Christopher Paolini

Christopher Paolini in 2018. Photo by Gage Skidmore.

Christopher Paolini is the author of The Inheritance Cycle, a series of Doorstopper novels. He finished writing the first book, Eragon, at the age of nineteen. It was published by his parents before Knopf, a publishing company, picked it up. To many people's surprise, it took off.

A homeschooled Montana native, he's become quite the controversial figure. He has many fans, as well as many detractors, mostly due to having used many familiar ideas, plot points, and tropes; Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Dragonriders of Pern are obvious influences.

Christopher Paolini provides examples of the following tropes:

• Author Appeal: The elves, particularly Arya (whose beauty is oft-mentioned in the narration, and leaves Eragon in awe). However, Paolini says his favourite race is the dwarves; he often speaks a bit in Dwarvish when he goes to Real Life events.
• Author Avatar: Paolini himself admits that Angela is based on his sister, and that Eragon "started out" as an autobiographical character but eventually developed into his own character.
• Big Sister Worship: Enough to name and base a pretty powerful and memorable secondary character after her.
• Fandom / Fan Dumb: He has a sizable one.
• Hatedom / Hate Dumb: He has quite a bit of this as well.
• Proud to Be a Geek
• Serious Business: The Internet Backdraft regarding him can get this way.
• Trilogy Creep: What was once a "Trilogy" is now a "Cycle."
• Word of God: Christopher Paolini answers a lot of questions about the Cycle, mostly in interviews.