Robert Jackson Bennett

Robert Jackson Bennett is an American author known for his speculative fiction novels that often blend elements of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Born in 1984, Bennett has published several critically acclaimed novels and short stories.

Some of his notable works include:

1. The Divine Cities trilogy (City of Stairs, City of Blades, and City of Miracles): A fantasy series set in a world where gods once ruled but were killed by humans, exploring themes of colonialism, religion, and power.
2. American Elsewhere: A novel that combines science fiction and horror, set in a mysterious town in New Mexico with a secret connected to an abandoned research facility.
3. The Founders Trilogy (Foundryside, Shorefall, and Locklands): A fantasy series set in a world where objects can be imbued with sentience, following a psychic thief named Sancia who becomes entangled in a conspiracy involving powerful merchant houses and ancient magic.
4. The Troupe: A dark fantasy novel about a young man who joins a traveling vaudeville troupe led by a mysterious figure, exploring themes of identity, creativity, and the nature of reality.
5. Mr. Shivers: A horror novel set during the Great Depression, following a man seeking revenge against the mysterious figure he believes is responsible for his daughter's death.
6. The Tainted Cup: A biopunk fantasy murder mystery part of 3 book series Shadows of the Leviathon. It's a combination of Knives Out and Attack on Titan.

Bennett's works have earned him numerous nominations and awards, including the Edgar Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Philip K. Dick Award. His writing is known for its imaginative world-building, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes.

Cyberpunk Psychic Epic Adventure, starts with main character possessing psychometry, she develops her psychic abilities further in the book. The psychic scenes are well written and described. You will visualize ESP into your imagination with this book. Like see through walls and stuff when you visualize what you read from this. Foundryside is a psychic heist book. Shorefall is a psychic heist book as well. Locklands is a psychic war book. In the 3rd book, the author creates psychic societies. Its really interesting.


Biopunk Fantasy Murder Mystery - This book is heavy into plants and spores. For an empire built by the waters, 4 giant walls are built to protect the inner kingdom from the giant leviathans. Where these leviathans go, plants and trees grow sporadically. The main character is an Assistant Detective to a Mastermind Investigator, he underwent suffusion in his brain and has eidetic memory because of it, he uses vials of smells to memorize scenes and interrogate people, he recounts his stories to the mastermind investigator who pieces together the crimes. This book is like Knives Out mixed with Attack on Titan. This book was a lot different than Founders Trilogy, its a murder mystery but its part of a 3 book series so there will be more to come out. I really like the biopunk element. And I like RJB because he's fairly young 40 years old and he introduces a lot of new concepts of fantasy that haven't been done before. He's very gifted at creating new worlds and making you vision cool scenes in your mind.

Foundryside is the first book in Robert Jackson Bennett's Founders Trilogy, a captivating blend of fantasy and science fiction set in the city of Tevanne. In this world, a form of magic known as "scriving" allows individuals to alter reality by inscribing sigils on objects, effectively rewriting their fundamental properties and behaviors.

The story follows Sancia Grado, a skilled thief with a mysterious past. Sancia possesses a unique ability that allows her to sense the "thoughts" of inanimate objects, making her an exceptional thief. During a heist, she stumbles upon a powerful artifact known as a "key" that grants her even greater abilities, but also puts her in the crosshairs of powerful factions vying for control over the city's scriving technology.

As Sancia becomes entangled in a web of conspiracies and power struggles, she forms an unlikely alliance with a group of individuals who share her desire to uncover the secrets behind scriving and the true nature of the key. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to unravel the mysteries of Tevanne and confront the corrupt forces that seek to exploit scriving for their own gain.

Throughout the book, Bennett explores themes of power, corruption, and the consequences of unchecked technological advancement. The intricate magic system of scriving is both fascinating and thought-provoking, as it raises questions about the nature of reality and the ethical implications of altering it.

Foundryside is a gripping and imaginative tale that combines fast-paced action, complex characters, and philosophical introspection. It sets the stage for a thrilling series that delves deeper into the world of Tevanne and the implications of scriving on society and the individuals who wield its power.

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Shorefall is the second book in Robert Jackson Bennett's Founders Trilogy, picking up where Foundryside left off. The story continues to follow Sancia Grado and her allies as they navigate the complex political landscape of Tevanne and uncover more secrets about the nature of scriving.

In the aftermath of the events in Foundryside, Sancia and her friends find themselves in a precarious position as they attempt to rebuild their lives and protect the city from new threats. However, their plans are disrupted when a powerful figure from Sancia's past resurfaces, seeking to harness the full potential of scriving for their own nefarious purposes.

As Sancia and her companions race against time to stop this new enemy, they discover that the very foundations of reality are at stake. They must confront not only the physical dangers that threaten Tevanne but also the philosophical and moral implications of their actions as they wield the power of scriving.

Throughout the book, Bennett further expands on the intricate magic system of scriving, delving deeper into its origins and the ways in which it can be used to shape reality. The story also explores themes of identity, free will, and the nature of consciousness, as the characters grapple with the implications of their abilities and the choices they must make.

Shorefall is a thrilling and thought-provoking sequel that raises the stakes and deepens the world-building established in Foundryside. It is a masterful blend of action, intrigue, and philosophical speculation that will keep readers engaged until the very end, setting the stage for the final installment in the trilogy.

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Locklands. The story concludes the epic tale of Sancia Grado and her companions as they face their greatest challenge yet in the struggle for the future of Tevanne and the world beyond.

In the wake of the events of Shorefall, the city of Tevanne is in turmoil, and the consequences of the characters' actions have rippled across the land. Sancia and her allies find themselves at the center of a brewing war that threatens to engulf not only Tevanne but the entire world. As new and old enemies emerge, each with their own agenda and mastery of scriving, the stakes have never been higher.

Sancia must confront the true nature of her abilities and the role she plays in shaping the future. She and her companions are forced to make difficult choices and sacrifices as they navigate a complex web of alliances, betrayals, and shifting loyalties. The very fabric of reality hangs in the balance as they race to uncover the ultimate secrets behind scriving and the power it holds.

Locklands delves even deeper into the philosophical and moral implications of scriving, exploring questions of power, control, and the nature of reality itself. Bennett masterfully weaves together the various plot threads and character arcs established in the previous books, delivering a satisfying and thought-provoking conclusion to the trilogy.

Founders Trilogy
Foundryside (Heist) -> Shorefall (Heist) -> Locklands (War)

The Tainted Cup is different world from Foundryside, it's a murder mystery series he just started. It's his newest book.

I recommend you read the Founders Trilogy first. You can find them here.

What I like about this author is all these books are fairly new, starting with Foundryside 2018, Shorefall 2020, Locklands 2022 and The Tainted Cup is his 2024 work. I like newer works more than older works.

I haven't read his early works. He did one hell of a job making the Founders Trilogy scale in epicness. And I really liked the ESP imagination I visualized from reading him describe psychic ESP vision. His new murder mystery is alright. I like the fantasy biopunk setting. But it has a lot of deus ex machina in it to complete the story but I guess you have to have that in a murder mystery.

I very much enjoy his work. He said in an AMA he already has the sequel written. Hopefully he releases it 1 year apart from the first, not his signature 2 years. I love reading his works.

Ukerric said:

The Founders trilogy is truly an epic work, but what struck me is the last one, which is one of the handful of novels that attempt to depict the slow slide of human society into a post-human society. You do get a sense of how a society that works on a completely different paradigm than the ones that existed before.

This is something that almost nobody tries, because it is hard - for the same reason that almost all "aliens" in science fiction are reskinned humans, because trying to impart fundamental alienness is hard, since the author is, by definition, human. You've got Egan who often depicts post-human societies. You've got an attempt by Arthur C. Clarke with Childhood's End. And, in a fantasy/magipunk setting, Bennett.

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I just like how he advanced the use of psychic like abilities throughout the book. The third book is a war book for sure. I like how he describes psychic societies, groups of twinned individuals. Pathing through people. Sharing memories with a nation, indexxing, finding people who know those memories within that nation. I just loved it. Specialized twinned groups that fit same temperament. It's interesting how it evolved into that from the first two books.