Joel Rosenberg (science fiction author)
Encyclopedia
Joel Rosenberg was a Canadian American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his long-running "Guardians of the Flame
" series. Rosenberg was also a guns rights activist. He is the oldest brother of Miami Herald
reporter Carol Rosenberg
.
favoring nuclear power
.
series. This series placed a collection of college students into a fantasy
setting similar to a role-playing world
. Throughout numerous books, Rosenberg has traced these characters, their descendants and the changes they have made to society. He has shown no compunction about killing off popular characters.
The "Keepers of the Hidden Ways" trilogy similarly places people from the real world into a fantasy setting, making heavy use of Norse mythology
. A third fantasy series, consisting of the novels D'Shai (1991) and Hour of the Octopus (1994) (both lightly humorous mysteries) is set in an Asia
n-influenced fantasy world with very strict cultural standards and etiquette.
Paladins, the first in his "Mordred's Heirs" series, was published by Baen Books
in September 2004; the second, Knight Moves was published in November 2006. This series, an "alternate fantasy history", takes place in a world where Mordred
defeated King Arthur
, establishing the Pendragon
Dynasty.
).
(particularly in the Guardians of the Flame series, where the initial characters make it their life's goal to abolish slavery
in their new world) and the right to keep and bear arms. Other themes include protecting children at all costs, and the message that people can overcome hardships and abuse suffered as children.
His heroes also frequently find inspiration in the heroic figures of the Greek classics
and of American folklore
and history
.
instructor, Second Amendment advocate
, and author of a manual for people wanting to get a handgun carry permit in Minnesota
, Everything You Need to Know About (Legally) Carrying a Handgun in Minnesota, and a similar book for Missouri
, Everything You Need to Know About (Legally) Carrying a Handgun in Missouri.
While his books of the Guardians of the Flame
series have detailed descriptions of firearm technology, he began seriously dealing with self-defence issues after he thwarted a break-in
into his house with a .22 lr pistol he kept in his home.
Some time afterwards, he began getting threatening eMail
s:
for a meeting with a representative of the city's police chief after providing prior notification as required by state law. After arrival, he was told that a court order
prohibited people from carrying a gun anywhere in the building, which houses a small courtroom
on one floor. He objected, citing the state gun laws, and avoided arrest when he agreed to carry his gun (which the police had confiscated, emptied of ammunition, and returned to him) back to his car. He subsequently filed a complaint against the police sergeant, and posted a YouTube
video displaying how many weapons can be concealed on one's body.
In December 2010, he was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon in a courthouse, a felony
, and contempt of court
, a misdemeanor
; arrested; and jailed in lieu of $100,000 bond.
Guardians of the Flame
Guardians of the Flame is a long running series by author Joel Rosenberg and is arguably his best known work. The series is about a group of college students who participate in a fantasy role-playing game, and are magically transported to the world of the game by their gamemaster.The first book,...
" series. Rosenberg was also a guns rights activist. He is the oldest brother of Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
reporter Carol Rosenberg
Carol Rosenberg
Carol Rosenberg is a senior journalist, currently with the McClatchy News Service.Rosenberg works at the Miami Herald, which has provided extensive coverage of the operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.-Biography:...
.
Writing career
Rosenberg began publishing in 1978, with an op-ed piece in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
favoring nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
.
Fantasy
His first published fiction, "Like the Gentle Rains", appeared in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in 1982. The following year, he published his first novel, The Sleeping Dragon which was the first in his long-running Guardians of the FlameGuardians of the Flame
Guardians of the Flame is a long running series by author Joel Rosenberg and is arguably his best known work. The series is about a group of college students who participate in a fantasy role-playing game, and are magically transported to the world of the game by their gamemaster.The first book,...
series. This series placed a collection of college students into a 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...
setting similar to a role-playing world
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. Throughout numerous books, Rosenberg has traced these characters, their descendants and the changes they have made to society. He has shown no compunction about killing off popular characters.
The "Keepers of the Hidden Ways" trilogy similarly places people from the real world into a fantasy setting, making heavy use of Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
. A third fantasy series, consisting of the novels D'Shai (1991) and Hour of the Octopus (1994) (both lightly humorous mysteries) is set in an Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n-influenced fantasy world with very strict cultural standards and etiquette.
Paladins, the first in his "Mordred's Heirs" series, was published by Baen Books
Baen Books
Baen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
in September 2004; the second, Knight Moves was published in November 2006. This series, an "alternate fantasy history", takes place in a world where Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
defeated King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, establishing the Pendragon
Pendragon
Pendragon or Pen Draig, meaning "head dragon" or "chief dragon" , is the name of several traditional Kings of the Britons:...
Dynasty.
Science fiction
In addition to fantasy, Rosenberg wrote a number of science fiction novels. Although dealing with different characters, Ties of Blood and Silver (1984) and Emile and the Dutchman (1986) are both set in the same setting. Two other books set in this setting, Not for Glory (1988) and Hero (1990), focus on family members of the Metzadan Mercenary Corps from the Jewish (and others) settled World of Metzada (MasadaMasada
Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel, on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is best known for the violence that occurred there in the first century CE...
).
Mysteries
In recent years, Rosenberg turned his hand to mysteries, publishing Home Front, the first of his "Sparky Hemingway" mysteries in 2003; the second, Family Matters, was published in early 2004.Themes and influences
Rosenberg's novels frequently feature the theme of freedomLiberty
Liberty is a moral and political principle, or Right, that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions...
(particularly in the Guardians of the Flame series, where the initial characters make it their life's goal to abolish slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in their new world) and the right to keep and bear arms. Other themes include protecting children at all costs, and the message that people can overcome hardships and abuse suffered as children.
His heroes also frequently find inspiration in the heroic figures of the Greek classics
Greek literature
Greek literature refers to writings composed in areas of Greek influence, typically though not necessarily in one of the Greek dialects, throughout the whole period in which the Greek-speaking people have existed.-Ancient Greek literature :...
and of American folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and history
History of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
.
Other careers
Outside of science fiction, Rosenberg is best known as a handgunHandgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
instructor, Second Amendment advocate
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
, and author of a manual for people wanting to get a handgun carry permit in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Everything You Need to Know About (Legally) Carrying a Handgun in Minnesota, and a similar book for Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Everything You Need to Know About (Legally) Carrying a Handgun in Missouri.
While his books of the Guardians of the Flame
Guardians of the Flame
Guardians of the Flame is a long running series by author Joel Rosenberg and is arguably his best known work. The series is about a group of college students who participate in a fantasy role-playing game, and are magically transported to the world of the game by their gamemaster.The first book,...
series have detailed descriptions of firearm technology, he began seriously dealing with self-defence issues after he thwarted a break-in
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
into his house with a .22 lr pistol he kept in his home.
Some time afterwards, he began getting threatening eMail
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
s:
- "They would say, 'You're a dead Jew,' with 'dead' almost invariably misspelled, or 'Stay away from the white women,' with 'white' spelled 'w-i-t-e.'"
- Rosenberg once suspected that the threats might have something to do with his Metzada novels--"I do write about Jews in space with big guns." But to this day, he doesn't know anything about his stalker, except that he or she is violently anti-Semitic, and unlikely to win any spelling bees.
Arrest for carrying a handgun
In November 2010, Rosenberg openly wore a holstered handgun when coming into the Minneapolis city hallCity hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
for a meeting with a representative of the city's police chief after providing prior notification as required by state law. After arrival, he was told that a court order
Court order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
prohibited people from carrying a gun anywhere in the building, which houses a small courtroom
Courtroom
A courtroom is the actual enclosed space in which a judge regularly holds court.The schedule of official court proceedings is called a docket; the term is also synonymous with a court's caseload as a whole.-Courtroom design:-United States:...
on one floor. He objected, citing the state gun laws, and avoided arrest when he agreed to carry his gun (which the police had confiscated, emptied of ammunition, and returned to him) back to his car. He subsequently filed a complaint against the police sergeant, and posted a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video displaying how many weapons can be concealed on one's body.
In December 2010, he was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon in a courthouse, a felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
, and contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
, a misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
; arrested; and jailed in lieu of $100,000 bond.
Personal life and death
Rosenberg died June 2, 2011, after a sudden respiratory depression caused a heart attack, brain damage and major organ failures. His wife, Felicia G. Herman, posted on her blog "In accordance with his wishes, he shared the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. He is survived by his daughters, Judith Eleanor and Rachel Hannah, and his wife, Felicia Herman. Today [June 3rd] would have been his 32nd wedding anniversary."Guardians of the Flame
- The Sleeping Dragon (1983)
- The Sword and the Chain (1984)
- The Silver Crown (1985)
- The Heir Apparent (1987)
- The Warrior Lives (1988)
- The Road to Ehvenor (1991)
- The Road Home (1995)
- Not Exactly the Three Musketeers (1999)
- Not Quite Scaramouche (2001)
- Not Really the Prisoner of Zenda (2003)
Keepers of the Hidden Ways
- The Fire Duke (1995)
- The Silver Stone (1996)
- The Crimson Sky (1998)
Thousand Worlds
- Ties of Blood and Silver (1984)
- Emile and the Dutchman (1985)
- Not for Glory (1988)
A story of General Shimon Bar-El, and the trials between him and his nephew, Tetsuo Hanavi. - Hero (Metzadan Mercenary Corps.) (1990)
D'Shai
- D'Shai (1991)
- Hour of the Octopus (1994)
- The Last Assassin (not yet published)
RiftWar
- Murder in LaMut: Legends of the Riftwar, Book IIMurder in LaMutMurder in LaMut is the second book in Legends of the Riftwar series. It details the story of Durine, Kethol and Pirojil, three mercenaries who have spent the past twenty five years fighting Tsurani, the Bugs and Goblins. Now having spent a few months on garrison duty, their journey to LaMut should...
with Raymond E. Feist (2003)
External links
- Rosenberg's personal blog
- Bibliography on SciFanSciFanSciFan is an online database for fans of science fiction and fantasy books.The site provides detailed bibliographies, linking books together into series' where appropriate and, in turn, grouping series by universe...