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Left: The author in Finland in 2014, clean-shaven. (Photo Credit: Charles Darrell)
Right: The author in Minneapolis in 2018, not so clean-shaven. (Photo Credit: Scott Lynch)

Full Biography


I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 2, 1978, the first of three brothers. I spent all of my early life in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. In 2004, I moved to eastern Wisconsin, and in 2016 I moved to my current residence in Massachusetts.

The Lies of Locke Lamora, my first novel, was bought by Simon Spanton at Orion Books in August, 2004 and published in June, 2006. Prior to that I had just about every job you usually see in this sort of author bio-- dishwasher, busboy, waiter, web designer, office manager, prep cook, and freelance writer.

My second novel, Red Seas Under Red Skies, was published in 2007, and my third, The Republic of Thieves, was published in 2013. They, together with the forthcoming The Thorn of Emberlain and its sequels, comprise the Gentleman Bastard Sequence.

I'm very much your standard-issue geek-of-all-trades; I like history, literature, films, beige box-era Mac stuff, gaming, and game design. I collect old Choose Your Own Adventure novels and Infocom text adventure games. I also have a background in firefighting and emergency services. I was initially trained and certified as a firefighter at Anoka Technical College in Minnesota in 2005, and from 2005-2016 I was a paid-on-call firefighter for the city of New Richmond, Wisconsin.

In October of 2016 I married my wife, noted SF/F novelist Elizabeth Bear. We live together in an eccentric old house with three cats (Duncan, Gurney, and Molly) not far from the stable where we keep our horse, a beautiful but moderately ridiculous Icelandic gelding named Ormr.

Compact Biographies


Please feel free to use either of these abbreviated biographies, verbatim, for interviews, convention websites and program books, festival appearances, and other publicity needs.

  • 100-Word Biographical Capsule

    Scott Lynch was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1978, the first of three brothers. Early in life he worked as a dishwasher, a waiter, a graphic designer, an office manager, a cook, and a game supplement self-publisher before accidentally selling his first novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora, in 2004. From 2005 to 2016 Scott also served as a paid-on-call firefighter in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. Scott currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife, award-winning SF/F novelist Elizabeth Bear, along with three cats (Duncan, Gurney, and Molly) and a moderately ridiculous horse (an Icelandic gelding named Ormr).

  • 50-Word Biographical Capsule

    Scott Lynch was born in St.Paul, Minnesota in 1978. He sold his first novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora, in 2004. In addition to his writing, he also has a background in game design and firefighting. Scott currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife, award-winning SF/F novelist Elizabeth Bear.

    Contact and Licensing Information


    All inquiries concerning visual adaptation of the Gentleman Bastard sequence should be made to my agent, DongWon Song, of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. Although you are certainly free to contact me first, I'm only going to refer you to DongWon anyway, so you can save yourself some time and send him any questions via: dongwon@morhaimliterary.com

    All other inquiries concerning Gentleman Bastard properties or licensing except tabletop gaming inquiries (which can be directed to me) should be made to Gillian Redfearn, Deputy Publisher, Gollancz: gillian.redfearn@orionbooks.co.uk

    I can be reached via e-mail at: scott@scottlynch.us

    I can be reached via postal mail at:

    PO Box 322
    South Hadley, MA 01075
    USA

  • All site contents © 2019 Scott Lynch, except where noted.
    Original artwork by Miles Aijala

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