The Malazan Book of the Fallen is an epic fantasy series written by Canadian author Steven Erikson, published in ten volumes starting with Gardens of the Moon. Eight books are available as of July 2008 and two are forthcoming. It is wide in scope and encompassing the stories of a very large cast of characters.

You dream that with memories will come knowledge, and from knowledge, understanding. But for every answer you find, a thousand questions arise.

Deadhouse Gates, Steven Erikson

We do naught but scratch the world, frail and fraught. Every vast drama of civilisations, peoples with their certainties and gestures, means nothing, affects nothing. Life crawls on, ever on.

Deadhouse Gates, Steven Erikson

Such tears had been shed before, and would be again - by others like her and yet unlike her. And the winds would dry them all.

Gardens of the Moon, Steven Erikson

Betrayal was the greatest of all crimes in Rallick's mind, for it took all that was human within a person and made it a thing of pain.

Gardens of the Moon, Steven Erikson

"Tell me, Tool, what dominates your thoughts?"
The Imass shrugged before replying. "I think of futility, Adjunct."
"Do all Imass think of futility?"
"No few think at all."
"Why is that?"
The Imass leaned his head to one side and regarded her. "Because, Adjunct, it is futile."

Malazan Book of The Fallen, Steven Erikson

Fantasy HotList has another fantasy book giveaway.
The latest giveaways are for five copies of the US edition of Steven Erikson's Reaper's Gale, as well as five autographed copies of R. A. Salvatore's The Ancient, courtesy of the kind folks at Tor Books. They are really pushing the new Salvatore, what with the 250,000$ national marketing plan.

In December last year Clarke's World Magazine published an interview with Steven Erikson. If you've missed it, read below...

The Bonehunters is a sixth book in the Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

The Bonehunters picks up with events in Seven Cities two months following Sha'ik's fall to Tavore and her 14th Army, making this book a direct sequel to House of Chains.

Midnight Tides is fifth book in the Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

And now for something completely different. Midnight Tides, taking place in 1159 Burns Sleep, is a prequel to the entire series. We are introduced to a new continent, Lether, unknown to the Malazans. Most of the continent is under the control of the Letherii, an imperialistic, "manifest destiny" driven, ultracapitalistic culture intent on subjugating the entire continent through both economic and militaristic means.