Charles de Lint
Encyclopedia
Charles de Lint is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

 and folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

ian. He is also the chief book critic for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...

.

Along with writers like Terri Windling
Terri Windling
Terri Windling is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. Windling has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and her collection The Armless Maiden appeared on the short-list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award...

 and John Crowley
John Crowley
John Crowley is an American author of fantasy, science fiction and mainstream fiction. He studied at Indiana University and has a second career as a documentary film writer...

, de Lint popularized the genres of urban fantasy
Urban fantasy
Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods...

 and mythic fiction
Mythic fiction
Mythic fiction is literature that is rooted in, inspired by, or that in some way draws from the tropes, themes and symbolism of myth, folklore, and fairy tales. The term is widely credited to Charles de Lint and Terri Windling...

 which fall somewhere between classical fantasy literature, and mainstream fiction with a magical realist twist. His distinctive style of fantasy draws upon local and European folklore. His works have been nominated for the Nebula award
Nebula Award for Best Novel
Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.- Winners and other nominees :...

 once and for the World Fantasy award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

 17 times, winning in 2000 for his short story collection, Moonlight and Vines (Tor 1999).

Early Life

Charles de Lint was born in 1951 in Bussum
Bussum
Bussum is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-History:Bussum was first mentioned in 1306. In this time, Bussum was a large heathland with many small farms, sheep pens and forests as is shown on old maps. Since Bussum is situated near the fortified town...

, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, and his family emigrated to Canada when he was four months old. He grew up in Canada, as well as overseas, but has lived in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

 since he was eleven. In his late twenties to early thirties, he worked in a record store and played with a Celtic band on the weekends. He now lives in Ottawa with his wife, artist and musician MaryAnn Harris, who is first editor of de Lint's fiction and also his business manager.

Career

Charles de Lint started writing in 1983 and has been a full-time writer ever since, publishing around forty books between 1984 and 1997. He published three horror novels under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...

 Samuel M. Key which have subsequently been reprinted by Orb Books
Orb Books
Orb Books is a publishing imprint of Tor Books. Orb Books specialises in trade paperback reprints of science fiction and fantasy works of special merit which are unavailable in mass market paperback.-Authors published by Orb:* Poul Anderson* Isaac Asimov...

 as by Charles de Lint.

His genre, that of contemporary fantasy, which combines the real world with the "otherworld," allows the co-existence of the natural and the supernatural. This has been called a metaphor for the lack of indigenous folklore in most of multi-cultural Canada living side by side with the living oral traditions of the Native Americans. De Lint, however, draws upon not only North American Aboriginal culture, but also the folklore of other cultures. For example, his novel, Moonheart, uses elements of both Native American and Welsh folklore.

Many of his early books are set in Ottawa, while others (1990-2009) have centered around his fictional North American city of Newford
Newford
Newford is a fictional North American city, the setting in many of Charles de Lint's works of urban fantasy. De Lint generally avoids writing about cities that he has not been to; however, his hometown of Ottawa did not afford him the necessary freedoms for certain stories, and he began to set them...

, inspired by de Lint's favourite aspects of various North American cities. A regular cast of characters make reappearances in many different books. More recently, de Lint published an adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (Tor 2009), set in his fictional Southwestern town of Santa de Vado Viejo, as was his most recent young adult novel, The Painted Boy (Viking 2010).

He has received many awards, including the 2000 World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

 for Best Collection
World Fantasy Award for Best Collection
This World Fantasy Award is given to the fantasy fiction collection voted best by a panel of judges, and presented each year at the World Fantasy Convention.-2010:...

 for Moonlight and Vines, the Ontario Library Association's White Pine Award, as well as the Great Lakes Great Books Award for his young adult novel The Blue Girl (Viking, 2004). His novel Widdershins (Tor, 2006) won First place, Amazon.com Editors' Picks: Top 10 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books of 2006. In 1988 he won Canadian SF/Fantasy Award, the Casper, now known as the Aurora for his novel Jack, the Giant-killer (Ace 1987).

De Lint has also published a children's book, A Circle of Cats, illustrated by artist Charles Vess
Charles Vess
Charles Vess is an American fantasy artist and comic-book illustrator who has specialized in the illustration of myths and fairy tales. His illustrations are strongly influenced by the work of artists and illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Alphonse Mucha...

.

In addition to being the author of numerous novels and short stories, de Lint is also a poet, musician, artist, folklorist, and critic. His poetry can be found online in the Endicott Studio
Endicott Studio
Endicott Studio is a nonprofit organization, based in the United States and United Kingdom, that is dedicated to literary, visual, and performance arts inspired by myth, folklore, fairy tales, and the oral storytelling tradition. It was founded in 1987 by Terri Windling, and is co-directed by...

 Journal of Mythic Arts. His short stories tend to be characterized by marginalized protagonists.
His 1984 urban fantasy novel, Moonheart, was a best-selling trade paperback for Tor's Orb line. It has been described as a thriller, detective mystery, and otherworld mythic fantasy all in one.

De Lint has published 71 books (excluding foreign editions and reprints), thus gaining a reputation as a master in his field. He has taught creative writing workshops in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and was writer‑in‑residence for 2 public libraries in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

. He has also written original songs; his main instruments are flute, fiddle, whistles, vocals and guitar. In 2011, de Lint released his first CD, Old Blue Truck

A fan message board was created and named in his honor: de Lintiad, Charles de Lint, MoonHeart.

Among dozens of public appearances, on October 9, 2007, de Lint was one of the guests who appeared as part of the Bolen Books Fall Series (with Jack Whyte
Jack Whyte
Jack Whyte is a Scottish-Canadian novelist of historical fiction. Born and raised in Scotland, Whyte has been living in Canada since 1967. He resides in Kelowna, British Columbia....

 (Oct. 13), Will Ferguson
Will Ferguson
William Stener "Will" Ferguson is a Canadian writer and novelist best known for his humorous observations on Canadian history and culture....

 (Oct. 16) and James Barber
James Barber
James Barber was a Canadian cookbook author and host of Urban Peasant, a CBC cooking show.Born in the United Kingdom, Barber worked as an engineer before becoming a food critic for the Vancouver Sun. His lifelong interest in food and writing and his increased knowledge in these areas naturally led...

 (Oct. 20). Bolen Books was awarded the 2007 Libris Award for Bookseller of the Year. Co-ordinator Robert Wiersema
Robert Wiersema
Robert Wiersema is a Canadian writer. Since 2006, he's published two novels, a novella and a non-fiction book about Bruce Springsteen.-Life and career:Wiersema was born in Agassiz, British Columbia, in 1970...

 said this of him: “He’s a classic storyteller with a tremendously broad appeal. Readers who don’t know him would, I think, be surprised at how much they would like his work.”

Novels

  • The Riddle of the Wren
    The Riddle Of The Wren
    The Riddle of the Wren is a Celtic fantasy novel written by Canadian author Charles de Lint. Published in 1984 by Ace Books, it was de Lint's first novel. It was republished in 2002 by Firebird Fantasy, an imprint of Penguin Group. The Riddle of the Wren is set in an alternate universe, and is...

     (1984)
  • Moonheart
    Moonheart
    Moonheart is an urban fantasy novel by Charles de Lint. It takes place in 1980s Ottawa, where Sara Kendell and Jamie Tamson, owners of an antique store, come into possession of a peculiar ring. At the same time Kieran Foy, a wizard of sorts, is searching for his missing mentor, Thomas Hengwr, while...

     (1984)
  • The Harp of the Grey Rose (1985)
  • Mulengro: A Romany Tale (1985)
  • Yarrow
    Yarrow (novel)
    Yarrow: An Autumn Tale is an urban fantasy novel by Charles de Lint, set in 1980s Ottawa. A fantasy writer has a secret source of inspiration: when she dreams, she visits a world where magic is real. Unknown to her, a supernatural predator who feeds on dreams is feeding on her and destroying that...

     (1986)
  • Jack, the Giant Killer
    Jack, the Giant Killer
    Jack, the Giant Killer is a contemporary fantasy novel by Charles De Lint. The book is set in present-day Ottawa , but incorporates many elements of fantasy, folklore, and myth....

     (1987) (re-published in Jack of Kinrowan)
  • Greenmantle (1988)
  • Wolf Moon
    Wolf Moon
    Wolf Moon is a 1988 fantasy novel by Charles de Lint. The "wolf moon" is the first moon of winter, when the climax of the story takes place.-Plot summary:...

     (1988)
  • Svaha (1989)
  • The Valley of Thunder (Philip José Farmer
    Philip José Farmer
    Philip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....

    's The Dungeon, Vol. 3, Dungeon series
    Dungeon series
    The Dungeon Series is a series of fantasy novels written under the auspices of Philip José Farmer, who wrote an introduction for each book in the series...

    ) (1989)
  • The Hidden City (Philip José Farmer
    Philip José Farmer
    Philip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....

    's The Dungeon, Vol. 5) (1990)
  • The Fair in Emain Macha (1990)
  • Drink Down the Moon (1990) (re-published in Jack of Kinrowan)
  • Angel of Darkness (First published under the pseudonym Samuel M. Key) (1990)
  • The Little Country (1991) — 1992 World Fantasy award
    World Fantasy Award
    The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

     nominee
  • From a Whisper to a Scream (First published under the pseudonym Samuel M. Key) (1992)
  • Into The Green (1993)
  • I'll Be Watching You (First published under the pseudonym Samuel M. Key) (1994)
  • The Wild Wood (Brian Froud
    Brian Froud
    Brian Froud is an English fantasy illustrator. He lives and works in Devon with his wife, Wendy Froud, who is also a fantasy artist...

    's Faerielands, Illustrated by Brian Froud
    Brian Froud
    Brian Froud is an English fantasy illustrator. He lives and works in Devon with his wife, Wendy Froud, who is also a fantasy artist...

    ) (1994)
  • Memory and Dream (1994)
  • Trader (1997) — 1998 World Fantasy award
    World Fantasy Award
    The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

     nominee
  • Someplace to Be Flying (1998) — 1999 World Fantasy award
    World Fantasy Award
    The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

     nominee
  • Forests of the Heart (2000) — 2000 Nebula award
    Nebula Award for Best Novel
    Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.- Winners and other nominees :...

     nominee
  • The Road to Lisdoonvarna (2001)
  • The Onion Girl
    The Onion Girl
    The Onion Girl is a 2001 contemporary fantasy novel by Charles De Lint which takes place in the Newford universe. It is the first Newford novel centering on the recurring character of Jilly Coppercorn, now a middle-aged woman...

     (2001) — 2002 World Fantasy award
    World Fantasy Award
    The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

     nominee
  • Spirits in the Wires (2003)
  • Medicine Road (Illustrated by Charles Vess
    Charles Vess
    Charles Vess is an American fantasy artist and comic-book illustrator who has specialized in the illustration of myths and fairy tales. His illustrations are strongly influenced by the work of artists and illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Alphonse Mucha...

    ) (2004)
  • Widdershins
    Widdershins (novel)
    Widdershins is a 2006 urban fantasy novel by Charles De Lint in the Newford universe. It continues the events of the 2001 novel The Onion Girl, where Jilly was left paralyzed and her relationship with Geordie unfulfilled. It also deals with a potential war between fairies and "cousins." Fairies,...

     (2006)
  • The Mystery of Grace (2009)
  • "Eyes Like Leaves" (2009)

Young adult novels

  • The Dreaming Place (Illustrated by Brian Froud
    Brian Froud
    Brian Froud is an English fantasy illustrator. He lives and works in Devon with his wife, Wendy Froud, who is also a fantasy artist...

    ) (1990)
  • The Blue Girl (2004)
  • Little (Grrl) Lost (2007)
  • Dingo (2008)
  • The Painted Boy (2010)

Novellas

  • Berlin (1989)
  • Our Lady of the Harbour (1991) — 1992 World Fantasy award
    World Fantasy Award
    The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

     nominee
  • Paperjack (1992) — 1993 World Fantasy award
    World Fantasy Award
    The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

     nominee
  • Death Leaves an Echo (Part of three novella collection, Cafe Purgatoriam) (1991)
  • Seven Wild Sisters (Illustrated by Charles Vess
    Charles Vess
    Charles Vess is an American fantasy artist and comic-book illustrator who has specialized in the illustration of myths and fairy tales. His illustrations are strongly influenced by the work of artists and illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Alphonse Mucha...

    ) (2002) — 2003 World Fantasy award
    World Fantasy Award
    The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

     nominee
  • A Circle of Cats (Illustrated by Charles Vess
    Charles Vess
    Charles Vess is an American fantasy artist and comic-book illustrator who has specialized in the illustration of myths and fairy tales. His illustrations are strongly influenced by the work of artists and illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Alphonse Mucha...

    ) (2003) — 2004 World Fantasy award
    World Fantasy Award
    The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

     nominee
  • Promises to Keep (2007)

Chapbooks

  • Ghosts of Wind and Shadow (1991)
  • Refinerytown (2003)
  • This Moment (2005)
  • Make A Joyful Noise (2006)
  • Old Man Crow (2007)
  • Riding Shotgun (2007)
  • Yellow Dog (2008)

Short stories published in book form

  • Ascian in Rose (1987) (re-published in Spiritwalk)
  • Westlin Wind (1989) (re-published in Spiritwalk)
  • Ghostwood (1990) (re-published in Spiritwalk)
  • Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair (1991) (re-published in Dreams Underfoot)
  • Our Lady of the Harbour (1991) (re-published in Dreams Underfoot)
  • Paperjack (1991) (re-published in Dreams Underfoot)
  • Merlin Dreams in the Mondream Wood (1992) (re-published in Spiritwalk)
  • The Wishing Well (1993) (re-published in The Ivory and the Horn)
  • The Buffalo Man (1999) (re-published in Tapping the Dream Tree)

Collections

  • De Grijze Roos ("The Grey Rose") (1983)
  • Hedgework and Guessery (1991)
  • Spiritwalk (1992)
  • Dreams Underfoot (1993)
  • The Ivory and the Horn (1995)
  • Jack of Kinrowan (1995)
  • Moonlight and Vines (1999)
  • The Newford Stories (1999) (Contains the stories from Dreams Underfoot, The Ivory and the Horn, and Moonlight and Vines)
  • Triskell Tales (2000)
  • Waifs and Strays (2002)
  • Tapping the Dream Tree (2002)
  • A Handful of Coppers (Collected Early Stories, Vol.1: Heroic Fantasy) (2003)
  • Quicksilver & Shadow (Collected Early Stories, Vol.2) (2004)
  • The Hour Before Dawn (2005)
  • Triskell Tales 2 (2006)
  • What the Mouse Found (2008)
  • Woods and Waters Wild (2009)
  • Muse and Reverie (2009)
  • The Very Best of Charles de Lint (2010, Tachyon Publications
    Tachyon Publications
    Tachyon Publications is an independent press specializing in science fiction and fantasy books. Founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Jacob Weisman, Tachyon books have tended toward high-end literary works, short story collections, and anthologies....

    )

The Newford Series

  • The Dreaming Place (1990)
  • From a Whisper to a Scream (originally credited to "Samuel M. Key")(1992)
  • Dreams Underfoot (1993)
  • I'll Be Watching You (originally credited to "Samuel M. Key")(1994)
  • Memory and Dream (1994)
  • The Ivory and the Horn (1995)
  • Trader (1997)
  • Someplace to be Flying (1998)
  • Moonlight and Vines (1999)
  • The Newford Stories (1999) (Compiles Dreams Underfoot, The Ivory and the Horn, and Moonlight and vines)
  • Forests of the Heart (2000)
  • The Onion Girl
    The Onion Girl
    The Onion Girl is a 2001 contemporary fantasy novel by Charles De Lint which takes place in the Newford universe. It is the first Newford novel centering on the recurring character of Jilly Coppercorn, now a middle-aged woman...

     (2001)
  • Seven Wild Sisters (2002)
  • Tapping the Dream Tree (2002)
  • Spirits in the Wires (2003)
  • Medicine Road (2003)
  • A Circle of Cats (2003) (Written as a children's book)
  • The Blue Girl (2004)
  • The Hour Before Dawn (2005)
  • Widdershins (2006)
  • Promises to Keep (2007)
  • Old Man Crow (2007)
  • Dingo (2008)
  • Muse and Reverie (2009)


Publication dates taken from Charles de Lint

Short stories

  • "The Valley of the Troll" in Sword and Sorceress I
    Sword and Sorceress series
    The Sword and Sorceress series is a series of fantasy anthologies edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and originally published by DAW Books. As she explained in the foreword to the first volume, she created the anthology to redress the lack of strong female protagonists in the sub-genre of sword and...

     (1984)
  • "Cold Blows The Wind" in Sword and Sorceress II
    Sword and Sorceress series
    The Sword and Sorceress series is a series of fantasy anthologies edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and originally published by DAW Books. As she explained in the foreword to the first volume, she created the anthology to redress the lack of strong female protagonists in the sub-genre of sword and...

     (1985)
  • "The Weeping Oak" in Sword and Sorceress IV
    Sword and Sorceress series
    The Sword and Sorceress series is a series of fantasy anthologies edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and originally published by DAW Books. As she explained in the foreword to the first volume, she created the anthology to redress the lack of strong female protagonists in the sub-genre of sword and...

     (1987)
  • "Into the Green" in Sword and Sorceress V
    Sword and Sorceress series
    The Sword and Sorceress series is a series of fantasy anthologies edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and originally published by DAW Books. As she explained in the foreword to the first volume, she created the anthology to redress the lack of strong female protagonists in the sub-genre of sword and...

     (1988)
  • "One Chance" in Werewolves (edited by Jane Yolen
    Jane Yolen
    Jane Hyatt Yolen is an American author and editor of almost 300 books. These include folklore, fantasy, science fiction, and children's books...

     and Martin H. Greenberg
    Martin H. Greenberg
    Martin Harry Greenberg was an American speculative fiction anthologist and writer.-Biography:Dr. Martin H. Greenberg was born March 1, 1941, to Max and Mae Greenberg in South Miami Beach, Florida...

    ). Reprinted in Bruce Coville
    Bruce Coville
    Bruce Coville is an American author of children's and young adult novels. He was born in Syracuse, New York and lives there currently; he has spent most of his life there, leaving to attend Duke University and then to live in New York City....

    's Book of Spine Tinglers (1988)
  • "The Butter Spirit's Tithe (2004) in Emerald Magic


De Lint also scripted several comic books for Barry Blair's Aircel Publishing in the mid-1980s.

His short story, "The Sacred Fire" was made into a short film by Peter Billingsley
Peter Billingsley
Peter Billingsley , also known as Peter Michaelsen and Peter Billingsley-Michaelsen, is an American actor, director, and producer best known for his role as Ralphie in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story. He began his career as an infant, in television commercials.-Early life, family and...

 and Robert Meyer Burnett
Robert Meyer Burnett
Robert Meyer Burnett is an award-winning filmmaker and DVD producer. He directed Free Enterprise and the short film, The Sacred Fire. He has also edited over 10 feature films and worked as a Star Trek consultant for Viacom Interactive and Paramount Parks' Star Trek: The Experience located at the...

 in 1994. Originally set on and near the campus of Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...

, the setting was changed to Beverly Hills for the film. It was also adapted as an episode of The Hunger in January 2000.

Reviews

  • De Lint writes a regular review column called "Books to Look For" for the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK