Prince of Nothing

Prince of Nothing is a series of fantasy books by the Canadian author R. Scott Bakker detailing the emergence of Anasûrimbor Kellhus, a brilliant monastic warrior. Kellhus exhibits incredible powers of prediction and persuasion, which are derived from the stillness of the mind and a deep understanding of causal relations.

The key feature distinguishing the Prince of Nothing series from its contemporaries is the importance of philosophy to the work. The plot, characters, setting, and metaphysics of the Prince of Nothing are intertwined with philosophical positions unique to the series.

Bakker has mentioned that this series was primarily influenced by the works of Tolkien and Frank Herbert. [ [http://www.computercrowsnest.com/library/zones/2005/nz8186.php R. Scott Bakker Interview] ]

Books in the series

*"The Darkness That Comes Before" (2004)
*"The Warrior Prophet" (2005)
*"The Thousandfold Thought" (2006)

World

The Prince of Nothing series takes place in the fictional continent of Eärwa which is separated from another continent (mentioned but not seen) called Eänna. R.Scott Bakker draws upon many cultures [ [http://www.sffworld.com/interview/7p0.html Interview with R. Scott Bakker (2004-07-18)] ] as inspiration (notably Hellenistic Greece, Scythia, the Middle East, The Byzantine Empire, as well as several European cultures to name a few) and portrays the world to be as dark and brutal as we can imagine it was in our past.

The setting is large and sweeping with obvious parallels to the time period of the First Crusade. Certain parallels to actual historical events can be seen, for instance in the Vulgar Holy War (a parallel of the People's Crusade) and the Emperor's Indenture (a parallel of the oaths of homage extracted from the Crusaders by Emperor Alexius II).

Future books in the series

Further books (possibly a two-book series, according to Bakker) are expected to explore the Prince of Nothing universe, although they will likely take place well after the trilogy's conclusion and involve completely new characters. Bakker has revealed that the title of the series will be called The Aspect-Emperor.

References

* [http://www.sfsite.com/10a/sb185.htm A Conversation With R. Scott Bakker] An interview with Victoria Strauss, September 2004.

External links

* [http://www.princeofnothing.com/ Prince of Nothing website]
* [http://forum.three-seas.com/ The Three Seas Forum] - a forum used to discuss the series