Christopher Paolini
“into the sky to win or die”
By: Haylee Kai
Growing Up
• Born on November 17th, 1983, as a Scorpio, in Los Angeles California to
Kenneth Paolini and Talita Hodgkinson.
• The family moved to Paradise Valley, Montana when he was just three years
old
• Paolini was home schooled for the entirety of his education and graduated High
School.
This picture is taken on the backdrop of his hometown, Paradise
Valley, Montana. You can see how this can be inspirational.
Being Discovered
• Eragon was published in 2002 by Paolini
International, LLC, his parents company. His
sister drew the original cover art for the book.
• Paolini toured to over 135 schools in order to
promote the book. He was dressed up like a
character straight from medieval times.
• Carl Hiaasen’s stepson found Eragon in a
bookstore later that same year and showed it to
his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf.
• Knopf offered to publish Eragon and the
remaining books in the Inheritance cycle.
• In August of 2003 the second edition of Eragon
was published.
• By age 19, Paolini had become a New York
Times Bestselling Author, where his book spent
21 weeks as the number one book.
The original cover drawn by Paolini's sister,
Angela.
The Family Business
• Paolini’s entire family has helped him to
make his books possible. About ten years
ago they all decided to make the
Inheritance cycle their family business.
• His father runs all the finances.
• His mother takes care of all the fan mail.
• His sister manages his mental health.
• All four of them edit.
Christopher and his sister .
Influences
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J.R.R. Tolkien
E.R. Eddison
Phillip Pullman
Bruce Coville
Frank Herbert
Brian Jacques
Paradise Valley, Montana,
where a majority of his
landscapes and ideas come
from.
Fun Facts
• Christopher Paolini has a sort self appointed uniform that
he wears: a button up nicely pressed shirt tucked into dark
jeans, with a belt and his metal rimmed glasses. He is the
classic nerd.
• His room is decorated with dragons. He has a dragon
coffee table, dragon side table, dragon clock, dragon shelf,
dragon lamp, dragon letter holder, and a dragon mounted
on his outside door.
• Upon the release of Inheritance he bought himself his own
genuine sword.
• His sister Angela inspired Angela, the bone throwing witch
who helps to guide Eragon through his adventure.
• Paolini was himself a reluctant reader. He refused to learn
to read. It wasn’t until he discovered fantasy that the doors
tryuely opened for him.
• Eragon was also made in into a movie!
Eragon
• Released in 2002 by Paolini
International, LLC.
• Contains all of the archetypal
ingredients of a fantasy novel.
• A young farm boy discovers a stone
in the mountains. This stone
hatches into a dragon named
Saphira. Run out of their hometown
by the evil king Galbatorix, Saphira
and Eragon go in search of the
Varden, a group of rebels that hope
to overthrow the king.
Eldest
• The second book in the cycle was
published in August of 2005.
• Also became a New York Times
Bestseller.
• This story follows Eragon and Saphira
on the path to the realm of the Elves
where Eragon will complete his training
as a Dragon Rider.
Brisinger
• Released in September of 2008.
• Originally this was supposed to be
the final book in the trilogy. However,
upon writing it Paolini decided that
the story was too complex to be
contained in only one final book.
• This story continues to unfold the
story of Eragon and Saphira as they
fight the evil King. Eragon is one of
the last remaining Dragon Riders. As
war develops, many secrets are
illuminated.
Inheritance
• This is the fourth and final book in the
Inheritance Cycle.
• Published in November of 2011.
• Since the story was originally intended
to be trilogy Inheritance picks up
where Brisinger left off. We find out
the results of the war an the fate of
the kingdom of Alagaesia.