists of three novels, two of which—Forge of Darkness and Fall of Light—have been published as of 2023. The series serves as a prequel to Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and tells the story of the Tiste, Jaghut and Azathanai, three hundred thousand years before the Malazan Empire began its conquest on Genabackis, with a focus on characters such as Anomander Rake, Draconus, Hood, Gothos and K'rul. The series draws inspiration from the Shakespearean declamation style, and is framed as being told by one poet to another. It was received positively by critics as well as readers.

<i>Fall of Light</i>

Fall of Light is the second novel in the Kharkanas Trilogy written by Canadian author Steven Erikson. The story is divided into three main plot threads told from major and minor character POVs. The first tells the story of the Tiste race as they struggle to find their place in a society now divided into three factions — Andii, Liosan and Deniers — and which is on the brink of civil war. The second tells the story of the Jaghut who have now declared war against Death itself, and of various groups and races who have answered this call to arms. And the last tells the story of the Azathanai K'rul who has gifted the world sorcery, yet now finds himself vulnerable against his own kin.

<i>Dancers Lament</i>

Dancer's Lament is the first novel of the Path to Ascendancy trilogy by Canadian author Ian Cameron Esslemont. Set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, Dancer's Lament tells the story of the founding of the Malazan empire.

<i>Toll the Hounds</i> Eighth book of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series

Toll the Hounds is the eighth novel in Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It was first published on June 30, 2008 in the UK and Canada, and on September 16, 2008 in the USA.

List of complete works by Canadian fantasy fiction author Steven Erikson.

<i>Deadhouse Landing</i> 2017 novel by Ian Cameron Esslemont

Deadhouse Landing is the second novel of the Path to Ascendancy trilogy by Canadian author Ian Cameron Esslemont. Set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, Deadhouse Landing tells the story of the founding of the Malazan empire.

<i>The God Is Not Willing</i>

The God is Not Willing is the first novel of The Witness Trilogy by Canadian author Steven Erikson, set after the events of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Upon its release, the book was generally praised for its prose, narrative, and worldbuilding.

<i>Kellanveds Reach</i>

Kellanved's Reach is the third novel of the Path to Ascendancy series by Canadian author Ian Cameron Esslemont. Set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, Kellanved's Reach tells the story of the founding of the Malazan empire.