Patrick Rothfuss
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Patrick Rothfuss | |
|---|---|
 Patrick Rothfuss |
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| Born | June 6, 1973 Madison, Wisconsin |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | American |
| Genres | Fantasy |
| Notable work(s) | The Name of the Wind (2007) |
| Notable award(s) | Quill Award (2007) |
| Official website | |
Patrick Rothfuss (born June 6, 1973)[citation needed] is an American fantasy writer and college lecturer. He is the author of three-volume series The Kingkiller Chronicle which was rejected by several publishing companies before the first book of the series, The Name of the Wind, was published in 2007, going on to win critical acclaim and become a New York Times best seller.
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[edit] Biography
Patrick Rothfuss was born in Madison, Wisconsin.[citation needed] According to his website, he grew up as an avid reader in part due to inclement weather and a lack of cable television.[1] He enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1991.[citation needed] At university he originally planned to be a chemical engineer, changed his mind to pursue a career in clinical psychology, and finally set his major as 'Undeclared' after three years—continuing to study any subject that caught his interest.[1] During that time, while holding odd jobs, Rothfuss worked on an extremely long fantasy novel called The Song of Flame and Thunder.[1] He also began to write the "College Survival Guide," a column in The Pointer, the campus paper. [2] He graduated in 1999 with a B.A. in English.[1] After receiving his MA at Washington State University, he returned two years later to teach at Stevens Point.[1] After completing The Song of Flame and Thunder, Rothfuss submitted it to several publishing companies, but it was rejected. In 2002 he won the Writers of the Future competition with The Road to Levinshir, an excerpt from his novel.[3] Rothfuss subsequently sold the novel to DAW Books. The Song of Flame and Thunder was split into a three-volume series entitled The Kingkiller Chronicle, with the first installment, The Name of the Wind, published in April 2007. The novel subsequently won the 2007 Quill Award for best sci-fi/fantasy[4] and was listed on the New York Times Best Seller list.[5]
[edit] Bibliography
- The Name of the Wind (April 2007)
- The Wise Man's Fear (Undecided release date)[6]
- The Doors of Stone (working title)
This trilogy was originally one very long story with the working title The Song of Flame and Thunder. It was split in three for publication due to its length. The series is essentially the autobiography of a famous musician, wizard, and adventurer named Kvothe. After gaining notoriety at a young age, he disappears from public life and is eventually tracked down to a backwater inn by Devan Lochees, who goes by the name 'Chronicler'. After some persuasion, Chronicler convinces Kvothe to tell him his life story. However, the story is occasionally punctuated by interludes, during which it becomes clear that someone is looking for Kvothe, and that Kvothe's friend Bast is unwilling to let Chronicler tell all of Kvothe's story. The story thus proceeds on two levels, as we learn how Kvothe came to be the man he is now, whilst other events take place in the present hinting at a greater story to follow.
[edit] Awards
- Writers of the Future (2002) [3]
- Quill Award (2007)[4]
- Best Books of the Year (2007) - Publishers Weekly - Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror[7]
- Best Book of 2007 - FantasyLiterature.net[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Rothfuss, Patrick (2007). "Bio". The Author. Patrick Rothfuss. http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/content/author.asp. Retrieved on 2008-09-01.
- ^ Rothfuss, Patrick (2008). "The Pointer". College Survival Guide. Patrick Rothfuss. http://pointeronline.uwsp.edu/May082008/LettersAndOpinion/YourCollegeSurvival.aspx. Retrieved on 2009-06-12.
- ^ a b "2002". Writers of the Future Contest Winners. Author Services, Inc.. 2007. http://www.writersofthefuture.com/awards.htm#2002. Retrieved on 2008-09-02.
- ^ a b "UWSP lecturer honored at 2007 Quill Awards". UW-Stevens Point news release. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. October 26, 2007. Archived from the original on 2009. http://www.uwsp.edu/news/forTheMedia/nrArchive/pr/chRothfussQuill.htm. Retrieved on September 2, 2008.
- ^ "UWSP lecturer’s fantasy novel climbs New York Times Bestseller list". UW-Stevens Point news release. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. April 21, 2008. Archived from the original on 2009. http://www.uwsp.edu/news/ForTheMedia/nrArchive/pr/tmRothfussII.htm. Retrieved on September 2, 2008.
- ^ "Concerning the Release of Book Two". February 26, 2009. http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/blog/labels/book%20two.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
- ^ "PW's Best Books of the Year". Publishers Weekly. November 5, 2007. http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6496987.html#SF/Fantasy/Horror. Retrieved on June 7, 2009.
- ^ "The Best and Worst books we read in 2007". FantasyLiterature.net. 2008. http://www.fantasyliterature.net/zzbestandworst_2007.html. Retrieved on June 7, 2009.
[edit] External links
[edit] Interviews
- Interview with Patrick Rothfuss conducted by Illusion TV, January 2008.
- Interview with Patrick Rothfuss conducted by FantasyLiterature.net, August 2008.
- Interview with Patrick Rothfuss conducted by Sci-Fi London, during his European promotional tour, May 2009.
