Charles de Lint

Charles de Lint
Born	December 22, 1951 (1951-12-22) (age 59) Bussum, Netherlands
Pen name	Samuel M. Key
Occupation	Author
Nationality	Canadian
Genres	Fantasy and horror
charlesdelint.com

Charles de Lint (born December 22, 1951) is a Canadian fantasy author and Celtic folk musician. He is also the chief book critic for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Along with writers like Terri Windling and John Crowley, de Lint popularized the genres of urban fantasy and mythic fiction which fall somewhere between classical fantasy literature, and mainstream fiction with a magical realist twist. His distinctive style of urban fantasy draws upon local and European folklore.^[1] His works have been nominated for the Nebula award once and for the World Fantasy award 12 times.

Biography

Early Life

Charles de Lint was born in 1951 in Bussum, the Netherlands, and his family emigrated to Canada when he was four months old. He grew up in several cities in Ontario, as well as overseas, but has lived in Ottawa since he was eleven. In his late twenties to early thirties, he worked in a record store and played with a Celtic band on the weekends.^[2] He now lives in Ottawa with his wife, artist and musician MaryAnn Harris.

Career

Charles de Lint started writing in 1983 and has been a full-time writer ever since, publishing around forty books between 1984 and 1997. He published three horror novels under the pseudonym Samuel M. Key^[3] which have subsequently been reprinted by Orb Books as by Charles de Lint.

His genre, that of new fantasy, which combines the real world with the "otherworld", allows the co-existence of the natural and the supernatural. This has been called a metaphor for the lack of indigenous folklore in most of multi-cultural Canada living side by side with the living oral traditions of the Native Americans.^[4] De Lint, however, draws upon not only North American Aboriginal culture, but also the folklore of East Europe. For example, his novel, Moonheart, uses elements of both Native American and Welsh folklore.^[5]

Many of books are set in Ottawa, while others center around the fictional North American city of Newford^[6] which is like many typical North American cities, but has its inspiration in Ottawa.^[7] A regular cast of characters make reappearances in many different books. He has received many awards including the 2000 World Fantasy Award for Best Collection for Moonlight and Vines. He has also published a children's book, Circle of Cats, with artist Charles Vess.^[8]

In addition to being the author of numerous novels and short stories, de Lint is also a poet, musician, artist, folklorist, and critic. His poetry can be found online in the Endicott Studio Journal of Mythic Arts. His short stories tend to be characterized by Celtic lyricism and character analysis.^[9]

His 1984 urban fantasy novel, Moonheart, is Tor's best-selling trade paperback for their Orb line. It has been described as a thriller, detective mystery, and otherworld mythic fantasy all in one.^[10]

De Lint has published 60 books (excluding foreign editions and reprints), thus gaining a reputation as a master in his field. He has taught creative writing workshops in Canada and the United States, and was writer‑in‑residence for 2 public libraries in Ottawa. He has also written original songs; his main instruments are flute, fiddle, whistles, vocals and guitar.^[11] A message board was created and named in his honor: de Lintad, Charles de Lint, MoonHeart.^[12]

On October 9, 2007, de Lint was one of the guests who appeared as part of the Bolen Books Fall Series (with Jack Whyte (Oct. 13), Will Ferguson (Oct. 16) and James Barber (Oct. 20). Bolen Books was awarded the 2007 Libris Award for Bookseller of the Year. Co-ordinator Robert Wiersema said this of him: “He’s a classic storyteller with a tremendously broad appeal. Readers who don’t know him would, I think, be surprised at how much they would like his work. I’m hoping some of those readers turn up.”^[13]

Bibliography

Novels

• The Riddle of the Wren (1984)
• Moonheart (1984)
• The Harp of the Grey Rose (1985)
• Mulengro: A Romany Tale (1985)
• Yarrow (1986)
• Jack, the Giant Killer (1987) (re-published in Jack of Kinrowan)
• Greenmantle (1988)
• Wolf Moon (1988)
• Svaha (1989)
• The Valley of Thunder (Philip José Farmer's The Dungeon, Vol. 3, Dungeon series) (1989)
• The Hidden City (Philip José Farmer's The Dungeon, Vol. 5) (1990)
• The Fair in Emain Macha (1990)
• Drink Down the Moon (1990) (re-published in Jack of Kinrowan)
• Angel of Darkness (First published under the pseudonym Samuel M. Key) (1990)
• The Little Country (1991) — 1992 World Fantasy award nominee
• From a Whisper to a Scream (First published under the pseudonym Samuel M. Key) (1992)
• Into The Green (1993)
• I'll Be Watching You (First published under the pseudonym Samuel M. Key) (1994)
• The Wild Wood (Brian Froud's Faerielands, Illustrated by Brian Froud) (1994)
• Memory and Dream (1994)
• Trader (1997) — 1998 World Fantasy award nominee
• Someplace to Be Flying (1998) — 1999 World Fantasy award nominee
• Forests of the Heart (2000) — 2000 Nebula award nominee
• The Road to Lisdoonvarna (2001)
• The Onion Girl (2001) — 2002 World Fantasy award nominee
• Spirits in the Wires (2003)
• Medicine Road (Illustrated by Charles Vess) (2004)
• Widdershins (2006)
• The Mystery of Grace (2009)
• "Eyes Like Leaves" (2009)

Young adult novels

• The Dreaming Place (Illustrated by Brian Froud) (1990)
• The Blue Girl (2004)
• Little (Grrl) Lost (2007)
• Dingo (2008)
• The Painted Boy (2010)

Novellas

• Berlin (1989)
• Our Lady of the Harbour (1991) — 1992 World Fantasy award nominee
• Paperjack (1992) — 1993 World Fantasy award nominee
• Death Leaves an Echo (Part of three novella collection, Cafe Purgatoriam) (1991)
• Seven Wild Sisters (Illustrated by Charles Vess) (2002) — 2003 World Fantasy award nominee
• A Circle of Cats (Illustrated by Charles Vess) (2003) — 2004 World Fantasy award nominee
• Promises to Keep (2007)

Chapbooks

• Ghosts of Wind and Shadow (1991)
• Refinerytown (2003)
• This Moment (2005)
• Make A Joyful Noise (2006)
• Old Man Crow (2007)
• Riding Shotgun (2007)
• Yellow Dog (2008)

Short stories published in book form

• Ascian in Rose (1987) (re-published in Spiritwalk)
• Westlin Wind (1989) (re-published in Spiritwalk)
• Ghostwood (1990) (re-published in Spiritwalk)
• Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair (1991) (re-published in Dreams Underfoot)
• Our Lady of the Harbour (1991) (re-published in Dreams Underfoot)
• Paperjack (1991) (re-published in Dreams Underfoot)
• Merlin Dreams in the Mondream Wood (1992) (re-published in Spiritwalk)
• The Wishing Well (1993) (re-published in The Ivory and the Horn)
• The Buffalo Man (1999) (re-published in Tapping the Dream Tree)

Picture books

• A Circle of Cats (2003)

Collections

• De Grijze Roos ("The Grey Rose") (1983)
• Hedgework and Guessery (1991)
• Spiritwalk (1992)
• Dreams Underfoot (1993)
• The Ivory and the Horn (1995)
• Jack of Kinrowan (1995)
• Moonlight and Vines (1999)
• The Newford Stories (1999) (Contains the stories from Dreams Underfoot, The Ivory and the Horn, and Moonlight and Vines)
• Triskell Tales (2000)
• Waifs and Strays (2002)
• Tapping the Dream Tree (2002)
• A Handful of Coppers (Collected Early Stories, Vol.1: Heroic Fantasy) (2003)
• Quicksilver & Shadow (Collected Early Stories, Vol.2) (2004)
• The Hour Before Dawn (2005)
• Triskell Tales 2 (2006)
• What the Mouse Found (2008)
• Woods and Waters Wild (2009)
• Muse and Reverie (2009)
• The Very Best of Charles de Lint (2010, Tachyon Publications)

The Newford Series

• The Dreaming Place (1990)
• From a Whisper to a Scream (originally credited to "Samuel M. Key")(1992)
• Dreams Underfoot (1993)
• I'll Be Watching You (originally credited to "Samuel M. Key")(1994)
• Memory and Dream (1994)
• The Ivory and the Horn (1995)
• Trader (1997)
• Someplace to be Flying (1998)
• Moonlight and Vines (1999)
• The Newford Stories (1999) (Compiles Dreams Underfoot, The Ivory and the Horn, and Moonlight and vines)
• Forests of the Heart (2000)
• The Onion Girl (2001)
• Seven Wild Sisters (2002)
• Tapping the Dream Tree (2002)
• Spirits in the Wires (2003)
• Medicine Road (2003)
• A Circle of Cats (2003) (Written as a children's book)
• The Blue Girl (2004)
• The Hour Before Dawn (2005)
• Widdershins (2006)
• Promises to Keep (2007)
• Old Man Crow (2007)
• Dingo (2008)
• Muse and Reverie (2009)

Publication dates taken from Charles de Lint

Short stories

• "The Valley of the Troll" in Sword and Sorceress I (1984)
• "Cold Blows The Wind" in Sword and Sorceress II (1985)
• "The Weeping Oak" in Sword and Sorceress IV (1987)
• "Into the Green" in Sword and Sorceress V (1988)
• "One Chance" in Werewolves (edited by Jane Yolen and Martin H. Greenberg). Reprinted in Bruce Coville's Book of Spine Tinglers (1988)
• "The Butter Spirit's Tithe (2004) in Emerald Magic

De Lint also scripted several comic books for Barry Blair's Aircel Publishing in the mid-1980s.

His short story, "The Sacred Fire" was made into a short film by Peter Billingsley and Robert Meyer Burnett in 1994.^[14] Originally set on and near the fictional campus of Butler University in Newford, the setting was changed to Beverly Hills for the film. It was also adapted as an episode of The Hunger in January 2000.

Reviews

• De Lint writes a regular review column called "Books to Look For" for the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.^[15]

See also

• Contemporary fantasy

References

1. ^ "de Lint, Charles" The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Edited by Dinah Birch. Oxford University Press Inc. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. York University. 25 October 2011 <http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t113.e8605>
2. ^ John Robert Colombo "de Lint, Charles" The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature. Eugene Benson and William Toye. Oxford University Press 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. York University. 25 October 2011 <http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t201.e374>
3. ^ John Robert Colombo "de Lint, Charles" The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature. Eugene Benson and William Toye. Oxford University Press 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. York University. 25 October 2011 <http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t201.e374>
4. ^ Steven, Lawrence. "Welwyn Wilton Katz and Charles de Lint: New Fantasy as a Canadian Post-colonial Genre." Worlds of Wonder: Readings in Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. Ed. Jean-François Leroux and Camille R. La Bossière. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 2004. 57-72. Print.
5. ^ Steven, Lawrence. "Welwyn Wilton Katz and Charles de Lint: New Fantasy as a Canadian Post-colonial Genre." Worlds of Wonder: Readings in Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. Ed. Jean-François Leroux and Camille R. La Bossière. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 2004. 57-72. Print.
6. ^ John Robert Colombo "de Lint, Charles" The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature. Eugene Benson and William Toye. Oxford University Press 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. York University. 25 October 2011 <http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t201.e374>
7. ^ Steven, Lawrence. "Welwyn Wilton Katz and Charles de Lint: New Fantasy as a Canadian Post-colonial Genre." Worlds of Wonder: Readings in Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. Ed. Jean-François Leroux and Camille R. La Bossière. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 2004. 57-72. Print.
8. ^ Charles de Lint: A Circle of Cats (2003) Description
9. ^ John Robert Colombo "de Lint, Charles" The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature. Eugene Benson and William Toye. Oxford University Press 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. York University. 25 October 2011 <http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t201.e374>
10. ^ Steven, Lawrence. "Welwyn Wilton Katz and Charles de Lint: New Fantasy as a Canadian Post-colonial Genre." Worlds of Wonder: Readings in Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. Ed. Jean-François Leroux and Camille R. La Bossière. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 2004. 57-72. Print.
11. ^ Charles de Lint, Biography
12. ^ deLintiad ~ a Runboard.com free message board
13. ^ Victoria News, Authors tell tales in person
14. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293565/
15. ^ "Books to Look For"

External links

• Charles de Lint
• Charles de Lint at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Persondata
Name	Charles de Lint
Alternative names	Samuel M. Key
Short description	Author
Date of birth	December 22, 1951
Place of birth	Bussum, Netherlands
Date of death
Place of death