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Steven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23, 1955) is an American fantasy and
science fiction author This is a list of noted science-fiction authors (in alphabetical order): A *Dafydd ab Hugh (born 1960) * Alexander Abasheli (1884–1954) *Edwin Abbott Abbott (1838–1926) *Kōbō Abe (1924–1993) * Robert Abernathy (1924–1990) *Dan Ab ...
of Hungarian descent. He is best known for his series of novels about the assassin Vlad Taltos, one of a disdained minority group of humans living on a world called Dragaera. His recent novels also include '' The Incrementalists'' (2013) and its sequel ''The Skill of Our Hands'' (2017), with co-author
Skyler White Skyler White (née Lambert) is a fictional character in ''Breaking Bad'', portrayed by Anna Gunn. For her performance, Gunn received critical acclaim, with some critics even lauding her character as the template for television anti-heroines. ...
. As a drummer and singer-songwriter, Brust has recorded one solo album and two albums as a member of
Cats Laughing Cats Laughing is a folk rock band, founded in the late 1980s in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and revived in 2015. Several of its members, including Emma Bull and best-selling author Steven Brust, are better known as writers of fantasy and science fict ...
. Brust also co-wrote songs on two albums recorded in the mid-1990s by the band
Boiled in Lead Boiled in Lead is a rock/world-music band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and founded in 1983. Tim Walters of ''MusicHound Folk'' called the group "the most important folk-rock band to appear since the 1970s." Influential record producer and mu ...
.


Writing career


The Dragaeran books

The Vlad Taltos series, written as
high fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, ...
with a science fiction underpinning, is set on a planet called Dragaera. The events of the series take place in an Empire mostly inhabited and ruled by the Dragaerans, a genetically engineered humanoid species, having characteristics such as greatly extended lifespans and heights averaging about seven feet. Referred to as "
elf An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
s" by some humans, they refer to themselves as "human." The Dragaeran Empire controls a region that is "enclouded" by a perpetual overcast that blocks the sun from view. Vlad Taltos is one of the human minority (known by Dragaerans as "Easterners"), which exists as a lower class in the Empire. Vlad also practices the human art of witchcraft; " táltos" is Hungarian for a kind of supernatural person in folklore. Though human, he is a citizen of the Empire because his social-climbing father bought a title in one of the less reputable of the 17 Dragaeran Great Houses. The only Great House that sells memberships this way is, not coincidentally, also the one that maintains a criminal organization. Vlad proves surprisingly successful in this organization. Despite being a human and a criminal, he has a number of high-ranking Dragaeran friends and often gets caught up in important events. Brust has written 15 published novels in the series, which is proposed to run to nineteen novels – one named for each of the Great Houses, one named for Vlad himself ('' Taltos''), and a final novel which Brust has said will be titled ''The Final Contract''. The first three novels resemble private-eye
detective stories A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...
, perhaps the closest being Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. The later novels are more varied than the first three. Though they read like fantasy, there are science-fictional explanations for some things. Brust has also written another series set in Dragaera, the '' Khaavren Romances'', set centuries before Vlad's time. Since Dragaerans live for thousands of years, many characters appear in both series. It is partly an homage to
Alexandre Dumas père Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer. ...
's novels about
The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...
, and is five volumes long, following the pattern of Dumas' series. The books are presented as historical novels written by Paarfi of Roundwood, a Dragaeran roughly contemporary with Vlad. Paarfi's old-fashioned, elaborate, and highly verbose writing is explicitly based on Dumas', though with a dialogue style that is, at times, based on
Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and polit ...
's wordgames in ''
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Hamle ...
'' (according to Pamela Dean's introduction to ''Five Hundred Years After''). '' The Baron of Magister Valley'', an additional Paarfi novel, is modeled after Dumas's ''
The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (french: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas (''père'') completed in 1844. It is one of the author's more popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers''. L ...
''. The two series are finally brought together in the thirteenth novel in the Vlad series, ''Tiassa'', which can also be viewed as the sixth novel in the Khaavren series. ''Tiassa'' comprises what are in effect three related novellas, each told in a different style and connected by a common theme. The first section reads like the first three novels in the series, with first-person narration by Vlad but including Khaavren's son, Piro; the second section has a different viewpoint character in each of its chapters; and the third section is narrated by Paarfi in the style of the earlier ''Khaavren Romances'', with Khaavren as the viewpoint character and interacting with Vlad.


Short stories

Most of Brust's short stories are set in
shared universe A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...
s. These include
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
's and
Will Shetterly Will Shetterly (born 1955) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel '' Dogland'' (1997). The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents. He won the Minnesota Bo ...
's '' Liavek'',
Robert Asprin Robert Lynn Asprin (June 28, 1946 – May 22, 2008) was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, known best for his humorous series '' MythAdventures'' and '' Phule's Company''. Background Robert Asprin was born in St. J ...
's ''
Thieves' World Thieves' World is a shared world fantasy series created by Robert Lynn Asprin in 1978. The original series comprised twelve anthologies, including stories by science fiction authors Poul Anderson, John Brunner, Andrew J. Offutt, C. J. Cherr ...
'',
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
's ''
Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
'' and
Terri Windling Terri Windling (born December 3, 1958 in Fort Dix, New Jersey) is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. She has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram ...
's '' Borderland Series''.


Style and literary theory

Brust was a founding member of a Minnesota-based writers' group called
The Scribblies The Scribblies were a fantasy fiction group of writers formed in the United States, U.S. city of Minneapolis in January 1980. Members included Nate Bucklin, Emma Bull, Steven Brust, Kara Dalkey, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly and Patricia Wrede.Novel ...
, which included
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
,
Pamela Dean Pamela Collins Dean Dyer-Bennet (born 1953), better known as Pamela Dean, is an American fantasy author whose best-known book is '' Tam Lin'', based on the Child Ballad of the same name, in which the Scottish fairy story is set on a midwestern ...
,
Will Shetterly Will Shetterly (born 1955) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel '' Dogland'' (1997). The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents. He won the Minnesota Bo ...
, Nate Bucklin,
Kara Dalkey Kara Mia Dalkey (born 1953) is an American author of young adult fiction and historical fantasy. Personal life She was born in Los Angeles and has lived in Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Colorado, and Seattle. Much of her fiction is set in the Hei ...
, and
Patricia Wrede Patricia Collins Wrede (; born March 27, 1953) is an American author of fantasy literature. She is known for her ''Enchanted Forest Chronicles'' series for young adults, which was voted number 84 in NPR's 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels list. Caree ...
. He also was a founding member of the
Pre-Joycean Fellowship The Pre-Joycean Fellowship, abbreviated PJF, is a collective identification that was semi-seriously adopted by several writers known for fantasy and science fiction, to indicate that they value 19th-century values of storytelling. An example of suc ...
. He has rejected a distinction between science fiction and fantasy, stating that no belief in such a distinction can withstand an encounter with the writing of
Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...
.


Writing style

There is a certain amount of variation in the writing style amongst the Taltos novels, as well as between Brust's various series. Brust uses a different narrative approach in almost every novel in the Taltos series. Some of these approaches are more purely stylistic and have minor effects on the actual story-telling; some are profound and involve the point of view of characters whom the reader never expected to get to know so well. Further, as the writing of the Taltos novels has spanned over three decades, they have been influenced by events in Brust's own life. A fascination with the Mafia – subsequently brought into a somewhat shocking perspective by the murder of a friend – profoundly influenced his storylines, as did the breakup of his marriage. The events and arguments of his books, especially ''Teckla'', are acknowledged by Brust to be influenced by his lifelong interest in Marxist theory and practice. Brust's parents were activists in the Workers League, the predecessor to the Socialist Equality Party, and he continues to identify as a "
Trotskyist Trotskyism is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Ukrainian-Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and some other members of the Left Opposition and Fourth International. Trotsky self-identified as an orthodox Marxist, a ...
sympathizer," linking to the SEP-affiliated
World Socialist Web Site The World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) is the website of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). It describes itself as an "online newspaper of the international Trotskyist movement". The WSWS publishes articles and analys ...
on his personal website. He endorsed the SEP's presidential candidates in the 2016 US elections.


Literary theory

In contrast to contemporary academic studies in literature, Brust has put forward what he called "The Cool Stuff Theory of Literature":
All literature consists of whatever the writer thinks is cool. The reader will like the book to the degree that he agrees with the writer about what's cool. And that works all the way from the external trappings to the level of metaphor, subtext, and the way one uses words. In other words, I happen not to think that full-plate armor and great big honking greatswords are cool. I don't like 'em. I like cloaks and rapiers. So I write stories with a lot of cloaks and rapiers in 'em, 'cause that's cool. Guys who like military hardware, who think advanced military hardware is cool, are not gonna jump all over my books, because they have other ideas about what's cool.
Brust elaborated, "The novel should be understood as a structure built to accommodate the greatest possible amount of cool stuff."


Motifs

The character Devera, usually a cute brown-eyed girl of about nine, appears as a motif in all of Brust's novels. In the Dragaeran books, her name is Devera. She is the (future) daughter of another character and seems to be able to appear anywhere in time and space. In Brust's non-Dragaeran books her appearances are usually brief and not always obvious.


Musical recordings and performances

Brust is a singer-songwriter and drummer who has recorded a solo album, and who has played in the Minneapolis-based
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
band
Cats Laughing Cats Laughing is a folk rock band, founded in the late 1980s in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and revived in 2015. Several of its members, including Emma Bull and best-selling author Steven Brust, are better known as writers of fantasy and science fict ...
, and with the Albany Free Traders, and Morrigan. Brust also co-wrote two songs on the 1994 album '' Antler Dance'' by the band
Boiled in Lead Boiled in Lead is a rock/world-music band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and founded in 1983. Tim Walters of ''MusicHound Folk'' called the group "the most important folk-rock band to appear since the 1970s." Influential record producer and mu ...
(BiL), as well as many of the songs on BiL's 1995 multimedia CD ''Songs from The Gypsy''.


Cats Laughing

Cats Laughing released two albums with Brust as the drummer, in 1988 and 1990. Brust also contributed as a songwriter and vocalist. The 1990 album ''Another Way to Travel'' features cover art that depicts the band members and a vehicle known as the Catmobile, the band vehicle for Cats Laughing. The car, owned by Brust, was a Cadillac ambulance, painted yellow, light blue, and dark blue, with murals. On April 3, 2015, Brust performed as part of Cats Laughing in a reunion concert at the
Minicon Minicon is a science fiction and fantasy convention in Minneapolis usually held on Easter weekend. Started in 1968 and running approximately annually since then, it is one of the oldest science fiction conventions in the midwest United States. ...
50 science fiction convention in Bloomington, Minnesota. In March 2016, Cats Laughing released a double CD of their 2015 reunion, ''A Long Time Gone'', as well as a DVD by the same title with documentary concert footage.


Solo

''
A Rose for Iconoclastes ''A Rose for Iconoclastes'' is a folk album by drummer Steven Brust, an author of fantasy and science fiction novels and a member of the Minneapolis-based band Cats Laughing. It is Brust's only solo album, released in 1993. The album was produced ...
'', a folk (or
folk pop Folk-pop is a musical style that may be 1) contemporary folk songs with large, sweeping pop arrangements, or 2) pop songs with intimate, acoustic-based folk arrangements. Recording production values created a unblemished style that appealed to ...
) album released in 1993, is Brust's only solo album. The title is a reference to " A Rose for Ecclesiastes", a short story by Brust's literary hero and mentor
Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...
. (Interview in which Brust notes that a picture of Zelazny is on his desk.) Twelve of the fourteen songs were written or co-written by Brust. The album was produced by
Adam Stemple Adam Stemple is a Celtic-influenced American folk rock musician, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is also the author of several fantasy short stories and novels, including two series of novels co-written with his mother, writer Jane Yolen. Ste ...
, a fellow fantasy writer and member of Cats Laughing.


''Songs from The Gypsy'' (1995)

The 1995 enhanced CD '' Songs from The Gypsy'', by the band
Boiled in Lead Boiled in Lead is a rock/world-music band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and founded in 1983. Tim Walters of ''MusicHound Folk'' called the group "the most important folk-rock band to appear since the 1970s." Influential record producer and mu ...
, featured songs written by Brust and
Adam Stemple Adam Stemple is a Celtic-influenced American folk rock musician, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is also the author of several fantasy short stories and novels, including two series of novels co-written with his mother, writer Jane Yolen. Ste ...
, as well as the full text of Brust's novel '' The Gypsy.''
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
reviewer Steven McDonald called ''Songs from The Gypsy'' "an example of Brust's serious songwriting working well." Conversely, a critical review by
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
's Roch Parisien emphasized that "''Songs from The Gypsy'' represents a failure of multimedia integration. As an audio CD, the disc serves up ten songs, ranging from acoustic trad to bluesy rockers, that ironically form a less cohesive whole than previous Boiled in Lead releases. The better numbers (like the title track) incorporate Celtic rock with Hungarian, Middle Eastern, and other interesting worldbeat influences." Parisien found the album's integration with the novel unsuccessful, in that the novel's 17 chapters were presented as "scrollable text only, which also intersperse some 80 song lyric excerpts that you can play from hot buttons. Annoyingly, you must flip back to the main menu index to move from one chapter to the next." Parisien concluded, "Despite Brust's engrossingly poetic, impressionist story inspired by Hungarian folk tales and revolving around three Gypsy brothers, the project does not overcome the primary limitation of bringing literature to the computer screen, that being that the computer offers an inhospitable environment for viewing literature-length text." The review, written in 1995, predated a wave of popular e-book readers that began to emerge about ten years later.


Other performances

Brust has performed dramatically in several Shockwave Radio Theater productions, notably ''Closing Ceremonies (aka The Fall of the House of Usherette)'' and ''PBS Liavek''.


Award nominations

Brust's short story "When The Bow Breaks" was nominated for the 1998
Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of prof ...
. ''Five Hundred Years After'' was nominated for the 1995
Locus Poll Award The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine ''Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. In addition to the p ...
(Best Fantasy Novel). Other novels nominated for various
Locus Poll Award The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine ''Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. In addition to the p ...
s were ''Brokedown Palace,'' ''The Gypsy,'' ''Agyar,'' and ''Freedom & Necessity.'' ''Dragon'' was a finalist for the 1999 Minnesota Book Awards in the Fantasy & Science Fiction category. ''Freedom and Necessity'' was a 1998 finalist for the same category, while ''The Phoenix Guards'' was a finalist in 1992. Brust discovered in August 2006 that he had made the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' extended bestseller list at number 30 with ''Dzur''. He mentioned his ambivalence on this subject online. ''SciFi Wire'' posted an interview with Brust after ''Dzur'' came out.


Bibliography

Brust's novels have been translated into numerous languages, including Bulgarian, Czech, Dutch, Estonian, French, German, Hebrew, Polish, Russian, and Spanish.


Dragaera

There are two series set in the world of Dragaera, the '' Khaavren Romances'' and the ''Vlad Taltos'' novels. They are set in different periods in the world, but some characters are common to both series.


Vlad Taltos

There are currently 15 novels in the series, with a total of 19 planned. The planned novels will be named after the remaining Dragaeran Great Houses, ''Lyorn'' (as yet unpublished) and then ''Chreotha'', then concluding book ''The Final Contract''. #'' Jhereg'' (1983) #''
Yendi Yendi is a town and the capital of Yendi Municipal district in the Northern Region of Ghana. As of 2012 the population of Yendi was 52,008 people. It is the seat of the King of the Dagombas. Climate Economy The people of Yendi are mainly ...
'' (1984) #'' Teckla'' (1987) #'' Taltos'' (1988) #'' Phoenix'' (1990) #'' Athyra'' (1993) #''
Orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...
'' (1996) #''
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted a ...
'' (1998) #''
Issola Steven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23, 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He is best known for his series of novels about the assassin Vlad Taltos, one of a disdained minority group of humans livi ...
'' (2001) #'' Dzur'' (2006) #'' Jhegaala'' (2008) #'' Iorich'' (2010) #'' Tiassa'' (2011) #''
Hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfa ...
'' (2014) #'' Vallista'' (2017) #''Tsalmoth'' (Forthcoming, April 2023)


=In in-series chronological order

= # ''Jhereg'', prologue (1983) # ''Taltos'' (1988) # ''Dragon'', main chapters (1998) # ''Yendi'' (1984) # ''Dragon'', interludes (1998) # ''Tiassa'', section 1 (2011) # ''Tsalmoth'' (forthcoming, April 2023) # ''Jhereg'', main chapters (1983) # ''Teckla'' (1987) # ''Phoenix'' (1990) # ''Jhegaala'' (2008) # ''Athyra'' (1993) # ''Orca'' (1996) # ''Issola'' (2001) # ''Dzur'' (2006) # ''Tiassa'', section 2 (2011) # ''Iorich'' (2010) # ''Tiassa'', section 3 (2011) # ''Vallista'' (2017) # ''Hawk'' (2014)


=Omnibuses

= #''The Book of Jhereg'' (contains ''Jhereg'', ''Yendi'' and ''Teckla'') #''The Book of Taltos'' (contains ''Taltos'' and ''Phoenix'') #''The Book of Athyra'' (contains ''Athyra'' and ''Orca'') #''Dragon & Issola'' (contains ''Dragon'' and ''Issola'' –
Science Fiction Book Club Bookspan LLC is a New York–based online bookseller, founded in 2000. Bookspan began as a joint endeavor by Bertelsmann and Time Warner. Bertelsmann took over control in 2007, and a year later, sold its interest to Najafi Companies, an Arizo ...
edition, hardcover) #''The Book of Dragon'' (contains ''Dragon'' and ''Issola'' – Tor paperback) #''The Book of Dzur'' (contains ''Dzur'' and ''Jhegaala'')


Paarfi's historical romances

A series of Dragaeran historical romances, which take place centuries earlier than the Vlad Taltos novels, was written in the narrative voice of Paarfi of Roundwood, a Dragaeran historian. Paarfi describes these novels as works of history written for a popular audience, and published with great success during the reigns of Empresses Zerika IV and Norathar II. * The Khaavren Romances consist of three works, published as five books. The third and longest work, Paarfi's account of the Interregnum titled '' The Viscount of Adrilankha'', was published in three volumes as individually-titled books. :# '' The Phoenix Guards'' (1991) :# '' Five Hundred Years After'' (1994) :# '' The Paths of the Dead'' (2002) – Vol. 1 of ''The Viscount of Adrilankha'' :# '' The Lord of Castle Black'' (2003) – Vol. 2 of ''The Viscount of Adrilankha'' :# ''
Sethra Lavode ''The Viscount of Adrilankha'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Steven Brust, published in three volumes. Collectively, the three books form the third novel in the Khaavren Romances series. It is set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. Like th ...
'' (2004) – Vol. 3 of ''The Viscount of Adrilankha'' * '' The Baron of Magister Valley'' (2020) – a standalone Paarfi novel


Other Dragaera novels

* ''
Brokedown Palace ''Brokedown Palace'' is a 1999 American drama film directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and starring Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Pullman and Lim Kay Tong. It deals with two American friends imprisoned in Thailand for alleged drug smuggling. Its ...
'' (cover art by Alan Lee) (1986)


Short fiction

* "A Dream of Passion" (1986) – published by the Ad Astra science fiction convention in its 1986 chapbook * "Klava with Honey" (2005) – a prologue to ''Dzur'', published by the Buffalo Fantasy League in '' EerieCon Chapbook #4'' * "The Desecrator" (2011) – published online by Tor Books


The Incrementalists


Novels

*'' The Incrementalists'' (2013) – with
Skyler White Skyler White (née Lambert) is a fictional character in ''Breaking Bad'', portrayed by Anna Gunn. For her performance, Gunn received critical acclaim, with some critics even lauding her character as the template for television anti-heroines. ...
* ''The Skill of Our Hands'' (2017) – with Skyler White


Short fiction

* "Fireworks in the Rain" (2013) – (by Brust only), published online by Tor Books * "Strongest Conjuration" (2014) – (by White only), set directly after the events of ''The Incrementalists'', published online by Tor Books * "Playing God" (2017) – by Brust only, featuring Roger Zelazny's character Francis Sandow, in ''Shadows and Reflections: A Roger Zelazny Tribute Anthology'' (edited by Trent Zelazny and Warren Lapine)


Other novels

*'' To Reign in Hell'' (1984) *''The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars'' (1987) *''Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille'' (1990) *'' The Gypsy'' (1992) – with
Megan Lindholm Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden (born March 5, 1952), known by her pen names Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm, is an American writer of speculative fiction. As Hobb, she is best known for her fantasy novels set in the ''Realm of the Elderlings'', w ...
*''Agyar'' (1993) *''Freedom & Necessity'' (1997) – with
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
*''My Own Kind of Freedom'' (2008, self-released)
fan fiction Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, setti ...
novel based on the TV series ''
Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
'' *'' Good Guys'' (2018) *''The Sword of Happenstance'' (2021) - With Skyler White


Other short stories

* "An Act of Contrition" in ''Liavek'' (1985, edited by
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
and
Will Shetterly Will Shetterly (born 1955) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel '' Dogland'' (1997). The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents. He won the Minnesota Bo ...
; Locus Poll Award, Best Anthology) * "An Act of Trust" in ''Liavek: The Players of Luck'' (1986, edited by
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
and
Will Shetterly Will Shetterly (born 1955) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel '' Dogland'' (1997). The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents. He won the Minnesota Bo ...
) * "An Act of Mercy" in ''Liavek: Wizard's Row'' (1987, with
Megan Lindholm Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden (born March 5, 1952), known by her pen names Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm, is an American writer of speculative fiction. As Hobb, she is best known for her fantasy novels set in the ''Realm of the Elderlings'', w ...
; edited by
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
and
Will Shetterly Will Shetterly (born 1955) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel '' Dogland'' (1997). The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents. He won the Minnesota Bo ...
) * "An Act of Love" in ''Liavek: Spells of Binding'' (1988, with
Gregory Frost Gregory Frost (born May 13, 1951) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy, and directs a fiction writing workshop at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa. A g ...
and
Megan Lindholm Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden (born March 5, 1952), known by her pen names Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm, is an American writer of speculative fiction. As Hobb, she is best known for her fantasy novels set in the ''Realm of the Elderlings'', w ...
; edited by
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
and
Will Shetterly Will Shetterly (born 1955) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel '' Dogland'' (1997). The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents. He won the Minnesota Bo ...
) * "Csucskári" (Excerpt from ''The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars'') in ''The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: First Annual Collection'' (1988, edited by
Ellen Datlow Ellen Datlow (born December 31, 1949) is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror editor and anthologist. She is a winner of the World Fantasy Award and the Bram Stoker Award (Horror Writers Association). Career Datlow began her career ...
and
Terri Windling Terri Windling (born December 3, 1958 in Fort Dix, New Jersey) is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. She has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram ...
) * "A Hot Night at Cheeky's" in ''Liavek: Festival Week'' (1990, edited by
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
and
Will Shetterly Will Shetterly (born 1955) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel '' Dogland'' (1997). The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents. He won the Minnesota Bo ...
) * "Looking Forward: Excerpt from Athyra" in ''Amazing Stories, March 1993'' (1993, edited by Kim Mohan) * "Attention Shoppers" in ''Xanadu'' (1993, edited by
Jane Yolen Jane Hyatt Yolen (born February 11, 1939) is an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, and children's books. She is the author or editor of more than 350 books, of which the best known is '' The Devil's Arithmetic'', a Holocaust novella. H ...
) * "Abduction from the Harem" in ''Timewalker Issue 14'' (October 1996, published by
Valiant Comics Valiant Comics is an American comic books, comic book publisher. The company was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. In 1994, the company was sold to Acclaim E ...
) * "Drift" in ''Space Opera'' (1996, edited by
Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-Irish writer known for the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, ''Weyr Search'', 19 ...
and
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (born March 23, 1947) is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy and Registered Nurse who lives in Port Townsend, Washington. She has published over 40 novels, as well as collaborating with Anne McCaffrey on ...
) * "Valóság and Élet" in ''Sandman: Book of Dreams'' (1996, edited by
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
and Edward E. Kramer) * "Calling Pittsburgh" in ''Lord of the Fantastic: Stories in Honor of
Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...
'' (1998, edited by
Martin H. Greenberg Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011) was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned ov ...
) * "When the Bow Breaks" in ''The Essential Bordertown'' (1998, edited by
Terri Windling Terri Windling (born December 3, 1958 in Fort Dix, New Jersey) is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. She has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram ...
and Delia Sherman) * "The Man From Shemhaza" in ''Thieves' World: Enemies of Fortune'' (2004, edited by
Lynn Abbey Marilyn Lorraine "Lynn" Abbey (born September 18, 1948) is an American fantasy author. Background Born in Peekskill, New York, Abbey was daughter of Ronald Lionel (an insurance manager) and Doris Lorraine (a homemaker; maiden name, De Wees). She ...
), reprinted in ''Year's Best Fantasy 5'' (2005, edited by
David Hartwell David Geddes Hartwell (July 10, 1941 – January 20, 2016) was an American critic, publisher, and editor of thousands of science fiction and fantasy novels. He was best known for work with Signet, Pocket, and Tor Books publishers. He was also ...
and
Kathryn Cramer Kathryn Elizabeth Cramer (born April 16, 1962) is an American science fiction writer, editor, and literary critic. Early years Kathryn Cramer is the daughter of physicist John G. Cramer. She grew up in Seattle and graduated from Columbia Univ ...
) * "Chapter One" in ''EerieCon Chapbook #6'' for the convention EerieCon (2007, via the Buffalo Fantasy League) * "Bluff" (2008) * "Mira" in '' Sword and Sorceress XXV'' (2010, edited by Elisabeth Waters) * "Playing God" in ''Shadows & Reflections: A Roger Zelazny Tribute Anthology'' (2017, edited by Trent Zelazny & Warren Lapine) * "Smith's Point" in ''DreamForge Magazine'' (Founders' Issue) (Feb. 2019, with
Skyler White Skyler White (née Lambert) is a fictional character in ''Breaking Bad'', portrayed by Anna Gunn. For her performance, Gunn received critical acclaim, with some critics even lauding her character as the template for television anti-heroines. ...
)


Introductions by Brust

* In 1987,
Tor Books Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles, and is the largest publisher of Chinese scienc ...
published the
gamebook A gamebook is a work of printed fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making choices. The narrative branches along various paths, typically through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages. Each narrative typically does not ...
''Dzurlord (A Crossroads Adventure in the World of Steven Brust's Jhereg)''. Brust wrote the introduction for this book, which introduced readers to the world of Dragaera and its inhabitants. * Tor also published ''
The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...
'' in paperback in 1994. Brust introduced the edition, saying that this translation (anonymous, originally published in 1888) was his favorite. * Brust contributed the introduction for ''Manna from Heaven''. Wildside Press published this collection of stories from
Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...
in 2003.


Trivia


References in other media

* Brust's book ''Dragon'' is the subject of an argument in the
webcomic Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be c ...
''
Penny Arcade ''Penny Arcade'' is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website ''loonygames.com''. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have establ ...
''. Cartoonist Jerry Holkins later noted that the comic was based on an actual conversation about Brust's work at a convention. * Brust's band, Cats Laughing, appears in issue No. 5 of a Marvel comic book called ''
Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
.'' Brust is the only member of the band who is both seen onstage and named.
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
also appears, but names everyone in the band except herself."Steven Who?"
Tenser Said the Tensor blog. August 15, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
Brust was seen again in a one-shot special issue, ''Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem'', in which the mutant superhero Shadowcat attends a Cats Laughing concert in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
and mentions previously having seen the band at
Windycon Windycon is a science fiction convention held in Lombard, Illinois, on the weekend closest to Veterans Day. ISFiC, the parent corporation that runs Windycon,Pavlac, RossWhat's an ISFiC ISFiC Web Site, retrieved, 2015-11-10 was founded in 1973 in ...
.


Book title nicknames

Brust is known for his propensity to give his books alternate titles for his own amusement. These have cropped up in numerous interviews and online forums, starting with "Jarhead" for ''Jhereg''. Examples include: * Jarhead ('' Jhereg'') * The Rain in Spain ('' To Reign in Hell'') * Yentl (''
Yendi Yendi is a town and the capital of Yendi Municipal district in the Northern Region of Ghana. As of 2012 the population of Yendi was 52,008 people. It is the seat of the King of the Dagombas. Climate Economy The people of Yendi are mainly ...
'') * Ripple (''
Brokedown Palace ''Brokedown Palace'' is a 1999 American drama film directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and starring Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Pullman and Lim Kay Tong. It deals with two American friends imprisoned in Thailand for alleged drug smuggling. Its ...
'') * Tacky ('' Teckla'') * Crosby, Stills, and Nash (''The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars'') * Milquetoast ('' Taltos'') * Shit Happens (''Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille'') * Tucson ('' Phoenix'') * The Kleenex Guards ('' The Phoenix Guards'') * Aw, Gee (''Agyar'') * Urethra ('' Athyra'') * Five Hundred Beers After ('' Five Hundred Years After'') * Porker (''
Orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...
'') * Drag Queen (''
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted a ...
'') * Is Ole (''
Issola Steven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23, 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He is best known for his series of novels about the assassin Vlad Taltos, one of a disdained minority group of humans livi ...
'') * The Laughs of the Fred ('' The Paths of the Dead'') * The Whore of Castle Smack ('' The Lord of Castle Black'') * Send in the Toad (''
Sethra Lavode ''The Viscount of Adrilankha'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Steven Brust, published in three volumes. Collectively, the three books form the third novel in the Khaavren Romances series. It is set in the fantasy world of Dragaera. Like th ...
'') * Stir ('' Dzur'') * Gigolo ('' Jhegaala'') * My Own Kind of Whedon (''My Own Kind of Freedom'', ''Firefly''
fanfic Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, setti ...
) * Your Itch ('' Iorich'') * Three Asses/Hadassah ('' Tiassa'') * Spit (''
Hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfa ...
'') * Good Goys ('' Good Guys'') * Barista ('' Vallista'') * Tall Mouth (Tsalmoth) Brust does not have nicknames for collaborations out of respect for his collaborators, stating "It's one thing to not want to take myself seriously, and another thing to—I want to take them seriously."


References


External links

* *
Bibliography
on SciFan

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brust, Steven 1955 births American fantasy writers American science fiction writers American male bloggers American bloggers American Trotskyists American people of Hungarian descent Living people Science fiction fans Dragaera 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists Novelists from Minnesota American male novelists Chapbook writers Minnesota socialists Cats Laughing members 20th-century American male writers