Epic Fantasy writer Terry Brooks, author of The Sword Of Shannara, has announced his retirement in a Facebook post.
Terry Brooks is one of the epic fantasy writers who came up in the late 1970s as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings drew new heights in popularity with a breakout hit, The Sword of Shannara in 1977. Since then, Brooks has built the Shannara universe into several sequel trilogies and sub-series within the universe after completing his original trilogy in 1985.
The series eventually spawned a TV series adaptation that looked little like the epic fantasy series, following a modern trend that focused on a strong, female lead instead of the main protagonist of the original work, only lasting two seasons.
Brooks largely completed the Shannara world with the capping off of a trilogy in 2020, authoring several other books in his career, including the novelization of the film Hook, the Peter Pan spinoff in the 1990s.
Brooks has taken to Facebook to announce his retirement and his adding of Delilah S. Dawson as a successor who’s completing his most recent works in a co-author role.
He posted:
Greeting Everyone,
Beware. This post might go on for a bit longer than usual and perhaps long enough to strain your attention span, but please hang in there with me. What I have to say to you is important. I have several matters to address, and as I set out to reveal them I will admit to not being entirely sure how to go about it.
Let’s start with a few life facts that I have come to accept and just recently decided to address. I am now eighty-one years old. I have been writing in the Shannara series since 1968 – which is more than fifty years. I have written steadily with no breaks save for vacations and illnesses. I have a total count of just under fifty books to my name as of today. In all that time, I have been writing at least one book or often two at the same time.
I am still writing regularly, but I noticed recently that my physical and mental abilities have diminished. Not that I am derailed in any measurable way from what I was, but my endurance, concentration, attention span and memory are not what they once were. All this is a function of what aging involves and living requires of us at one point or another. I knew this was coming, but I did not expect it when it arrived and have spent my eightieth year coming to terms with its presence. Whatever happens, I do not want to be one of those writers who is remembered for going on a bit too long than his or her faculties could tolerate and thereby produce books that are less than my best work.
Accordingly, I have decided to step back from my intense writing lifestyle and settle down into a form or semi-retirement. This was a hard choice to make. I hate to admit that I don’t have the abilities I once had. But better to face up to your diminishments than pretend they don’t exist. Better to make some adjustments to account for the onset of those diminishments before the readers you rely on to support your efforts begin to point them out.
Beginning immediately, with the publishing of my new book GALAPHILE, I am stepping back in my author role and engaging help from another writer in steering the series in the proper direction with the necessary amount of care. I will no longer be doing the primary writing. My new co-author will take on that task. Instead, I will offer what help I can with providing storyline ideas, revisionary plot suggestions and a thorough overview that will help my co-author to continue to give you the kind of book you would expect of me. I know her well and have been friends with her for years. Both my editor and I have agreed that she is the right choice to take on the task of continuing SHANNARA. That she can provide the skills and inventiveness that is needed to accomplish this is something of which I am sure. She is every bit as professionally capable and committed as I am. What help and support I can give her, I will. That she will give you what you want and expect is something I am certain she will do.
Her name is Delilah Dawson, and she is a skilled professional writer and a delightful person. If you haven’t read any of her work to date, I encourage you to do so now.
I promise all of you as readers of my work that I will still be involved in the process and do my best to help Delilah whenever she requires it. I wish I could hang in there forever, but let’s get real. This time had to come sooner or later, and I want it to happen when I can still be of use to whoever picks up the pen and paper to continue the work I started so long ago. I want to be useful without being invasive. I don’t want you, as readers, to remember that at the end of things my writing quality fell off or my production diminished or that I simply lost control of my work in a noticeable way.
I love what I do, and I doubt that I will ever back away from writing entirely and be happy doing so. But I also know that it is time for me to begin easing into my elderly years. I have had a great run as a professional writer of fantasy/adventure books, and I am hopeful that it is not entirely over. I have reason to believe that I have a few good years left in which to contribute to the writing community. I want to put that time to the best use I can.
I want to thank all of you who have followed my work throughout my career and contributed so much happiness to my life. I started out with little knowledge and no experience to become a writer, and I had no reason to think I would ever achieve the success I have. I have spent my entire writing life trying to learn better how to wield storytelling skills and make those characters and their magic come alive for you. I will continue to do so for as long as I am able. I owe it to you to do so. I am grateful to you for so much.
Magic always,
Terry Brooks
March 9, 2025
This will come as sad news to fans, though not entirely unexpected as Books is at 81 years of age and certainly deserves retirement at this stage of his life.
Delilah S. Dawson commented on the retirement on BlueSky and the announcement she would be taking on the Shannara continuation, saying, “So here's my big announcement, regarding filling some very big shoes of a very dear friend...”
What do you think of Terry Brooks, author of Sword of Shannara, announcing his retirement? Leave a comment and let us know.”
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I actually think this is great. Terry has had a good, long run. He is old. I'm glad he recognizes when it's time to step back and play more of a creative back seat role but let someone else hold the reins. I also think it's a good way to keep his brand (and world) going and keep it fresh.
It introduces me to a new writer as well. And I wonder if when Terry passes, there might be some way to keep Shannara alive so that although the journey has changed, the legacy can continue. I'd be all for it. Proud of Terry for making this decision and looking forward to what comes next!
The first 8 Shannara books are my favorite books of all time. The Elfstones has the best female character in all of Fantasy outside of Tolkien. However, for anyone who gave up reading him any length of time ago, I regret to inform you that he DID keep writing too long. Far, far too long. His "Fall of Shannara" series is a degenerate, unorganized, uninspired mess. It is among the worst series of books I have ever read. It may actually be the absolute worst. It is worth reading just to see exactly why you SHOULD stop before you go too long. This isn't hyperbole. It is a case study in writing too long.