Christopher Paolini American science fiction writer Date of Birth: 17.11.1983 Country: USA

Biography of Christopher Paolini

Christopher James Paolini was born on November 17, 1983, in Southern California. He grew up in Paradise Valley, Montana, and was homeschooled by his parents, Kenneth and Talia. He has a younger sister named Angela. Christopher completed his schooling at the age of 15 and began what eventually evolved into a full-fledged novel titled "Eragon," the first book in the series about the mythical land of Alagaesia.

In 2002, "Eragon" was published by the small publishing company "Paolini International LLC," which his parents had opened with their own money. As part of a promotional tour to support the book's sales, Christopher spoke at 135 schools and libraries. Throughout this time, he dressed in medieval attire – a red shirt, voluminous black pants, lace-up boots, and a black cap. He designed the cover for the first edition of "Eragon," which featured the eye of the dragoness Saphira, Eragon's companion. He also drew maps on the back covers of his books.

In the summer of 2004, the stepson of writer Carl Hiaasen discovered the novel "Eragon" in a bookstore. He enjoyed the work and showed it to his stepfather, who then brought the book to his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf. Knopf later decided to reissue the fantasy novel "Eragon" and the rest of the series, known as the "Inheritance Cycle." The second edition was released in August 2003 when Christopher was 19 years old. The book became a New York Times bestseller.

In December 2006, the film adaptation of "Eragon" was released worldwide by Fox 2000 Pictures. The continuation of the story, "Eldest," was published on August 23, 2005. The third book in the series, "Brisingr," was released on September 20, 2008. Although Christopher originally intended for it to be a trilogy, he needed a fourth book, "Inheritance," to "tie up loose ends and answer questions" that arose after the first two books. The fourth novel was released on November 8, 2011, in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, and India. Over time, "Inheritance" became available in 53 countries. According to some estimates, approximately 33 million copies of books from the "Inheritance Cycle" were sold.

Christopher stated that he has several ideas for science fiction and that he may turn them into full-fledged novels in the near future. One of his main sources of inspiration is the nature of Paradise Valley. He also drew much inspiration from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, E.R. Eddison, and the Anglo-Saxon epic poem "Beowulf." According to Christopher himself, the book "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville played a significant role in the creation of "Eragon." Among Christopher's favorite authors are Philip Pullman, Terry Brooks, and Garth Nix.

Christopher's books have received numerous awards, topped the charts of the New York Times and USA Today, and appeared on the bestseller list of Publishers Weekly. On January 5, 2011, Christopher entered the Guinness World Records as the "youngest author of a bestselling book series."