Patrick James Rothfuss (born June 6, 1973) is an American writer of epic fantasy.

He is best known
for his unfinished series The Kingkiller Chronicle, which 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 in Madison, Wisconsin, and received his B.A. in English from the University
of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in 1999.[1] He contributed to The Pointer, the campus paper,[2] and
produced a widely circulated parody warning about the Goodtimes Virus.[3] He received an M.A. at
Washington State University, and returned to teach at Stevens Point.[4] In 2002, he won the Writers
of the Future 2002 Second Quarter competition with "The Road to Levenshir," an excerpt from his
then-unpublished novel The Wise Man's Fear.[5]

Writing[edit]

In 2006, Rothfuss sold his novel The Name of the Wind to DAW Books, which was released in 2007. It
won a Quill Award (for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror)[6] and was listed among Publishers
Weekly's "Books of the Year." It also won an Alex Award in 2008.[7] Its sequel, The Wise Man's Fear,
was published in March 2011 and reached No. 1 on the New York Times Hardback Fiction Best Seller
List.[8] A customer service representative at DAW has announced that they have received no word
from Rothfuss on a release date for the third book in the trilogy, and stated placeholder dates on
Amazon are for special anniversary editions of his previous works.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things was published in October 2014 as a companion tale for The
Kingkiller Chronicle, featuring character Auri.

Rothfuss has also released two novella-length stories set in the same world as The Kingkiller
Chronicle in anthologies. The first was "How Old Holly Came To Be," published in Unfettered in June
2013. The second was "The Lightning Tree," released in Rogues in June 2014, featuring character
Bast. The whole anthology was nominated for the 2015 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology.[9]

Charity[edit]

Rothfuss organizes the charity Worldbuilders, which, since 2008, has raised over $7.4 million,
primarily for Heifer International, a charity that provides livestock, clean water, education, and
training for communities in the developing world.[10] At the end-of-year fundraiser for 2017
Worldbuilders raised $1,225,357 for Heifer International, of which Rothfuss receives a portion of the
donations made as compensation for his contribution from Heifer International.[11]
Podcasts[edit]

In August 2012, Rothfuss began a monthly podcast called The Story Board on fantasy, featuring
authors such as Terry Brooks and Brandon Sanderson.[12] The Story Board ran for eight episodes.

In June 2015, he and Max Temkin started a podcast called Unattended Consequences, then named
Untitled Patrick Rothfuss.[13]

Roleplaying and Games[edit]

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.[14]

Rothfuss has played a character named Viari in the Penny Arcade's live Dungeons & Dragons games
known as Acquisitions Inc. from Season 7 onward, as well as a guest role in its spin-off show "The 'C'
Team". He also role-played as guest character Kerrek in Geek and Sundry's show Critical Role
episode 56, "Hope," and again in episodes 81–84.[15] He also recorded a letter his character wrote
which was heard in episode 69, "Passed Through Fire".[16]

Rothfuss was a guest on Wil Wheaton's Tabletop, playing Lords of Waterdeep on Episode 10 of
Season 2, which he won.[17]

He was a member of the Story Design team for inXile's Torment: Tides of Numenera game.[18]

Works[edit]

The Kingkiller Chronicle[edit]

The Name of the Wind (2007)

The Wise Man's Fear (2011)

The Doors of Stone (in progress)

Others[edit]

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, tpb
March 2019, IDW Publishing).

Awards and honors[edit]

Writers of the Future (2002 Second Quarter)[5]

Quill Award (2007)[19]

"Best Books of the Year" (2007) – Publishers Weekly – Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror[20]

Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Epic Fantasy (2007)[21]

NPR Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books (2011)[22]

"David Gemmell Legend Award" (2012)[23][24]

Ranked 3rd in "Best 21st Century Fantasy Fiction Novels" by Locus (2012)[25]