Patrick Rothfuss

Patrick Rothfuss (born 6 June 1973) is an American writer of epic fantasy. He is best known for his projected three-volume series The Kingkiller Chronicle.

His books have won him several awards, including the 2007 Quill Award for his debut novel, The Name of the Wind. Its sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, topped The New York Times Best Seller list.

Patrick Rothfuss was born as Patrick James Rothfuss on June 6, 1973, in Madison, Wisconsin. He received his B.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in 1999 after spending nine years as an undergraduate. He contributed to The Pointer, the campus paper and produced a widely circulated parody warning about the Goodtimes Virus.

He graduated in 1999, received an MA at Washington State University, and returned to teach at Stevens Point, Wisconsin. In 2002, he won the Writers of the Future (WOTF) 2002 Second Quarter competition with "The Road to Levinshir", an excerpt from his then-unpublished novel The Wise Man's Fear. In 2006, Rothfuss subsequently sold his novel The Name of the Wind to DAW Books, which was released in 2007.

In 2014, Rothfuss began collaborating with James Ernest to create an abstract strategy game called Tak based on the game featured in his book, The Wise Man's Fear.

Rothfuss organizes the charity Worldbuilders, which, since 2008, has raised over $4 million, primarily for Heifer International, a charity which provides livestock, clean water, education and training for communities in the developing world.

Writing

Rothfuss' first novel, The Name of the Wind, was published in 2007. It won a Quill Award (for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror) and was listed among Publishers Weekly's "Books of the Year". It also won an Alex Award in 2008.

The Wise Man's Fear was published in 2011 and reached Number 1 on the New York Times Hardback Fiction Best Seller List.

Roleplaying & boardgames

Rothfuss role-plays a character named Viari (whose appearance is based on Kvothe's) in the Penny Arcade's live Dungeons & Dragons games (also known as Acquisitions Inc.) from season 7 onward. He also role-plays a guest character "Kerrek," a human Paladin, in Geek and Sundry's show Critical Role episode 56, "Hope" and again in episodes 81-83 and recorded a letter his character wrote which was heard in episode 69, "Passed Through Fire".

Rothfuss was a guest on Wil Wheaton's Tabletop, playing Lords of Waterdeep on Episode 10 of Season 2, which he won. He also appeared in a season 4 episode playing Eldritch Horror with Wil, Stefanie Woodburn and Jessica Merizan.

Podcasts

In August 2012, Rothfuss began a monthly podcast, The Story Board, on fantasy, featuring authors such as Terry Brooks and Brandon Sanderson. The Story Boardran for eight episodes.

In June 2015, he and Max Temkin created a podcast called Unattended Consequences (then named Untitled Patrick Rothfuss) — a series of casual phone calls between the two in which they talk about whatever is on their minds.

Rothfuss has two sons whose names he does not use on the internet for their privacy (on his blog he calls them "Oot" and "Cutie Snoo") and lives in a house he bought with his girlfriend, Sarah.

The Kingkiller Chronicle

• The Name of the Wind (2007)
• The Wise Man's Fear (2011)
• The Doors of Stone (in progress)

Others

• The Slow Regard of Silent Things (2014)
• "The Lightning Tree" – short story. (June 2014, Bantam) Rogues, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. ISBN 978-0345537263
• "How Old Holly Came To Be" – short story. (July 2013, Grim Oak Press), Unfettered, edited by Shawn Speakman. ISBN 978-0-9847136-3-9
• The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle Part I: The Thing Beneath the Bed (July 2010, Subterranean Press).
• The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle Part II: The Dark of Deep Below (2013, Subterranean Press).
• "The Road to Levinshir" – An excerpt from his then-unpublished Kingkiller Chronicle novel The Wise Man's Fear (July 2008, Subterranean Press), Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy. Also published in EPIC: Legends of Fantasy Anthology, Edited by John Joseph Adams. ISBN 978-1-61696-084-1
• Your Annotated, Illustrated College Survival Guide (January 2005, Cornerstone Press).
• Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons (w/ Jim Zubkavich, 4 issues August 2018-January 2019, March 2019, IDW Publishing).

• Writers of the Future (2002 Second Quarter)
• Quill Award (2007)
• "Best Books of the Year" (2007) – Publishers Weekly – Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
• Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Epic Fantasy (2007)
• NPR Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books (2011)
• "David Gemmell Legend Award" (2012)
• Ranked 3rd in "Best 21st Century Fantasy Fiction Novels" by Locus (2012)