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Scott Lynch
Scott Lynch
Scott Lynch
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Scott Lynch (born April 2, 1978)[1] is an American fantasy author, best known for the Gentleman Bastard Sequence series of novels. His first novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora, was purchased by Orion Books in August 2004 and published in June 2006 under the Gollancz imprint in the United Kingdom and under the Bantam imprint in the United States. The next two novels in the series, Red Seas Under Red Skies and The Republic of Thieves, were published in 2007 and 2013, respectively. The planned fourth of seven books in the series will be The Thorn of Emberlain.

Key Information

Career

[edit]

Lynch's debut novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora, was a World Fantasy Award finalist in 2007.[2] In 2007 and 2008 Lynch was nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.[3]

Lynch received the Sydney J. Bounds Best Newcomer Award from the British Fantasy Society in 2008.[4]

Biography

[edit]

Lynch was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on April 2, 1978, and is the eldest of three brothers. He spent his early life in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area. In 2004, he moved to New Richmond, Wisconsin,[5] and in 2016 he moved to Massachusetts.[6]

The Lies of Locke Lamora, Lynch's first novel, was bought by Simon Spanton at Orion Books in August, 2004 and published in June, 2006. Prior to that he worked at different jobs: dishwasher, busboy, waiter, web designer, office manager, prep cook, and freelance writer.[7]

Lynch's second novel, Red Seas Under Red Skies, was published in 2007, and his third, The Republic of Thieves, was published in 2013. They, together with the forthcoming The Thorn of Emberlain and its sequels, comprise the Gentleman Bastard Sequence.[7]

Lynch has a background in firefighting and emergency services. He was initially trained and certified as a firefighter at Anoka Technical College in Minnesota in 2005, and from 2005 to 2016 he was a paid-on-call firefighter for the city of New Richmond, Wisconsin.[7]

Lynch married his first wife, Jenny, in August 2006;[8] they divorced in April 2010.[9] In October 2016 he married Elizabeth Bear, another fantasy writer.[10]

Books

[edit]

Gentleman Bastard Sequence

[edit]
  1. The Lies of Locke Lamora (June 27, 2006)
  2. Red Seas Under Red Skies (June 20, 2007)
  3. The Republic of Thieves (October 8, 2013)

In October 2024, the first half of the short story "Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent" was published in Grimdark Magazine #40,[11][12] with the remainder published in #41 in January 2025.[13]

Planned works in the series

[edit]

The Thorn of Emberlain, The Ministry of Necessity, The Mage and the Master Spy and Inherit the Night are projected to conclude the series. The novellas "More Than Fools Fill Graves" (forthcoming),[14] "The Mad Baron's Mechanical Attic" (forthcoming)[15] and "The Choir of Knives" (forthcoming)[15] are also projected.

Overview
[edit]

The series takes place in the world of the shattered Therin Throne Empire and its successor states. It follows the life of the young professional thief and con artist Locke Lamora, over a period of some fifteen to twenty years. The world described has a society and technology analogous to that of 16th or 17th century, but with some differences. It has considerable gender equality, crossbows in place of even rudimentary firearms, functional alchemy and magic.

Lynch has described each novel of the series as "[covering] what you might call a different general situation" with "the same characters getting into trouble but the backdrop changes."[16]

Queen of the Iron Sands

[edit]

In August 2009 Lynch began to publish the online novel Queen of the Iron Sands,[17] a planetary romance, in the style of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom novels. The story concerns a female aviator and ex-WASP who is transported to a fantastic Mars. Chapters were scheduled to be released weekly. The serialization ran until September 2009 and picked up in June 2010 and halted again in September 2012.

Selected awards and honors

[edit]
Year Organization Award title,
Category 		Work Result Refs
2007 World Fantasy Convention World Fantasy Awards,
Novel 		The Lies of Locke Lamora Nominated [18]
British Fantasy Society British Fantasy Awards,
August Derleth Fantasy Award (Novel) 		The Lies of Locke Lamora Nominated [19]
Locus Locus Award
First Novel 		The Lies of Locke Lamora Nominated [20]
Locus Locus Award
Fantasy Novel 		The Lies of Locke Lamora Nominated [20]
2008 British Fantasy Society British Fantasy Awards,
Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer 		N/A Won [21]
2014 Locus Locus Award
Fantasy Novel 		The Republic of Thieves Nominated [22]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Scott Lynch

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from Grokipedia
Scott Lynch (born April 2, 1978) is an American author of epic fantasy novels, best known for his ongoing Gentleman Bastard Sequence series, which blends intricate heists, political intrigue, and richly detailed world-building in a Renaissance-inspired setting. Born in St. Paul, , as the first of three brothers, Lynch grew up in the /St. Paul area and has drawn on diverse life experiences—including jobs as a dishwasher, waiter, graphic designer, office manager, and prep cook—to inform his writing. He trained as a at Anoka Technical College in 2005 and served as a paid-on-call in New Richmond, Wisconsin, until 2016, while transitioning to full-time authorship after selling his in 2004. Lynch's breakthrough came with The Lies of Locke Lamora (2006), the first installment in the Gentleman Bastard series, which follows the clever thief Locke Lamora and his crew of con artists in the fictional city of Camorr; the novel was a finalist for the and earned him the Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer at the 2008 British Fantasy Awards. The series continued with Red Seas Under Red Skies (2007), shifting the protagonists to a seafaring adventure, and The Republic of Thieves (2013), which delves into political machinations and earned the Legend Award for Best Novel as well as a nomination. Lynch has also published short fiction, including the -winning novelette "A Year and a Day in Old Theradane" (2014, from the anthology Rogues) and the short story "Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent" (2024–2025, ), and announced forthcoming works such as The Thorn of Emberlain (book four in the series), the linked novellas comprising The Road to Emberlain ("More Than Fools Fill Graves," "The Mad Baron's Mechanical Attic," and "The Choir of Knives"), and later novels including The Ministry of Necessity and The Mage and the Master Spy. In 2016, Lynch relocated from eastern Wisconsin to western Massachusetts, where he married science fiction and fantasy author Elizabeth Bear; the couple shares their home with four cats and two Icelandic horses. His works are praised for their witty dialogue, complex characters, and immersive settings, establishing him as a prominent voice in contemporary fantasy literature.

Early life

Childhood

Scott Lynch was born on April 2, 1978, in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the first of three brothers. He spent his formative years in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. From a young age, Lynch showed a keen interest in storytelling, influenced by exposure to literature, history, films, gaming, and game design. These elements fostered his imaginative development in the Twin Cities setting, where access to libraries and media contributed to his interests. As a child, he built a personal collection of Choose Your Own Adventure novels and Infocom text adventure games, which played a key role in honing his appreciation for interactive and branching narratives.

Education

Lynch nearly earned an Associate of Arts degree but missed it by one physical education credit. Lynch pursued formal training in emergency services at Anoka Technical College in , completing the Firefighter I/II program and earning certification in 2005. The intensive course, spanning roughly 150–160 hours over four months, covered critical skills including , hazardous materials operations, , and confined-space rescue. Following certification, Lynch served as a paid-on-call with the New Richmond Fire Department in , from 2005 to 2016. In this volunteer capacity, he responded to local emergencies, applying his training in real-world scenarios while balancing other pursuits. This extended commitment to , spanning over a decade, involved the demands of shift work, physical preparedness, and high-pressure decision-making. The hands-on experience built practical knowledge of teamwork, , and in adversity.

Writing career

Early professional experience

Before achieving success as a novelist, Scott Lynch held a variety of positions in the service industry to support himself while honing his writing skills. These roles included , busboy, waiter, prep cook, and office manager, which provided during the development of his early manuscripts. In addition to service work, Lynch transitioned into creative and technical fields, working as a and web designer. He also engaged in freelance writing and self-published game supplements, allowing him to build in before focusing on . These pursuits marked his initial steps toward a career in authorship, often requiring him to balance multiple low-paying jobs with manuscript revisions. Lynch's breakthrough came in August 2004 when he sold his to editor Simon Spanton at Orion Books, signifying the end of his pre-literary employment and the beginning of his full-time writing career. This sale followed years of persistent effort amid the demands of his varied occupations.

Gentleman Bastard sequence

The Gentleman Bastard sequence is a planned seven-book fantasy series by Scott Lynch, set in a vividly imagined world featuring the ancient city-state of Camorr and other locales inspired by , complete with canals, opulent architecture, and a stratified society of nobles, merchants, and thieves. The narrative follows the exploits of protagonists Locke Lamora, a cunning known as the "Thorn of Camorr," and his closest companion Jean Tannen, as they lead a crew called the Gentleman Bastards in elaborate schemes against the wealthy elite. Core themes revolve around con artistry and clever deceptions, the unbreakable bonds of friendship and loyalty, the subtle integration of alchemical magic, and webs of political intrigue amid larger conflicts like wars and power struggles. The series began with the publication of the first novel, , in June 2006 by , introducing the world of Camorr and the Bastards' high-stakes cons amid an emerging underworld war. This was followed by in 2007, which shifts the action to the maritime of Tal Verrar and involves and confrontations with the magical Bondsmagi, and in 2013, exploring Locke's past loves and political machinations in the city of Karthain. Each installment builds on the duo's evolving while delving into the series' blend of humor, heartbreak, and elaborate plotting. The fourth volume, The Thorn of Emberlain, focuses on Locke and Jean's perilous journey across a war-torn continent to the kingdom of Emberlain; Lynch completed the initial draft on May 23, 2019, but revisions continue, with no release date set as of November 2025. A German edition is scheduled for May 2026. To bridge the gap between and The Thorn of Emberlain, Lynch finished three interconnected novellas in 2024, collectively titled The Road to Emberlain: More Than Fools Fill Graves, The Mad Baron's Mechanical Attic, and The Choir of Knives, each approximately 40,000 words and slated for limited-edition release by Subterranean Press. These stories depict the year-long trek filled with schemes, philosophical debates, and action, though they are not essential for understanding the main novels. Future installments include The Ministry of Necessity as the fifth book, with the series intended to extend to seven volumes overall, continuing to expand the world through themes of magic, war, and personal redemption.

Other works

In 2009, Scott Lynch launched Queen of the Iron Sands, an experimental online serial novel presented as a in the style of , blending pulp adventure with elements of World War II-era . Released in weekly chapters on his official website and supported entirely through reader donations, the story follows a Martian who crash-lands on and allies with , only to reveal hidden motives amid interstellar intrigue. As of the latest available updates, the project remains unfinished, with eight chapters published between August 2009 and 2012, highlighting Lynch's early interest in serialized, audience-funded storytelling outside traditional publishing channels. Lynch has also produced several acclaimed short stories and novellas that demonstrate his versatility in fantasy subgenres, often incorporating clever cons, witty dialogue, and intricate world-building akin to his longer works. His debut short fiction, "In the Stacks" (2010), depicts a group of magic students navigating a perilous exam guarded by battle-librarians, blending humor and horror in a self-contained tale of academic . Originally appearing in the anthology Swords and Dark Magic, it was later expanded in an author's enhanced edition in 2018. In 2014, Lynch contributed the novella "A Year and a Day in Old Theradane" to the anthology Rogues, earning a nomination for Best Novelette the following year. Set in the magically charged city of Theradane, the story follows a retired thief coerced into an impossible heist against a cabal of feuding wizards, showcasing Lynch's skill in high-stakes fantasy capers. A digital single edition was released in 2019. More recently, in 2024, Lynch published "Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent," a two-part appearing in Grimdark Magazine issues #40 and #41, which explores con artistry themes through an early adventure of a young in a richly detailed fantasy setting. Beyond fiction, Lynch has contributed essays and commentary on writing craft, fantasy tropes, and influences from games through his Lynchline, launched on , where he discusses storytelling techniques and pop culture inspirations. Earlier, in the early 2000s, he wrote columns for RPGnet, including interviews with gaming pioneers like , reflecting his background in .

Personal life

Marriage and family

Scott Lynch married science fiction and fantasy author Elizabeth Bear in October 2016. The couple, both established writers in the genre, share a partnership that emphasizes mutual understanding of the demands of creative work. Lynch and Bear have no children and maintain a family life centered around their pets, including four cats named Duncan, Gurney, Fafhrd, and Molly, as well as two Icelandic horses named Ormr and Spola. This household dynamic reflects their shared interests in animal companionship, contributing to a stable personal environment amid their professional pursuits. Their marriage fosters a collaborative creative atmosphere, with Bear serving as Lynch's primary reader and editor, providing essential feedback that refines his writing process. This mutual support, rooted in their common experiences as authors, allows for trusted critique and encouragement without formal joint endeavors. The couple resides in , where this supportive dynamic integrates into their daily routine.

Residence and interests

In 2016, Scott Lynch relocated to , where he has since resided. His home is conveniently located just a few miles from Book Moon Books in Easthampton, allowing him to participate in signed book events at the independent bookstore. Lynch shares his home with his wife, the award-winning and fantasy author . He maintains a range of ongoing interests that reflect his self-described identity as a "standard-issue geek-of-all-trades," including history, , films, gaming, and game design. These pursuits are complemented by his continued collection of vintage novels and text adventure games, which he has amassed over the years. Lynch engages actively with the local literary community in , offering signed copies of his works through Book Moon Books and making appearances at regional events such as Readercon. He also accommodates personalized book dedications for fans ordering via the bookstore, fostering direct connections with readers. To balance his writing routine, Lynch incorporates equestrian activities with his two horses—a gelding named Ormr and a mare named Spola—which provide a grounding counterpoint to his creative endeavors.

Awards and nominations

Award wins

Scott Lynch's debut novel, (2006), garnered two key award wins that underscored its immediate impact in the fantasy genre. In 2006, the book topped the SF Site Readers' Choice poll for Best Read of the Year in Science Fiction and Fantasy, selected by the website's readership as the premier fantasy title of that year. This reader-voted honor reflected the novel's strong grassroots appeal among fans shortly after its release. Two years later, in 2008, Lynch received the Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer from the British Fantasy Society, recognizing as a standout introduction to the field. Named for the society's co-founder, this annual prize celebrates emerging talent whose work demonstrates exceptional promise in fantasy writing. These accolades, particularly the , elevated Lynch's profile among publishers, critics, and readers in the global fantasy community, marking his debut as a pivotal .

Notable nominations

Scott Lynch's debut novel, , earned him a finalist nomination for the for Best Novel in 2007, recognizing its innovative fantasy elements and marking an early highlight in his career, as well as nominations for the Award for Best Fantasy Novel (British Fantasy Awards), the for Best First Novel, and the Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Memorial Award for Best First Novel. Lynch received nominations for the Award for Best New Writer in both 2007 and 2008, underscoring his rapid emergence as a prominent voice in during those years. In 2014, his third novel in the Gentleman Bastard sequence, , was nominated for the for Best Fantasy Novel, reflecting continued critical appreciation for his series' intricate plotting and character development, as well as the Legend Award for Best Novel. The following year, Lynch's short fiction "A Year and a Day in Old Theradane," published in the anthology Rogues, garnered a nomination in the Best Novelette category, demonstrating his versatility beyond long-form works. These nominations across major awards illustrate a pattern of sustained acclaim for Lynch's contributions to , establishing his reputation among peers and readers over the late 2000s and early 2010s.

References

  1. https://www.scottlynch.us/author.html
  2. https://locusmag.com/feature/scott-lynch-mythic-lineage/
  3. https://www.locusmag.com/2008/News_Awards_BfaWinners.html
  4. https://www.scottlynch.us/books.html
  5. https://locusmag.com/2014/06/2014-david-gemmell-awards-winners/
  6. https://locusmag.com/2014/05/2014-locus-awards-finalists/
  7. https://www.scottlynch.us/updates.html
  8. https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/
  9. https://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Scott-Lynch/biography.html
  10. https://geeklyinc.com/geeklyguide-to-authors-scott-lynch/
  11. https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/rstfq/hi_there_im_scott_lynch_author_of_the_gentleman/
  12. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/lynch-scott-1978
  13. https://us.amazon.com/stores/author/B001DABSBQ/about
  14. https://fantasy-faction.com/2013/the-lies-of-locke-lamora-by-scott-lynch
  15. https://www.npr.org/2015/08/29/435543005/the-gentlemen-bastards-unfold-sumptuous-stories-within-stories
  16. https://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2022/06/scott-lynch-provides-update-on-his.html
  17. https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Thorn-Emberlain-Gentleman-Bastard-Sequence/dp/0575077050
  18. https://www.scottlynch.us/ironsands.html
  19. https://aidanmoher.com/blog/2009/08/news/an-aside-queen-of-the-iron-sands-by-scott-lynch/
  20. https://www.scottlynch.us/sandschapters/4.html
  21. http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2010/03/scott-lynch-update.html
  22. https://www.amazon.com/Stacks-Authors-Enhanced-Scott-Lynch-ebook/dp/B07GCSJ72W
  23. https://www.sfadb.com/Scott_Lynch_Titles
  24. https://www.amazon.com/Year-Day-Old-Theradane-ebook/dp/B07TMMB3HB
  25. https://www.scottlynch.us/
  26. https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/exclusive-excerpt-of-scott-lynchs-locke-lamora-and-the-bottled-serpent/
  27. https://scottlynch.substack.com/about
  28. https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/interview-scott-lynch/
  29. https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/interview-scott-lynch/
  30. https://scottlynch.substack.com/p/on-the-road-on-the-stage
  31. https://www.sfsite.com/columns/best07b.htm
  32. https://locusmag.com/2007/08_WfaFinalists.html
  33. https://www.sfadb.com/British_Fantasy_Awards_2007
  34. https://www.locusmag.com/2007/04_LocusFinalists.html
  35. https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/award_category.cgi?136+2007
  36. https://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/008804.html
  37. https://www.thehugoawards.org/2008/03/2008-hugo-award-nominees/
  38. https://locusmag.com/2014/04/the-2014-david-gemmell-awards-shortlist/
  39. https://locusmag.com/2015/05/2015-locus-awards-finalists/
  40. https://www.sfadb.com/Scott_Lynch
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