How did the author of The Sword of Truth fantasy die?: Terry Goodkind Bio, Wiki, Age, Net Worth, Cause of Death,
Terry Goodkind, the author of The Sword of Truth fantasy book series, has died at 72. A Facebook post on his official page said Goodkind died on the morning of September 17.
The publication described Goodkind’s death as a “great” and “unimaginable” loss. He called Goodkind an “amazing” man, husband, writer, friend, and human. The post said Goodkind “is already desperately missed.” Goodkind is survived by his wife, Jeri Goodkind. The couple divided their time between a home in Maine and a home in the western United States, according to an online profile.
The Facebook post concluded with a quote from Goodkind:
To exist in this vast universe for a speck of time is the great gift of life. It is our only life. The universe will go on, indifferent to our brief existence, but while we are here, we touch not just part of that vastness, but also the lives around us. Life is the gift each of us has been given. Each life is our own and no one else’s. It is precious beyond all counting. It is the greatest value we can have. Cherish it for what it truly is . . . Your life is yours alone. Rise up and live it.
Goodkind, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, was also known for writing the suspense novel The Law of Nines, published in 2009. Goodkind’s The Sword of Truth series was turned into a series on ABC titled Legend of the Seeker. The show ran for two seasons between 2008 and 2010.
According to its official website, Goodkind has sold more than 26 million books worldwide and its work has been translated into more than 20 languages. In the biography, Goodkind says of his fans: “Your passion is my passion.” Goodkind was dyslexic and was not a good student in high school. It wasn’t until he was 40 that he started writing. Goodkind spoke about his struggles with dyslexia during a Reddit AMA in September 2019.
Goodkind was last active on his Facebook page on July 8. His Twitter account has been inactive since 2019. The bio section on Goodkind’s Facebook page refers to him as writing “character-driven stories that brutally honestly portray ourselves.” The description continues: “Terry Goodkind has an amazing command of creating compelling stories of people like you and me, caught in terrifying situations.”
Goodkind was a known supporter of Ayn Rand’s Objectivist philosophy. In a 2007 interview with the Fantasy Book Critic blog, Goodkind said that he felt that Rand was “the greatest thinker since Aristotle.” Goodkind said, “He made advances in the world of philosophy that no one since Aristotle has made.” In the same interview, he was asked about his opinion on the War on Terrorism. Answered:
We are allowing evil to grow. We are too shy to attack evil, and make no mistake: the Islamic world wants to kill us, and sooner or later, an atomic bomb is going to explode in the United States because we don’t even have the courage to name the enemy.
Goodkind said that Rand was his favorite author in an October 2013 interview with Impulse Gamer.
Goodkind told Impulse Gamer in 2013 that he was born as a writer. Goodkind said: “Stories have always been a part of my life, my constant companions, my inner landscape. It’s part of who I am. “He said he was inspired by his” inner journeys. “Goodkind said his experiences included time spent living as a painter, woodcarver, metal worker, and violin maker. In addition to writing, Goodkind said he was excited about driving race cars in his English-made Radical SR8 SM 500. Goodkind added:
Racing is my place of comfort. When I’m in the cockpit of a race car, the rest of the world melts away and I focus 100% on one thing: the challenge of getting around the track as fast as possible.
In 2012, Goodkind attracted international media attention when he denounced a man who he said hacked a copy of his book The First Confessor and distributed it online. Goodkind posted about the alleged hacker on Facebook, writing in part:
So, Josh, what do you think? No respect for a hardworking author and fellow racing enthusiast? Not even for someone who is emphatically trying to reach people who might consider hacking into our hard work? Can’t bother to read and consider our note on piracy on the book cover?
Goodkind named the man Australian. The man’s social media links, which Goodkind posted publicly, are no longer active.
As news of Goodkind’s death spread, many of his fellow writers, as well as his fans, took to Twitter to mourn a man who is being celebrated as one of the greats of fantasy literature.
RIP to my favorite author of all time #TerryGoodkind 😢😢😢 I’m DEVASTATED. His #SwordOfTruth series was in my life for the past decade, over 20 books, my most read author. I literally feel like I’m free falling. I’m so distraught!
— N/A (@irican1120) September 18, 2020
I clicked on Terry Goodkind’s name, assuming he had said something horrible, but no, Terry Goodkind died. He started writing at forty-five, so I guess I still have some time. I loved his first two books when I was in high school. #RIPTerryGoodkind
— Wesley McCraw (@WesleyMcCraw) September 18, 2020
When I thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse, the world loses such an amazing author with so much talent for world building and storytelling. His books will carry on his unique legacy of fantasy and adventure. 💔😔 #terrygoodkind #swordoftruth pic.twitter.com/qff0erVKci
— Dario (@harleyqueenuno) September 18, 2020
2020 continues to take a heavy toll, with the death of fantasy author Terry Goodkind, who wrote the Sword of Truth series. They were favotites of myself and several friends of mine growing up… I had hoped to meet him one day. #RIPTerryGoodkind pic.twitter.com/Y42oHXZb0e
— Sean CW Korsgaard (@SCWKorsgaard) September 17, 2020
#WritingCommunity we lost one of the great fantasy authors of our time @terrygoodkind died this morning. For those who know of him his Sword of Truth series was a work of art. And he is one of the authors that inspired me to start writing. #rip
— James Fuller (@AuthorJFuller) September 17, 2020
My favorite author, Terry Goodkind, passed away this morning. I always loved how he was able to tell a Fantasy story and have it be real.
“Faith of the Fallen” is the biggest takedown of Marxism that I’ve ever read. It’s incredible, and weaved into an incredible Epic Saga.— CryptoNovice81 (@CryptoNovice81) September 17, 2020
RIP Terry Goodkind. Author of my favourite ever series of books. Wizards First Rule was a phenomenon and I was totally lost in the world he created.
Thoughts are with his family. pic.twitter.com/sas99CKPT7— Matty⚽️ (@MattyPNFFC) September 17, 2020
In shock to learn of the death of Terry Goodkind, master epic fantasy author. He was also a very close friend, but he was an extremely private man so I didn’t share photos and stories. Yes, he could be a curmudgeon and he knew it, but I loved him anyway. Miss him already.
— Kevin J Anderson (@TheKJA) September 17, 2020