Charles de Lint | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1951-12-22)December 22, 1951 (age 73) Bussum,Netherlands |
| Pen name | Samuel M. Key |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Period | 1983–present |
| Genre | Fantasy,horror,mythic fiction,magical realism,urban fantasy |
| Spouse | MaryAnn Harris (m. 1980; d. 2024) |
| Website | |
| charlesdelint | |
Charles de Lint[1][2][3] (born December 22, 1951) is aCanadian writer.
Primarily a writer of fantasy fiction, he has composed works ofurban fantasy, contemporarymagical realism, andmythic fiction.[4] Along with authors likeTerri Windling,Emma Bull, andJohn Crowley, de Lint during the 1980s pioneered and popularized the subgenre of urban fantasy. He writes novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, and lyrics. His most famous works include:[5] theNewford series of books (Dreams Underfoot,Widdershins,The Blue Girl,The Onion Girl,Moonlight and Vines,Someplace to be Flying, etc.), as well asMoonheart,The Mystery of Grace,The Painted Boy andA Circle of Cats (children's book illustrated byCharles Vess). His distinctive style of fantasy usesAmerican folklore andEuropean folklore; de Lint was influenced by many authors ofmythology,folklore, andscience fiction, including[1]J. R. R. Tolkien,Lord Dunsany,William Morris,Mervyn Peake,James Branch Cabell, andE. R. Eddison. Some of his mythic fiction poetry can be found online on theEndicott Studio website.[6]
As anessayist/critic/folklorist he writes book reviews forThe Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, has judged several literary awards, and has been a writer-in-residence for two public libraries.
Charles de Lint was born in 1951 inBussum, in North Holland in the Netherlands. His family emigrated to Canada when he was four months old. He grew up in Canada, as well as overseas, but has lived inOttawa since he was age eleven.
In 1974 he met MaryAnn Harris,[7][8] and they married in 1980. They lived in Ottawa. Harris was first editor of de Lint's fiction and also his business manager.[9]
MaryAnn Harris was hospitalized on September 6, 2021 for a rare and debilitating tick-borne virus.[10] On his author Facebook page, de Lint announced that MaryAnn passed away as a result of the disease on June 3, 2024.[11] Her obituary noted that she had been de Lint's inspiration, co-musician, first editor, business manager, and artist for many of his published works. TheBruyère Foundation was suggested for memorial donations made in her name as well as to other causes that were important to her, including groups devoted to aiding youth, Indigenous peoples, animal shelters, and the environment.[12]
During his late twenties to early thirties, de Lint worked in arecord store and played with a Celtic musical band during weekends.[13]
Charles de Lint started writing in 1983 and has been a full-time writer ever since, publishing about forty books between 1984 and 1997, and 71 books (excluding foreign editions and reprints), in total, thus gaining a reputation as a master of fantasy.
Charles de Lint was one of the contributors to the 1984Citybook II: Port O' Call role-playing game supplement fromFlying Buffalo.[14][15]
He published threehorror novels using the pseudonym Samuel M. Key[13] which have subsequently been reprinted byOrb Books as by Charles de Lint. He has also published a children's book,A Circle of Cats, illustrated by artistCharles Vess.[16]
His main genre, that ofcontemporary fantasy, which combines the real world with the "otherworld", allows the co-existence of the natural and the supernatural. This has been termed a metaphor for the lack of indigenous folklore in most of Canada living side-by-side with the living oral traditions of the Native Americans.[17] De Lint, however, draws upon not only North American Aboriginal culture, but also the folklore of other cultures. For example, his novel,Moonheart, uses elements of both Native American and Welsh folklore.[17]
Many of his early books are set in Ottawa, while others (1990–2009) have been set mainly in his fictional North American city ofNewford,[13] inspired by de Lint's favourite aspects of various North American cities. A regular set of characters are used in many different books. More recently, de Lint published an adult novel,The Mystery of Grace (Tor 2009), set in his fictional Southwestern US town, Santa de Vado Viejo, as was his most recent young adult novel,The Painted Boy (Viking 2010).
De Lint has received many awards, including the 2000World Fantasy Award forBest Collection forMoonlight and Vines, the Ontario Library Association's White Pine Award, as well as the Great Lakes Great Books Award for his young adult novelThe Blue Girl (Viking, 2004). In 1988 he won the Canadian SF/Fantasy Award, the Casper (now known as the Aurora) for his novelJack, the Giant-killer (Ace 1987). His novelWiddershins (Tor, 2006) won first place, Amazon.com Editors' Picks: Top 10 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books of 2006.[18] His 1984 urban fantasy novel,Moonheart, was a best-selling trade paperback for Tor's Orb line. It has been described as a thriller, detective mystery, and otherworld mythic fantasy.[17]
In addition to being the author of numerous novels and short stories, de Lint is also a poet, folklorist, and critic. His poetry can be found online in theEndicott StudioJournal of Mythic Arts. He has taught creative writing workshops in Canada and the United States, and was writer‑in‑residence for two public libraries in Ottawa. He has also written original songs; his main instruments are flute, fiddle, whistles, vocals and guitar. In 2011, de Lint released his first CD,Old Blue Truck[18] De Lint has also been a judge for theNebula Award, theWorld Fantasy Award, theTheodore Sturgeon Award and theBram Stoker Award.
De Lint plays folk, Irish and Celtic music with his wife MaryAnn; at one time playing at a local pub, and most recently doing concerts at FaerieWorlds and FaerieCon West in Seattle. He plays multiple instruments and sings and writes his own songs. In 2011 de Lint released his first album,Old Blue Truck,[19] which was released alongside his wife MaryAnn Harris's album,Crow Girls[20] in which he also contributes.
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Some additional young adult novels are listed under their series name below.
Newford is a fictional North American city where Charles de Lint has set many of his novels and short stories. Human beings share the city with European and Native American mythological legends, finding common ground as they live out their daily lives or find themselves swept up in adventures.[25]
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 byPeter Billingsley andRobert Meyer Burnett in 1994.[26] Originally set on and near the campus ofButler University, the setting was changed toBeverly Hills for the film. It was also adapted as an episode ofThe Hunger in January 2000.
De Lint writes a regular review column called "Books to Look For" for theMagazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.[27]
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