Barry Eisler
Encyclopedia
Barry Eisler is a best-selling American
novelist. He is the author of two thriller series, the first featuring anti-hero
John Rain
, a half-Japanese
, half-American former soldier turned freelance assassin, and a second featuring black ops soldier Ben Treven. Eisler also writes about politics and language on his blog, "Heart of the Matter," and at the blogs CHUD, Firedoglake
, The Huffington Post
, MichaelMoore.com, The Smirking Chimp, and Truthout.
in 1989, Eisler joined the CIA, where he held a covert position with the Directorate of Operations. He left the Agency in 1992 and thereafter worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley
and Japan, earning his black belt
at the Kodokan International Judo
Center along the way. He started writing full time in 2002 when he sold the rights to his debut novel, Rain Fall
, the first of his six-book series featuring John Rain.
Eisler's bestselling thrillers have won the Barry Award and the Gumshoe Award for "Best Thriller of the Year," have been included in numerous "Best Of" lists, and have been translated into nearly twenty languages. In April 2009, Sony Pictures Japan released a mostly Japanese language film version of Rain Fall starring Shiina Kippei as Rain and Gary Oldman
as Rain's nemesis, CIA Station Chief William Holtzer.
Eisler made news in March 2011 when he walked away from a reported half million dollar advance from St. Martin's Press in order to go the self-publishing route pioneered by his colleague Joe Konrath and others. The move was considered by many as a turning point in an industry challenged by the growing (and some say thriving) digital indie author market.
Eisler lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and Tokyo.
Ben Treven Novels
Short Stories
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist. He is the author of two thriller series, the first featuring anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
John Rain
John Rain
John Rain is a fictional character created by Barry Eisler. He appears in six of Eisler's espionage novels as an assassin for hire who specializes in making his victims appear to have died of natural causes...
, a half-Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
, half-American former soldier turned freelance assassin, and a second featuring black ops soldier Ben Treven. Eisler also writes about politics and language on his blog, "Heart of the Matter," and at the blogs CHUD, Firedoglake
Firedoglake
Firedoglake is a US collaborative blog which primarily specialises in covering news from a left-progressive/left-liberal stance...
, The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
, MichaelMoore.com, The Smirking Chimp, and Truthout.
Life
After graduating from Cornell Law SchoolCornell Law School
Cornell Law School, located in Ithaca, New York, is a graduate school of Cornell University and one of the five Ivy League law schools. The school confers three law degrees...
in 1989, Eisler joined the CIA, where he held a covert position with the Directorate of Operations. He left the Agency in 1992 and thereafter worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
and Japan, earning his black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
at the Kodokan International Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
Center along the way. He started writing full time in 2002 when he sold the rights to his debut novel, Rain Fall
Rain Fall
Rain Fall is a 2009 Japanese/Australian action thriller film written and directed by Max Mannix. In the film a hitman protects the daughter of one of his victims against the CIA.-Plot summary:...
, the first of his six-book series featuring John Rain.
Eisler's bestselling thrillers have won the Barry Award and the Gumshoe Award for "Best Thriller of the Year," have been included in numerous "Best Of" lists, and have been translated into nearly twenty languages. In April 2009, Sony Pictures Japan released a mostly Japanese language film version of Rain Fall starring Shiina Kippei as Rain and Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
as Rain's nemesis, CIA Station Chief William Holtzer.
Eisler made news in March 2011 when he walked away from a reported half million dollar advance from St. Martin's Press in order to go the self-publishing route pioneered by his colleague Joe Konrath and others. The move was considered by many as a turning point in an industry challenged by the growing (and some say thriving) digital indie author market.
Eisler lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and Tokyo.
Books
John Rain Novels- Rain Fall (2002)
- Hard Rain (2003)
- Rain Storm (2004)
- Killing Rain (2005)
- The Last Assassin (2006)
- Requiem for an Assassin (2007)
- The Detachment (2011)
Ben Treven Novels
- Fault Line (2009)
- Inside Out (2010)
Short Stories
- Paris is a Bitch (John Rain, 2011)
- The Lost Coast (Larison, 2011)