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D.M. Cornish

Goodreads author profile

url

http://www.goodreads.com/dmcornish

born

January 01, 1971 in Adelaide, Australia

gender

male

website

http://www.dmcornish.com

genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult, Children's Books

member since

February 2008

About this author

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D. M. Cornish (born 1972) is a fantasy author and illustrator from Adelaide, South Australia. His first book is Foundling, the first part of the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy. The second book named Lamplighter was released in May 2008. The third in the series is yet to be named.

D.M. Cornish was born in time to see the first Star Wars movie. He was five. It made him realize that worlds beyond his own were possible, and he failed to eat his popcorn. Experiences with C.S. Lewis, and later J.R.R. Tolkien, completely convinced him that other worlds existed, and that writers had a key to these worlds. But words were not yet his earliest tools for storytelling. Drawings were.

He spent most of his childhood drawing, as well as most of his teenage and...more D. M. Cornish (born 1972) is a fantasy author and illustrator from Adelaide, South Australia. His first book is Foundling, the first part of the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy. The second book named Lamplighter was released in May 2008. The third in the series is yet to be named.

D.M. Cornish was born in time to see the first Star Wars movie. He was five. It made him realize that worlds beyond his own were possible, and he failed to eat his popcorn. Experiences with C.S. Lewis, and later J.R.R. Tolkien, completely convinced him that other worlds existed, and that writers had a key to these worlds. But words were not yet his earliest tools for storytelling. Drawings were.

He spent most of his childhood drawing, as well as most of his teenage and adult years as well. And by age eleven he had made his first book, called "Attack from Mars." It featured Jupitans and lots and lots of drawings of space battles.

He studied illustration at the University of South Australia, where he began to compile a series of notebooks, beginning with #1 in 1993. He had read Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast novels, The Iliad, and Paul Gallico's Love of Seven Dolls. Classical ideas as well as the great desire to continue what Mervyn Peake had begun but not finished led him to delineate his own world. Hermann Hesse, Kafka and other writers convinced him there were ways to be fantastical without conforming to the generally accepted notions of fantasy. Over the next ten years he filled 23 journals with his pictures, definitions, ideas and histories of his world, the Half-Continent.

It was not until 2003 that a chance encounter with a children's publisher gave him an opportunity to develop these ideas further. Learning of his journals, she bullied him into writing a story from his world. Cornish was sent away with the task of delivering 1,000 words the following week and each week thereafter. Abandoning all other paid work, he spent the next two years propped up with one small advance after the other as his publisher tried desperately to keep him from eating his furniture.(less)

69 posts
D.M. Cornish's Blog

Ok, quick poll...

Ok, quick poll: which sounds like the stronger vessel?

Achmë

or

Lyon

Cheers very much for your thoughts :)

View more on D.M. Cornish's website »

3 comments

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Published on April 19, 2012 17:14 • 40 views

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Books by D.M. Cornish

Average rating: 3.98 · 4,105 ratings · 649 reviews · 11 distinct works

	Foundling (Monster Blood Tattoo, #1) 3.82 avg rating — 2,250 ratings — published 2006 — 21 editions	My rating:
	Lamplighter (Monster Blood Tattoo, #2) 4.20 avg rating — 1,120 ratings — published 2007 — 15 editions	My rating:
	Factotum (Monster Blood Tattoo #3) 4.18 avg rating — 589 ratings — published 2010 — 12 editions	My rating:
	Legends of Australian Fantasy by Jack Dann (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Jonathan Strahan (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Isobelle Carmody (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.90 avg rating — 60 ratings — published 2010 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Tide Stealers (The Sunken Kingdom, #2) by Kim Wilkins, D.M. Cornish (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.20 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2006 — 3 editions	My rating:
	Sorcerer of the Waves (The Sunken Kingdom, #3) by Kim Wilkins, D.M. Cornish (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 3.93 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2008 — 2 editions	My rating:
	The Sunken Kingdom by Kim Wilkins, D.M. Cornish (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.08 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2008	My rating:
	The Star Queen (The Sunken Kingdom, #4) by Kim Wilkins, D.M. Cornish (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.20 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	My rating:
	Emily and the Dragon by Lyn Lee (Author), D.M. Cornish (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2005	My rating:
	Grannysaurus Rex by Tony Wilson (Goodreads Author) (Author), D.M. Cornish (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2004	My rating:

More books by D.M. Cornish…

Series by D.M. Cornish

Monster Blood Tattoo (3 books)
by D.M. Cornish (Goodreads Author)

3.98 avg rating — 3,959 ratings

Terre des monstres / Monster Blood Tattoo (1 book)
by D.M. Cornish (Goodreads Author)

3.82 avg rating — 2,250 ratings

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Feeding Nelson's Navy: The True Story of Food at Sea in the Georgian Era

by Janet MacDonald

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My rating:

D.M. Cornish said: "Only 30 pages in and already this has told me so much. An invaluable tool for research and a wonderful, chewy read to boot. "

Mar 18, 2011 02:30am · see review

D.M. Cornish is currently reading:

Realmshift

by Alan Baxter (Goodreads Author)

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Jul 25, 2010 05:05pm

D.M. Cornish gave

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Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles #1)

by Melina Marchetta (Goodreads Author)

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Feb 01, 2009 03:50pm

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D.M.'s Recent Updates

D.M. Cornish is now friends with Mick Hyam
May 28, 2012 06:40pm
D.M. Cornish made a comment on Ok, quick poll...: "Yes, yes, I have a sense why this would be a good order to use them... Though I do not have intention to use air-vessels in the way they are employed...more "
Apr 26, 2012 03:25pm
D.M. Cornish gave to: Feeding Nelson's Navy: The True Story of Food at Sea in the Georgian Era by Janet MacDonald	My rating:
Only 30 pages in and already this has told me so much. An invaluable tool for research and a wonderful, chewy read to boot.
Mar 18, 2011 02:30am · see review
D.M. Cornish gave to: Nelson's Battles by Oliver Warner	My rating:
An absolute classic, readabl, informative, it reads more like liturature than dry old history. Shows Nelsons flaws of character as well as his strengths and leaves me amazed that such a man truly existed. Top draw.
Mar 18, 2011 02:27am · see review
D.M. Cornish made a comment on Lamplighter (Monster Blood Tattoo, #2) — Lamplighter "So very very glad you did, Catherine! Factotum (Book 3) is coming out inOctober Australia/UK, November USA/Canada. "
Sep 08, 2010 05:54pm
D.M. Cornish gave to: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke	My rating:
Jul 25, 2010 05:09pm
D.M. Cornish gave to: The Misunderstood God: The Lies Religion Tells About God by Darin Hufford	My rating:
Jul 25, 2010 05:08pm
D.M. Cornish gave to: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde	My rating:
Jul 25, 2010 05:07pm
D.M. Cornish is currently reading: Realmshift by Alan Baxter (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Jul 25, 2010 05:05pm
D.M. Cornish gave to: The Thirteen-Gun Salute (Aubrey/Maturin #13) by Patrick O'Brian read in October, 2009	My rating:
Jul 25, 2010 05:04pm

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Paranormal Romanc...: February 2010 Reading Challenge	1143	1183	Apr 01, 2010 11:15am
The Sword and Laser: Anyone buy both digital and paper copies of the same book?	14	42	Jan 08, 2011 01:07pm
SciFi and Fantasy...: What are you reading in January 2011?	207	195	Jan 31, 2011 08:46pm
The Seasonal Read...: * Readerboard - Winter Challenge 2010-2011	6	459	Feb 14, 2011 05:24pm
SciFi and Fantasy...: What are you reading in Feb 2011	119	255	Feb 28, 2011 08:55pm
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2010-2011 Completed Tasks (do not delete any posts)	2596	666	Feb 28, 2011 09:05pm
Wild Things: YA G...: Books Not Originally Not In English!	36	228	Mar 16, 2011 12:58pm
You'll love this ...: 5 star reads!	145	921	May 20, 2011 01:09pm

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message 7: by Bill

Jan 12, 2011 06:21pm

I just finished Factotum a few minutes ago. And I wanted to leave a few thoughts.

(SOME SPOILERS)

The stories I cherish the most are those which introduce me to beloved characters that become as real as those who draw breath. The kind you dread finishing because you will be saying goodbye to those you have grown so fond of. Remember when you first read Lord of the Rings and your heart wrenched when Sam returned to his wife and child? Or when the grownup Harry, Ron and Hermione saw their children off to Hogwarts? Such stories are few and far between. And thanks to a recommendation by a worker at Half-Price books, I discovered one more.

Most of me wishes you will continue this story. I do realize that if you do, as one reviewer has said, it may spoil the mood of these three books. This may be so. But as sad as it is to part from Rossamünd and Europe, it seems downright criminal that they should be eternally apart from each other.

Thank you, D.M. And bravo.

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message 6: by Shawn

Jan 01, 2011 09:22am

i have just finished reading factotum. And i need to thank you for that brilliant story. Thank You

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message 5: by Wayne

Sep 27, 2010 08:50pm

Thanks for adding me, Cap'n Cornish.

Book 3 out very VERY soon, and I'm both happy & sad - happy that it's a new MBT, sad because it's likely to be the end of Rossamund's MBT. Mind you, I'm glad you're not stringing it out indefinitely, mozarella style.

Hope you're well.

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message 4: by D.M.

Aug 24, 2009 07:54pm

Ahh, alas I shall not be in attendance at either event - Book 3 takes all my time and concentration, only a couple of months left now till it is done and off to printers. I am dead keen, though, to be involved at WorldCon in Melly next year... which reminds me...

How goes your own wrestle with words?

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message 3: by Alan

Aug 24, 2009 07:40pm

Hey mate - how are things? Hope all is well. Are you going to be around any cons this year? I'm presenting a few bits and pieces at Conflux in October and Freecon again in November.

Alan

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message 2: by D.M.

Mar 05, 2009 07:48pm

Hello Bradley,

The day is a mixture of joys and woes, thanks for asking.

How is yours?

Bradley wrote: "I hope you are having a good day! =)

http://www.cardshark.com/content/view...

[bc:Dreamsbane of Tamalor|508388|Dreamsbane of Tamalor|Bradley James Simpson|http://phot..."

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message 1: by Bradley

Feb 25, 2009 12:11am

I hope you are having a good day! =)

http://www.cardshark.com/content/view...

reply | flag *

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D.M. Cornish

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