Nick Perumov

Nikolay Perumov (Russian: Николай Перумов)
Born	(1963-11-21) 21 November 1963 Leningrad, Soviet Union
Pen name	Nick Perumov
Occupation	writer, microbiologist
Nationality	Russian
Genres	Fantasy

Nick Perumov (Russian: Ник Перумов) is the pen name of Nikolay Daniilovich Perumov (Russian: Николай Даниилович Перумов; born 21 November 1963), a Russian fantasy and science fiction writer.

Biography

Perumov was born November 21, 1963 in Leningrad, USSR. His father, Daniil Alexandrovich Perumov, was a biologist. Nikolai began writing short stories when he was a teenager, and after reading The Lord of the Rings in the early 1980s, he became a fantasy fan. After studying at the Leningrad Polytechnical Institute, Perumov worked at a research institute, and later as a translator.

In 1985-1991 he wrote his first fantasy novel Нисхождение тьмы (Descent of Darkness), which consisted of two volumes: Эльфийский Клинок (Elven Blade) and Черное Копье (Black Lance). The book was set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, 300 years after the War of the Ring. Perumov initially regarded his novel as just a fan fiction written for friends, until one of his colleagues offered to publish it. In 1993 the duology, re-edited and renamed Кольцо Тьмы (The Ring of Darkness) was published by Severo-Zapad, which paid Perumov a small sum of $300. The Ring of Darkness was a surprising success. It sold at least 100,000 copies, and spurred Perumov's popularity. The book also provoked a controversy in Tolkien fandom; some fans considered it was not fair to set the book in Middle-Earth rather than Perumov's own setting, and to challenge Tolkien's philosophy of "Good against Evil" in it. Koltso Tmy, however, was one of a number of such projects, as several other 1990's Russian writers, including Natalia "Niennah" Vasilyeva and Kirill Yeskov, would publish unauthorized Middle-Earth books that challenged Tolkien far more sharply.

After the success of his debut, Perumov decided to start a career as a professional writer. He wrote the novel Гибель Богов (Godsdoom), heavily inspired by Norse mythology. It was the first book to be set in Упорядоченное (The Consistent), a multiverse of many connected worlds. The Consistent became the main setting of his following books, including the most known, 8-volume series Хранитель Мечей (The Keeper of Swords).

Over 4 million copies of Perumov's books have been published and his work has been translated into many languages, Northern and Eastern European mostly. One of his books, Godsdoom has also been translated to English by Liv Bliss. At Eurocon 2004 he was given an award as the best fiction writer of Europe. He is a good friend of Vera Kamsha, whom he persuaded to start a career as a writer. In the 2000s Kamsha also became a popular fantasy writer. Perumov enjoys Melnitsa music and wrote a cameo appearance for the band in one of his books.

In 1998, during the Russian financial crisis, Perumov moved to the United States of America. He currently works there for North Carolina Research Campus as a microbiologist. Nick claims writing is his 'hobby', and science is his job.

Series

Кольцо Тьмы (Ring of Darkness)

This fantasy novel takes place in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, 300 years after the War of the Ring. The books tell the story of hobbit Folko Brandybuck, the heir of Meriadoc, and his two dwarven friends, who are trying to protect Middle-earth from a new danger: powerful Olmer, the leader of the Eastern nations, who is gathering the remainder of the nine Nazgûl's Rings of Power. The original duology was later followed with the third book, Адамант Хенны (The Adamant of Henna).

1. Эльфийский Клинок (Elven Blade, 1993)
2. Черное Копье (Black Lance, 1993)
3. Адамант Хенны (The Adamant of Henna, 1995)

Хроники Хьерварда (Hjorward chronicles)

A three-volume series of non-connected novels tells the different parts of Hjorward world history, including the rebellion of Hedin and Rakot against the Young Gods, the main event of Consistent history.

• Гибель Богов (Godsdoom, 1995)
• Земля Без Радости (The Land Without Joy, 1995)
• Воин Великой Тьмы (Warrior of Great Darkness, 1995)

Хранитель Мечей (Keeper of the Swords)

Also known as 'Chronicles of The Rift' or 'Series of Mage', this eight-volume series tells the story of Fess the necromancer, who keeps the secret of magical Diamond and Wooden swords. Fess was caught in the 'closed' world of Evial, and suffers the pressure of local inquisition.

1. Алмазный Меч, Деревянный Меч (Diamond Sword, Wooden Sword, 1998)
2. Рождение Мага (Birth of the Mage, 1999)
3. Странствия Мага (Wandering of the Mage, 2000)
4. Одиночество Мага (Loneliness of the Mage, 2001)
5. Война Мага: Дебют (War of the Mage: Debut, 2003)
6. Война Мага: Миттельшпиль (War of the Mage: Middlegame, 2004)
7. Война Мага: Эндшпиль (War of the Mage: Endgame, 2006)
8. Война Мага: Конец Игры (War of the Mage: Game Over, 2006)

Short novels connected:

• Дочь Некроманта (Daughter of the Necromancer)
• Вернуть Посох (Bring Back the Rod)
• Эльфийская Стража, или Лемех и Борозда (Elfguard, or Plough and Furrow)

Гибель Богов 2 (Godsdoom 2)

A finale to the whole Consistent universe^[1]

• Гибель Богов 2: Память пламени (Godsdoom 2: Memory of Flames, 2012)
• Гибель Богов 2: Удерживая небо (Godsdoom 2: Holding the Sky, 2012)
• Гибель Богов 2: Пепел Асгарда (Godsdoom 2: Ashes of Asgard, 2013)
• Гибель Богов 2: Хедин — враг мой (Godsdoom 2: Hedin, Enemy Mine, 2013)

Империя Превыше Всего (Empire Above All)

Science fiction dualogy tells about a distant future in which the "German nation" became the human hegemon in the Galaxy, namely through abandonning its Nazi ideology in favour of a multicultural "Empire Above All" nationalism. The book centers on the quest of Ruslan Fateev to attain independence for his homeworld of New Crimea, the sole Russian-speaking corner of the Empire (according to the books, the overwhelming majority of Russians chose voluntary germanisation over the centuries). All this is set in an atmosphere of uprisings of a federation of colony worlds against the Empire and the invasion of human planets by mysterious alien creatures named "Biomorphs".

1. Череп на Рукаве (Skull on a Sleeve, 2002)
2. Череп в Небесах (Skull in the Sky, 2004)

Техномагия (Technomagic)

1. Разрешенное Волшебство (Legal Wizardy)
2. Враг Неведом (Enemy is Unknown)

Семь зверей Райлега (Seven Beasts of Raileg)

1. Тёрн (Thorn, 2007)
2. Алиедора (Aliedora, 2009)
3. Имя Зверя:Взглянуть в бездну (The Name of the Beast: Take a Look into Abyss, 2011)
4. «Имя Зверя:Исход Дракона (The Name of the Beast: Dragon Exodus, 2011)

Co-authored works

• Чёрная Кровь (Black Blood, 1996) with Svyatoslav Loginov
• Не Время Для Драконов (No Time For Dragons, 1997) with Sergey Lukyanenko.
• Армагеддон (Armageddon, 2000, published in USA as 'Lords of Terror') with Allan Cole.
• Посредник (Mediator, 1996) with Polina Kaminskaya.
• Млава красная (Mlava the Red, 2011) with Vera Kamsha

Awards

External links

• perumov.com Official site
• Ring of Darkness English Cooperative Translation

References