Terry Goodkind facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Terry Goodkind
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Goodkind in 2005
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| Born | Terry Goodkind January 11, 1948 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | September 17, 2020 (aged 72) Boulder City, Nevada, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Period | 1994–2020 |
| Genre | Epic fantasy, sword and sorcery |
| Notable works | The Sword of Truth |
| Spouse | Jeri |
Terry Goodkind (born January 11, 1948 – died September 17, 2020) was an American writer. He was famous for his exciting epic fantasy book series called The Sword of Truth. He also wrote a modern mystery novel, The Law of Nines (2009), which connects to his fantasy world.
The Sword of Truth series was very popular. It sold 25 million copies around the world. It was also translated into more than 20 languages. A TV show called Legend of the Seeker was made based on the books. It started in 2008 and ran for two seasons. Goodkind was interested in the ideas of a philosopher named Ayn Rand. He often included her ideas in his books.
Contents
Early life
Terry Goodkind was born in 1948 in Omaha, Nebraska. He had dyslexia, which made reading and writing difficult. Because of this, he was not very interested in school. He did not go to college after high school.
In 1983, Goodkind and his wife, Jeri, moved to a house he built in Maine. Later, they lived mostly on the coast of Lake Las Vegas, Nevada. Before becoming a writer, Goodkind had many different jobs. He built cabinets and violins. He was also an artist who painted pictures of animals and the ocean. He sold his paintings in art galleries.
In 1993, while building a home in Maine, he started writing his first book. This book was called Wizard's First Rule. It was published in 1994, and that's how his writing career began.
Career
Terry Goodkind's first book, Wizard's First Rule, was a big success. It was sold to publishers for a record price of $275,000 in 1994. After that, he wrote 16 more novels and one shorter story called a novella.
Most of his books appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list. For example, Chainfire was #3 in 2005. Phantom reached #1 in 2006. Confessor was #2 in 2007. His 12 books in The Sword of Truth series sold 25 million copies. They were translated into over 20 languages.
Goodkind's books sometimes included his own ideas. For example, in his novel The Pillars of Creation (2001), he wrote a dedication. He thanked people in the United States Intelligence Community. He praised them for working to protect freedom.
In 2008, Goodkind signed a deal to write three new novels. The first of these, The Law of Nines, came out in 2009. In 2010, he signed another deal to write three more novels. These new books would return to the world of The Sword of Truth. The Omen Machine was published in 2011. He also published a prequel novel, The First Confessor: the Legend of Magda Searus, himself in 2012. It quickly became a bestseller online. He continued the series with The Third Kingdom (2013) and Severed Souls (2014). In 2017, a new Sword of Truth novel, "Death's Mistress," was released. In 2019, he announced more books in the series, starting with "The Scribbly Man."
Genre and influences
Terry Goodkind saw his novels as more than just regular fantasy. He focused on big ideas about life and people. He believed that using the fantasy setting helped him tell his stories better. It also helped him share the human feelings he wanted readers to experience.
When asked about the main characters, Richard and Kahlan, he said he created them. He wanted them to be the kind of people he admired. Goodkind was influenced by the ideas of Ayn Rand. Her philosophy is called Objectivism. This way of thinking focuses on individual freedom and using reason. Some people have noticed that Goodkind's characters and stories often show these ideas. This was especially clear in his book Faith of the Fallen.
Personal life and death
Terry Goodkind enjoyed car racing as a hobby. He raced a special car called a Radical SR8 SM-500 for his own racing team.
Goodkind passed away on September 17, 2020. He died at his home in Boulder City, Nevada.
Published works
The Sword of Truth
- #1 – Wizard's First Rule (1994)
- #2 – Stone of Tears (1995)
- #3 – Blood of the Fold (1996)
- #4 – Temple of the Winds (1997)
- #4.5 – Debt of Bones (1998, standalone in 2001)
- #5 – Soul of the Fire (1999)
- #6 – Faith of the Fallen (2000)
- #7 – The Pillars of Creation (2002)
- #8 – Naked Empire (2003)
- #9 – Chainfire (2005)
- #10 – Phantom (2006)
- #11 – Confessor (2007)
- #12 – The Omen Machine (2011)
- #13 – The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus (2012) (pre-prequel novel)
- #14 – The Third Kingdom (2013)
- #15 – Severed Souls (2014)
- #16 – Warheart (2015)
The Nicci Chronicles
- Death's Mistress (2017)
- Shroud of Eternity (2018)
- Siege of Stone (2018)
- Heart of Black Ice (2020)
The Children of D'Hara
- The Scribbly Man (2019)
- Hateful Things (2019)
- Wasteland (2019)
- Witch's Oath (2020)
- Into Darkness (2020)
- The Children of D'Hara (2021)
Angela Constantine / Jack Raines
- Nest (2016)
- Trouble's Child (2018)
- The Girl in the Moon (2018)
- Crazy Wanda (2018)
Modern standalone
- The Law of Nines (2009)
- The Sky People (2019)
In other media
In 2006, it was announced that The Sword of Truth books would become a TV show. It was produced by Sam Raimi and Joshua Donen. The show was named Legend of the Seeker. This name helped show it was different from the books. It also allowed for new stories in each episode. The first episode aired on November 1, 2008. The show ran for two seasons before ending in May 2010.
See also
In Spanish: Terry Goodkind para niños
