Picture of author.

Tracy Hickman

Author of Dragons of Autumn Twilight

205+ Works 81,028 Members 653 Reviews 45 Favorited

About the Author

Tracy Hickman was born on November 26, 1955 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He entered the Missionary Home in Salt Lake City in 1975. From there, he was sent to Hawaii for language training for his eventual trip to Singapore. He was stationed in Hawaii and taught at the Mission House while waiting for his show more visa to come in. He preached the Mormon way of life in Indonesia for a year and a half. He was honorably released in 1977, and held a series of odd jobs after returning to the states including glass worker, television assistant director, and drill press operator in a genealogy center. In 1981, he approached by TSR about buying two of his gaming modules. He was hired by the company instead and began working with Margaret Weis. They wrote the DragonLance Chronicles together as well as over 40 books. He wrote two solo novels Requiem of Stars and The Immortals. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the names: Tracy Hickman, Tracy Raye Hickman

Image credit: Tracy Hickman

Series

Works by Tracy Hickman

Dragons of Autumn Twilight (1984) — Author — 5,638 copies
Dragons of Spring Dawning (1985) — Author — 4,511 copies
Dragons of Winter Night (1985) — Author — 4,245 copies
Time of the Twins (1986) 3,434 copies
Dragon Wing (1990) 3,235 copies
War of the Twins (1986) 3,190 copies
Test of the Twins (1986) — Author — 3,108 copies
Elven Star (1990) 2,535 copies
Dragons of Summer Flame (1995) — Author — 2,361 copies
Fire Sea (1991) 2,297 copies
Serpent Mage (1992) 2,196 copies
The Hand of Chaos (1993) 2,105 copies
Into the Labyrinth (1993) 2,073 copies
The Seventh Gate (1994) — Author — 2,051 copies
Dragons of a Fallen Sun (2000) 1,828 copies
Forging the Darksword (1987) 1,816 copies
The Second Generation (1994) — Author — 1,544 copies
Doom of the Darksword (1988) 1,523 copies
Triumph of the Darksword (1988) 1,518 copies
Dragons of a Lost Star (2001) 1,492 copies
The Magic of Krynn (1987) — Editor — 1,449 copies
Dragons of a Vanished Moon (2002) 1,386 copies
Kender, Gully Dwarves, and Gnomes (1987) — Editor — 1,253 copies
Love and War (1987) — Editor — 1,216 copies
The Dragonlance Chronicles (1984) 1,182 copies
The Will of the Wanderer (1988) 1,118 copies
The Paladin of the Night (1989) 956 copies
The Prophet of Akhran (1989) 887 copies
Well of Darkness (2000) 811 copies
The Annotated Chronicles (1999) 693 copies
Dragonlance: Legends (1986) 636 copies
The Reign of Istar (1992) 636 copies
The War of the Lance (1992) 603 copies
The Cataclysm (1992) — Editor — 584 copies
Guardians of the Lost (2000) 555 copies
Legacy of the Darksword (1997) 552 copies
The Dragons of Krynn (1994) — Editor — 523 copies
Mystic Warrior (2004) — Author — 497 copies
Journey into the Void (2003) 459 copies
Bones of the Dragon (2009) 439 copies
The Dragons at War (1996) — Editor — 339 copies
The Annotated Legends (2003) 330 copies
The Dragons of Chaos (1997) — Editor — 299 copies
Darksword Adventures (1989) 295 copies
Mystic Quest (2005) — Author — 270 copies
Leaves From the Inn of the Last Home (1993) — Editor — 220 copies
Mystic Empire (2006) — Author — 199 copies
The War of Souls Trilogy (2003) 194 copies
Relics and Omens (1998) — Editor — 191 copies
Secret of the Dragon (2010) 190 copies
Heroes and Fools (1999) — Editor — 188 copies
The Immortals (1996) 181 copies
The Search for Magic: Tales from the War of Souls (2001) — Editor — 179 copies
A Rumor of Dragons (2003) 179 copies
The Mantle of Kendis-Dai (1996) 173 copies
Wayne of Gotham (2012) 171 copies
I6: Ravenloft (1983) 154 copies
Speed of Darkness (2002) 152 copies
Rebels and Tyrants (2000) — Editor — 145 copies
Treasures of Fantasy (1997) — Editor — 143 copies
Song of the Dragon (2010) 140 copies
Requiem of Stars (1996) 112 copies
DL1: Dragons of Despair (1984) 108 copies
Night of the Dragons (2003) — Editor — 104 copies
The Best of Tales, Volume One (2000) — Editor — 99 copies
The Players of Gilean (2003) — Editor — 94 copies
More Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home (2000) — Editor — 86 copies
Rage of the Dragon (2012) 82 copies
Dragons: Worlds Afire (2006) 78 copies
Rose of the Prophet (1990) 77 copies
The Nightmare Lands (2003) 72 copies
Dragons of Hope (1984) 69 copies
Hope's Flame (2003) 66 copies
The Best of Tales, Volume Two (2002) — Editor — 66 copies
To the Gates of Palanthas (2003) 63 copies
Eventide (2012) 59 copies
Citadels of the Lost (2011) 59 copies
A Dawn of Dragons (2004) 57 copies
Dragons of Fate: Dragonlance Destinies: Volume 2 (2023) — Author — 57 copies
DL10: Dragons of Dreams (1985) 48 copies
Die Brüder (1990) 47 copies
Desert of Desolation (I3-5) (1987) 47 copies
Drachenzwielicht (1989) 46 copies
Die Stadt der Göttin (1990) 46 copies
Drachenwinter (1989) 46 copies
Drachenjäger (1989) 45 copies
Drachendämmerung (1989) 44 copies
Drachenkrieg (1989) 42 copies
Drachenzauber (1989) 42 copies
Test of the Twins, Part 1 (1991) 40 copies
Doom of the Dragon (2011) 39 copies
Der Krieg der Brüder (1986) 39 copies
Test of the Twins, Part 2 (1991) 39 copies
Die Königin der Finsternis (1991) 38 copies
Blood of the Emperor (2012) 38 copies
House of Strahd (1777) 35 copies
Dragons of Truth (DL13) (1986) 35 copies
Drachensommer (1997) 34 copies
XDM: X-Treme Dungeon Mastery (2009) — Author — 33 copies
Dragons of Autumn (2006) — Designer — 31 copies
Drachenfeuer (1997) 30 copies
Dragons of Spring (2008) — Designer — 26 copies
Die Zitadelle des Magus (1991) 26 copies
Der edle Ritter (1991) 25 copies
Der Zauber des Palin (1991) 21 copies
Die Jagd des Toede (1991) 20 copies
Raistlins Tochter (1991) 19 copies
Der magische Turm (1991) 18 copies
Apéndices (1990) 15 copies
XDM: Quest for the Tavern (2010) — Author — 7 copies
Uppvaknandet (2006) 6 copies
Blackshore (2013) 5 copies
Dragon Wing Part 2 of 2 (1997) 5 copies
Dragon Wing Part 1 of 2 (1998) 5 copies
Expeditionen (2007) 4 copies
Elf csillag I. (1999) 4 copies
Flykten (2005) 4 copies
Portalen (2008) 4 copies
Sammandrabbningen (2009) 4 copies
Elf csillag II. (1999) 3 copies
Tűztenger I. (2000) 3 copies
Tűztenger II. (2000) 3 copies
A saga da lança do dragão — Author — 1 copy
XDM: Assault on Santa's Workshop — Author — 1 copy
RPGA2 Black Opal Eye — Author — 1 copy
Tales 1 copy

Associated Works

Ethan Frome (1911) — Editor, some editions — 9,441 copies
Player's Handbook (2014) — Contributor — 2,315 copies
Dungeon Master's Guide (2014) — Contributor — 1,528 copies
The Soulforge (1998) — Foreword — 1,349 copies
Monster Manual (5e) (2014) — Contributor — 1,340 copies
The Lost King (1991) — Introduction, some editions — 808 copies
Curse of Strahd (2016) — Creative consultant; Foreword — 349 copies
Atlas of the Dragonlance World (1987) — Foreword — 187 copies
The Sellsword (2008) — Creator — 97 copies
The Survivors (2008) — Creator — 64 copies
B1-9: In Search of Adventure (1987) — some editions — 54 copies
Dragons of Triumph (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Module DL14) (1986) — Original outline — 44 copies
DragonLance Dragons of Autumn Twilight (2008) — Novel — 17 copies

Tagged

20th century (184) AD&D (195) adventure (449) American (217) American literature (332) anthology (301) classic (332) classics (370) D&D (1,339) Darksword (216) Death Gate Cycle (1,037) Dragonlance (6,334) Dragonlance Chronicles (267) dragons (1,093) ebook (400) elves (215) epic fantasy (256) fantasy (15,260) fiction (5,516) hardcover (272) high fantasy (403) literature (226) magic (462) Margaret Weis (258) mmpb (230) New England (199) novel (709) own (408) owned (292) paperback (537) read (1,252) RPG (452) science fiction (710) series (808) sff (401) short stories (289) to-read (2,159) TSR (191) unread (281) Weis (184)

Common Knowledge

Members

Discussions

Found: Sword and Sorcery fiction novel in Name that Book (January 2021)

Reviews

The third anthology in the 'Tales of the Fifth Age' series, which started with Relics and Omens, followed by Heroes and Fools. These short stories either precede or occur in the period of the War of Souls, which I've yet to read (just like the trilogy The Dawning of a New Age, for example, which precedes the War of Souls).

Circumstances haven't been favourable these past months, hence my taking so long to finish this book. Despite that, and perhaps some change in taste, I found this one not as strong as the previous two, despite some expectations, especially from authors whose previous reads I did enjoy.

Anyway, like before, (most of) these tales are nice to read in-between other books, telling of what happened after the Chaos War and as a preparation for the next events on the Dragonlance timeline. Don't read this if you're not familiar with Dragonlance, even if some tales could have been part of any fantasy universe, somehow.
… (more)
 
Flagged
TechThing | 1 other review | Mar 11, 2024 |
Even though everything that bugged me about this series remained present here: out-of-place humour that isn't really that funny, emotional arcs for characters that don't make sense of play out realistically, and a confusion of theme and tone... is this about temptation, forgiveness, or just a struggle between good and evil?

(The authors play it vague between all of these and none of them really pay off, at least in ways that make sense. They have plot signposts that signify the dramatic moment, but they don't actually earn it.)

Even though all of that is still present, I found this book and this series to be very readable. Moreso than some other D&D or other game-universe novelizations out there. The plot moves along briskly and in that respect a lot of the problems feel less so, because you're not dwelling in them long enough to be truly bothered. There is an epic scope here, and even if the book doesn't really make the best use of it, it does gesture at it enough that you can fill it out in your head... which is probably exactly what made these books so magical for teenagers. (Who also didn't yet have the emotional literacy to sense how bland the emotional arcs of these characters truly are.)

This might be why Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time is so difficult for me... it has a rolling plot, but instead of moving briskly through its repetitive writing tics and one-note characters, it dwells on them... you're stuck in these moments for much longer. (One Wheel of Time book is as long as this entire trilogy.)
… (more)
 
Flagged
JasonMehmel | 19 other reviews | Feb 9, 2024 |
It's interesting how strange the whimsical and overtly silly elements of Dragonlance read today. Gully Dwarves, who speak in a pidgin English, Kender, who are a race of basically thieves but who are actually just really curious, and a lot of fat jokes at Caramon's expense are all in this novel. And much of those elements are the weakest; they're not really funny or charming, and they wear out their welcome very quickly in the narrative.

Yet, strangely, it's a compelling read. The characters go for things they want, they try to overcome obstacles, and there is some truly epic scope here even if the execution falters at the prose level.… (more)
 
Flagged
JasonMehmel | 28 other reviews | Feb 9, 2024 |
Over the years, I've read some fantasy romance, but I can't say that I've read much in the way of straight epic fantasy. This happens to be one of my husband's favorite genres, and Dragonlance, one of his favorite series. He has been trying to talk me into reading them for years, and I finally acquiesced to his prodding when I needed a dragon-themed book for two reading challenges in which I was participating. I had previously tried one of Weis & Hickman's other books which I had a hard time getting into and never finished. I'm happy to say that Dragons of Autumn Twilight was a very enjoyable read for me with a cast of likable characters that were easy to root for. I found quite a number of parallels between this book and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, although my husband tells me that's pretty much par for the course in this type of fantasy since LOTR was the main inspiration for all the books that have followed in this genre. I think the book may have been suffering a wee bit from the first in a series syndrome, where it takes a little while for the world-building to get up to speed. It started off at a pretty fast pace with six long-time friends reuniting after five years apart, only to become almost immediately embroiled in trouble and running for their lives after helping two strangers escape from those who would do them harm. Then, I thought the next 100+ pages were a little slow with the characters traveling from place to place and meeting lots of other characters, but not a lot happening plot-wise. Things really took off when the group began traveling to Xak Tsaroth. From there, it was pretty exciting, almost non-stop adventure that got more and more interesting with each page I turned.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight has an ensemble cast of eight main characters, all of whom have their own distinct personalities. Tanis is the leader of the group. He is a skilled warrior but abhors killing. He constantly struggles between his elf and human sides, and his heart is equally torn between a human woman and an elf maid. Flint the dwarf has been friends with Tanis for many, many years (they're both around 150). He can be gruff and grouchy at times, but he can also be incredibly funny, especially when paired with Tas. Tasslehoff was an absolutely hilarious character, a mischievous little creature known as a kender, he was always getting into some kind of trouble. He has no fear and is always the most cheerful member of the group. He's great at finding things, picking locks, and the like. Sturm is a knight who grew up in exile when the knights of his father's order fell into disrespect. He is pretty dark and moody, but very loyal to his friends and perhaps even more so to his knighthood. His chivalry toward the ladies and his extremely strong sense of honor were wonderful qualities. Sturm's childhood friend, Caramon, is a big, hulking guy who's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, but his loyalty to his twin brother, Raistlin, was quite endearing. Raistlin is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. He isn't the most likable character in the story, but he definitely is one of the most interesting. He was apparently power-hungry enough to sacrifice his health in exchange for his mage's powers. Often he was not particularly sympathetic, as he sometimes treated the others in the group, including his brother, with a condescending attitude, but then the next minute he surprised me by actually seeming to care about the gully dwarves. He claimed not to know the future, yet his advice always seemed to be spot on. Raistlin was a very mysterious character indeed. Goldmoon aka Chieftan's Daughter is the leader of her people and the bearer of the mystical blue crystal staff. She fell in love with Riverwind even though he was considered far beneath her in station. She was a brave and compassionate woman whose faith in the ancient gods was strong and who found her true calling in life during their search for the truth. Riverwind was gifted with the staff during an impossible quest to prove himself worthy of Goldmoon. He nearly died more than once and obviously loved her very much, not only to have gone through all that, but to have waited to marry her for so long.

I was beginning to wonder if there were going to be any other strong female characters besides Goldmoon, but later in the quest, the group was joined by several new characters two of whom were women. Tika is a sweet, innocent barmaid who actually appeared in the opening chapters too. She has a huge crush on Caramon, and wants to be a warrior woman like his sister. Laurana is the beautiful elf-maiden who is one of the two women that Tanis loves. She only has eyes for him and wants nothing more than to win his heart all for herself. Then there is Fizban, a doddering old mage who is quite possibly even more hilarious than Tas. He had me laughing and smiling through nearly every scene he was in.

I loved the banter between Flint and Tas that never failed to have me in stitches, but nearly all the characters seemed very capable of pulling off one-liners every so often. There are plenty of serious things that happen too. The action scenes, especially those involving the dragons, were quite suspenseful. There is a fair bit of violence, including a few somewhat gory scenes, but other than that, I didn't find anything particularly objectionable which in my opinion, makes the book appropriate for teens and up. In spite of the more intense moments, the overall tone of the book was lighter then I was expecting, making it a fairly easy read, and yet at the same time, rather complex. I was left with many questions, mainly about the character histories, which I hope to find the answers to in future books of the series. I'm so glad I finally picked up Dragons of Autumn Twilight. It may have ended with a resolution to the immediate conflict, but it's obvious there is much more story to tell for these companions which makes me eager to continue the Dragonlance Chronicles series soon.
… (more)
½
 
Flagged
mom2lnb | 88 other reviews | Jan 24, 2024 |

Lists

Awards

You May Also Like

Associated Authors

Michael Williams Contributor, Poetry
Richard A. Knaak Contributor
Laura Hickman Author, Contributor, Designer
Douglas Niles Contributor, Designer
Margaret Weis Contributor, Editor
Jeff Grubb Contributor, Designer
Don Perrin Contributor
Mary Kirchoff Contributor, Editor
Keith Parkinson Illustrator, Cover artist
Michael Dobson Author, Designer
Jim Holloway Cover artist
Heine Stick Adaptation
Clive Squire Adaptation
Nick O'Donohoe Contributor
Matt Stawicki Cover artist, Cover Artist
Roger E. Moore Contributor
Paul B. Thompson Contributor
Linda P. Baker Contributor
Scott Siegel Contributor
Barbara Siegel Contributor
Janet Pack Contributor
Jean Rabe Contributor
Dan Parkinson Contributor
Mark Anthony Contributor
Kevin T. Stein Contributor
Tonya R. Carter Contributor
Dezra Despain Contributor
Harold Bakst Contributor
Valerie Valusek Illustrator, Interior art
Kate Novak Contributor
Chris Pierson Contributor
Jeff Crook Contributor
Teri Williams Contributor
Stephen Youll Cover artist
Todd Fahnestock Contributor
Warren B. Smith Contributor
Karl Waller Illustrator
Teri McLaren Contributor
Adam Lesh Contributor
Kevin James Kage Contributor
Danny Peary Contributor
Morris Simon Contributor
Kevin Randle Contributor
Todd Lockwood Cover artist
Miranda Horner Contributor
Donald J. Bingle Contributor
Dan Harnden Contributor
Kevin Stein Contributor
Amy Stout Contributor
John Grubber Contributor
Aron Eisenberg Contributor
J. Robert King Contributor
Jacen Burrows Illustrator
Sean Macdonald Maps, Adaptation
Harold Johnson Contributor, Designer
Robyn McGrew Contributor
William W. Connors Contributor
Richard Knaak Contributor
Giles Custer Contributor
Brian Murphy Contributor
Anne McCaffrey Contributor
Mercedes Lackey Contributor
Jennifer Roberson Contributor
R. A. Lafferty Contributor
Robert Sheckley Contributor
Avram Davidson Contributor
Joanna Russ Contributor
Roger Zelanzy Contributor
John Jakes Contributor
Theodore Sturgeon Contributor
Alan Brennert Contributor
Jane Yolen Contributor
Poul Anderson Contributor
Andre Norton Contributor
C. J. Cherryh Contributor
Larry Niven Contributor
Philip K. Dick Contributor
Lois Tilton Contributor
Rawn Melanie Contributor
Orson Scott Card Contributor
Ursula K. Le Guin Contributor
Fergus Ryan Contributor
Steven Stan Brown Contributor
Peter Archer Contributor
Nicole Harsch Contributor
Mary Krammes Contributor
Sue Cook Contributor
Steve Miller Contributor
Howard Tayler Illustrator
Tonya C. Carter Contributor
Mike Morhaime Introduction
Denise Little Introduction
Clark Valentine Adaptation
Larry Elmore Cover artist, Interior art
Sandro Sandrelli Translator
Mika Renvall Translator
Denis Beauvais Illustrator
Jeff Easley Cover artist
Dennis Kauth Cartography, Map
Larry Ellmore Cover artist
Steve Fabian Interior art, Illustrator
Tere Casanovas Translator
Jeffrey Butler Illustrator
Steve Kurth Illustrator
Marita Böhm Translator
Ernő Hárs Translator
Ned Dameron Illustrator, Interior artist
Ruth Hoyer Designer
Jean Black Editor
Valerie A. Valusek Illustrator
Jeffrey L. Ward Illustrator
Peggy A. Murphy Author photo
Jamie S. Warren Youll Cover designer
Jennell Jaquays Cover artist
Clyde Caldwell Cover artist
Jean Pierre Targete Cover artist
Henry Higginbotham Cover artist
Stephen Fabian Illustrator
Edward Miller Cover artist
Lloyd James Narrator
Don Clavette Cover artist
Alan Pollock Cover artist
Paul Youll Cover artist
Monte Moore Cover artist
Ron Spears Cover artist
Daniel Horne Cover artist
Simon Vance Narrator
Diana Magnuson Interior art

Statistics

Works
205
Also by
13
Members
81,028
Popularity
#152
Rating
½ 3.7
Reviews
653
ISBNs
1,372
Languages
21
Favorited
45

Charts & Graphs