R. A. Salvatore

Robert Anthony Salvatore is an American fantasy writer born in Leominster, Massachusetts, in 1959. He is best known for his novels set in the Forgotten Realms, a fantasy world owned by the publisher TSR, where he created Drizzt Do'Urden, the most popular dark elf of the series. His work helped make high fantasy a commercial force in the late twentieth century.

He came to fantasy as a teenager after receiving J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He studied at Fitchburg State College and changed his major from computer science to journalism, and he later earned an English degree. Before writing full-time he worked as a bouncer, an experience he credits for the vivid battle scenes in his books. He began writing more seriously in the early 1980s, and in 1987 he won the chance to write a Forgotten Realms novel. His first published book, The Crystal Shard, appeared in 1988 and launched the Icewind Dale trilogy, which sold very well.

His best-known work is the Drizzt saga, a long run of linked trilogies and side series, some following companions or enemies of the hero. After a dispute with TSR over contract terms, he moved to Del Rey for The DemonWars Saga. He later wrote Vector Prime (1999), the first novel in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series, which drew criticism from fans for killing Chewbacca. He also wrote the story for video games, including Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone and the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

His books have sold more than fifteen million copies in the United States alone, and twenty-two of his titles have reached The New York Times bestseller list. His letters and manuscripts are held in the R. A. Salvatore collection at Fitchburg State. His lasting influence lies largely in Drizzt, a character who has anchored a large fantasy franchise for decades.