Joe Abercrombie Books

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Joe Abercrombie is a British author that has been credited for redefining the fantasy genre. Born in 1974 in Lancaster, Abercrombie attended Lancaster Royal Grammar School. He wasn’t the most attentive of students.

The author spent a lot of time indulging in his love for video games. He would also draw maps of fictional settings. After graduating from Manchester University, he was tempted to pursue his writing dreams.

He had an idea for an epic trilogy following the adventures of a barbarian. But the manuscript he wrote was too pompous for the author’s liking. Abercrombie, who was in his 20s at the time, abandoned his publishing goals and moved to London.

He landed a position at a TV post-production company. Though, the job was far from glamorous. Abercrombie spent a lot of time making tea and earning minimum wage.

Finally, he decided to strike out on his own, becoming a freelance film editor. The work was far more rewarding than expected because it allowed Abercrombie to work on music videos, documentaries, concerts, and awards shows.

As a freelance editor, he also found that he had more free time on his hands. Initially, the author spent that time playing video games. It did not take him long to rediscover the story he had abandoned in his twenties.

But this time around, Abercrombie was a changed man. The characters and storylines were the same, but the author didn’t take himself or the genre seriously. The final manuscript was a vast improvement on his previous attempt.

It was so much easier to write ‘The Blade Itself’ than its sequels because the author had all the time in the world. He spent months reworking every single paragraph.

His parents, who were always his first readers, gave their approval for ‘The Blade Itself.’ The novel was designed to re-imagine the Lord of the Rings. While Tolkien’s work was optimistic and uplifting, Abercrombie wanted to take his readers on a darker and far more pessimistic journey.

However, despite the twists and turns in the novel, the author couldn’t find an agent to sell it. He hated the rejections because most of them were brief. Abercrombie’s targets couldn’t be bothered to explain why they had rejected his work, which placed the author in a difficult situation.

He believes that his decision to combine violence with humor confused some of the agents because they couldn’t categorize the book. Fortunately, Abercrombie had a friend in publishing who got the manuscript to the right people.

Before long, Gollancz had offered the author a deal. In the beginning, Abercrombie kept his day job. The royalty checks were simply too small to sustain him. But they kept growing, and in response, he started cutting back on his work as a freelance editor until it became clear that he could earn a living as an author.

Abercrombie’s first trilogy was the easiest to write because he spent years pondering those characters and storylines. The standalone books that came after presented a more significant challenge because Abercrombie had strict deadlines to meet.

Joe Abercrombie Awards

The author won the Locus Award in 2015. He has received British Fantasy Society and John W. Campbell nominations.

Best Joe Abercrombie Books

His work as an editor influenced the author’s writing because it showed him how to enter and leave a scene. Abercrombie’s best books include:

The Blade Itself: Logen Ninefingers was the most infamous barbarian in the north. But his luck had run out. With a litany of enemies and bad memories behind him, he left the North for greener pastures elsewhere.

Jezal dan Luthar is a handsome soldier that has lived a privileged life. But war is around the corner. Bayaz, the First of the Magi, has a mission for the young captain, a mission Luthar may not survive.

Before They Are Hanged: Bayaz is leading a mismatched crew on a journey to save their kingdom. But Glokta doesn’t care about Bayaz’s mission. He has bigger problems on his hands.

The cripple has a city to defend. But he has to contend with enemies both within and without. No one knows what happened to his predecessor. He vanished without a trace. Glokta will be lucky if he can survive long enough to keep the enemy from breaching the city’s walls.

When Does The Next Joe Abercrombie book come out?

The next book by Joe Abercrombie is The Devils and will be released on January, 1st 2025. It is the newest book in the The Devils Series.

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