Terry Goodkind American science fiction writer Date of Birth: 01.05.1948 Country: USA

1. Terry Goodkind: American Fantasy Writer
2. Early Life and Career
3. Influences and Writing

Terry Goodkind: American Fantasy Writer

Terry Goodkind is an American fantasy writer and the author of the bestselling series "Sword of Truth," which, according to a press release from Tor Books, has been published with a total circulation of over 25 million copies and translated into 20 different languages. In 2008, a television series titled "Legend of the Seeker" was produced based on this series.

Early Life and Career

Goodkind was born in 1948 and grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where he graduated from art school. After dropping out of college, Goodkind worked as a carpenter, crafted violins, and restored rare items, exotic artifacts, and antiques. Prior to his career as a writer, Goodkind was well-known for his paintings depicting the sea and the wild nature.

In 1993, while building his home in the mountains of northeastern United States, near the ocean coast in Maine, Goodkind started writing his first novel, "Wizard's First Rule," with his wife, Jeri. The publication of this work in 1994 marked the beginning of Goodkind's writing career.

In addition to their residence in Maine, Goodkind and his wife built a second home in the desert in the southwestern part of the country, where they currently spend most of their time.

Influences and Writing

Terry Goodkind has been greatly influenced by Ayn Rand and is a follower of her works and Objectivist philosophy. He adopted the focus on philosophical and humanistic themes from her novels.

Furthermore, Goodkind wrote a short story titled "Debt of Bones" for the anthology "Legends" (1998), edited by Robert Silverberg. The story is set in the Sword of Truth universe several decades before the events of the series. In 2001, the story was published as a standalone book.

In April 2010, Goodkind signed a contract with Tor Books to publish three new novels. The first of these will be a novel about Richard and Kahlan. A teaser for the book was released on April 1st on Terry Goodkind's official website.