Garth Nix

Garth Richard Nix (born 19 July 1963) is an Australian writer who specialises in children's and young adult fantasy novels, notably the ''Old Kingdom'', '' Seventh Tower'' and ''Keys to the Kingdom'' series. He has frequently been asked if his name is a pseudonym, to which he has responded, "I guess people ask me because it sounds like the perfect name for a writer of fantasy. However, it is my real name."

Biography

Born in Melbourne, Nix was raised in Canberra. He attended Turner Primary School, Lyneham High School and Dickson College for schooling. While at Dickson College, Nix joined the Australian Army Reserve. After a period working for the Australian government, he traveled in Europe before returning to Australia in 1983 and undertaking a BA in professional writing at Canberra University. He worked in a Canberra bookshop after graduation, before moving to Sydney in 1987, where he worked his way up in the publishing field. He was a sales rep and publicist before becoming a senior editor at HarperCollins. In 1993 he commenced further travel in Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe before becoming a marketing consultant, founding his own company, Gotley Nix Evans Pty Ltd. From 1999 to 2002 he worked as a literary agent with Curtis Brown (Australia) Pty Ltd before becoming a full-time author.

In addition to his work as a fantasy novelist, Nix has written a number of scenarios and articles for the role playing field, including those for ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and ''Traveller''. These have appeared in related publications such as '' White Dwarf'', '' Multiverse'' and '' Breakout!''. He has also written case studies, articles and news items in the information technology field, his work appearing in publications such as ''Computerworld'' and '' PCWorld''.

Nix currently lives in Sydney with his wife Anna McFarlane, a publisher, and their sons Thomas and Edward.

Bibliography

Very Clever Baby

The series was self-published and republished by Text Media in Melbourne. Described as books for "Very Clever Babies Aged 3–6 Months", they contain such words as ichthyologist, as used by the character Freddy the Fish.
* ''Very Clever Baby's First Reader'' (1988)
* ''Very Clever Baby's Ben Hur'' (1988)
* ''Very Clever Baby's Guide to the Greenhouse Effect'' (1992)
* ''Very Clever Baby's First Christmas'' (1998)

Young adult and children's literature

''The Old Kingdom''

=Novels

=
* ''Sabriel'' (1995)
* ''Lirael'' (2001)
* ''Abhorsen'' (2003)
* ''Clariel'' (2014)
* '' Goldenhand'' (2016)
* '' Terciel and Elinor'' (2021)

=Short fiction

=
* "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case" (2005). A novella produced for World Book Day and originally entitled "The Creature in the Cave". Reprinted under the new title in the collection '' Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories''.)
* "The Nine Gates of Death: An Extract of the Journal of Idrach the Lesser Necromancer" (2009). A short story released on oldkingdom.com.au
* "An Essay on Free Magic". Short text released on the Old Kingdom website.
* "To Hold the Bridge". A novella original published in the ''Legends of Australian Fantasy'' anthology edited by Jack Dann and Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted in the collection ''To Hold the Bridge''.
* "Doctor Crake Crosses the Wall". Short story included in the Australian edition of Goldenhand, also published on the official Australian Old Kingdom website.

=Omnibus

=
* ''The Old Kingdom Chronicles'' (''The Abhorsen Chronicles'' in the United States) (2009). This contained the first three Abhorsen books and "The Creature in the Case".

The Seventh Tower

# '' The Fall'' (2000)
# ''Castle'' (2000)
# '' Aenir'' (2001)
# '' Above the Veil'' (2001)
# '' Into Battle'' (2001)
# ''The Violet Keystone'' (2001)

The Keys to the Kingdom

# '' Mister Monday'' (2003)
# ''Grim Tuesday'' (2004)
# ''Drowned Wednesday'' (2005)
# ''Sir Thursday'' (2006)
# ''Lady Friday'' (2007)
# ''Superior Saturday'' (2008)
# '' Lord Sunday'' (2010)

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

# ''The Left-Handed Booksellers of London'' (2020)
# ''The Sinister Booksellers of Bath'' (2023)

Troubletwisters (co-written with Sean Williams)

# ''Troubletwisters'' (2011)
# ''The Monster'' (2012)
# ''The Mystery'' (2013)
# ''The Missing'' (2014)

Have Sword, Will Travel (co-written with Sean Williams)

# ''Have Sword, Will Travel'' (2017)
# ''Let Sleeping Dragons Lie'' (2018)

Works in multi-author series

Spirit Animals

* ''Spirit Animals Book 3: Blood Ties'' (2014, with Sean Williams)

''Aussie Bites''

* ''Serena and the Sea Serpent'' (2000), part of ''Aussie Bites'' series

''The X-Files'' (young adult series)

* ''The Calusari'' (1997), an adaptation of the ''X-Files'' episode of the same name

Standalone novels

* ''The Ragwitch'' (1990), a children's fantasy novel
* '' Shade's Children'' (1997)
* '' A Confusion of Princes'' (2012), a young adult space opera novel
* ''Newt's Emerald'' (2015), a fantasy romance
* ''Frogkisser!'' (2017), a children's fantasy novel
* ''Angel Mage'' (2019), a young adult fantasy sci-fi novel

Works for adults

Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz

# 2007 " Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz Go to War Again", in ''Jim Baen's Universe''
# 2008 "Beyond the Sea Gate of the Scholar-Pirates of Sarsköe", in ''Fast Ships, Black Sails'' edited by Jeff Vandermeer and Ann Vandermeer
# 2010 "A Suitable Present for a Sorcerous Puppet", in ''Swords and Dark Magic'', edited by Lou Anders and Jonathan Strahan
# 2013 "Losing Her Divinity", in ''Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales'', edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt
# 2014 "A Cargo of Ivories", in '' Rogues'', edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
# 2014 "Home is the Haunter", in ''Fearsome Magics'', edited by Jonathan Strahan
# 2017 "A Long, Cold Trail", in ''The Book of Swords'', edited by Gardner Dozois
# 2020 "Cut me Another Quill, Mister Fitz", in ''The Book of Dragons'' , edited by Jonathan Strahan
* The first three stories are collected in ''Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Three Adventures'' (2011).

Short fiction

Collections

* 2007 ''One Beastly Beast: Two Aliens, Three Inventors, Four Fantastic Tales'' - a book of short stories for younger readers
** "Serena and the Sea"
** "Bill the Inventor"
** "Blackbread the Pirate"
** "The Princess and the Beastly Beast"
* 2005 '' Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories''
** 2005 "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case" (published for World Book Day)
** 2001 "Under the Lake" (from ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'')
** 2005 "Charlie Rabbit" (from ''Kids' Night In'' collected for War Child)
** 1996 "From the Lighthouse" (from ''Fantastic Worlds'' anthology edited by Paul Collins)
** 2001 "The Hill" (from ''X-Changes: Stories for a New Century'')
** 2001 "Lightning Bringer" (from ''Love & Sex'' anthology edited by Michael Cart)
** 1987 "Down to the Scum Quarter" (from''Myths and Legends'', reprinted in''Breakout!'' magazine in 1988)
** 2002 "Heart's Desire" (from ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'')
** 2000 "Hansel's Eyes" (from ''A Wolf at the Door'' anthology edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling)
** 2003 "Hope Chest" (from ''Firebirds'' anthology edited by Sharyn November)
** 1999 "My New Really Epic Fantasy Series" (from Swancon Program Book)
** 2000 "Three Roses" (from ''Eidolon'' magazine, Autumn 2000)
** 2004 "Endings" (from ''Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales'' anthology edited by Deborah Noyes)
* 2015 ''To Hold the Bridge''
** 2010 "To Hold the Bridge: An Old Kingdom Story" (from''Legends of Australian Fantasy'' anthology, edited by Jack Dann and Jonathan Strahan)
** 2011 "Vampire Weather" (from ''Teeth'' anthology, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling)
** 2008 "Strange Fishing in the Western Highlands" (from ''Hellboy: Oddest Jobs'', edited by Christopher Golden_
** 2008 "Old Friends" (from ''Dreaming Again'' anthology, edited by Jack Dann)
** 2011 "The Quiet Knight" (from ''Geektastic'' anthology edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci)
** 2012 "You Won't Feel a Thing" (from ''After'' anthology edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling)
** 2012 "A Handful of Ashes" (from ''Under My Hat'' anthology, edited by Jonathan Strahan)
** 2012 "The Big Question" (from ''Elsewhere'', Edinburgh Festival Special)
** 2009 "Stop!" (from ''The Dragon Book'' anthology edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois)
** 2008 "Infestation" (from ''The Starry Rift'' anthology edited by Jonathan Strahan)
** 2011 "The Heart of the City" (from ''Subterranean Online'' magazine)
** "Ambrose and the Ancient Spirits of East and West" (from ''The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities'' anthology edited by Ann Vandermeer and Jeff Vandermeer)
** 2007 "Holly and Iron" (from ''Wizards'' anthology, edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois)
** 2011 "The Curious Case of the Moondawn Daffodils Murder: As Experienced by Sir Magnus Holmes and Almost-Doctor Susan Shrike" (from ''Ghosts by Gaslight'' anthology edited by Jack Dann and Nick Gevers)
** 2009 "An Unwelcome Guest" (from ''Troll's-Eye View'' anthology edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling)
** 2010 "The Highest Justice" (from ''Zombies vs. Unicorns'' anthology edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier)
** 2012 "Master Haddad's Holiday" (a bonus story from the Australian printing of ''A Confusion of Princes'')
** 2012 "Sidekick of Mars" (originally from the ''Under the Moons of Mars'' anthology edited by John Joseph Adams)
** 2011 "Peace in Our Time" (originally from the ''Steampunk!'' anthology edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant)
* 2011 ''Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Three Adventures''
** 2007 "Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz Go To War Again" (from ''Jim Baen's Universe'')
** 2008 "Beyond the Sea Gate of the Scholar-Pirates of Sarsköe" (from ''Fast Ships, Black Sails'' anthology edited by Jeff and Ann Vandermeer)
** 2010 "'A Suitable Present for a Sorcerous Puppet'" (from '' Swords and Dark Magic'' anthology edited by Lou Anders and Jonathan Strahan)

Uncollected stories

* 1984 "Sam, Cars and the Cuckoo" in '' Warlock'' magazine no. 2
* 1996 "The Kind Old Sun Will Know" first published in ''Eidolon'' magazine
* 2005 "Read It in the Headlines!" in '' Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales'', edited by Robert Hood and Robin Pen
* 2006 "Dog Soldier" first published in ''Jim Baen's Universe'', 2006
* 2007 "Bad Luck, Trouble, Death and Vampire Sex" first published in ''Eclipse'', edited by Jonathan Strahan
* 2009 "The Nine Gates of Death: An Extract of the Journal of Idrach the Lesser Necromancer" – first published on oldkingdom.com.au
* 2010 "The Highest Justice" in ''Zombies vs. Unicorns'', edited by Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black
* 2013 "Crossing the Line" first published in ''Fearie Tales'', edited by Stephen Jones
* 2013 "Fire Above, Fire Below" first published by Tor.com
* 2014 "Shay Corsham Worsted" first published in ''Fearful Symmetries'', edited by Ellen Datlow
* 2014 "Happy Go Lucky" first published in ''Kaleidoscope'', edited by Alisa Krasnostein and Julia Rios
* 2015 "By Frogsled and Lizardback to Outcast Venusian Lepers" in '' Old Venus'', edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
* 2019 "Dislocation Space" first published by Tor.com
* 2020 "The Case of the Somewhat Mythic Sword" first published by Tor.com
* 2020 "The Necessary Arthur" first published by Tor.com

References

External links

*

Interview by ''BookBanter''
*

The Old Kingdom Chronicles
(official)

The Keys to the Kingdom
(official)

Garth Nix
at Libraries Australia Authorities with catalogue search
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nix, Garth
1963 births
Living people
Australian children's writers
Australian fantasy writers
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction people
Writers from Melbourne
People educated at Dickson College
Australian male novelists