Terry Goodkind: An Obituary

Fantasy author Terry Goodkind (pictured right, photo by Sandy Aquila), known for his long-running The Sword of Truth series, has died at the age of 72. His agent confirmed his passing.

Born in 1948, Goodkind first established a career as a woodworker and artist, before eventually writing his first novel, Wizard’s First Rule, in 1994. The novel follows Richard Cypher, a woodland guide in a magical world, who learns that he’s a long-sought-after First Wizard, and that he has a destiny to save the world.

The novel kicked off Goodkind’s long-running Sword of Truth series, which eventually numbered 21 installments, the most recent of which, Heart of Black Ice, was published in January 2020. In 2019, he launched a series, The Children of D’Hara, also set in the same world, publishing five installments between April 2019 and June 2020.

In 2008, Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi and ABC Studios picked up the rights to adapt The Sword of Truth series as a television show, which debuted in November 2008 as Legend of the Seeker. The first season covered the events of the first novel, while a second adapted its sequel, Stone of Tears. The series was cancelled in 2010, and efforts to bring the series to another network didn’t pan out.

On his official Facebook page, Goodkind’s representatives posted a short remembrance:

“It is impossible to put into few words just how amazing of a man, a husband, a writer, a friend, and a human, Terry Goodkind truly was. He is already desperately missed. We are forever grateful for him having shared his life’s work with all of us, as he was always grateful to be held in our hearts.”