BrooksBlog: Terry Goodkind

I just learned of the passing of author Terry Goodkind, and I want to say a few words about his contribution to the field.

We never met in all our years working with fantasy writing, but we knew of each other.  He was a staple of the field, what Lester del Rey liked to refer to as a work-a-day writer.  He wrote books, and he wrote them regularly and loved what he did. His readers were varied and many. Having read more than a few of his Sword of Truth series, I can attest to his skill and imagination.

We were never the same kind of writer.  Terry made a point of saying he didn’t write fantasy. Odd, you might say. But I say the same thing all the time. I don’t write fantasy – I write adventure stories with fantasy trappings. Doesn’t make a difference what Terry said he wrote – only that he wrote some memorable stories. I admired him for his work ethic and his strong determination to push the envelope.

His books are his legacy to his readers, and they will be out there and read by readers who will remember him and honor his work.

Terry Brooks, September 18, 2020