You have found your way to the home page of fantasy author Megan Lindholm. Here you will currently find basic information about my novels and short stories, and links to more information about me and my work. All information here originates with the author.
I have written as M. Lindholm since 1971. My early work was mostly journalism for various local Alaskan newspapers. I also wrote poetry and short stories which I submitted to the various literary and little magazine markets, with some few publications. At the same time, I was writing short fiction for the children's magazine market. All of these efforts comprised what I think of as my very long apprenticeship as a writer. By the late 70's, I was writing short fiction for fanzines in the fantasy and science fiction genre.
"Bones for Dulath" in AMAZONS! was the first piece of fantasy that I published as Megan Lindholm. The anthology was published by Daw, edited by Jessica Amanda Salmonson, and won a World Fantasy Award for Year's Best Anthology. "Bones for Dulath" also marked the first appearance in print of Ki and Vandien. I was to enjoy a long and fond relationship with these two characters.
When I first began writing fantasy, I had several specific goals in mind. One was to amuse myself as well as my audience. The other was that I wanted to write fantasy in the Swords and Sorcery tradition. Yet i wanted to avoid writing 'larger than life heroes saving the world.' Instead of mighty thewed barbarians or incredibly strong sorceresses, I wanted to write about more-or-less ordinary people getting caught in extraordinary situations. I wrote several stories and four books about Ki and Vandien that I feel fulfilled those goals. The two immediate sequels to Harpy's Flight were The Windsingers and The Limbreth Gate.
With Wizard of the Pigeons I again wanted to challenge a fantasy cliche. Who decreed that magic happens only in another world and in a distant time? The heroes in the fairy tales I had read as a child were ordinary folk in their ordinary time, like peasant Jack from the beanstalk tale. Why, then, could not a fairy tale or fantasy be updated to the present time? I set my story in Seattle and chose the unlikeliest hero I could imagine, the street person and slightly crazy Vietnam vet named Wizard. I still love that character, and I still have fond memories of researching the book. I went to Seattle and did all the touristy things that one generally doesn't do in one's own backyard, such as tours and lectures. But I also spent a lot of time just sitting on a park bench, feeding popcorn to the pigeons, watching and listening to the city. If one just sits quietly, the most amazing people will come up and tell you extraordinary tales of themselves and their lives. I think doing the research for Wizard of the Pigeons was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
After a brief return to Ki and Vandien's world (Luck of the Wheels) I experimented with a quasi-historical fantasy in two parts. The Reindeer People and Wolf's Brother were set in a world very loosely based on the Lapp culture crossed with native North American shamanic magic. My next hop was to an extremely introspective contemporary fantasy entitled Cloven Hooves. From there, I leapt to a work of science fiction, Alien Earth. While I was writing those two books, I was also collaborating with Steven Brust (author of Jhereg, The Phoenix Guard and Teckla, among others) on a novel called The Gypsy. And strange to say, the scrap of paper that was to become The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb had already taken up residence in my desk drawer.
Although as of this writing in August, 2003, it has been several years since I wrote a novel as Megan Lindholm, I have continued to produce short stories. For information on novels written as Robin Hobb, please visit the Robin Hobb web site.
The Short Stories Appearances Where I will be in 2006. I may be wearing a tag that says 'Robin Hobb' at some of these, but I'm always happy to talk to readers of Megan Lindholm's books,too.
This page last updated on March 12, 2006.
