FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOHN DAHLGREN ADAPTS CLASSICAL FANTASY STORYTELLING
FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Swedish
award-winning author heads to U.S. for first ever book tour overseas
December 2012 – A librarian lemming took readers on a nautical pirate’s
adventure in The Tides of Avarice,
landing in a fantasy world set three hundred years earlier in John Dahlgren’s
second young adult novel Sagaria. The
Swedish author travels over seas himself for his first U.S. book tour in winter
2013.
As a trained psychologist, it’s no surprise most of the
high praise Dahlgren has received for his writing focuses on the three-dimensional
characters he’s created. Readers are particularly entranced by Tides villain Cap’n Rustbane’s constant mood shifts as a highly
intelligent yet brutal man suffering from schizophrenia.
“Each character is unique and I’ve
tried to get into their heads – definitely a work related hazard, being a
psychologist – to see how each and every one of them would react when facing an
unexpected situation,” Dahlgren said. “They also learn a lot about themselves
during their adventures together.”
Having grown up close to the vast
and untamed landscapes of Scandinavia, Dahlgren was influenced
from an early age by the Nordic sagas and mythologies. The enchanting
environment is evident in his young adult tales that re-introduce the Victorian
writing style and a touch of cozy fairytale surroundings.
Dahlgren
also spent time researching the books at natural history museums to compare animal
sizes and traits, in Stockholm to study a well-preserved ship from the 17th
century, and all throughout the caves, mountains and castles of Switzerland.
“Even when writing fiction and
fantasy, things have to make at least some
real sense. Otherwise, the story collapses and the reader’s interest lost,”
Dahglren explains. “As Mark Twain once said, ‘The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction has to make
sense.’”
Tides became a Fantasy
Fiction finalist in the International Book Awards and Silver Medal winner in Fantasy
Fiction from ForeWord’s Book of
the Year Awards. The magazine said the debut was “as cheering and as engaging a
swashbuckling yarn as any a pirate lover could imagine.” Readers were just as
pleased with Dahlgren’s second novel Sagaria, which re-releases as a three-part eBook
series in January 2013.
Hugo
and World Fantasy award-winning author John Grant describes Dahlgren as “constantly inventive,” and Bestsellersworld.com calls him “a
masterful storyteller.” Lifestyle
Magazine said Tides is “reminiscent of a furry version of Pirates of the Caribbean. The characters
are endearing and the story has both depth and soul.” Book blogger Ray
Mears said she found herself “outflanked” by Dahlgren, thinking
she knew where the story was going, “only
to find it took a completely unexpected turn. That hasn’t happened for a while.
Buy it, read it, love it. Yarghhhhhh!”
Dahlgren
studied creative and fiction writing at Oxford University. A member of the
Swiss Psychologist Federation, he has also written nonfiction articles for
numerous scientific journals and a Swedish magazine.
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