R.A. Salvatore

Renowned American author R.A. Salvatore is widely known for his science fiction and fantasy novels. He has created several successful series, including the DemonWars Saga, the Forgotten Realms series, and a few Star Wars novels. His most famous character is Drizzt Do’Urden from the Forgotten Realms series. Salvatore was introduced to fantasy after reading The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, which inspired him to change his major from computer science to journalism.

Salvatore's books are popular among readers, regularly appearing on The New York Times best-seller lists and selling over 10,000,000 copies. His original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy, debuted at #1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at #4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His works have been translated into numerous foreign languages, including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, and French. Salvatore's first published novel, The Crystal Shard, introduced the popular character Drizzt Do’Urden and became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy.

Salvatore's love for fantasy began during his sophomore year of college when he received a copy of The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He then changed his major from computer science to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981 and returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in to write full time in 1990.

The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. Salvatore enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.

Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar. When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.