Editing Terry Goodkind

{{Short description|American writer (1948–2020)}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| image = TerryGoodkind TG-studio-2005 (cropped).jpg
| name        = Terry Goodkind| birth_name  = Terry Goodkind
| caption     = Goodkind in 2005
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1948|1|11}}  
| birth_place = [[Omaha, Nebraska]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|2020|9|17|1948|1|11}}
| death_place = [[Boulder City, Nevada]], U.S.
| occupation  = Writer
| spouse = Jeri
| period      = 1994–2020
| genre       = [[Epic fantasy]], [[sword and sorcery]]
| movement    = 
| notableworks = ''[[The Sword of Truth]]''
| website     = {{URL|terrygoodkind.com}} 
}}

'''Terry Lee Goodkind''' (January 11, 1948{{spnd}}September 17, 2020)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/books/terry-goodkind-dead.html|title=Terry Goodkind, Master of Fantasy Fiction, Is Dead at 72|last=Kurutz|first=Steven|date=October 2, 2020|website=The New York Times|access-date=October 3, 2020}}</ref> was an American writer. He was known for the epic fantasy series ''[[The Sword of Truth]]'' as well as the contemporary suspense novel ''[[The Law of Nines]]'' (2009), which has ties to his fantasy series. ''The Sword of Truth'' series sold 25 million copies worldwide and was translated into more than 20 languages.<ref name="MacMillan">{{cite web|date=2010-04-19|title=Tor signs three book deal with Terry Goodkind|url=http://us.macmillan.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=19885&publisher=torforge/|access-date=2011-04-27|website=us.MacMillan.com}}</ref> Additionally, it was adapted into a television series called ''[[Legend of the Seeker]]. Legend of the Seeker'' premiered on November 1, 2008 and ran for two seasons; the television series finished in May 2010.<ref name = Time>{{cite magazine| url = https://techland.time.com/2010/04/26/legend-of-the-seeker-canceled-i-mourn/ | title = Legend of the Seeker Canceled, I Mourn | last = Townsend | first = A | date = 2010-04-26 | access-date = 2011-04-30 | magazine= [[Time (magazine)|TIME]] }}</ref>

Goodkind was a proponent of [[Ayn Rand]]'s philosophical approach of [[Objectivism]],<ref name = gelder>{{cite book |author=Gelder K|title=Popular fiction: the logics and practices of a literary field |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |year=2004 |pages= [https://books.google.com/books?id=7VHERzW1-LMC&pg=PA157 157n2]|isbn=0-415-35646-6 }}</ref><ref name = USAToday/> and made references to Rand's ideas and novels in his works.<ref name = Perry/>

==Early life==
Goodkind was born in 1948,<ref name = encyclopedia>{{cite book |author=D'Ammassa D |title=Encyclopedia of fantasy and horror fiction |publisher=Facts on File |location=New York |year=2006 |pages= [https://books.google.com/books?id=jUv5gVgSNvYC&pg=PA138 138–9] |isbn=0-8160-6192-0 }}</ref> and his home town was [[Omaha, Nebraska]].<ref name = Vegas>{{cite news | url = http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2000/Aug-01-Tue-2000/lifestyles/13986007.html | title = Author relies on memory to create fantasy tales | last = White | first = K | work = [[Las Vegas Review-Journal]] | date = 2000-08-01 | access-date = 2011-04-27}}</ref> Because he had [[dyslexia]], he found little interest in school; therefore, he had no formal education beyond high school.

Goodkind's dyslexia initially dissuaded him from any interest in writing. Before starting his career as a writer, Goodkind built cabinets and violins, and was a marine and wildlife artist,<ref name = Vegas/> selling his paintings in galleries.<ref name = USAToday>{{cite news|url=http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20030805003/tscript.htm|title='Naked Empire': Author Terry Goodkind - Talk Today | newspaper= [[USA Today]] | date = April 8, 2003 | access-date = 2011-04-27 }}</ref> 

==Career==
Goodkind's started working on his first book, ''[[Wizard's First Rule]]'', in 1993.<ref name = "Official Bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.prophets-inc.com/the_author/ |title=Terry Goodkind Bio |website= terrygoodkind.com}}</ref> It was auctioned to a group of three publishers in 1994 and sold for a record price of $275,000.<ref name = Vegas/><ref name = Flewelling>{{cite news| url = http://www.sff.net/people/lynn.flewelling/s.goodkind.html | title = Lynn Flewelling interview with Terry Goodkind | work = Bangor Daily News | publisher = SFF.net | date = November 1995 | access-date = 2011-04-27 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Gilmore | first = C | author-link = Chris Gilmore | title = The St. James Guide To Fantasy Writers | editor = Pringle D | publisher = [[Gale (publisher)|St. James Press]] | year = 1996 | isbn = 1-55862-205-5 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781558622050/page/237 237]–8 | editor-link = David Pringle | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781558622050 }}</ref> He subsequently published 16 other novels and one [[novella]]. All of his books, with the exceptions of ''[[Stone of Tears]]'' and ''Wizard's First Rule'', have appeared on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hawes.com/pastlist.htm|website=Hawes' Archive|title=''New York Times'' bestsellers from 1994 to 2005}}</ref> His books ''[[Chainfire]]'' debuted at #3,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hawes.com/2005/0501.htm#January%2023|website=Hawes' archive |title= ''New York Times'' bestsellers—Week of January 23, 2005}}</ref> in January 2005; ''[[Phantom (Sword of Truth)|Phantom]]'' at #1,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hawes.com/2006/2006-08-06.pdf|website=Hawes' archive |title= ''New York Times'' bestsellers&nbsp;— Week of January 23, 2005}}</ref> in August 2006; and ''[[Confessor (novel)|Confessor]]'' at #2, in November, 2007.

Some of Goodkind's political views have provoked controversy,<ref name="gelder" /> notably the dedication to his novel ''The Pillars of Creation'' (2001):<ref>Gelder cites Goodkind's work as an example of the "reactionary aspects" of some modern fantasy writers. See Gelder (2004).</ref>

{{blockquote|To the people in the [[United States Intelligence Community]], who, for decades, have valiantly fought to preserve life and liberty, while being ridiculed, condemned, demonized, and shackled by the jackals of evil.<ref name = gelder/>}}

[[Don D'Ammassa]] described Goodkind as part of a "host of brand new writers [with] no previous experience writing fiction but who could turn out one large epic adventure after another".<ref>{{cite book|author=D'Ammassa D|title=Encyclopedia of fantasy and horror fiction|publisher=[[Infobase Publishing|Facts on File]]|year=2006|isbn=0-8160-6192-0|location=New York|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=jUv5gVgSNvYC&pg=PA138 138–9]}}</ref> [[Robert Eaglestone]] described his books as a "depressing read" due to the series' overarching cynicism, with a weakness being that the heroic characters are only likable in comparison with utterly murderous villains.<ref>{{cite book|author=Eaglestone R|title=Reading The Lord of the Rings: new writings on Tolkien's classic|publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group|Continuum]]|year=2005|isbn=0-8264-8460-3|location=London|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=dmu9G8oU3oQC&pg=PA172 172]}}</ref>

In June 2008, Goodkind signed a contract to publish three mainstream novels with G.P. Putnam's Sons/[[Penguin Books]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Andriani|first=L|date=June 28, 2008|title=Terry Goodkind Moves to Putnam for Three-Book Deal|work=[[Publishers Weekly]]|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6573502.html|url-status=dead|access-date=2011-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202025758/http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6573502.html|archive-date=December 2, 2008}}</ref>  The first of these novels, titled ''[[The Law of Nines]]'', was released August 18, 2009.

In April 2010, Goodkind signed a contract to publish three more novels with [[Tor Books]], the first of which revisited the world and characters of the Sword of Truth series.<ref name="MacMillan" />  [[Tor Books]] published the first new novel, ''The Omen Machine'', on August 16, 2011. Goodkind [[Self-publishing|self-published]] the second new novel, ''The First Confessor: the Legend of Magda Searus'', on July 2, 2012;<ref>{{cite news|author=Deahl R|date=2012-06-13|title=Terry Goodkind to Self-Publish Next Novel|work=[[Publishers Weekly]]|url=http://publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/52532-terry-goodkind-to-self-publish-next-novel.html?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150859606850770_22024154_10150859656855770|access-date=2012-09-16}}</ref>  the book was ranked #28 on the [[Amazon Kindle|Kindle]] bestseller list by the next morning.<ref>{{cite news|date=2012-07-03|title=Tracking Amazon: Terry Goodkind's Self-Published Novel Skyrockets|work=[[Publishers Weekly]]|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/52860-tracking-amazon-terry-goodkind-s-self-published-novel-skyrockets.html|access-date=2012-09-16}}</ref> [[Tor Books]] released the sequel to ''the Omen Machine'', ''The Third Kingdom'', on August 20, 2013, and the third novel, ''Severed Souls'', which continues where ''The Third Kingdom'' ended, on August 5, 2014.

In 2017, a new novel in Sword of Truth Series was released, titled "Death's Mistress".<ref>{{cite web|title=Amazon.com: Death's Mistress|url=https://smile.amazon.com/Deaths-Mistress-Sister-Darkness-Chronicles/dp/0765388219/|access-date=2016-10-02}}</ref> In 2019, Goodkind's continuation of the Sword of Truth series was announced, titled "The Scribbly Man".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Goodkind|first1=Terry|title=Amazon.com: The Scribbly Man|date=April 2019|publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=978-1789541182}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|title=Terry Goodkind Website|url=https://www.terrygoodkind.com|access-date=2019-04-12}}
</ref>

==Genre and influences==
Goodkind perceived his novels to be more than just traditional fantasy because of their focus on philosophical and human themes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prophets-inc.com/the_author/va.html |title=Terry Goodkind - Interviews & Past Chats - VA Book Signing |date=September 9, 2000 |website=Prophets-Inc.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209010955/http://www.prophets-inc.com/the_author/va.html |archive-date=2008-02-09 |access-date=2009-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.terrygoodkind.com/chats/PIchat5.php |title=Prophets Inc Chat 5 |date=2003-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051217105437/http://terrygoodkind.com/chats/PIchat5.php |archive-date=2005-12-17 |website=terrygoodkind.com |access-date=2009-08-26}}</ref> Goodkind believed that using the fantasy genre allowed him to better tell his stories and better convey the human themes and emotions he desired to share with readers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Snider|first=JC|date=August 2003|title=Interview: Terry Goodkind|url=http://www.scifidimensions.com/Aug03/terrygoodkind.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040225065007/http://www.scifidimensions.com/Aug03/terrygoodkind.htm|archive-date=February 25, 2004|access-date=June 9, 2021|work=SciFiDimensions}}</ref>

On real-world inspiration behind the characters of Richard and Kahlan, Goodkind had this to say: "There were no such people. I created them both. I wanted them to be the kind of people I look up to."<ref>{{Cite web|title=ASK ME ANYTHING / FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS|url=https://www.terrygoodkind.com/faq|access-date=November 21, 2021|website=TERRY GOODKIND}}</ref>

Goodkind was influenced by the work of [[Ayn Rand]] and [[Objectivism|Objectivist]] philosophy. Writing about the series in [[The Atlas Society]] newsletter, Willam Perry states that Goodkind's "characters, plots, and themes...are clearly and directly influenced by Rand's work, and the book's heroes occasionally invoke Objectivist principles". Perry notes the Objectivist themes become most obvious in ''[[Faith of the Fallen]]'', which made the novel controversial among Goodkind's fan base; moreover, the novel contains several scenes that echo the plots of Rand's books ''[[The Fountainhead]]'' (1943) and ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'' (1957).<ref name="Perry">{{cite web|last=Perry|first=William|date=2006-05-17|title=The Randian Fantasies of Terry Goodkind|url=http://www.atlassociety.org/tni/randian-fantasies-terry-goodkind|access-date=2011-04-30|website=The Atlas Society}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
In 1983, Goodkind moved with his wife to a house he built in Maine. In 1993 they built a house on the forested [[Mount Desert Island]] off the coast of [[Maine]] where he wrote his first book, [[Wizard's First Rule]]. Later, they made their home on the coast of [[Lake Las Vegas]], Nevada, their primary residence.<ref name = Vegas/>

Goodkind competed in various forms of amateur and semi-professional auto racing, and drove a [[Radical Sportscars|Radical]] SR8 SM-500 race car for his own Rahl Racing team.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Goodkind died on September 17, 2020, at his home in [[Boulder City, Nevada]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-17|title=Terry Goodkind (1948-2020)|url=https://locusmag.com/2020/09/terry-goodkind-1948-2020/|access-date=2020-09-20|website=Locus Online|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kurutz |first=Steven |date=2020-10-02 |title=Terry Goodkind, Master of Fantasy Fiction, Is Dead at 72 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/books/terry-goodkind-dead.html |access-date=2023-06-15 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The cause of death was not released. Terry is survived by his wife Jeri.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Visser|first=Nick|date=2020-09-18|title=Bestselling Fantasy Author Terry Goodkind Dies|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/terry-goodkind-dead_n_5f6432abc5b6b9795b0df8cb|access-date=2020-09-20|website=HuffPost|language=en}}</ref>

==Published works==

===The Sword of Truth===
{{main|The Sword of Truth}}
* Arc 1: Darken Rahl {{Ordered list |''[[Wizard's First Rule]]'' (1994) | ''[[Stone of Tears]]'' (1995)}}
* Arc 2: Imperial Order {{Ordered list |start=3 |''[[Blood of the Fold]]'' (1996) |''[[Temple of the Winds]]'' (1997) {{unordered list|''[[Debt of Bones]]'' (originally published in ''[[Legends (book)|Legends]]'' (1998), standalone in 2001)}} |''[[Soul of the Fire]]'' (1999) |''[[Faith of the Fallen]]'' (2000)}}
* Arc 3: Pristinely Ungifted {{Ordered list |start=7 |''[[The Pillars of Creation]]'' (2002) | ''[[Naked Empire]]'' (2003)}}
* Arc 4: Chainfire {{Ordered list |start=9 |''[[Chainfire]]'' (2005) | ''[[Phantom (Sword of Truth)|Phantom]]'' (2006) | ''[[Confessor (novel)|Confessor]]'' (2007)}}
* Arc 5: The Darklands {{Ordered list |start=12 |''[[The Omen Machine]]'' (2011) | ''[[The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus]]'' (2012) (pre-prequel novel) | ''[[The Third Kingdom]]'' (2013) | ''[[Severed Souls]]'' (2014) | ''[[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 (novel)|Hateful Things]]'' (2019)
#''[[Wasteland (Terry Goodkind novel)|Wasteland]]'' (2019)
#''[[Witch's Oath]]'' (2020)
#''[[Into Darkness (novel)|Into Darkness]]'' (2020)
#''[[The Children of D'Hara]]'' (2021) (omnibus of the 5 books)

===Angela Constantine / Jack Raines===
*''Nest (same world as Angela, but not Angela)'' (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===
{{Main article|Legend of the Seeker}}
On July 24, 2006, it was announced that the Sword of Truth book series would be adapted as a television mini-series produced by [[Sam Raimi]] and Joshua Donen.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bookstandard.com/bookstandard/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002878399 | title = Spider-Man director buys rights to Goodkind series | date = 2006-07-24 | access-date = 2011-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312223719/http://www.bookstandard.com/bookstandard/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002878399 | archive-date = 2007-03-12 | last = Maul | first = K |website=bookstandard.com}}</ref> The series was ultimately dubbed ''[[Legend of the Seeker]]'', in order to differentiate it from the novels and allow an episodic format of self-contained stories that moved beyond the first book.<ref name="ign-24jul2008">{{cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/893/893761p1.html |title=SDCC 08: Wizard's First Rule First Look |access-date=2008-11-07 |last=Fickett |first=Travis |date=2008-07-24 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Raimi, [[Robert Tapert]], Ken Biller, and Ned Nalle served as executive producers for the series, distributed by [[ABC Studios]].<ref>{{cite news | title = Swords and Sorcery Return to Syndication | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/arts/television/26barn.html | last= Barnes | first = B | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = October 26, 2008 | access-date = 2011-04-30 }}</ref> The first episode aired in syndication on November 1, 2008, and the show lasted for two seasons until its cancellation in May 2010.<ref name = Time/>

==References==
{{Reflist|25em}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{official website}}
* {{ISFDB name}}
* [http://freetalklive.com/files/goodkind.mp3 Interview about the political aspects of the ''Sword of Truth'' series] on freetalklive.com

{{The Sword of Truth books}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodkind, Terry}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]
[[Category:American fantasy writers]]
[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:American writers with disabilities]]
[[Category:Objectivists]]
[[Category:People from Mount Desert Island]]
[[Category:Writers from Omaha, Nebraska]]
[[Category:Writers with dyslexia]]