A short life of the author
Patricia Anne McKillip (1948–2022) was born on 29 February 1948 in Salem, Oregon. She studied at San Jose State University.
Life and Career
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (1974) — about a sorceress who keeps mythical beasts on a mountain and becomes entangled in human politics — won the World Fantasy Award and remains one of the finest standalone fantasy novels ever written.
The Riddle-Master trilogy — The Riddle-Master of Hed (1976), Heir of Sea and Fire (1977), Harpist in the Wind (1979) — is a quest narrative of extraordinary beauty and complexity. The Changeling Sea (1988), Alphabet of Thorn (2004), and Od Magic (2005) continue her exploration of language, myth, and transformation.
Major Works and Themes
McKillip wrote about the power of language, the transformative nature of art, and the relationship between the human and the mythical. Her prose is dense, musical, and luminous.
Key Works
- The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (1974) — World Fantasy Award
- The Riddle-Master of Hed (1976)
Collecting McKillip
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (1974, Atheneum) brings $40–$150. McKillip died in 2022.