More than thirty years after leaving Florida State University, novelist Christopher Buehlman has published "The Thrice-Bound Fool," a new fantasy novel released on Oct. 13 that revisits the world of "The Blacktongue Thief." The book reunites readers with Kinch Na Shannack, a thief whose poor judgment and unreliable honesty make him an unusual fantasy protagonist.
From French Studies to Published Fiction
Buehlman graduated from Florida State in 1994 with a French major and a history minor. His career since then has spanned horror, fantasy, poetry and theater, with novels that have moved from plague-stricken medieval France to the supernatural underworld of modern New York. Much of that range traces back to the historical and literary interests he first pursued as an undergraduate.
He has credited his coursework with shaping his later writing. Reading the "Song of Roland" and medieval lais such as "Bisclavret" in French, alongside English-language courses on the Crusades and medieval Europe, gave him a foundation he did not immediately recognize as a career path. That changed when he wrote "Between Two Fires," a 2012 historical horror novel set during the Black Death of 1348. In his words, the book "would not exist without the education I received at Florida State."
Returning to a Continuing Character
"The Thrice-Bound Fool" is Buehlman's continuation of a series, a format he had not previously attempted with his novels. The main creative challenge was letting Kinch change over time without losing the traits that made him memorable. Buehlman said he found the character's voice again more easily than expected, with its crude humor and partly unreliable narration largely intact, though with more depth.
Buehlman has also said he builds his stories around the choices and circumstances of his characters rather than around reader expectations. He acknowledged that this approach can leave readers who prefer a tightly structured plot somewhat disoriented, but argued that it gives them something different from a conventional sequel.
A Wider Literary Record
Buehlman's work extends beyond fiction. His poem "Wanton" won the first Dorset award of the Bridport Prize in 2007, and his poetry has appeared in publications including the "Atlanta Review." His play "Hot Nights for the War Wives of Ithaka" premiered at Tampa's Jobsite Theater in 2012. Taken together, these projects show a writer who has resisted confinement to one period, genre or form.