Christopher Paolini

{{Infobox writer

| name = Christopher Paolini

| image = Christopher Paolini 2019.jpg

| caption = Paolini in 2024

| birth_name = Christopher James Paolini

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|11|17}}

| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| occupation = Author

| genre = Fantasy,

science fiction

| notableworks = The Inheritance Cycle
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

| website = {{URL|http://paolini.net}}

| signature = Christopher Paolini signature 2.png

| citizenship = {{unbulleted list|United States|Italy}}

}}

Christopher James Paolini{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/paolini/status/334789596099510273/photo/1 |title=Somewhere on Mars is a CD with my name on it. #smug #love_living_in_the_future |last=Paolini |first=Christopher |date=May 16, 2013 |website=Twitter |access-date=2013-05-18}} (born November 17, 1983)According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At familytreelegends.com. is an American and Italian author. He is best known for The Inheritance Cycle, which consists of the books Eragon (2002), Eldest (2005), Brisingr (2008), Inheritance (2011), the follow-up short story collection The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm (2018), and Murtagh (2023), the first in a follow-up duology. His first science fiction novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, was published on September 15, 2020.{{Cite web|title=To Sleep in a Sea of Stars - Christopher Paolini - Paolini.net|url=http://www.paolini.net/works/to-sleep-in-a-sea-of-stars/|access-date=2020-09-15|website=Paolini|language=en-US}} He lives in Paradise Valley, Montana, where he wrote his first book.

Early life

Paolini was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in the area of Paradise Valley, Montana. His family members include his parents, Kenneth Paolini and Talita Hodgkinson, and his younger sister, Angela Paolini. He is of Italian descent; his paternal grandfather was born in Rome and Paolini still has relatives there.{{Cite web |url=https://www.goodreads.com/questions/957392-your-last-name-sounds-italian-can-you |title=Paolini about his last name on 'goodreads.com'|last=Paolini |first=Christopher |date= |website=goodreads.com |access-date=2023-06-17}} Home schooled for the duration of his education, Paolini graduated from high school at the age of 15 through a set of accredited correspondence courses from the American School of Correspondence in Lansing, Illinois.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/11/10/the-education-of-a-best-selling-teenage-author/?noredirect=on|title=The education of a best-selling teenage author|last=Strauss|first=Valerie|date=November 10, 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=20 February 2019}}

He has Italian citizenship.[https://www.fantasymagazine.it/17808/tutti-gli-eventi-con-christopher-paolini-a-lucca-comics-and-games-2012 Tutti gli eventi con Christopher Paolini a Lucca Comics & Games 2012] fantasymagazine.it

Career

He started his work on his first novel, Eragon, at the age of 15. This novel would become the first of a four-book series (six, including the spinoffs) set in the mythical land of Alagaësia.

In 2002, Eragon was published for the first time by Paolini International LLC, his parents' publishing company. To promote the book, Paolini toured over 135 schools and libraries, discussing reading and writing, all the while dressed in "a medieval costume of red shirt, billowy black pants, lace-up boots, and a jaunty black cap." He drew the cover art for the first edition of Eragon, which featured Saphira's eye, along with the maps on the inside covers of his books.Paolini, C., Eragon, Paolini International LLC, 2002.

In mid-2002, the stepson of author Carl Hiaasen found Eragon in a bookstore and loved it; this led to Hiaasen bringing it to the attention of his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf.{{cite news| last = Spring| first = Kit| title = Elf and efficiency (Interview)| work = Guardian Unlimited| date = January 25, 2004| url = http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/childrenandteens/story/0,,1130351,00.html| access-date = 2007-09-13}}Welch, David (September 29, 2005). [http://www.powells.com/authors/hiaasen.html A Kinder, Gentler Carl Hiaasen, Still Pissing People Off] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051230061118/http://www.powells.com/authors/hiaasen.html |date=December 30, 2005 }}, Powells.com. Retrieved January 20, 2008. Knopf subsequently made an offer to publish Eragon and the rest of The Inheritance Cycle. The second edition of Eragon was published by Knopf in August 2003. At the age of 19, Paolini became a New York Times-bestselling author.{{cite news|first=Liz |last=Rosenberg |date=November 16, 2003|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/16/books/review/16ROSENBT.html?ex=1193889600&en=d50cd4304497d779&ei=5070 |title='Eragon': The Egg and Him|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date= 2007-10-30}}

In December 2006, Fox 2000 released the film adaptation of Eragon in theaters around the world. It received mostly negative reviews from critics,[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eragon "Eragon (2006)"]. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 31, 2016. and made a combined domestic and international gross of $249,488,115 USD against a production budget of $100,000,000.[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=eragon.htm "Eragon"]. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 31, 2016.

Eldest, the sequel to Eragon, was released August 23, 2005. The third book in the cycle, Brisingr, was released on September 20, 2008. Although The Inheritance Cycle was originally planned as a trilogy, a fourth book, Inheritance, was released on November 8, 2011, in the US, Australia, New Zealand, the EU, and India, and was subsequently translated and published in 53 countries. The Inheritance Cycle has sold more than 41 million copies.

On December 31, 2018, The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm, the first book in a series called Tales of Alagaësia, was published and released to the public.

Paolini's new science fiction novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, was released on September 15, 2020, by Tor Books.Paolini, Christopher (May 18, 2016). [http://www.paolini.net/books/sci-fi-project/ "The Sci-fi Project"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630123018/http://www.paolini.net/books/sci-fi-project/ |date=June 30, 2015 }}. Paolini.net.

In October 2021, Christopher released Unity, an interactive Fractalverse story on his science fiction website Fractalverse.net.{{cite web | url=https://fractalverse.net/works/unity/ | title=Unity - an Interactive Fractalverse Story by Christopher Paolini }}

On July 25, 2022, Variety reported that Paolini was co-writing a live action television series adaptation of Eragon for Disney+, with Bert Salke executive producing.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/eragon-tv-series-disney-plus-1235325019/|website=Variety|title='Eragon' TV Series Adaptation in Development at Disney+ (EXCLUSIVE)|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=July 25, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2022}}

On October 3, 2022, Paolini announced Fractal Noise, the second installment in the Fractalverse and a prequel to To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. It was published on May 16, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Chappell |first=Holly |date=2022-10-03 |title=Fractal Noise - Fractalverse Novel - Christopher Paolini - Paolini.net |url=https://www.paolini.net/2022/10/03/fractal-noise/ |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=Paolini |language=en-US}}

On October 8, 2022, it was announced that To Sleep in a Sea of Stars has been optioned by Made Up Stories and Snoot Entertainment.{{cite web | url=https://www.paolini.net/2020/10/08/tsiasos-film-adaptation/ | title=To Sleep in a Sea of Stars Film Adaptation - Christopher Paolini | date=October 8, 2020 }}

On November 7, 2023, Murtagh was released as the latest installment in Paolini's world of Alagaësia.{{Cite web |last=Meijer |first=Immanuela |date=2023-11-07 |title=Now Available! Murtagh + Eragon Illustrated Edition |url=https://www.paolini.net/2023/11/07/murtagh-eragon-illustrated-pub-day/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Paolini |language=en-US}}

Influences

Paolini's literary inspirations include the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and E. R. Eddison, as well as the epic poem Beowulf. Paolini has said that Eragon was "specifically inspired" by Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, by Bruce Coville. Other literary influences include David Eddings, Andre Norton, Brian Jacques, Anne McCaffrey, Raymond E. Feist, Mervyn Peake, Ursula K. Le Guin and Frank Herbert.Paolini, Talita, [https://web.archive.org/web/20080514052410/http://www.shurtugal.com/?id=series%2Fchristopher%2Fqanda Christopher Paolini Q&A], Shurtugal.com. Retrieved January 20, 2008. Other favorite books include works by C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, Philip Pullman, and Garth Nix.

Nature influences much of Paolini's writing. In an interview with Sir Philip Pullman and Tamora Pierce, Paolini said that Paradise Valley, Montana, is "one of the main sources" of his inspiration.

In the acknowledgments of Brisingr, Paolini acknowledged the influence of Leon and Hiroko Kapp's The Craft of the Japanese Sword for his description of the forging of Eragon's sword.{{cite book | last = Paolini | first = Christopher| title = Brisingr | chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/brisingrorsevenp00paol_0 | chapter-url-access = registration | edition = 1st | date = September 20, 2008 | publisher = Alfred A. Knopf

|location = New York | isbn = 978-0-375-82672-6 | page = [https://archive.org/details/brisingrorsevenp00paol_0/page/761 761] | chapter = Acknowledgments}} Additionally, Paolini has admitted that he is a Doctor Who fan, which inspired his reference to the "lonely god" (the epithet given to the Doctor by the Face of Boe in the episode "New Earth"),{{cite book| last = Paolini| first = Christopher| title = Brisingr

| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/brisingrorsevenp00paol_0| chapter-url-access = registration|edition = 1st| date = September 20, 2008| publisher = Alfred A. Knopf| location = New York| isbn = 978-0-375-82672-6| page = [https://archive.org/details/brisingrorsevenp00paol_0/page/204 204]| chapter = Shadows of the Past| quote = Bending over, Eragon read, Adrift upon the sea of time, the lonely god wanders from shore to distant shore, upholding the laws of the stars above.}}{{cite book| last = Paolini| first = Christopher| title = Brisingr

|isbn = 978-0-375-82672-6| page = [https://archive.org/details/brisingrorsevenp00paol_0/page/761 761]| chapter = Acknowledgments| quote = Also, for those who understood the reference to a 'lonely god' when Eragon and Arya are sitting around the campfire, my only excuse is that the Doctor can travel everywhere, even alternate realities. Hey, I'm a fan too!}} to "rooms that are bigger on the inside than the outside" (from "Questions Unanswered" in Inheritance), as well as to Raxacoricofallapatorius, the home of the Slitheen ("Blood Price" in Inheritance).{{cite book| last = Paolini | first = Christopher | title = Inheritance | chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/inheritanceorvau00paol_0 | chapter-url-access = registration | edition = 1st| date = November 8, 2011 | publisher = Alfred A. Knopf | location = New York| isbn = 978-0-375-85611-2| page = [https://archive.org/details/inheritanceorvau00paol_0/page/814 814]| chapter = Blood Price| quote = "Raxacori- Oh, never mind. It wouldn't mean anything to you anyway."}}

Reception

Paolini's books have topped the charts of The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestsellers lists.{{cite news|title=USA Today Best-Selling Books|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/books/best-selling/week/2011/46/|newspaper=USA Today|year=2011}}{{cite news|title=The New York Times Best-Sellers: Children's Books|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/books/bestseller/bestchildren.html?_r=0|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 12, 2008}}{{cite news|title=Publishers Weekly Best-Sellers|newspaper=Publishers Weekly|date=November 28, 2011}}

The Guinness World Records recognized Christopher Paolini as the "youngest author of a bestselling book series" on January 5, 2011.{{cite web|title=Youngest author of a bestselling book series|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/10000/youngest-author-of-a-bestselling-book-series|publisher=Guinness Book of World Records|access-date=October 31, 2016}}

In 2024, the American Library Association chose Fractal Noise for the Listen List (2024).Moore, Ninah.(2024). Paolini, Christopher,Fractal Noise.Narrated by Jennifer Hale. Macmillan Audio. [https://rusaupdate.org/2024/01/2024listenlist/ 2024 RUSA Listen List Revealed.] American Library Association, January 20, 2024.