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R. A. Salvatore

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Robert Anthony Salvatore
Pen nameR.A. Salvatore
OccupationNovelist
NationalityAmerican
Period1982 to the Present
GenreFiction
SubjectFantasy, Science fiction
Notable worksForgotten Realms and The DemonWars Saga novels
Website
http://www.rasalvatore.com

Robert Anthony Salvatore (born January 20, 1959, Leominster, Massachusetts), who writes under the name R. A. Salvatore, is an American author best known for The DemonWars Saga[1], his Forgotten Realms novels, in which he created the popular character Drizzt Do'Urden, and Vector Prime, the first novel in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series. He has sold more than 10 million copies of his books[2] and eighteen of them have been New York Times best-sellers[3].

History

R.A. Salvatore at a book signing

Robert Salvatore was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, the youngest of a family of seven. A graduate of Leominster High School, Salvatore has credited his high school English teacher with being instrumental in his development as a writer. During his time at Fitchburg State College, he became interested in fantasy after reading J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, given to him as a Christmas gift.[4] He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications and later a Bachelor of Arts in English. Before taking up writing full time he worked as a bouncer.[5]

In 1982 he started writing more seriously, developing a manuscript he titled Echoes of the Fourth Magic. [6] In an interview with comic book website Project Fanboy, Salvatore said he landed the deal for his first book when, after finishing the script for Echoes of the Fourth Magic in early 1987, he sent the work to TSR and several other publishers. TSR was looking for an author to write the second book in the The Forgotten Realms line and asked Salvatore to audition. In July 1987, Salvatore won the spot to write the sequel.[7] He went on to publish several series of books in the Forgotten Realms campaign world, while lately his popularity surged due to his Demon Wars sagas and his two Star Wars books.

One of his most popular characters is Drizzt Do'Urden, a drow, or dark elf, portrayed against the stereotypes of his race, who defied a nation of evil enemies with his swordsmanship and courage. He abandoned the Underdark, a merciless and barren land of unmarked and limitless tunnels where deadly creatures continually lurk. His journey for freedom leads him to the surface where he faces discrimination at every turn because of his dark heritage. Drizzt stumbles along in a harsh world until he finally comes upon friends who understand the kindness of his heart. Together, they fight for justice against sinister enemies who dare to disrupt the peace of Drizzt's newfound homeland.

In addition to his novels, Salvatore wrote the story for the PS2, Xbox and PC video game Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone (2004), working with the design team at Stormfront Studios. The game was published by Atari and was nominated for awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and BAFTA. CDS books commissioned him to edit a four book series based on the interactive online Everquest game. [8] He also wrote the bot chat lines for the Quake III bots. Currently, R.A. Salvatore is busy at work as Creative Director for 38 Studios, formerly named Green Monster Games, along with pitcher Curt Schilling and Spawn comic creator Todd McFarlane.

February 2008, Devil's Due Publishing published Spooks, a comic book about a U.S. government anti-paranormal investigator/task force created by Larry Hama and Salvatore. Hama created the military characters and plots, and Salvatore covered the monster characters. [9]

He is noted for his intense and descriptive battle scenes which have been attributed to his history as a bouncer.[10]

In 2000, Salvatore's collected papers, including correspondence and unpublished works, were donated to his alma mater Fitchburg State College to create the 'R.A. Salvatore Collection.'

He and his wife Diane have three children: Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. They also have three Japanese Chins named Oliver, Artemis, and Ivan as well as four cats, one being named Guenhwyvar. His older brother, Gary Salvatore, died of pancreatic cancer in 2000. [11]

Bibliography

Forgotten Realms

The Icewind Dale Trilogy

The Dark Elf Trilogy

Legacy of the Drow

Paths of Darkness

The Cleric Quintet

The Hunter's Blades Trilogy

The Sellswords

Transitions

War of the Spider Queen

Each novel in the series is written by a different author with Salvatore overseeing the development of the overall project.[12]

Stone of Tymora

Other series

The Spearwielder's Tales

Saga of the First King

The DemonWars Saga

Chronicles of Ynis Aielle

Crimson Shadow series

Star Wars

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order

Graphic novel adaptations

  • Homeland
  • Exile
  • Sojourn
  • The Crystal Shard
  • Streams of Silver
  • Trial by Fire (2001)
  • The Halfling's Gem
  • Eye for an Eye
  • Legacy
  • Starless Night

Other novels

Short Stories

  • "The First Notch" (in Dragon Magazine #152, 1989)
  • "A Sparkle for Homer" (in Halflings, Hobbits, Warrows, and Weefolk, 1991)
  • "Dark Mirror" (in Realms of Valor, 1993)
  • "The Third Level" (in Realms of Infamy, 1994)
  • "Guenhwyvar" (in Realms of Magic, 1995)
  • "The Coach With Big Teeth" (in Otherwere, 1996)
  • "Gods' Law" (in Tales of Tethedril, 1998)
  • "Mather's Blood" (in Dragon Magazine #252, 1998)
  • "That Curious Sword" (in Realms of Shadow, 2002)
  • "Three Ships" (in Demons Wars: Trial By Fire Comic TP, 2003)
  • "Empty Joys" (in The Best of the Realms, 2003)
  • "The Dowry" (in The Highwayman, 2004)
  • "Wickless In the Nether" (in Realms of Dragons, 2004)
  • "Comrades at Odds" (in Realms of the Elves, 2006)
  • "If Ever They Happen Upon My Lair" (in Dragons: World Afire, 2006)
  • "Bones and Stones" (in Realms of War, 2008)

Comics

Other media

  • The Accursed Tower, A 2nd Edition AD&D Module
  • Demon Stone Role-playing Game released on PS2, Xbox, and PC
  • In collaboration with Seven Swords, R A Salvatore created the bot chat responses for the computer game Quake 3 Arena

Miscellaneous

As the author tasked with writing the first book of the New Jedi Order series, Salvatore was ordered by Lucasfilm to kill off Chewbacca, one of the most popular characters in the franchise. Many fans thought that Salvatore himself had made this decision, but it was actually Randy Stradley, the then-editor at Dark Horse Comics.[13]

References

  1. ^ Shippey, T.A. eds. Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy vol I. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 1996.
  2. ^ RA Salvatore's website
  3. ^ Scripps News interview
  4. ^ Clute, John. And John Grant. The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. NY: ST. Martkin’s Press, 1997
  5. ^ Clute, John. And John Grant. The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. NY: ST. Martkin’s Press, 1997 . Publishers Weekly. 5/17/2004, Vol. 251 Issue 20, p23
  6. ^ Shippey, T.A. ed. Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy vol II. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 1996.
  7. ^ Project Fanboy Interview
  8. ^ Raugust, Karen. "*The Expanding World of EverQuest". Publishers Weekly. 5/17/2004, Vol. 251 Issue 20, p23
  9. ^ Devil's Due Publishing press release: "Special San Diego Comic-Con Announcement", July 36 2007
  10. ^ Pringle, David eds. St. James Guide to Fantasy Writers. Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 1996
  11. ^ Interview with Author R. A. Salvatore - FlamesRising
  12. ^ About War of the Spider Queen
  13. ^ Randy Stradley on DarkHorse.com message boards

Reviews

  • Cassada, Jackie. “The Lone Drow (book).” Library Journal 9/15/2003, Vol. 128 Issue 15, p95
  • Cannon, Peter. Zaleski, Jeff. THE THOUSAND ORCS (BOOK) Publishers Weekly. 10/7/2002, Vol. 249 Issue 40, p57
  • THE HIGHWAYMAN: a Novel of Corona Publishers Weekly. 3/1/2004, Vol. 251 Issue 9, p54.


Interviews

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