Patrick Rothfuss

Patrick Rothfuss, born in 1973, is an American author primarily known for his fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle. His debut novel, The Name of the Wind (2007), received critical acclaim and several awards. The sequel, The Wise Man's Fear (2011), achieved bestseller status. Rothfuss's literary output also includes the novella The Slow Regard of Silent Things, companion stories within The Kingkiller Chronicle universe, and contributions to anthologies. He has also ventured into comic book writing, co-authoring the Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons series. Beyond his writing career, Rothfuss founded the charity Worldbuilders in 2008, which has raised millions for various causes, notably Heifer International. He also co-hosted a podcast and collaborated on game development, including the abstract strategy game Tak, inspired by his own work.

Patrick Rothfuss's literary career is largely defined by his highly praised fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle. The series commenced with his debut novel, The Name of the Wind, published in 2007, which garnered significant awards and recognition, including being named among Publishers Weekly's Books of the Year. Its continuation, The Wise Man's Fear, released in 2011, achieved the prestigious position of number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. Rothfuss expanded this universe with the illustrated novella, The Slow Regard of Silent Things, focusing on the character Auri. He has also contributed shorter works, such as "How Old Holly Came to Be" and "The Lightning Tree," to various anthologies, with the latter being later expanded into the novella "The Narrow Road Between Desires."

Beyond his primary fantasy series, Rothfuss has engaged in other creative projects. He co-wrote the comic limited series Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, a collaboration that earned an Eisner Award nomination for its deluxe edition. Rothfuss also participated in game development, co-creating the abstract strategy game Tak, which is based on a game featured in The Wise Man's Fear. He was part of the story design team for the game Torment: Tides of Numenera and contributed to the backstory of Hero's Song. Additionally, he co-hosted the podcast Unattended Consequences and released a mini-series in the Kingkiller Chronicle world.

In 2008, Rothfuss established the charity Worldbuilders, an organization dedicated to raising funds for various causes, most notably Heifer International, which supports developing communities. Worldbuilders has successfully raised over $11.5 million since its inception. In late 2021, Rothfuss partnered with Grim Oak Press to launch Underthing Press, a new imprint that aims to reprint notable works, beginning with Ursula Vernon's Hugo Award-winning webcomic Digger.