Reflecting on the legacy of Terry Goodkind

Yesterday, Terry Goodkind, author of The Sword of Truth epic fantasy series as well as a mountain of other related works, passed away. He was 72.

Yesterday, Terry Goodkind, author of The Sword of Truth epic fantasy series as well as a mountain of other related works, passed away. He was 72.

Goodkind had a career every bit as long and epic as the tales he strove to tell. After having successful careers as both a woodworker and artist, he made the switch to writing with his 1994 debut novel Wizard’s First Rule. The original Sword of Truth saga that began in that volume, which followed the adventures of Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell as they sought to overthrow powerful magical dictators and usher in a new age for their war-torn people, spanned 11 door-stopping tomes. After that, Goodkind wrote the first of his contemporary thrillers, The Law of Nines (2009), a work that retains some ties to The Sword of Truth universe but in a modern setting.

With The Sword of Truth finished, Disney ABC Studios made the move in 2008 to adapt Goodkind’s novels for the small screen. The result, Legend of the Seeker, ran for two seasons. While the show strayed significantly from Goodkind’s written works, it still gained a passionate fanbase — both in terms of those who loved it, and those who didn’t because of its deviations.

But Goodkind never could stay away from the tale of Richard and Kahlan. Despite the original announcement that Sword of Truth would end in the novel Confessor (2007), he came back and wrote more books. And more books. The Sword of Truth became a 17-volume series, finally concluding in 2015 with Warheart. Then there was the four-book spin-off The Nicci Chronicles, which followed two of The Sword of Truth‘s most beloved supporting characters on their own world-spanning quest. Oh, and there were five more contemporary thriller novels that Goodkind somehow managed to fit in between all those other books.

If there’s one thing to be said for Terry Goodkind, it’s that he was incredibly prolific. His latest series of novellas, The Children of D’hara, picked up where The Sword of Truth left off. The final book of that series, Into Darkness, was published only three months ago in June of 2020.

Goodkind’s stories served as a gateway for millions of readers into the genre, although he was a polarizing presence in the fantasy community itself. He had a reputation for being a grouch with fans and colleagues alike — and he knew it. His novels could have heavy-handed thematic issues, like the infamous “pacifism is bad” plotline from Naked Empire.

Still, it’s impossible to deny that Terry Goodkind had a talent for telling enthralling tales, and that he exercised it to the absolute best of his ability. Though he had dyslexia, he didn’t let that stop him from writing one of the longest and best-selling fantasy series of all time.

Perhaps it’s that Goodkind was one of my personal gateways to falling in love with long-running epic fantasy series. Perhaps it’s that his death occurred almost 13 years to the day from when The Wheel of Time creator Robert Jordan passed away in 2007. But as I sit here writing this with my battered copy of Wizard’s First Rule beside me, I can’t help but feel that fantasy has lost one of its giants. Whether you liked Terry Goodkind or not, there was no one else quite like him. He had a presence, and he inspired millions.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels