List of works by Steven Erikson

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

Contents

Malazan Book of the Fallen

Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont initially devised the Malazan world as a backdrop for a table-top role-playing game. [1] [2] Unhappy with the lack of quality adult oriented fantasy movies at the time, the duo decided to write their own movie script using their gaming experience and the world they had created. The script, titled Gardens of the Moon, was deemed too risky and failed to sell. With interest in the script seeming nonexistent, Erikson, with Esslemont's go ahead, reworked it into a fantasy novel, which he completed around 1991–92. [3] [4]

After meeting almost a decade of rejection, the novel was finally sold to Transworld, a division of Random House. The publisher was pleased with the work and requested additional books in the series. [5] Using the history of the Malazan world, nine additional novels were plotted. After the publication of Gardens of the Moon, reviews spread via the internet, and Orion publications attempted to lure the writer away from Transworld. However, Transworld retained an option on additional novels in the series and offered £675,000 for the remaining nine books of the series. [5]

While there are many plotlines woven through the whole series, the main storyline focuses on a period in time where the Malazan Empire is facing resistance to their conquest of the world. The series was completed with the publication of The Crippled God , the tenth novel in the series, in 2011. [6] [7]

Erikson's background as an archeologist and anthropologist also shaped how he crafted the story. His approach was to use as many perspectives and point of views as possible in terms of interpreting history. He also drew inspiration from Homer's Illiad, where gods constantly meddled into mortal affairs, adding the twist that it doesn't always work out as planned for the god. [8]

As of 2018, 3 million copies have been sold. [9]

The Kharkanas Trilogy

After the publication of the seventh novel in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Reapers Gale , the publisher agreed to two trilogies and novellas set in the Malazan world. This consequently led to a prequel trilogy, titled the Kharkanas Trilogy, set almost three hundred thousand years before the events of the main series, elements of which he began introducing in Toll the Hounds and in The Crippled God .

The series deals with numerous founding or elder races from the Malazan World, with the narrative anchored around the circumstances that would ultimately lead to the split of the Tiste race. It sheds light and demystifies the events that are often hinted at in the background of Malazan Book of the Fallen. Primarily focusing on characters such as Anomander Rake, Draconus, Gothos, K’rul and Hood, mainly through the eyes of secondary characters.

As of 2022, two novels have been published, Forge of Darkness (2012) and Fall of Light (2016), with the third taking a backseat to the first novel in the Witness trilogy. In a post on his official Facebook account, the author explained that the dismal sale figures for the previous novels and the creative toll employing the writing style used throughout the previous books was what had led to his decision to take a break from it in order to do it justice. [10]

The Witness Trilogy

The second planned trilogy centers around the popular character, Karsa Orlong. This trilogy will be a sequel to the main series, set, according to the author, a decade after the main narrative. [11]

The first novel is titled The God is Not Willing, which was released in November 2021. [12]

The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach

Erikson wrote side stories centering on two necromancers and their butler, characters he introduced in Memories of Ice , the third novel in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. These side stories take place in the Malazan world, but have no connection to the series' overall plot.

As of 2018, six novellas have been published, the first in 2002, titled Blood Follows , and the latest in 2016, tilted The Fiends of Nightmaria. In 2009, the first three novellas were collected and published together as The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach. And in 2018, books four to six were collected and published together as The Second Collected Tales of Bauchelain & Korbal Broach.

As per his agreement with his publisher, the author is expected to write three more novellas featuring these characters. [6]

Willful Child Trilogy

Erikson is a huge fan of the Star Trek series, especially the first iteration which he credits as being his gateway to science fiction in general. But he finds himself feeling disenfranchised by some of the later iterations, especially from The Next Generation onward. In an interview he goes into detail regarding this issue, concluding that among other things creative compromises were to blame for the dip in quality. But while criticizing the series' current state, he affirms that he nonetheless still is a fan. [13] Willful Child, published in September, 2014, is the writer's "response" to the overused tropes and caricature of Captain Kirk esque characters in science fiction, with the main character, Captain Hardrian, being the most recognizable reflection. While the novel is a spoof of science fiction in general, it is rife with oftentimes poignant social commentary. [14]

The Wrath of Betty, the follow-up, was published in 2016. [15]

Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart

Instead ... I wanted an ET arriving that then set about doing what it does, while utterly and completely ignoring the usual list of suspects (presidents, men-in-black, scientists, the military); and to then not only ignore them, but bring them down. An end to secrecy. An end to hidden power-blocks and all the vicious games they play to stay in power. Wake up, world, to a brand-new day.

Having written a three million words spanning fantasy series and having dealt with all the tropes that came with it, Erikson feels desensitized by most works found in the genre, which is why he prefers reading Science Fiction. [6] For more than a decade, he has also had aspirations to write a First Contact science fiction novel. In 2017, UK based publisher Gollancz revealed in a press release that they had acquired the right to this project, titled Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart. [17] [18] [16] In Canada, the publishing rights are owned by Promontory Press Inc. [19]

Similar to his fantasy work, the writer revealed that he would be playing with and overturning the conventions and dismantling a few tropes. It was his opinion that far too often the invading aliens would seek contact with an authority figure, someone in power. His goal was to flip that by asking what would happen if the aliens made contact with someone completely opposite. [16]

The novel was released on October 16, 2018, and was received with critical acclaim, with science fiction author Robert Sawyer praising its concept and its execution. [20] [21]

Bibliography

TitleYearTypeSeries
A Ruin of Feathers1991NovellaStandalone written as Steve Lundin
Stolen Voices1993
Revolvo & Other Canadian Tales1998
This River Awakens1998Novel
Gardens of the Moon 1999Novel Malazan Book of the Fallen
Deadhouse Gates 2000Novel Malazan Book of the Fallen
Memories of Ice 2001Novel Malazan Book of the Fallen
Blood Follows 2002NovellaThe Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach
House of Chains 2002Novel Malazan Book of the Fallen
Midnight Tides 2004Novel Malazan Book of the Fallen
The Healthy Dead 2004NovellaThe Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach
The Devil Delivered2004NovellaStandalone
Fishin' with Grandma Matchie2004
When She's Gone2004
The Bonehunters 2006Novel Malazan Book of the Fallen
Reaper's Gale 2007Novel Malazan Book of the Fallen
The Lees of Laughter's End 2007NovellaThe Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach
Revolvo2008NovellaStandalone
Toll the Hounds 2008Novel Malazan Book of the Fallen
Crack’d Pot Trail 2009NovellaThe Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach
Dust of Dreams2009Novel Malazan Book of the Fallen
Goats of Glory2010Short story
The Crippled God2011Novel Malazan Book of the Fallen
The Wurms of Blearmouth 2012NovellaThe Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach
The Devil Delivered and Other Tales2012NovellaStandalone
Forge of Darkness 2012Novel The Kharkanas Trilogy
Willful Child2014NovelWillful Child Trilogy
Willful Child: Wrath of Betty2016NovelWillful Child Trilogy
Fall of Light 2016Novel The Kharkanas Trilogy
The Fiends of Nightmaria2016NovellaThe Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach
Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart2018NovelStandalone
Willful Child: The Search for Spark2018NovelWillful Child Trilogy
Upon a Dark of Evil Overlords2020NovellaThe Tales of Bauchelain & Korbal Broach
The God is Not Willing 2021NovelThe Witness Trilogy
Walk in ShadowTBANovel The Kharkanas Trilogy

Related Research Articles

Steven Erikson Canadian fantasy author

Steven Erikson is the pseudonym of Steve Rune Lundin, 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 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

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 is extremely complex with a wide scope, and presents the narratives of a large cast of characters spanning thousands of years across multiple continents.

<i>Memories of Ice</i>

Memories of Ice is an epic fantasy novel by Canadian writer Steven Erikson, the third volume in his series the Malazan Book of the Fallen. The events of Memories of Ice begin just after the first book, Gardens of the Moon, and at the same time as the second, Deadhouse Gates.

<i>The Bonehunters</i>

The Bonehunters is the sixth volume in Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. The Bonehunters is a direct sequel to the fourth volume, House of Chains, and alludes to events in the fifth, Midnight Tides.

<i>Dust of Dreams</i> (novel)

Dust of Dreams is the ninth volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It is the first book in the series to end on a cliffhanger, dealing with the fallout from Reaper's Gale and forms the first half of the series finale, with The Crippled God forming the second half, and being the tenth and final novel in the series.

<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.

Ian Cameron Esslemont 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.

<i>Blood Follows</i>

Blood Follows is a novella by Steven Erikson set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. The events of this book take place prior to those in the main series, and do not necessarily concern the main story plot line.

<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>Crackd Pot Trail</i>

Crack'd Pot Trail is the fourth novella by Canadian author Steven Erikson in his Malazan Book of the Fallen series. It is preceded by The Lees of Laughter's End, and will be followed by another two novellas. The novella was released in December 2009 with 300 traycased, signed and jacketed hardcovers with color plates and 700 unjacketed and unsigned hardcovers copies available for pre-order.

<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.

<i>The Wurms of Blearmouth</i>

The Wurms of Blearmouth is the fifth novella written by Canadian author Steven Erikson, set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It follows the adventures of the duo, Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, along with their suitably phlegmatic manservant, Emancipor Reese.

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 2019. 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>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.

<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.

<i>The Fiends of Nightmaria</i>

The Fiends of Nightmaria is the sixth novella written by Canadian author Steven Erikson, set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It follows the adventures of the duo, Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, along with their suitably phlegmatic manservant, Emancipor Reese.

References

  1. ↑ "On the spot at Bookspotcentral: Interview with Steven Erikson". bookspotcentral.com. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
  2. ↑ Unbound Worlds (23 September 2008). "Suvudu - Steven Erikson Reading and Q&A (Part 6)" – via YouTube.
  3. ↑ Erikson, Steven (2007). Preface to Gardens of the Moon redux. Malazan Book of the Fallen. Vol. 1 (Bantam Books edition published 2000 ed.). United Kingdom: Bantam Books. pp. xi. ISBN   9780553819571.
  4. ↑ "Gardens of the Moon review at Science Fiction Book Club". Archived from the original on February 2, 2013.
  5. 1 2 Moss, Stephen (October 14, 1999). "Malazans and megabucks". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  6. 1 2 3 Garrido, Daniel (December 1, 2012). "Steven Erikson: "There is nothing glorifying in war"". El Caballero del Arbols Onriente. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  7. ↑ Whitehead, Adam (November 11, 2017). "Malazan Franchise Familiariser". The Wertzone. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  8. ↑ Winter, Nicolas (June 5, 2018). "Interview Steven Erikson: The Malazan Archaeologist - Imaginales festival in Épinal 2018". Just a Word - France. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  9. ↑ Whitehead, Adam (April 23, 2018). "Sales of the MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN pass 3 million". The Wertzone - SF&F In Print & On Screen. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  10. ↑ "and occasionally an exchange goes like this". Steven Erikson Social Media. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  11. ↑ Thornton, Jonathan (1 November 2018). "INTERVIEW WITH STEVEN ERIKSON". Fantasy Hive. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  12. ↑ "NOT A TSACAST - *Spoilers Malazan* - Fireside Conversations with Steven Erikson". NOT A TSACAST. 50 minutes in.
  13. ↑ "INTERVIEWS - New Release Interview: Steven Erikson & His WILLFUL CHILD". Unbound Worlds. Unbound Worlds. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Review: Willful Child by Steven Erikson". The Critical Dragon Reviews. The Critical Dragon. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  15. ↑ "In the Dragon's Den: Interview with Steven Erikson Part 3". The Critical Dragon Reviews. The Critical Dragon. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  16. 1 2 "The Big Idea - Steven Erikson". Scalzi. Whatever - THIS MACHINE MOCKS FASCISTS. 2018-10-17. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Gollancz Acquire Steven Erikson's Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart". Gollancz. Gollancz. 2017-10-12. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Gollancz signs Steven Erikson SF Novel". Book Berunch. Book Brunch. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart". Promontory Press Inc Works. Promontory Press Inc. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart Steven Erikson". Fantastic Fiction. Fantastic Fiction. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  21. ↑ Erikson, Steven (2018-10-16). Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart Steven Erikson. ISBN   978-1773740126.
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