Deadhouse Gates

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Lore & Background

Deadhouse Gates is part of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, a ten-volume epic fantasy series by Canadian author Steven Erikson, published by Bantam Books in the U.K. and Tor Books in the U.S. The series presents narratives spanning thousands of years across multiple continents, with each of the first five novels being relatively self-contained while interweaving characters and events. The Malazan world was co-created by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont in the early 1980s as a backdrop for their GURPS roleplaying campaign. Esslemont's own six-novel series, Novels of the Malazan Empire, is set in the same world and considered equally canonical. The series has received widespread critical acclaim for its epic scope, plot complexity, and characterizations, with fellow authors Glen Cook and Stephen R. Donaldson hailing it as a masterwork of the imagination.

In Their Own Story

Deadhouse Gates continues the complicated series of events in the world upon which the Malazan Empire is located. The novel resolves its primary conflict while advancing the overarching narrative that binds the ten-volume series together. It features a large cast of characters whose stories unfold across multiple continents, exploring themes of empire, war, and the consequences of power. The novel's title references a location central to the plot, and its events are simultaneous with those in other works within the Malazan universe, including Esslemont's Novels of the Malazan Empire.

Reader's Guide

The novel is the second in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and Erikson and Esslemont recommend reading the books in order of publication. Deadhouse Gates is set in the same world as the first novel, Gardens of the Moon, and continues the narrative of the Malazan Empire. The story is relatively self-contained, resolving its primary conflict, but it also introduces and develops characters and plot threads that will reappear in later volumes. The novel's events are interwoven with those of Esslemont's Novels of the Malazan Empire, which cover simultaneous events such as the mystery of the Crimson Guard and the succession of the Malazan Empire.

Did You Know?

• Deadhouse Gates was voted one of the ten best fantasy novels of 2000 by SF Site.
• The Malazan world was co-created by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont in the early 1980s for a GURPS roleplaying campaign.
• Erikson and Esslemont co-created the world and discussed broad arcs, but Erikson wrote the main ten-book series independently; Esslemont's six Novels of the Malazan Empire are equally canonical but were not co-plotted in
• The series has been compared to the works of Joseph Conrad, Henry James, William Faulkner, and Fyodor Dostoevsky by critics and fellow authors.
• Erikson and Esslemont recommend reading the books in order of publication, not chronological order.

Origins and Collaborative Genesis

The expansive universe of the Malazan series traces its roots back to 1982, when authors Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont first constructed a world as a backdrop for their role-playing campaigns. Initially utilizing a modified version of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, the setting evolved significantly by 1986 after the duo adopted the GURPS system, growing into a complex world that would eventually span thousands of years and multiple continents. Their early attempts to adapt this world into a movie script titled Gardens of the Moon failed to secure interest, prompting a strategic pivot where both writers agreed to pen their own novel series within the shared setting. This collaboration resulted in two distinct but interwoven canons: Erikson's ten-volume Malazan Book of the Fallen and Esslemont's six-part Novels of the Malazan Empire. Despite being published under different titles, the authors meticulously coordinated storylines across all sixteen books, ensuring that Esslemont's works remained as integral to the overarching mythos as Erikson's primary narrative.

Narrative Structure and Reading Experience

The Malazan Book of the Fallen is renowned for its intricate plotting and vast ensemble cast, presenting complicated events centered around the Malazan Empire. While each of the first five novels functions as a relatively self-contained story that resolves its specific primary conflict, they are deeply bound together by recurring characters and underlying historical threads that span the entire series. This structure creates a dense narrative web where individual arcs contribute to a larger, cohesive whole. Regarding consumption, Erikson and Esslemont explicitly recommend reading the books in their order of publication rather than chronologically. Although Tor.com released a guide based on the approximate chronological sequence of events within the world, the authors themselves deemed this approach unsuitable for first-time readers. This insistence on publication order underscores the importance of narrative revelation and character development over strict historical timeline adherence, allowing the complexity of the plot to unfold as intended by the creators.

Critical Acclaim and Literary Comparisons

Since its inception, the series has garnered widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers consistently praising its epic scope, intricate plot complexity, and deep characterization. The literary quality of Erikson's work has drawn high praise from fellow fantasy masters; Glen Cook, author of The Black Company, and Stephen R. Donaldson, creator of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, have both hailed the series as a masterwork of imagination. Critics and peers alike have elevated Erikson's writing style by comparing him to heavyweight literary giants such as Joseph Conrad, Henry James, William Faulkner, and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Specific volumes within the series have also achieved notable recognition; for instance, the debut novel Gardens of the Moon was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award, while its successor, Deadhouse Gates, was voted one of the ten best fantasy novels of 2000 by SF Site. These accolades highlight the series' unique position in blending high-fantasy tropes with serious literary depth.

Expansion and Future Projects

Following the completion of the main ten-volume sequence, both authors continued to expand the universe through various prequels, sequels, and novella collections. Erikson wrote The Kharkanas Trilogy, a prequel focusing on the Tiste before their division into darkness, light, and shadow, which serves to illuminate background events hinted at in the original books. Esslemont contributed Path to Ascendancy, detailing the early rise of Kellanved and Dancer. Additionally, Erikson launched The Tales of Witness as a sequel series featuring Karsa Orlong's quest to destroy civilization, recently expanding from a planned trilogy to four novels. Beyond fiction, the authors explored non-narrative expansions; while an official encyclopedia was once discussed, plans shifted toward potential role-playing game adaptations that would release maps and notes through game installments. This ongoing development demonstrates a sustained commitment to fleshing out their shared world long after the initial contract for ten volumes concluded.