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Dennis L. McKiernan

Goodreads Author

Born

in Moberly, Missouri, The United States

Website

http://members.cox.net/dlmck/

Genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Thrillers, Horror

Influences

J. R. R. Tolkien

Member Since

February 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/dlmck

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McKiernan was born in Moberly, Missouri, where he lived until he served the U.S. Air Force for four years, stationed within US territory during the Korean War. After military service, he attended the University of Missouri and received a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1958 and an M.S. in the same field from Duke University in 1964. He worked as an engineer at AT&T, initially at Western Electric but soon at Bell Laboratories, from 1958 until 1989. In 1989, after early retirement from engineering, McKiernan began writing on a full-time basis.

In 1977, while riding his motorcycle, McKiernan was hit by a car which had crossed the center-line, and was confined to a bed, first in traction and then in a hip spica cast, for many months. During hi ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Hi again, Dennis. I'd love to hear your opinion on how the Fantasy novels have changed through the years. Back in the 80s, it was (I think) deeply Tolkien-centric. Now, however, many popular Fantasy books over the past decade (at least) are far more gritty, dark and pessimistic? Do you think the pendulum will swing back, or do you think that the genre will continue moving away from "classic" Fantasy?

Dennis L. McKiernan It took a while for good writers to break out of the Tolkien mold. However, it also took a while for the readers to break out as well. Then both found…moreIt took a while for good writers to break out of the Tolkien mold. However, it also took a while for the readers to break out as well. Then both found alternate ways to satisfy the need for fantasy.

As to the pendulum, it always swings, but not necessarily in a back and forth pattern. It gyrates all over hellandgone. I'd rather think that both writers and readers evolve: mostly the writers think of new ways to tell stories, and readers follow. But, there is the old familiar tales, too. We are a lot like children who want to hear the same story again and again, but then we evolve. But every now and again, we want that old familiar once more. Even so, the storyteller has to tell it well, or we bail out.

~Dennis(less)

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Hello Mr. McKiernan, First off, thank you for the wonderful stories. I have enjoyed them and passed them along to many friends. My question(s)~ I was curious about when you first started to think about writing novels. I am interested in knowing at what point during your military/engineering career did you realize that you had it in you, and needed to write these stories for others to enjoy?

Dennis L. McKiernan Like a lot of kids, I was the one who made up stories to tell "around the campfire" (so to speak). My dad and I exchanged chapters in a humorous detec…moreLike a lot of kids, I was the one who made up stories to tell "around the campfire" (so to speak). My dad and I exchanged chapters in a humorous detective story, he writing a chapter, then I doing the next chapter, then back to Dad, then my turn, etc. We did that for years, exchanging short stories, or chapters. I got into professionally writing for others when I was about 40, when I became a motorcycle magazine writer for dirt bike magazines, writing "how to" articles, humorous articles, editorials, travel stories, and the like. It wasn't until I got run over by a car that I set about writing a novel to stay sane while in a cast that ran from armpits to toes. I was 45 at the time(less)

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Combine Editions
Dennis L. McKiernan’s books

Average rating: 3.9 · 33,150 ratings · 1,373 reviews · 69 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Dark Tide (Mithgar, #1; The Iron Tower, #1) 3.86 avg rating — 2,813 ratings — published 1984 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Darkest Day (Mithgar, #3; The Iron Tower, #3) 3.94 avg rating — 2,361 ratings — published 1984 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Shadows of Doom (Mithgar, #2; The Iron Tower, #2) 3.89 avg rating — 2,199 ratings — published 1984 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Once Upon a Winter's Night (Faery, #1) 3.79 avg rating — 2,246 ratings — published 2001 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Eye of the Hunter (Mithgar, #8) 4.01 avg rating — 1,633 ratings — published 1992 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dragondoom (Mithgar, #6) 4.16 avg rating — 1,422 ratings — published 1990 — 20 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Trek to Kraggen-Cor (Mithgar, #4; The Silver Call, #1) 3.89 avg rating — 1,432 ratings — published 1986 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dragonstone (Mithgar, #11) by Dennis L. McKiernan (Goodreads Author), Donato Giancola (Illustrator) 3.93 avg rating — 1,362 ratings — published 1996 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Voyage of the Fox Rider (Mithgar, #9) 3.98 avg rating — 1,220 ratings — published 1993 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Into the Fire (Mithgar, #13; Hèl's Crucible, #2) 4.04 avg rating — 1,171 ratings — published 1998 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Dennis L. McKiernan…

Series by Dennis L. McKiernan

Mithgar (Publication) (18 books)
by

Dennis L. McKiernan (Goodreads Author),

Alex Niño (Illustrator)

3.96 avg rating — 22,264 ratings

Mithgar (Chronological) (17 books)
by

Dennis L. McKiernan (Goodreads Author),

Alex Niño (Illustrator)

3.96 avg rating — 22,263 ratings

Iron Tower Trilogy (3 books)
by

Dennis L. McKiernan (Goodreads Author)

3.91 avg rating — 8,355 ratings

Faery (5 books)
by

Dennis L. McKiernan (Goodreads Author)

3.80 avg rating — 4,592 ratings

The Silver Call (2 books)
by

Dennis L. McKiernan (Goodreads Author)

3.94 avg rating — 3,253 ratings

More series by Dennis L. McKiernan…

Quotes by Dennis L. McKiernan (?)

“It's all connected you know”
― Dennis L. McKiernan, Into the Forge

tags: inspirational-life

11 likes

“Will they remember us, Aravan? Will Mankind remember us at all?" ...

Mayhap, Gwylly, mayhap. Mayhap in their legends and their fables. Mayhap in naught but their dreams.”
― Dennis L. McKiernan

tags: aravan, fairies, fantasy, gwylly, mithgar

6 likes

“But Mithgar . . . Mithgar is yet wild, tempestuous, unkept, savage, turbulent, exciting. We come here to feel alive.”
― Dennis L. McKiernan

tags: aravan, mithgar

2 likes

See all Dennis L. McKiernan's quotes »

Polls

Favorite retelling of "East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon"

East

Edith Pattou

25 votes, 35.2%

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Jessica Day George

16 votes, 22.5%

Ice

Sarah Beth Durst

10 votes, 14.1%

Mistress of the Wind

Michelle Diener

4 votes, 5.6%

East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon

Peter Christen Asbjørnsen

4 votes, 5.6%

The Princess and the White Bear King

Tanya Robyn Batt

3 votes, 4.2%

East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Mercer Mayer

3 votes, 4.2%

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Susanna Davidson

3 votes, 4.2%

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Jackie Morris

2 votes, 2.8%

Once Upon a Winter's Night

Dennis L. McKiernan

1 vote, 1.4%

71 total votes

3 comments

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