Stephen Reeder Donaldson (born May 13, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American fantasy, science fiction and mystery novelist. He earned his bachelor's degree from The College of Wooster and master's degree from Kent State University. He currently resides in New Mexico. May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (134th in leap years). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... For other definitions of fantasy see fantasy (psychology). ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Mystery fiction is a distinct subgenre of detective fiction that entails the occurrence of an unknown event which requires the protagonist to make known (or solve). ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... A bachelors degree (Artium Baccalaureus, A.B. or B.A.) is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years. ... The College of Wooster is a residential liberal arts college primarily known for its Independent Study program. ... “M.S.” redirects here. ... Kent State University (also known as Kent, Kent State or KSU) is a major public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States, which is about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland, 12 miles east of Akron, and 30 miles west of Youngstown. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area  Ranked 5th  - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 km²)  - Width 342 miles (550 km)  - Length 370 miles (595 km)  - % water 0. ...

Major Influences

Donaldson is part of the generation of fantasy authors which came to prominence in the 1970s and early 1980s. Like that of many of his peers, his writing is heavily influenced by the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. However, Donaldson's stories show a wide range of other influences, including Mervyn Peake, Robert E. Howard, and even the operas of Richard Wagner. Donaldson is also a great fan of Roger Zelazny's Amber novels, which were a direct inspiration for his own Mordant's Need series. Also, in the Gradual Interview section of his website, Donaldson mentions his extensive study of Joseph Conrad, Henry James and William Faulkner to further develop his narrative style. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) was an English philologist, writer and university professor, best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. ... Mervyn Laurence Peake (July 9, 1911 – November 17, 1968) was an English modernist writer, artist, poet and illustrator. ... Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936)[1] was a classic American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. ... Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels. ... The fictional realm of Amber is the setting for the Amber fantasy novels by Roger Zelazny (and for the Amber diceless role_playing game they inspired). ... Mordants Need is a two-volume fantasy series by Stephen R. Donaldson (better known for the Thomas Covenant and The Gap Cycle series) which tells the story of a woman named Terisa who travels from our modern world to a medieval setting where political and military struggles are entwined... // Joseph Conrad (born Teodor Józef Konrad Korzeniowski, 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Polish-born novelist. ... For other uses of this name, see Henry James (disambiguation). ... William Cuthbert Faulkner (September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American novelist and poet whose works feature his native state of Mississippi. ...

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever

Main article: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Stephen R. Donaldson. ...

Donaldson's most celebrated series is The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever, which centers on a cynical leper, shunned by society, who is destined to become the heroic savior of an alternate Earth. Covenant struggles against the tyrannical Lord Foul, who intends to break the physical universe in order to escape its bondage and wreak revenge upon his arch-enemy, "The Creator". The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Stephen R. Donaldson. ... Hansens disease, commonly known as leprosy, is an infectious disease caused by infection by Mycobacterium leprae. ... The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever is a fantasy epic by Stephen R. Donaldson. ...

The Chronicles were originally published as two trilogies of novels between 1977 and 1983. A third series, "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" began publication in 2004.

The First Chronicles:

1. Lord Foul's Bane ISBN 0-03-022771-2
2. The Illearth War ISBN 0-03-022776-3
3. The Power that Preserves ISBN 0-345-25718-9

Lord Fouls Bane is the first book of the first trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever fantasy series written by Stephen R. Donaldson. ... The Illearth War is the second book of the first trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever fantasy series written by Stephen R. Donaldson. ... The Power that Preserves is the final book of the first trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever fantasy series written by Stephen R. Donaldson. ...

The Second Chronicles:

1. The Wounded Land ISBN 0-345-34868-0
2. The One Tree ISBN 0-345-34869-9
3. White Gold Wielder ISBN 0-345-34870-2

The Wounded Land is the first book of the second trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever fantasy series written by Stephen R. Donaldson. ... The One Tree is the second book of the second trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever fantasy series written by Stephen R. Donaldson. ... White Gold Wielder is the last book of the second trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever fantasy series written by Stephen R. Donaldson. ...

The Last Chronicles:

1. The Runes of the Earth ISBN 0-441-01304-X
2. Fatal Revenant (publication planned for October 2007 ^[1])
3. Against All Things Ending (still in planning)
4. The Last Dark (still in planning)

The Runes of the Earth is a Fantasy novel by Stephen Donaldson first published in 2004. ...

The Gap Cycle

A science fiction epic set in a future where humans have pushed far out into space in the attempt to replace depleted resources, The Gap Cycle follows two concurrent story arcs. The first concerns an ensign in the United Mining Companies Police (UMCP), Morn Hyland, who is attempting simply to stay alive after being captured by a marauder named Angus Thermopyle. The second follows the Byzantine political maneuvering of the head of the UMCP, Warden Dios, as he attempts to thwart the machinations of his boss, Holt Fasner, who is the CEO of United Mining Companies (UMC) and the most powerful man in human space. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... The Gap Cycle is a science fiction story, told in a series of 5 books, written by Stephen Donaldson The Gap into Conflict: The Real Story, Bantam/Spectra, 1991 The Gap into Vision: Forbidden Knowledge, Bantam/Spectra, 1991 The Gap into Power: A Dark and Hungry God Arises, Bantam/Spectra...

Each of the epics takes place against the backdrop of a threat to human survival itself from an alien species called the Amnion who use genetic mutation as a way to assimilate and overcome. Trade in raw materials (mostly ores) is carried out with the Amnion in exchange for technology, by both the UMC and illegals. The illegals trade in Amnion territorial space, referred to as "forbidden space." The Amnion are s fictional alien species in Stephen Donaldsons The Gap Cycle. ...

Donaldson wrote the series in part to be a reworking of Wagner's Ring Cycle. The "Gap" of the title refers to the FTL (faster than light) drives used by the space vessels in order to cross great distances, an instantaneous occurrence similar to the notion of "folding" space. Wagner may refer to more than one place in the United States: Wagner, South Dakota Wagner, Wisconsin Wagner may refer to more than one person: Richard Wagner, German composer Cosima Wagner, daughter of Franz Liszt and wife of Richard Wagner Heinrich Leopold Wagner, dramatist and author John Peter Honus Wagner... The Ring of the Nibelung or, in the original German, Der Ring des Nibelungen, is a series of four epic operas. ... Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel are staples of the science fiction genre. ...

The Gap Series

1. The Gap into Conflict: The Real Story (1991) ISBN 0-553-29509-8
2. The Gap into Vision: Forbidden Knowledge (1991) ISBN 0-553-29760-0
3. The Gap into Power: A Dark and Hungry God Arises (1993) ISBN 0-553-56260-6
4. The Gap into Madness: Chaos and Order (1994) ISBN 0-553-57253-9
5. The Gap into Ruin: This Day All Gods Die (1996) ISBN 0-553-57328-4

The Real Story (or officially The Gap into Conflict: The Real Story) is the first book of The Gap Cycle by Stephen Donaldson, a science fiction series. ... See also: 1990 in literature, other events of 1991, 1992 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Forbidden knowledge in contrast to secret knowledge is used to describe forbidden books or other information to which access is restricted or deprecated for political or religious reasons. ... See also: 1990 in literature, other events of 1991, 1992 in literature, list of years in literature. ... A Dark and Hungry God Arises (or officially The Gap into Power: A Dark and Hungry God Arises) is the third book of The Gap Cycle by Stephen Donaldson, a science fiction series. ... See also: 1992 in literature, other events of 1993, 1994 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Chaos and Order (or officially The Gap into Madness: Chaos and Order) is the fourth book of The Gap Cycle by Stephen Donaldson, a science fiction series. ... See also: 1993 in literature, other events of 1994, 1995 in literature, list of years in literature. ... This Day All Gods Die (or officially The Gap into Ruin: This Day All Gods Die) is the final book of The Gap Cycle by Stephen Donaldson, a science fiction series. ... See also: 1995 in literature, other events of 1996, 1997 in literature, list of years in literature. ...

Other works

Mordant's Need Mordants Need is a two-volume fantasy series by Stephen R. Donaldson (better known for the Thomas Covenant and The Gap Cycle series) which tells the story of a woman named Terisa who travels from our modern world to a medieval setting where political and military struggles are entwined...

1. The Mirror of Her Dreams (1986) ISBN 0-345-45985-7
2. A Man Rides Through (1987) ISBN 0-345-45984-9

The Man Who detective novels (originally published under the pseudonym Reed Stephens): 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• The Man Who Killed His Brother (1980) ISBN 0-7653-4125-5
• The Man Who Risked His Partner (1984) ISBN 0-7653-4126-3
• The Man Who Tried to Get Away (1990) ISBN 0-7653-0205-5
• The Man Who Fought Alone (2001) ISBN 0-7653-4124-7

Short story collections: 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Daughter of Regals or Daughter of Regals and Other Tales (1984) ISBN 0-345-31443-3
• Reave the Just and Other Tales (1998) ISBN 0-553-58014-0
• Epic Fantasy in the Modern World: A Few Observations (1986)
• What Makes Us Human The 1985 Annual World's Best SF (1985). Also published in Berserker Base, edited by Fred Saberhagen, and as one of the short stories in Reave the Just and Other Tales.

1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean by UNESCO. [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Awards

SF BookCase

References

W.A. Senior, "Variations on the Fantasy Tradition - Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant," (Kent State Univ. Press, 1995). 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... March 14 is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (126th in leap years). ...

Benjamin Laskar, "Suicide and the Absurd: The Influence of Jean-Paul Sartre's and Albert Camus's Existentialism on Stephen R. Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever", 14 J. of the Fantastic in the Arts 409 (2004).

Interviews

• Interview on wotmania.com

External links

• Stephen R. Donaldson's official website
• Stephen Donaldson Home Page at Kent State University
• Stephen R. Donaldson at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Bibliography on SciFan
• IBDoF bibliography
  • Discussion Group: A Stephen Donaldson Discussion Group at the IBDoF (The Internet Book Database of Fiction)
• Welcome to the Land: A tribute site with information about the Last Chronicles
• Forbidden Space: A Stephen R. Donaldson fanfiction archive at Wizards.pro
• Kevin's Watch: Discussion board about all things Donaldson
• Stephen R. Donaldson pages at RealityEnds