Steven Erikson

Author

Steven Erikson is the pen name of Steve Rune Lundin, a Canadian author and anthropologist whose Malazan Book of the Fallen is widely regarded as one of the most ambitious and complex fantasy series ever written. The ten-book series is a towering achievement in the genre — epic in scope, philosophical in ambition, and uncompromising in... its demands on the reader. Born in Toronto in 1959, Erikson studied anthropology and archaeology and attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop. His academic background in anthropology profoundly shapes his fiction — the Malazan world is built not on the tropes of European medieval fantasy but on a deep understanding of how cultures, religions, and societies form, evolve, and collapse. Gardens of the Moon (1999), the first book, was written in 1991 but struggled to find a publisher due to its complexity and unconventional approach. When it was finally published, it launched a series that would eventually span ten massive volumes: Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, House of Chains, Midnight Tides, The Bonehunters, Reaper's Gale, Toll the Hounds, Dust of Dreams, and The Crippled God. The Malazan Book of the Fallen is characterised by its enormous cast of characters, its non-linear storytelling, its philosophical depth, and its unflinching portrayal of war, colonialism, and the suffering of ordinary people caught in the machinery of empires. It makes few concessions to the reader — there are no information dumps, no hand-holding — but rewards those who persevere with one of the richest and most emotionally devastating reading experiences in all of fantasy. The audiobook editions of the Malazan series are epic undertakings, with narrators guiding listeners through the vast, complex world Erikson has created. His books and audiobooks are essential for serious fantasy readers ready for a challenge — and a reward — unlike anything else in the genre. Read more Show less