Raymond E. Feist was born in 1945 in Los Angeles, and was raised in Southern California. He was born with the name Raymond E. Gonzales III; when his mother remarried, he took the surname of his adoptive stepfather, Felix E. Feist. He graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors in 1977 from the University of California at San Diego. During that year Feist had some ideas for a novel about a boy who would be a magician. He wrote the novel two years later, and it was published in 1982 by Doubleday. Feist currently lives with his children in San Diego, where he collects fine wine, DVDs, and books on a variety of topics of personal interest: wine, biographies, history, and, especially, the history of American professional football.

The Riftwar Cycle

The majority of Feist's works are part of The Riftwar Cycle, a fictional universe featuring the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan. Human magicians and other creatures on the two planets are able to create "rifts" through dimensionless space that can connect planets in different solar systems. The novels and short stories of The Riftwar Cycle record the adventures of the people on the various worlds.

Midkemia was originally created as an alternative to the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) role-playing game. When Feist studied at the University of California, San Diego, he and his friends created a new role-playing game based on their own original world of Midkemia. They called themselves the Thursday Nighters, because they played the Midkemia role-playing game every Thursday evening. After some time, when the group changed and began meeting on Fridays, they became known as the Friday Nighters. The original group have since formed a company called Midkemia Press, which has continued publishing campaigns set in Midkemia.

Other works

Feist has published one non-Riftwar novel, Faerie Tale, a dark fantasy set in the state of New York. He has also published several short stories in various anthologies.

Riftwar Cycle

The Riftwar Saga

• Magician (1982)

Republished in two parts in the United States:

# Apprentice (1986)

# Master (1986)

• Silverthorn (1985)
• A Darkness at Sethanon (1986)

The Empire Trilogy

• Daughter of the Empire (1987) with Janny Wurts
• Servant of the Empire (1990) with Janny Wurts
• Mistress of the Empire (1992) with Janny Wurts

Krondor's Sons

• Prince of the Blood (1989)
• The King's Buccaneer (1992)

The Serpentwar Saga

• Shadow of a Dark Queen (1994)
• Rise of a Merchant Prince (1995)
• Rage of a Demon King (1997)
• Shards of a Broken Crown (1998)

The Riftwar Legacy

• The Betrayal (1998)
• The Assassins (1999)
• Tear of the Gods (2000)

Legends of the Riftwar

• Honoured Enemy (2001) with William R. Forstchen
• Murder in LaMut (2002) with Joel Rosenberg
• Jimmy the Hand (2003) with S. M. Stirling

Conclave of Shadows

• Talon of the Silver Hawk (2002)
• King of Foxes (2003)
• Exile's Return (2004)

Darkwar Saga

• Flight of the Nighthawks (2005)
• Into a Dark Realm (2006)
• Wrath of a Mad God (2008)

Demonwar Saga

• Rides a Dread Legion (2009)
• At the Gates of Darkness (2010)

Chaoswar Saga

• A Kingdom Besieged (TBA) (March 29, 2011)
• A Crown Imperiled (TBA) No announced release date, Not yet published
• Magician's End (TBA) No announced release date, Not yet published

Short stories

• Profit and the Grey Assassin (1982)(Set in the Rifwar Cycle 'universe') in Fantasy Book (journal)
• The Wood Boy (1998) in Legends (ed. Robert Silverberg)
• The Messenger (2003) in Legends II (ed. Robert Silverberg)

Role Playing Games

• Tulan of the Isles (1981) with Stephen Abrams published by Midkemia Press
• Jonril, Gateway to the Sunken Lands (1982) with Stephen Abrams published by Midkemia Press

Other works

Novels

• Faerie Tale (1988)

Short stories

• Geroldos Incredible Trick (1997) in A Magic Lovers Treasury of the Fantastic (ed. Margaret Weis)
• One to Go (2002) in Thieves World: Turning Points (ed. Lynn Abbey)
• Watchfire (2004) with Janny Wurts in Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy (ed. Al Sarrantonio)