People who read a lot or who are actively engaged in nerdy internet culture have probably at least heard of Patrick Rothfuss. For those who haven’t I pity you.
Rothfuss is primarily a writer and is well known for his series The King Killer Chronicle which consists of three books two of which are published with the third on its way. The books contain a mixing of several fantasy genres, but still manage to be their own. A friend once described the series as a melding of “Harry Potter,” “Lord of the Rings,” and “Game of Thrones” but even that strange amalgamation doesn’t do the series justice. The first book in the series “The Name of the Wind” opens with a tavern owner named Kote recounting the story of the legendary Kvothe to a scribe passing through the small farm town. Each book is meant to be one day of the story being told. The world Rothfuss uses is filled with political intrigue and is steeped with magic and myth. The writing style is especially refreshing as it makes even side characters more three dimensional than other books have done in the past. There are also many events and decisions happening in the background of the story that are only hinted at which lead to reveals that are what I would consider literary sleight of hand. The overall writing in these novels is outstanding and if you have picked up the first book in the series yet I’d recommend doing so.
For those interested in the literary sleight of hand technique I just talked about, Rothfuss does this again in another series of his called “The Adventures of Princess and Mr. Whiffle.” There are currently two in the series and are meant to look like childhood picture books with a twist of course. The books can be found in various places but they are expensive due to being out of print. Fortunately, Rothfuss read it to an audience at San Diego Comic Con 2016.
Rothfuss has also played a recurring character named Viari at Penny Arcade’s live Dungeons and Dragons game, “Acquisitions Incorporated” for the past several years. He is an adamant supporter of table top gaming and has made appearances on shows like “Tabletop” and “Critical Role” and has a fondness for storytelling, evidenced by his creation of the charity World Builders. World Builders is funded by authors, readers, gamers and others in the nerdverse to raise money to fund education and sustainable living worldwide. The charity’s website includes an online store which sell signed copies of involved authors books as well as merchandise based on Rothfuss and other’s works, they even have games and specialized playing cards. All of the money raised in the shop helps to support the charity.
Patrick Rothfuss, much like his character Kvothe is many things: a gifted writer and story teller, an avid gamer, and a philanthropist dedicated to bringing change to the world. Though he is not likely to start a sword fight, sing an epic ballad or call the wind he is certainly a man who can do great things with his work and that is something to be admired.
