Terry Brooks

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Terry Brooks
Terry Brooks - Lucca Comics & Games 2016.jpg
Brooks at the 2016 Lucca Comics & Games
BornTerence Dean Brooks
(1944-01-08) January 8, 1944 (age 80)
Sterling, Illinois, U.S.
OccupationAuthor, former attorney
Education Hamilton College (BA)
Washington and Lee University (JD)
Genre Epic fantasy, urban fantasy
Notable awards Inkpot Award (1997) [1]
SpouseJudine Brooks
Website
terrybrooks.net OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Terence Dean Brooks (born January 8, 1944) [2] is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two film novelizations. He has written 23 New York Times bestsellers during his writing career, [3] and has sold over 25 million copies of his books in print. [4] He is one of the most successful living fantasy writers. [5]

Contents

Early life

Brooks was born in the rural Midwestern town of Sterling, Illinois, and spent a large part of his life living there. [6] He is an alumnus of Hamilton College, earning his B.A. in English literature in 1966. [6] He later obtained a J.D. degree from Washington and Lee University. He was a practicing attorney before becoming a full-time author. [6]

Career

Brooks had been a writer since high school, writing mainly in the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction. [6] One day, in his early college life, he was given a copy of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, which inspired him to write in one genre. [6] While Tolkien inspired the genre, Brooks stated during his TEDxRainier talk "Why I Write about Elves", [7] as well as at the Charlotte Literary Festival that he credits the inspiration of his style of writing to William Faulkner's works. [7] With this inspiration, he then made his debut in 1977 with The Sword of Shannara . [6]

After finishing two sequels to The Sword of Shannara, Brooks moved on to the series which would become known as the Landover novels. [6] Brooks then wrote a four-book series titled The Heritage of Shannara . [6] For the next fourteen years, he wrote more Landover books, then went on to write The Word and Void trilogy. Continuing the Shannara series, Brooks wrote the prequel to The Sword of Shannara, titled First King of Shannara . He then wrote two series, The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara and High Druid of Shannara and finished a third, Genesis of Shannara , a trilogy bridging his Word and Void and Shannara series. The sixth book in the Landover series, A Princess of Landover , was released in August 2009. Returning to Shannara, a duology, Legends of Shannara , taking place after the events of Genesis of Shannara , was written next. The first book, entitled Bearers of the Black Staff , was released in August 2010 and the second, The Measure of the Magic , was released in August 2011. He next completed a trilogy entitled The Dark Legacy of Shannara . The three books are; Wards of Faerie (Feb 2013), Bloodfire Quest (June 2013), and Witch Wraith (Dec 2013). He followed this with the trilogy Defenders of Shannara, which include The High Druid's Blade (July 2014), The Darkling Child (June 2015), and The Sorcerer's Daughter (May 24, 2016). According to his website, he is currently working on the final and concluding tetralogy of the Shannara series known as The Fall of Shannara . The first book in the tetralogy is The Black Elfstone and was released on June 13, 2017. The second book in the series is The Skaar Invasion released on June 19, 2018. The third book in the series is The Stiehl Assassin published on May 28, 2019. The fourth and final book in the tetralogy is The Last Druid , published on October 20, 2020.

A television series based on the Shannara works, entitled The Shannara Chronicles , began showing on MTV in January 2016. The show starts with the second book of the original series, Elfstones, as there are strong female roles which did not appear in the first book. [8] The second season aired in 2017 on Spike TV. [9] On January 16, 2018, it was announced that the series had been cancelled after two seasons. [10] Producers later announced that the series is being shopped to other networks. [11]

Brooks has written a number of other books, based on movies, science fiction and his own life. Novels include Hook , based on the movie of the same name, first published November 24, 1991, and republished in 1998. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was published April 21, 1999, with four differing dust jacket covers. His own writing life is reflected in two stories, Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life , published February 3, 2004, and Why I Write About Elves published in 2005. A science fiction book, Street Freaks , was released on October 2, 2018. Brooks has written a number of e-book short stories which are published in a book titled Small Magic with his other short stories. [12]

Personal life

Brooks resides in Seattle, Washington, with his wife, Judine. [6]

Novels versus short stories

After writing "Indomitable", a short story constituting an epilogue to The Wishsong of Shannara , Terry Brooks declared:

I find it much harder to write short stories than long fiction. I feel cramped by the lack of space and the dictates of the form. There is considerable difference in long and short fiction disciplines, and I am not good with the latter. I hope not to have to do many more of them, but you never know. I must have written "Indomitable" anywhere from four to five times, each effort different. Give me a five hundred page sprawl as an assignment any day. [13]

Bibliography

A bibliography of Terry Brooks's works broken into the different series and listed chronologically can be found at the article Terry Brooks bibliography.

See also

Related Research Articles

Shannara is a series of high fantasy novels written by Terry Brooks, beginning with The Sword of Shannara in 1977 and concluding with The Last Druid which was released in October 2020; there is also a prequel, First King of Shannara. The series blends magic and primitive technology and is set in the Four Lands, which are identified as Earth long after civilization was destroyed in a chemical and nuclear holocaust called the Great Wars. By the time of the prequel First King of Shannara, the world had reverted to a pre-industrial state and magic had re-emerged to supplement science.

<i>The Sword of Shannara</i> 1977 novel by Terry Brooks

The Sword of Shannara is a 1977 epic fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks. It is the first book in a titular trilogy.

<i>The Elfstones of Shannara</i> 1982 epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks

The Elfstones of Shannara is a 1982 epic fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks. It is the first sequel to The Sword of Shannara and the second book in The Original Shannara Trilogy. It expands upon the history of the Elves, which was only hinted at in the preceding story, and follows Wil Ohmsford, grandson of Shea and inheritor of the Shannara Elfstones.

<i>The Wishsong of Shannara</i> 1985 novel by Terry Brooks

The Wishsong of Shannara is an epic fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks. It is the final novel in the Original Shannara Trilogy, with the other two being The Sword of Shannara and The Elfstones of Shannara. The story revolves around Jair and Brin Ohmsford, the children of the main characters from The Elfstones of Shannara: Wil Ohmsford and Eretria. The siblings, each possessing an inherited magic, must save the Four Lands from the evil magic within a tome called the Ildatch.

<i>First King of Shannara</i> 1996 novel by Terry Brooks

First King of Shannara is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks.

<i>Heritage of Shannara</i> Novel series by Terry Brooks

The Heritage of Shannara is a series of four fantasy novels by Terry Brooks, set hundreds of years after the original Shannara trilogy. Unlike the original trilogy, however, this series is all one, cohesive story, in contrast to the three isolated stories of the originals. It is set in a future Four Lands in which the Federation of the Southland has driven off the Elves, enslaved the Dwarves, and outlawed magic. Only the rebel Free-born, led by Padishar Creel, dare to resist. The series begins with The Scions of Shannara, when the Ohmsford descendants are summoned by the shade of Allanon to combat the Shadowen that have been poisoning the land, each charged with a quest only they can embark on. The story continues with The Druid of Shannara, The Elf Queen of Shannara, and concludes with The Talismans of Shannara.

High Druid of Shannara is a trilogy of fantasy novels in the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. Set 20 years after the events of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, the series chronicles the adventures of Pen Ohmsford as he seeks to rescue his aunt, the High Druid Grianne Ohmsford.

<i>Jarka Ruus</i> 2003 novel by Terry Brooks

Jarka Ruus is a fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks. It is the first book in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy in Brooks' Shannara series, and takes place 20 years after the events of The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara. It was first published in 2003.

<i>Armageddons Children</i> 2006 novel by Terry Brooks

Armageddon's Children is a fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks, the first in his trilogy The Genesis of Shannara, which bridges the events of Brooks' Word and Void trilogy with his Shannara series. It takes place in an apocalyptic world around the year 2100 and details the events during the Great Wars, a historical conflict referenced frequently in the Shannara books. It is followed by the novel The Elves of Cintra.

<i>The Sword of Shannara Trilogy</i> Book trilogy by Terry Brooks

The Sword of Shannara Trilogy consists of the first three Shannara novels by Terry Brooks. Though not originally written as a trilogy, the novels were published as The Sword of Shannara Trilogy by Del Rey Books.

<i>The Elf Queen of Shannara</i> 1992 novel by Terry Brooks

The Elf Queen of Shannara is a fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks, the third book of the tetralogy: The Heritage of Shannara. It was first published in 1992.

<i>The Druid of Shannara</i> 1991 novel by Terry Brooks

The Druid of Shannara is a fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks. The second book of his tetralogy of The Heritage of Shannara, it was first published in 1991.

Eldon Thompson is an American author and screenwriter known for his epic fantasy series The Legend of Asahiel, published by HarperCollins (Eos/HarperVoyager).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eretria (Shannara)</span> Fictional character

Eretria is a fictional character from the Shannara series of fantasy novels by Terry Brooks and their television adaptation. In the latter, she is portrayed by Ivana Baquero. Described as "a delicate balance of strength and sensitivity", she is introduced as a cocky young woman from a clan of pillagers. Though she initially displays a callous facade, Eretria eventually reveals a compassionate side.

<i>The Dark Legacy of Shannara</i>

The Dark Legacy of Shannara is the title of a series of novels written by Terry Brooks. The first book, Wards of Faerie, was released by Del Rey Books in August 2012. These novels take place a century after the High Druid of Shannara trilogy, telling the quest of Khyber Elessedil to recover the lost Elfstones.

<i>The Black Irix</i>

Black Irix is a fantasy short story by Terry Brooks in his Shannara series. It is the third in a trilogy of short stories that make up the Paladins of Shannara series, first published in 2013.

<i>The Shannara Chronicles</i> American fantasy drama television series

The Shannara Chronicles is an American fantasy drama television series created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. It is an adaptation of The Sword of Shannara trilogy of fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. It follows three heroes as they seek to protect an ancient tree to stop the escape of banished demons. The series was filmed in the Auckland Film Studios and on location elsewhere in New Zealand.

This is the complete list of works by American fantasy author Terry Brooks.

<i>Skaar Invasion</i> 2018 fantasy novel by Terry Brooks

The Skaar Invasion is a 2018 fantasy novel by Terry Brooks, the second installment in his Fall of Shannara series.

<i>Black Elfstone</i> 2017 novel by Terry Brooks

The Black Elfstone is a fantasy novel by Terry Brooks in his Shannara series. It is the first book in The Fall of Shannara series, first published in 2017.

References

  1. ↑ Inkpot Award
  2. ↑ "UPI Almanac for Monday, Jan. 8, 2018". United Press International . January 8, 2018. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2019. …author Terry Brooks in 1944 (age 74)
  3. ↑ Speakman, Shawn (2008). "Terry Brooks' official website". Archived from the original on April 23, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
  4. ↑ "JIVEMagazine.com - Armageddon's Children: Q&A; with Terry Brooks". Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ↑ "Studio plans Shannara film series". BBC News. June 6, 2007. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Speakman, Shawn (2008). "Terry Brooks' official biography". Archived from the original on September 2, 2000. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
  7. 1 2 Brooks, Terry. "Why I Write about Elves". tedxtalks.ted.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Terry Brooks: MTV is Doing The Shannara Chronicles Right". pastemagazine.com. July 13, 2015. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  9. ↑ "MTV Renews The Shannara Chronicles For Second Season". mtv.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  10. ↑ Petski, Denise (January 17, 2018). "'The Shannara Chronicles' Canceled After Two Seasons". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  11. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (January 17, 2018). "'The Shannara Chronicles' Shopped To Other Networks For Season 3". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  12. ↑ "What's Next?". August 15, 2020. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  13. ↑ Brooks, Terry (1999–2008). "Ask Terry Q&A - Writing". Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2008.

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