View source for Robin Hobb

{{Short description|American fiction writer (born 1952)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| name             = Robin Hobb
| image            = Robin Hobb by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| caption          = Hobb in 2017
| alt              = 
| pseudonym        = Robin Hobb, Megan Lindholm
| birth_name       = Margaret Astrid Lindholm
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1952|3|5}}
| birth_place      = [[Berkeley, California]], U.S.
| death_date       = 
| death_place      = 
| occupation       = Writer
| period           = 1983–present
| genre            = [[Fantasy fiction]]
| notableworks     = {{plainlist|
* ''[[Wizard of the Pigeons]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Realm of the Elderlings]]'' (1995–2017)
}}
| subject          = 
| movement         = 
| spouse           = Fred Ogden
| awards           =
| website          = {{url|robinhobb.com}}<br>{{url|meganlindholm.com}}
| education        = [[University of Denver]] (no degree)
}}

'''Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden''' ({{nee|'''Lindholm'''}}; born March 5, 1952), known by her pen names '''Robin Hobb''' and '''Megan Lindholm''', is an American writer of [[speculative fiction]]. As Hobb, she is best known for her [[fantasy]] novels set in the ''Realm of the Elderlings'', which comprise the ''[[Farseer trilogy|Farseer]]'', ''[[Liveship Traders]]'' and ''[[Tawny Man trilogy|Tawny Man]]'' trilogies, the [[Rain Wild Chronicles|''Rain Wild'' ''Chronicles'']], and the [[Fitz and the Fool trilogy|''Fitz and the Fool'' trilogy]]. Lindholm's writing includes the [[urban fantasy]] novel ''[[Wizard of the Pigeons]]'' and science fiction short stories, among other works. {{As of|2018}}, her fiction has been translated into 22 languages and sold more than 4 million copies.<ref name=le-monde-2018/>

Born in California, Lindholm grew up in [[Alaska]] and the [[Pacific Northwest]] and married a [[Sailor|mariner]] at age 18. The Alaskan wilderness and the ocean were prominent aspects of her life, influencing her writing. After an early career in short fiction, at age 30, Lindholm published [[Windsingers series|her first novel]] while working as a waitress and raising children. The first work to bring her recognition was the 1986 novel ''Wizard of the Pigeons'', a [[liminal fantasy]] set in Seattle. A forerunner of the urban fantasy genre, it received praise for Lindholm's depiction of understated magic and poverty. Her science fiction novella "A Touch of Lavender" was nominated for the [[Hugo Award|Hugo]] and [[Nebula Award]]s. While critically well received, Lindholm's work did not sell well; she began writing under the pen name Robin Hobb in 1995.

Hobb achieved commercial success with her debut work under this pseudonym, the [[Farseer trilogy|''Farseer'' trilogy]]. An [[High fantasy|epic fantasy]] told as a first-person [[retrospective]], it has been described as a character-driven and introspective work. Hobb went on to write four further series set in the ''Realm of the Elderlings'', which received praise from critics for her characterization, and in 2005 ''[[The Times]]'' described her as "one of the great modern fantasy writers".<ref name=times-2005/> Through her writing, Hobb explores [[Other (philosophy)|otherness]], [[ecocentrism]], [[queer]]ness, and gender as themes. She concluded the ''Elderlings'' series in 2017 and won the [[World Fantasy Award—Life Achievement]] in 2021.<ref name=SFE/>

== Early life ==
Margaret Astrid Lindholm was born in [[Berkeley, California]], in 1952;<ref name=SFE/> from the age of 10, she grew up in [[Fairbanks, Alaska]].<ref name=le-monde-2015/><ref name=hobb-5000-words/> She recalls growing up in the middle of an [[oil boom]] in Alaska, which led to a rapid growth in population of the rural town she lived in. A shortage of classroom space caused some of her high school classes to be held on staircases. Lindholm did not like how the town's urbanization intruded on the nature trails around her house, which she had enjoyed exploring, but said her childhood was overall a happy one and described herself as more of a solitary than social child.<ref name=starlog/> Her family raised a [[Wolfdog|half wolf]] called Bruno and hunted [[Reindeer|caribou]] and moose; this would later inspire the wolf character Nighteyes and the descriptions of wilderness survival in Lindholm's writing.<ref name=times-2005/><ref name=sun-herald/> After graduating from [[Lathrop High School (Alaska)|Lathrop High School]], she studied at the [[University of Denver]] for a year before returning to Alaska.<ref name=stuff-nz/>

At 18, Lindholm married Fred Ogden, a merchant mariner; they had been dating for a year.<ref name=hobb-5000-words/><ref name=stuff-nz/> The couple moved to Hawaii; they lived there for more than a year, but found it too hot to acclimate to and returned to Fred's hometown of [[Kodiak, Alaska|Kodiak]], located at the tip of [[Kodiak Island]] in south-central Alaska.<ref name=starlog/><ref name=stuff-nz/> Margaret enjoyed journeying on Fred's ships and said the sea was a prominent aspect of her life, inspiring the maritime focus of her ''Liveship'' books.<ref name=starlog/> She published her first novel at age 30, while working as a waitress;<ref name=guardian-2017/> she balanced between writing and caring for her four children while her husband worked offshore as a commercial fisherman.<ref name=sfx-251/> The family experienced financial difficulties at the time and said their income "depended entirely on fish and editors".<ref name=herald-sun/> Margaret described her writing process as: "writing fits into odd corners. It's during the naptime, it's sitting by the bath tub writing, it's writing after the children are in bed". She also worked part-time, including in waitressing and mail delivery, early in her career.<ref name=sfx-251/>

== Writing career ==
Hobb's work has appeared under several pen names: as M. Lindholm and Megan Lindholm from 1979, and as Robin Hobb from 1995.<ref name=lightspeed/> The change from Margaret, her first name, to Megan was due to a misunderstanding with her first editor.<ref name=lightspeed/> Megan Lindholm's writing received critical praise,{{sfnp|Blaschke|2005|p=55}} including Hugo and Nebula Award nominations for her short fiction,<ref name=SFADB-Lindholm/> but did not sell well.{{sfnp|Blaschke|2005|p=58}} In 1995, the author started writing in a new fantasy subgenre and deliberately chose an [[Androgyny|androgynous]] pen name, Robin Hobb, for her new work written as a first-person male narrator.{{sfnp|Blaschke|2005|p=58}}<ref name=lightspeed/> Her writing as Hobb was commercially successful, and has appeared on New York Times bestseller lists.<ref name=nyt-2014/> She continues to write under both Hobb and Lindholm bylines.{{sfnp|Blaschke|2005|p=59}}

=== As Megan Lindholm ===
Lindholm sold her first short story to a children's magazine, leading to an early career writing for children.<ref name=guardian-2017/><ref name=SFE/> Her short fiction for children appeared in magazines such as ''[[Humpty Dumpty (magazine)|Humpty Dumpty]]'', ''[[Jack and Jill (magazine)|Jack and Jill]]'', and ''[[Highlights for Children]]''.<ref name=hobb-bio/> She also composed educational material, short works of fiction created to a very specific vocabulary list, which were used in [[Science Research Associates|SRA]]'s programmed reading material.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Author: Robin Hobb |url=https://www.audible.com/author/Robin-Hobb/B000AP7LIY |access-date=July 22, 2021 |website=[[Audible (service)|Audible]]}}</ref>

In the 1970s, Lindholm also began to write short fantasy, publishing short stories in fanzines such as ''Space and Time'' (edited by Gordon Linzner).<ref name=hobb-5000-words/> Her first professional sale as a fantasy writer was the short story "Bones for Dulath", which appeared in the 1979 ''[[Amazons!]]'' anthology, and which introduced her recurring characters Ki and Vandien.{{sfnp|Storm|1996|p=1053}} The anthology, published by [[DAW Books]], won a [[World Fantasy Award]] for Year's Best Anthology.<ref name=SFADB-wf-1980/> A second story featuring Ki and Vandien, "The Small One," was published in ''Fantastic Stories'' in 1980.<ref name=lindholm-shorts/>

Until 1995, she continued to publish exclusively under the name Megan Lindholm.<ref name=SFE/> Her fiction under that name spans several slices of the fantasy genre, from fantasy adventure (the Ki and Vandien tales) to urban fantasy.{{sfnp|Storm|1996|p=1054}} Her 1986 novel ''[[Wizard of the Pigeons]]'' was one of the precursors of the [[urban fantasy]] genre, and was the first work to bring her wider attention.<ref name=tor-2010/><ref name=Fantasy-Encyc/>

[[File:Mons089 Robin Hobb.jpg|right|thumb|Hobb at the Trolls & Legends festival in [[Mons, Belgium|Mons]], [[Belgium]] in April 2011]]

Lindholm's first novel, ''[[Harpy's Flight]]'', was published by Ace in 1983. It was the first of four novels about the characters Ki and Vandien, the last of which was published in 1989.{{sfnp|Storm|1996|pp=1052, 1054}} She contributed short stories to a shared world anthology entitled ''[[Liavek]]'' from 1985 to 1988,<ref name=hobb-5000-words/> and co-wrote a novel, ''[[The Gypsy (novel)|The Gypsy]]'', with [[Steven Brust]].{{sfnp|D'Ammassa|2006|pp=162–163}} ''The Gypsy'' was released both as a traditional paper book and as part of an enhanced multimedia CD which included the text of the novel as well as the [[Boiled in Lead]] album ''[[Songs from The Gypsy (Boiled in Lead album)|Songs From the Gypsy]]'', which was considered the soundtrack to the novel<ref name="Vess2006">{{Cite book |last=Vess |first=Charles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HyEklvq-WqEC&pg=PA183 |title=The Book of Ballads |date=March 7, 2006 |publisher=Tom Doherty Associates |isbn=978-0-7653-1215-0 |pages=183–190 |author-link=Charles Vess}}</ref> and featured songs written by Brust and his [[Cats Laughing]] bandmate [[Adam Stemple]] which had inspired the creation of both the novel and the album.<ref name="SHInterview">{{Cite web |last=Olson |first=Chris |date=February 3, 2003 |title=Interview: Steven Brust |url=http://www.strangehorizons.com/2003/20030203/brust.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103100107/http://www.strangehorizons.com/2003/20030203/brust.shtml |archive-date=January 3, 2010 |website=[[Strange Horizons]]}}</ref><ref name="stribgypsy">{{Cite news |last=Covert |first=Colin |date=July 10, 1995 |title=Is It a Book? Is It Computer Software? Is It a Music CD? Yes. |work=Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune}}</ref>

She has continued to publish short stories as Megan Lindholm,{{sfnp|Blaschke|2005|p=59}} including an appearance in the 2013 anthology ''Year's Best SF 18''.<ref name="yearsbest18">{{Cite book |last=Lindholm |first=Megan |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xdpWAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15 |title=Year's Best SF 18 |publisher=Macmillan |year=2013 |isbn=9781466838185 |editor-last=Hartwell |editor-first=David G. |pages=15–33 |chapter=Old Paint}}</ref>

=== As Robin Hobb ===
Robin Hobb, a pseudonym that Lindholm has used for writing works of epic traditional fantasy, first appeared in 1995.<ref name=stuff-nz/> Her writing has mainly focused on the ''Realm of the Elderlings'', a series of 16 books written in five parts. The series comprises four trilogies and one tetralogy{{snd}}the ''Farseer'', the ''Liveship Traders'', the ''Tawny Man'', the ''Rain Wild'', and the ''Fitz and the Fool''{{snd}} set in the same world.<ref name=SFE/>

Hobb's first work was the [[Farseer trilogy|''Farseer'' trilogy]], narrated in first person by FitzChivalry Farseer, illegitimate son of a prince, and featuring an enigmatic character called the Fool.<ref name=tor-2019/> The first volume of the trilogy, ''[[Assassin's Apprentice]]'', was published in 1995, followed by ''[[Royal Assassin]]'' in 1996 and ''[[Assassin's Quest]]'' in 1997. Hobb next wrote a nautical fantasy series, the ''[[Liveship Traders]]'', set in a different part of the ''Elderlings'' world and featuring pirates, sea serpents, a family of traders and their living ships. The books of the trilogy, ''[[Ship of Magic]]'', ''[[The Mad Ship]]'' and ''[[Ship of Destiny]]'', were published between 1998 and 2000.<ref name=new-statesman/> Over the following three years, Hobb returned to the first-person narrative of Fitz in the ''[[Tawny Man]]'' trilogy, set after the events of the ''Liveship'' novels and comprising ''[[Fool's Errand (novel)|Fool's Errand]]'', ''[[The Golden Fool]]'', and ''[[Fool's Fate]]''. As of 2003, Robin Hobb had sold over one million copies of her first nine novels, which formed three trilogies set in the ''Realm of the Elderlings''.<ref name=new-statesman/><ref name=black-gate-2017/>

The three books of the [[Soldier Son Trilogy|''Soldier Son'' trilogy]] (''Shaman's Crossing'', ''Forest Mage'', and ''Renegade's Magic'') are Hobb's only works to be set outside of the ''Elderlings'' world;{{sfnp|Larsson|2021|p=125}} the books were published between 2005 and 2009.{{sfnp|Young|2014|pp=33–34}} In addition, ''The Inheritance'', published in 2011, was a collection of short stories written both as Robin Hobb and as Megan Lindholm.<ref name=kirkus-2011/>

From 2009 to 2013, Hobb released the four novels of the ''[[Rain Wild Chronicles]]'' (''Dragon Keeper'', ''Dragon Haven'', ''City of Dragons'' and ''Blood of Dragons''). This series is set in the same world, the ''Realm of the Elderlings'', as Hobb's earlier trilogies.<ref name=new-statesman/> In 2014, Hobb resumed the story, decades later in life, of her two most popular characters in the ''[[Fitz and the Fool]]'' trilogy,<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 27, 2013 |title=Brand new series from Robin Hobb |url=https://www.harpervoyagerbooks.com/brand-new-series-from-robin-hobb/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223041100/https://www.harpervoyagerbooks.com/brand-new-series-from-robin-hobb/ |archive-date=December 23, 2017 |website=[[Harper Voyager]]}}</ref> with its three volumes, ''[[Fool's Assassin]]'', ''[[Fool's Quest]]'' and ''[[Assassin's Fate]]'', published from 2014 to 2017. The last novel, ''Assassin's Fate'', concludes not only her earlier books featuring Fitz, but also the ''Liveship'' and ''Rain Wild'' books.<ref name=guardian-2017/><ref name=tor-2019/>

In 2022, she protested against the eviction of [[Stéphanie Nicot]] from the festival Les imaginales by publishing a letter of support for Nicot with other authors among whom [[Floriane Soulas]], {{Interlanguage link|Silène Edgar,|lt=Silène Edgar,|fr|Silène Edgar,}} [[Sylvie Lainé]], [[Ïan Larue]], [[Estelle Faye]], [[Sara Doke]], [[Sylvie Denis]], [[Lucie Chenu]], {{Interlanguage link|Sarah Buschmann|lt=Sarah Buschmann|fr|Sarah Buschmann}}, {{Interlanguage link|Charlotte Bousquet|lt=Charlotte Bousquet|fr|Charlotte Bousquet}} and {{Interlanguage link|Anne Besson|lt=Anne Besson|fr|Anne Besson}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Affirmer à Stéphanie Nicot “confiance, estime et fidélité” |url=https://actualitte.com/article/107018/tribunes/affirmer-a-stephanie-nicot-confiance-estime-et-fidelite |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=ActuaLitté.com |language=fr-FR}}<!-- auto-translated from French by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Prolongeau |first=Hubert |date=2022-05-24 |title=Aux Imaginales d’Épinal, les polémiques éclatent en série |url=https://www.telerama.fr/livre/aux-imaginales-d-epinal-les-polemiques-eclatent-en-serie-7010551.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240720132852/https://www.telerama.fr/livre/aux-imaginales-d-epinal-les-polemiques-eclatent-en-serie-7010551.php |archive-date=20 July 2024 |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=www.telerama.fr |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Imaginales d'Épinal : un anniversaire sous tension |url=https://www.livreshebdo.fr/article/imaginales-depinal-un-anniversaire-sous-tension |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=Livres Hebdo |language=fr}}</ref>

== Style and themes ==

=== Genre and style ===
Hobb's writing spans the [[speculative fiction]] genre. Her most famous work, the ''Realm of the Elderlings'',{{sfnp|Larsson|2021|p=126}} is [[High fantasy|secondary-world fantasy]], with the ''Farseer'' novels narrated as first-person retrospective.{{sfnp|Elliott|2006}} This has been described as an unusual approach in fantasy, with greater focus on the characters' internal conflicts over the external.<ref name=LA-review/>{{sfnp|Elliott|2006}} Her earlier writing as Megan Lindholm comprises short-form science fiction and urban fantasy. Her 1986 novel ''[[Wizard of the Pigeons]]'' has been cited as a forerunner of the urban fantasy genre,{{sfnp|Rennison|Andrews|2009|p=96}}<ref name=tor-2010/> with scholar [[Farah Mendlesohn]] describing it as [[liminal fantasy]] that pairs "plain descriptions of the fantastic [...] with baroque descriptions of the real".{{sfnp|Mendlesohn|2013|p=348}} Hobb herself has said that she employs different voices for the two pseudonyms, with Lindholm's voice "a little more snarky, a little more sarcastic, a little less optimistic, less emotional",<ref name=guardian-2017/> and more attuned to dark, urban fantasy.<ref name=bookseller/>

Hobb's novels have sometimes been compared to fellow author [[George R. R. Martin]], with both their best-known works published during the 1990s.<ref name=new-statesman/> While Martin and Hobb's series are considered more realistic than most [[epic fantasy]], they differ in how they depict said realism.{{sfnp|Borowska-Szerszun|2019|p=1}} According to scholar Sylvia Borowska-Szerszun, Martin's work focuses on the brutality and violence of its realism, while Hobb's narrative focuses more on the individual, and is interested in exploring psychological aspects of trauma.{{sfnp|Borowska-Szerszun|2019|p=17}}
Critic [[Amanda Craig]] describes Hobb's writing as having a Shakespearean flavor, and calls the mood "nothing like as bleak as [[George R R Martin]]'s, nor as [[Manichean]] as [[Tolkien]]'s, but close to [[Ursula Le Guin]]'s redemptive humanism".<ref name=independent-2015/>

Literary allusions to the works of [[Robert Louis Stevenson]] and [[R. M. Ballantyne]] have been identified in Hobb's ''Liveship Traders'' series, which academics Ralph Crane and Lisa Fletcher described as an immersive portrayal of a world that is water-centric, aided by unique perspectives such as a serpent's-eye view of the ocean (the serpents view the sea as "the Plenty", while the air above is termed "the Lack").{{sfnp|Crane|Fletcher|2017|p=168-169}} The larger map of the ''Realm of the Elderlings'' has been recognized as resembling the U.S. state of Alaska, where Hobb grew up.{{sfnp|Elliott|2015|p=188}}<ref name=lightspeed/> Scholar Geoffrey B. Elliott views the setting of the ''Tawny Man'' trilogy as drawing from the geography and indigenous culture of the [[Pacific Northwest]], noting the glacier-filled isles and matrilineal culture of Hobb's Out Islands.{{sfnp|Elliott|2015|p=188-190}}

=== Themes ===
{{further|The Farseer Trilogy#Themes|label1=Themes in the Farseer trilogy|Liveship Traders Trilogy#Themes|label2=the Liveship Traders|The Tawny Man Trilogy#Themes|label3=the Tawny Man trilogy}}

Tolerance for [[Other (philosophy)|otherness]] is a theme that runs through the fantasy elements of Hobb's ''Elderlings'' series. The books feature two kinds of magic: the socially acceptable Skill, practiced by the ruling class, and the despised Wit, relegated with the lower classes.{{sfnp|Prater|2016|p=23}} The Wit, the ability to bond with animals, is viewed as an unnatural inclination, as emasculating and shameful, with its practitioners publicly hanged and forced into hiding.{{sfnp|Melville|2018|pp=285-286}} Scholars have described it as an allegory for [[queerness]] and homophobia.{{sfnp|Melville|2018|p=283}}{{sfnp|Larsson|2021|p=127}} The protagonist Fitz, who is both Skilled and Witted, leads conflicting identities. His bond with his Witted partner, a wolf, is portrayed as central to his life as his human relationships, but is forced to operate in secret due to social prejudice.{{sfnp|Melville|2018|pp=288-290}} This personal struggle, as well as the larger struggle for de-ostracization of the Witted, form a key theme of the series.{{sfnp|Melville|2018|pp=288-290}}

Hobb explores gender as a theme in the ''Liveship Traders'', which focuses on the lives of three generations of women in a patriarchal society.{{sfnp|Borowska-Szerszun|2019|p=11}} The women of the series often defy stereotypical expectations of their femininity: Althea, a rebellious sailor who dresses as a man to work on a ship, re-kindles her sensitive side; Keffria, a submissive housewife, discovers her independence; and Ronica, a conservative, traditional matriarch adapts to social change.{{sfnp|Borowska-Szerszun|2019|p=12}}<ref name=strange-horizons/> The Fool, an enigmatic character whose gender identity shifts through the series, appears as a young woman in some sections and as a man in others.{{sfnp|Borowska-Szerszun|2019|p=12}} Scholars have described this depiction of gender as subversive, and as challenging the notion of a rigid boundary between genders.{{sfnp|Borowska-Szerszun|2019|p=12}}{{sfnp|Prater|2016|p=29}}

Ecological themes have also been identified in Hobb's work.{{sfnp|Larsson|2021|p=124}}{{sfnp|Crane|Fletcher|2017|p=169}} The resurgence of dragons in the ''Elderlings'' series poses a challenge to [[anthropocentrism]], or the supremacy of man's place in the world, with humans forced to re-adjust in relation to a stronger, more intelligent predator.{{sfnp|Larsson|2021|pp=136-138}} The Wit, an ill-regarded ability associated with the animal world, is shown through Fitz's perspective as a natural extension of the senses and as an interconnectedness to all living things.{{sfnp|Larsson|2021|pp=130-131}} Scholar Mariah Larsson view the series as [[ecocentric]] in nature, questioning the intrinsic value of human over other forms of life.{{sfnp|Larsson|2021|pp=136-138}}

Other themes in Hobb's writing include critiques of colonialism and examination of culture-specific honor systems in the ''Soldier Son'' trilogy, a series set in a post-colonial secondary world that has drawn resemblance to the 19th century [[American frontier]].{{sfnp|Young|2014|p=35}}{{sfnp|Carroll|2007|p=311}}

== Reception ==
Lindholm's work did not sell well, causing her to remain a midlist author for several years.{{sfnp|Blaschke|2005|p=58}}<ref name=guardian-2017/> Her works as Hobb have been commercially successful: the first three sub-series of the ''Realm of the Elderlings'' had sold more than a million copies by 2003,<ref name=black-gate-2017/> and at the time of the series' conclusion in 2017, more than 1.25 million copies had been sold in the UK alone.<ref name=guardian-2017/> {{As of|2018}}, Hobb's fiction has been translated into 22 languages and sold more than 4 million copies in France.<ref name=le-monde-2018/> Following her success as Hobb, her Lindholm works such as ''Wizard of the Pigeons'' and ''[[Alien Earth (novel)|Alien Earth]]'' were translated to French,<ref name=le-monde-2006/> and ''[[Cloven Hooves]]'', which had been out of print for more than two decades, was reprinted in the US.<ref name=black-gate-2020/>

Hobb has received recognition for her characterization. In a column for ''[[The Times]]'', critic [[Amanda Craig]] called Hobb "one of the great modern fantasy writers". She described Hobb's characters as believable people who "age, change, waver and suffer lasting scars", and highlighted the portrayal of Fitz, the protagonist of the ''Farseer'' trilogy.<ref name=times-2005/> The ''[[New Statesman]]'' remarked on the "striking portraits of three generations of women" in the sequel ''Liveship Traders'' trilogy, and stated that though Hobb's works had a medieval setting, her themes resonated in the modern world.<ref name=new-statesman/> In a review of the first book of the ''Fitz and the Fool'' trilogy, ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'' said of her characters that "their longings and failings are our own, and we find our view of the world indelibly changed by their experiences". Comparing her writing with that of literary novelists, ''The Telegraph'' described Hobb's novels as transcending the fantasy genre.<ref name=telegraph-2014/> The ''[[Los Angeles Review of Books]]'' found Hobb's characters in the final trilogy interesting even in middle age, writing that traumas experienced in childhood "linger and take on new shapes" as her characters aged. The ''LARB'' described the psychological complexity of Hobb's characters, along with the layered interactions between them, as central to the appeal of her writing.<ref name=LA-review/> In a similar view, ''[[Library Journal]]'' described the ''Elderlings'' series as "masterworks of character-based epic fantasy".<ref name=library-journal-2010/>

Some of Hobb's works have received less positive a reception: ''The Guardian'' criticized the ''Soldier Son'' books as lacking the "heart and page-turning spark" of her Fitz novels, and viewed the ''Rain Wild'' novels as "flimsy in comparison".<ref name=guardian-2014/> Scholar Lenise Prater positively viewed how Hobb's ''Elderlings'' novels blurred gender boundaries; she however critiqued Hobb's emphasis on  "monogamous, romantic love", viewing it as heteronormative and as a conservative representation of queer relationships.{{sfnp|Prater|2016|p=32}} A different view was offered by scholar Peter Melville, who described the final ''Elderlings'' trilogy as "confirm[ing] the series' place within the larger history of queerness in the fantasy genre".{{sfnp|Melville|2018|p=300}}

As Megan Lindholm, she has received praise for the depiction of understated magic, poverty and mental illness in the novel ''Wizard of the Pigeons''{{sfnp|Mendlesohn|2013|p=350}}{{sfnp|Rennison|Andrews|2009|p=96}} and other themes such as aging in her short fiction.<ref name=LA-review-b/> Other aspects of Hobb's writing that have drawn commentary include her prose, described by ''The Times'' as having "a sinewy simplicity close to that of myths and fairytales",<ref name=times-2005/> her portrayal of gender, in particular the gender-fluid character known as the Fool,{{sfnp|Prater|2016|p=29}} and her depiction of psychological aspects of trauma, including that arising from violence and rape.{{sfnp|Borowska-Szerszun|2019|p=16}}<ref name=new-statesman/>
Fellow authors of speculative fiction have praised Hobb's work. [[Orson Scott Card]] stated that she "arguably set the standard for the modern serious fantasy novel", and cited the ''Liveship Traders'' as his favorite work of Hobb's.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 8, 2009 |title=Beach-Bag Books |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/227842/beach-bag-books-nro-symposium |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225055206/https://www.nationalreview.com/2009/07/beach-bag-books-nro-symposium/ |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |website=[[The National Review]]}}</ref> [[George R.R. Martin]] has praised her work, writing that her books are like "diamonds in a sea of zircons".<ref name=new-statesman/> In 2014, Hobb was a Guest of Honor at the [[72nd World Science Fiction Convention]] in London.<ref name=SFE-loncon-2014/>

== Awards ==
In 1981, Megan Lindholm was awarded an Alaska State Council of the Arts prize for her short story "The Poaching".<ref name="boundaries">{{Cite book |title=Finding the Boundaries: Poems and Short Stories |publisher=Alaska State Council on the Arts |year=1981 |editor-last=Smith |editor-first=Cindy |location=Anchorage, Alaska |asin=B002FD4SBW |oclc=8417173}}</ref> As Megan Lindholm, her short fiction works have been finalists for both the Nebula and the Hugo awards, and winner of the Asimov's Readers Award.<ref name=SFADB-Lindholm/> In 2021, Lindholm won the [[World Fantasy Award]] for [[World Fantasy Award-Life Achievement|Life Achievement]], presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to the fantasy field.<ref name=locus-wfc/>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ {{sronly|Awards and nominations}}
! scope=col style="min-width: 12em" | Award
! scope=col | Category
! scope=col style="min-width: 1em" | Year
! scope=col style="min-width: 12em" | Work
! scope=col style="min-width: 7em" | Result
! scope=col class=unsortable | {{refh}}
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight: normal" | [[British Fantasy Award]]
| [[British Fantasy Award|Novel]]
| style="text-align: center" | 1997
| ''[[Assassin's Apprentice]]''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Hobb/>
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight: normal" | [[David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy|David Gemmell Award]]
| [[David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy|Novel]]
| style="text-align: center" | 2018
| ''[[Assassin's Fate]]''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Hobb/>
|-
|-
! scope=row rowspan=3 style="font-weight: normal" | [[Endeavour Award]]
| rowspan=3 | [[Endeavour Award|Novel]]
| style="text-align: center" | 1999
| ''[[Ship of Magic]]''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Hobb/>
|-
| style="text-align: center" | 2000
| ''[[The Mad Ship]]''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Hobb/>
|-
| style="text-align: center" | 2007
| ''[[Forest Mage]]''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Hobb/>
|-
! scope=row rowspan=2 style="font-weight: normal" | [[Geffen Award]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Geffen Award|Fantasy Novel]]
| style="text-align: center" | 2016
| ''[[Fool's Assassin]]''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Hobb/>
|-
| style="text-align: center" | 2018
| ''[[Fool's Quest]]''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Hobb/>
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight: normal" | [[Hugo Award]]
| [[Hugo Award for Best Novella|Novella]]
| style="text-align: center" | 1990
| "[[Robin Hobb bibliography#Short fiction|A Touch of Lavender]]"
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Lindholm/>
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight: normal" | [[Inkpot Award]]
|
| style="text-align: center" | 2017
| Robin Hobb
| {{won}}
| align=center | <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.comic-con.org/awards/inkpot |title=Inkpot Award |work=[[Comic-Con International]] |date=December 6, 2012 |access-date=February 28, 2023}}</ref>
|-
! scope=row rowspan=2 style="font-weight: normal" | [[Locus Award]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel|Fantasy Novel]]
| style="text-align: center" | 1997
| ''[[Royal Assassin]]''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Hobb/>
|-
| style="text-align: center" | 1998
| ''[[Assassin's Quest]]''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Hobb/>
|-
! scope=row rowspan=3 style="font-weight: normal" | [[Nebula Award]]
| [[Nebula Award for Best Novella|Novella]]
| style="text-align: center" | 1990
| "[[Robin Hobb bibliography#Short fiction|A Touch of Lavender]]"
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Lindholm/>
|-
| [[Nebula Award for Best Novelette|Novelette]]
| style="text-align: center" | 1990
| "[[Robin Hobb bibliography#Short fiction|Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man]]"
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Lindholm/>
|-
| [[Nebula Award for Best Short Story|Short Story]]
| style="text-align: center" | 2003
| "[[Robin Hobb bibliography#Short fiction|Cut]]" 
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=SFADB-Lindholm/>
|-
! scope=row rowspan=3 style="font-weight: normal" | Prix Imaginales{{efn|Hobb received the {{ill|Prix Imaginales|fr}}, an award for fantasy published in France,<ref name=locus-2020/> for the French editions of ''Wizard of the Pigeons'' ({{lang|fr|Le Dernier magicien}}), ''Shaman's Crossing'' ({{lang|fr|La Déchirure et le cavalier rêveur}}) and "Homecoming" ("{{lang|fr|Retour au pays|italic=no}}").<ref name=imaginales/>}}
| Novel
| style="text-align: center" | 2004
| ''[[Wizard of the Pigeons]]''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=imaginales/>
|-
| Foreign Novel
| style="text-align: center" | 2007
| ''[[Shaman's Crossing]]''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=imaginales/>
|-
| Short Story
| style="text-align: center" | 2006
| "[[Robin Hobb bibliography#Short fiction 2|Homecoming]]"
| {{won}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=imaginales/>
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight: normal" | [[World Fantasy Award]]
| [[World Fantasy Award-Life Achievement|Life Achievement]]
| style="text-align: center" | 2021
| Megan Lindholm
| {{won}}
| style="text-align: center" |<ref name=locus-wfc/>
|}

== Personal life ==
She currently publishes under both her pen names, and lives on a small farm outside of [[Roy, Washington]].<ref name=new-statesman/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Biography |url=http://www.robinhobb.com/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413000752/http://www.robinhobb.com/index.htm |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |website=Robin Hobb |type=official website}}</ref> 

 She contracted COVID-19 in February 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ROBIN HOBB - Robin Hobb's Infrequent and Off Topic Blog |url=http://www.robinhobb.com/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=www.robinhobb.com}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==
{{main|Robin Hobb bibliography}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name=sfx-251>
{{cite magazine |title=The SFX Writer Interview: Robin Hobb |last=Wright |first=Jonathan |magazine=[[SFX Magazine]] |number=251 |date=September 2014 |page=82 |oclc=813632043}}
</ref>
<ref name=hobb-bio>
{{cite web |title=About the Author |work=Robin Hobb |type=official website |url=http://www.robinhobb.com/about/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703192727/http://www.robinhobb.com/about/ |archive-date=July 3, 2015}}
</ref>
<ref name=lindholm-shorts>
{{cite web |title=Shorts |work=Megan Lindholm |type=official website |url=http://www.meganlindholm.com/shorts/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131025552/http://www.meganlindholm.com/shorts/ |archive-date=January 31, 2016}}
</ref>
<ref name=SFE>
{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/hobb_robin |title=Hobb, Robin |last=Clute |first=John |author-link=John Clute |encyclopedia=[[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]] |date=July 22, 2021 |publisher= Gollancz |display-editors=etal |editor-last=Clute |editor-first=John |edition=3rd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723060523/http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/hobb_robin |archive-date=July 23, 2021}}
</ref>
<ref name=guardian-2017>
{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/28/robin-hobb-books-interview-assassins-fate |title=Robin Hobb: 'Fantasy has become something you don't have to be embarrassed about' |last=Flood |first=Alison |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en |date=July 28, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520211149/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/28/robin-hobb-books-interview-assassins-fate |archive-date=May 20, 2021}}
</ref>
<ref name=locus-wfc>
{{cite web |url=https://locusmag.com/2021/07/2021-world-fantasy-awards-finalists/ |title=2021 World Fantasy Awards Finalists |work=[[Locus Magazine]] |date=July 21, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722163420/https://locusmag.com/2021/07/2021-world-fantasy-awards-finalists/ |archive-date=July 22, 2021}}
</ref>
<ref name=tor-2019>
{{cite web |url=https://www.tor.com/2019/10/04/robin-hobb-nycc-2019-highlights-assassins-apprentice-25-years/ |title="I Have Been Incredibly Privileged to Write the Full Arc of Fitz's Story": Robin Hobb on 25 Years of Assassin's Apprentice |last=Zutter |first=Natalie |work=[[Tor.com]] |publisher=Macmillan |date=October 24, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123204653/https://www.tor.com/2019/10/04/robin-hobb-nycc-2019-highlights-assassins-apprentice-25-years/ |archive-date=January 23, 2021}}
</ref>
<ref name=new-statesman>
{{cite web |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2018/07/robin-hobb-changing-cultures-writing-about-violence-and-anonymity-living-farm |url-access=subscription |title=Robin Hobb on changing cultures, writing about violence, and the anonymity of living on a farm |last=Bock |first=Pauline |work=[[New Statesman]] |date=July 27, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111202014/https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2018/07/robin-hobb-changing-cultures-writing-about-violence-and-anonymity-living-farm |archive-date=November 11, 2020}}
</ref>
<ref name=stuff-nz>
{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/mums-life/mums-books/10192663/The-mother-of-dragons |title=The mother of dragons |last=Cardy |first=Tom |work=[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Dominion Post]] |via=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=June 24, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723074710/https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/mums-life/mums-books/10192663/The-mother-of-dragons |archive-date=July 23, 2021}}
</ref>
<ref name=tor-2010>
{{cite web |url=https://www.tor.com/2010/07/06/homeless-and-magical-megan-lindholms-wizard-of-the-pigeons/ |title=Homeless and Magical: Megan Lindholm's Wizard of the Pigeons |last=Walton |first=Jo |author-link=Jo Walton |work=[[Tor.com]] |publisher=Macmillan |date=July 6, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803125049/https://www.tor.com/2010/07/06/homeless-and-magical-megan-lindholms-wizard-of-the-pigeons/ |archive-date=August 3, 2020}}
</ref>
<ref name=SFADB-Lindholm>
{{cite web |url=http://www.sfadb.com/Megan_Lindholm |title=Megan Lindholm Awards |work=[[Science Fiction Awards Database]] |publisher=Locus Science Fiction Foundation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030041929/http://sfadb.com/Megan_Lindholm |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |access-date=July 22, 2021}}
</ref>
<ref name=SFADB-Hobb>
{{cite web |url=http://www.sfadb.com/Robin_Hobb |title=Robin Hobb Awards |work=[[Science Fiction Awards Database]] |publisher=Locus Science Fiction Foundation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724044745/http://www.sfadb.com/Robin_Hobb |archive-date=July 24, 2021 |access-date=August 16, 2021}}
</ref>
<ref name=SFE-loncon-2014>
{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/news/the_2014_london_worldcon |title=The 2014 London Worldcon |encyclopedia=[[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]] |publisher= Gollancz |display-editors=etal |editor-last=Clute |editor-first=John |editor-link=John Clute |edition=3rd |date=September 2, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420171555/http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/news/the-2014-london-worldcon/ |archive-date=April 20, 2019}}
</ref>
<ref name=hobb-5000-words>
{{cite magazine |title=5000 Words About Myself |url=http://www.robinhobb.com/5000words.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050724083052/http://www.robinhobb.com:80/5000words.html|archive-date=July 24, 2005 |year=2004 |last=Hobb |first=Robin |editor-last=Vainikainen |editor-first=Jussi |magazine=Alienisti |publisher=Jyväskylän Science Fiction Society |issue=1/2004 |id=ISSN [https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN/1236-0449 1236-0449]<!-- This ISSN is not on Worldcat, but is on the official ISSN portal. The |issn= param fails here. -->|via=robinhobb.com}} Issue: [https://web.archive.org/web/20210125164557/http://scifi42.fi/alienisti/ ''Fool's Errand of #42''].

</ref>
<ref name=SFADB-wf-1980>
{{cite web |url=http://www.sfadb.com/World_Fantasy_Awards_1980 |title=World Fantasy Awards 1980 |work=[[Science Fiction Awards Database]] |publisher=Locus Science Fiction Foundation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502231700/http://www.sfadb.com:80/World_Fantasy_Awards_1980 |archive-date=May 2, 2020 |access-date=July 24, 2021}}
</ref>
<ref name=Fantasy-Encyc>
{{cite encyclopedia |title=Lindholm, Megan |url=http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=lindholm_megan |last=Pringle |first=David |author-link=David Pringle |encyclopedia=[[The Encyclopedia of Fantasy]] |editor-last=Clute |editor-first=John |editor-link=John Clute |editor2-last=Grant |editor2-first=John |editor2-link= John Grant (author) |year=1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308201750/http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=lindholm_megan |archive-date=March 8, 2017 |url-status=live}}
</ref>
<ref name=imaginales>
{{cite web |url=https://www.imaginales.fr/prix-litteraires/prix-imaginales/ |title=Prix Imaginales - Les Imaginales |work=Imaginales |publisher=Festival Les Imaginales, Épinal |access-date=August 16, 2021}}
</ref>
<ref name=locus-2020>
{{cite web |url=https://locusmag.com/2020/05/2020-prix-imaginales-winners/ |title=2020 Prix Imaginales Winners |date=May 18, 2020 |work=[[Locus Magazine]]}}
</ref>
<ref name=lightspeed>
{{cite magazine |url= https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/interview-robin-hobb/ |title=Interview: Robin Hobb |magazine=[[Lightspeed Magazine]] |author1-last=Adams |author1-first=John Joseph |author1-link=John Joseph Adams |author2-last=Kirtley |author2-first=David Barr |author2-link=David Barr Kirtley |volume=23 |date=April 2012}}
</ref>
<ref name=nyt-2014>
{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2014/08/31/hardcover-fiction/ |title=Hardcover Fiction Books – Best Sellers |date=August 31, 2014 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}
</ref>
<ref name=LA-review>
{{cite magazine |url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/bright-home-dark-heart/ |title=Bright Home, Dark Heart |last=Teitelbaum |first=Ilana |date=September 8, 2014 |magazine=[[Los Angeles Review of Books]]}}
</ref>
<ref name=LA-review-b>
{{cite magazine |url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/spectrum-heroines/ |title=A Spectrum of Heroines |last=Teitelbaum |first=Ilana |date=February 13, 2014 |magazine=[[Los Angeles Review of Books]]}}
</ref>
<ref name=strange-horizons>
{{cite magazine |url=http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/reviews/revolutionary-nautical-fantasy-robin-hobbs-liveship-traders-series/ |title=Revolutionary Nautical Fantasy: Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders Series |last=Dray |first=Stephanie |date=November 5, 2001 |magazine=[[Strange Horizons]]}}
</ref>
<ref name=bookseller>
{{cite magazine |title=New world ordered: fantasy writer Robin Hobb, in the UK for WorldCon, talks to Alison Bone |last=Bone |first=Alison |magazine=[[The Bookseller]] |number=5190 |date=August 5, 2005 |page=17 |id={{Gale|A135513736}}}}
</ref>
<ref name=times-2005>
{{cite web |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/hits-and-near-myths-5xxqn3g8ld8 |title=Hits and near myths |last=Craig |first=Amanda |author-link=Amanda Craig |date=September 17, 2005 |work=[[The Times]] |url-access=subscription}}
</ref>
<ref name=telegraph-2014>
{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/11048552/Fools-Assassin-by-Robin-Hobb-review-high-art.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/11048552/Fools-Assassin-by-Robin-Hobb-review-high-art.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb, review: 'high art' |last=Shilling |first=Jane |date=August 23, 2014 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |url-access=subscription}}{{cbignore}}
</ref>
<ref name=independent-2015>
{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/fool-s-quest-robin-hobb-book-review-more-swords-and-sorcery-dame-thrones-10456044.html |title=Fool's Quest, by Robin Hobb - book review: More swords and sorcery from a Dame of Thrones |last=Craig |first=Amanda |author-link=Amanda Craig |date=August 14, 2015 |work=[[The Independent]]}}
</ref>
<ref name=guardian-2014>
{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/10/fools-assassin-robin-hobb-review-fantasy-novel |title=Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb – a melancholic hero fights again |last=Flood |first=Alison |date=September 10, 2014 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}
</ref>
<ref name=black-gate-2017>
{{cite web |url=https://www.blackgate.com/2017/04/23/robin-hobb-wraps-up-the-fitz-and-the-fool-trilogy-with-assassins-fate/ |title=Robin Hobb Wraps Up the Fitz and the Fool Trilogy with Assassin's Fate |last=O'Neill |first=John |date=April 23, 2017 |work=[[Black Gate (magazine)|Black Gate]]}}
</ref>
<ref name=library-journal-2010>
{{cite magazine |title=Fiction's Fools: Wise and Witty Reads |last=Hollands |first=Neil |date=April 1, 2010 |magazine=[[Library Journal]] |volume=135 |issue=6 |id={{Gale|A223749292}}. {{ProQuest|196819155}}}}
</ref>
<ref name=starlog>
{{cite magazine |last1=Gay |first1=Anne |last2=Nicholls |first2=Stan |author2-link=Stan Nicholls |title=On the Seas of Fantasy |magazine=[[Starlog]] |date=November 2000 |issue=280 |pages=86–88}}
</ref>
<ref name=kirkus-2011>
{{cite magazine |title=The Inheritance & Other Stories |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/robin-hobb/inheritance-other-stories/ |magazine=[[Kirkus Reviews]] |date=April 18, 2011}}
</ref>
<ref name=sun-herald>
{{cite news |last=Swart |first=Genevieve |title=The Science of Writing Magic |newspaper=[[The Sun-Herald]] |date=September 25, 2005 |page=83 |id={{Gale|A284836537}}}}
</ref>
<ref name=herald-sun>
{{cite news |last=Clark |first=Blanche |title=The Many Flights of Fantasy |newspaper=[[Herald Sun]] |date=April 23, 2011 |page=12 |id={{Gale|A254547396}}}}
</ref>
<ref name=le-monde-2006>
{{cite news |last=Baudou |first=Jacques |date=October 26, 2006 |title=Les Univers de Robin Hobb |trans-title=The Universes of Robin Hobb |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/livres/article/2006/10/26/les-univers-de-robin-hobb_827705_3260.html |newspaper=[[Le Monde]] |language=fr |id={{ProQuest|2514979685}} |page=10}}
</ref>
<ref name=le-monde-2015>
{{cite news |last=Pavlenko |first=Marie |date=June 11, 2015 |title=Robin Hobb: 'La Fantasy, Terre Vierge' |trans-title=Robin Hobb: 'Fantasy, Virgin Earth' |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/livres/article/2015/06/11/robin-hobb-la-fantasy-terre-vierge_4651605_3260.html |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[Le Monde]] |language=fr |id={{ProQuest|2672836624}}}}
</ref>
<ref name=le-monde-2018>
{{cite news |last=Thévenet |first=Elisa |date=May 28, 2018 |title=Robin Hobb: 'Désormais, Vous Pouvez Lire un Bouquin de Fantasy dans le Bus' |trans-title=Robin Hobb: 'Now You Can Read a Fantasy Book on the Bus' |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2018/05/28/robin-hobb-avec-la-fantasy-nos-cultures-et-nos-prejuges-sont-balayes_5305766_4408996.html |newspaper=[[Le Monde]] |language=fr}}
</ref>
<ref name=black-gate-2020>
{{cite magazine |last=O'Neill |first=John |date=January 22, 2020 |title=Vintage Treasures: Cloven Hooves by Megan Lindholm |url=https://www.blackgate.com/2020/01/22/vintage-treasures-cloven-hooves-by-megan-lindholm/ |magazine=[[Black Gate (magazine)|Black Gate]]}}
</ref>
}}

== Sources ==
{{refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
* {{Cite book |last=Blaschke |first=Jayme Lynn |url=https://archive.org/details/voicesofvisioncr0000blas |title=Voices of Vision: Creators of Science Fiction and Fantasy Speak |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-8032-6239-3 |author-link=Jayme Lynn Blaschke |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Borowska-Szerszun |first=Sylvia |year=2019 |title=Representation of Rape in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders |journal=[[Extrapolation (journal)|Extrapolation]] |volume=60 |pages=1–22 |doi=10.3828/extr.2019.2 |doi-access= |id={{ProQuest|2222490097}} |number=1 |s2cid=166766551}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Carroll |first=Siobhan |year=2007 |title=Honor-bound: Self and Other in the Honor Culture of Robin Hobb's Soldier Son Series |journal=[[Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts]] |volume=18 |pages=308–318 |jstor=24351005 |number=3}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Crane |first1=Ralph |title=Island Genres, Genre Islands: Conceptualisation and Representation in Popular Fiction |last2=Fletcher |first2=Lisa |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield International |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-78348-207-8 |chapter=An Imaginary Water World: Robin Hobb's The Liveship Traders Trilogy}}
* {{Cite book |last=D'Ammassa |first=Don |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoffa0000damm/page/162 |title=Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Horror Fiction |publisher=Infobase Publishing |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8160-6192-1 |author-link=Don D'Ammassa |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Elliott |first=Geoffrey B. |year=2006 |title=Shades of Steel-Gray: The Nuanced Warrior-Hero in the Farseer Trilogy |url=https://elliottrwi.com/2020/04/08/re-presentation-shades-of-steel-gray/ |journal=Studies in Fantasy Literature |volume=4 |pages=70–78 |oclc=133466088}}
* {{Cite book |last=Elliott |first=Geoffrey B. |title=Fantasy and Science Fiction Medievalisms: From Isaac Asimov to A Game of Thrones |publisher=Cambria Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-62499-883-6 |editor-last=Young |editor-first=Helen |chapter=Moving beyond Tolkien's Medievalism: Robin Hobb's Farseer and Tawny Man Trilogies}}
* {{Cite book |last=Larsson |first=Mariah |title=The Enduring Fantastic: Essays on Imagination and Western Culture |publisher=McFarland |year=2021 |isbn=978-1-4766-8012-5 |editor-last=Höglund |editor-first=Anna |chapter=Bringing Dragons Back into the World: Dismantling the Anthropocene in Robin Hobb's The Realm of the Elderlings |editor-last2=Trenter |editor-first2=Cecilia}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Melville |first=Peter |year=2018 |title=Queerness and Homophobia in Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogies |journal=[[Extrapolation (journal)|Extrapolation]] |volume=59 |pages=281–303 |doi=10.3828/extr.2018.17 |id={{ProQuest|2156322163}} |number=3}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mendlesohn |first=Farah |title=Rhetorics of Fantasy |publisher=Wesleyan University Press |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-8195-7391-9 |author-link=Farah Mendlesohn}}
* {{Cite book |last=Prater |first=Lenise |title=Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Popular Fantasy: Beyond Boy Wizards and Kick-Ass Chicks |publisher=Routledge |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-317-13054-3 |editor-last=Roberts |editor-first=Jude |chapter=Queering Magic: Robin Hobb and Fantasy Literature's Radical Potential |doi=10.4324/9781315583938 |editor-last2=MacCallum-Stewart |editor-first2=Esther}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Rennison |first1=Nick |title=100 Must-Read Fantasy Novels |last2=Andrews |first2=Stephen E. |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-4081-3607-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Storm |first=Sue |year=1996 |chapter=The Windsinger Series |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/magillsguidetosc0004unse/page/1054 |chapter-url-access=registration |editor-last=Shippey |editor-first=T. A. |editor-link=Tom Shippey |title=Magill's Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature |publisher=Salem Press |isbn=978-0-89356-907-5}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Young |first=Helen |year=2014 |title=Critiques of Colonialism in Robin Hobb's Soldier Son Trilogy |journal=[[Extrapolation (journal)|Extrapolation]] |volume=55 |pages=33–50 |doi=10.3828/extr.2014.4 |id={{ProQuest|1522791672}} |number=1}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}

* {{Official website |meganlindholm.com}} as Megan Lindholm
* {{Official website |robinhobb.com}} as Robin Hobb
* {{isfdb name|2265}}
* {{IBList |type=author|id=431|name=Robin Hobb}}
* {{IBList |type=author|id=1477|name=Megan Lindholm}}
* [http://www.fantasyliterature.com/hobbrobin.html Robin Hobb] at Fantasy Literature

=== Interviews ===
* [http://www.elbakin.net/fantasy/news/Imaginales-2008-les-interviews7 Interview] conducted by Annaïg Houesnard for [[Elbakin.net]] during "Les Imaginales" 2008.
* [http://www.sffworld.com/interview/122p0.html Interview] conducted by Rob Bedford for sffworld.com
* [http://www.sffworld.com/interview/191p0.html Interview] conducted by Patrick for sffworld.com
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081202084111/http://www.wotmania.com/fantasymessageboardshowmessage.asp?MessageID=51596 Interview on wotmania.com]
* {{Cite interview |last=Hobb |first=Robin |interviewer=Maïté Hoste |title=ITW: Robin Hobb |url=http://www.kissmygeek.com/3-interviews/itw-robin-hobb/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929194727/http://www.kissmygeek.com/3-interviews/itw-robin-hobb |archive-date=September 29, 2018 |url-status=live |work=KissMyGeek |date=May 20, 2011 |lang=FR}}

{{Robin Hobb}}
{{World Fantasy Award Life Achievement}}
{{Inkpot Award 2010s}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hobb, Robin}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:American fantasy writers]]
[[Category:American women short story writers]]
[[Category:American women novelists]]
[[Category:Pseudonymous women writers]]
[[Category:People from Kodiak, Alaska]]
[[Category:Writers from Tacoma, Washington]]
[[Category:American women science fiction and fantasy writers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American women writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century American short story writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American short story writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Fairbanks, Alaska]]
[[Category:Novelists from Washington (state)]]
[[Category:20th-century pseudonymous writers]]
[[Category:21st-century pseudonymous writers]]
[[Category:World Fantasy Award–winning writers]]
[[Category:Inkpot Award winners]]