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Reki Kawahara

Reki Kawahara is a Japanese author best known for his light novel series Sword Art Online and Accel World. Both have been adapted into multiple anime, manga, and video game franchises.

Quick Facts

  • Best known for writing the light novel series Sword Art Online and Accel World.
  • Both series have been adapted into multiple types of media such as manga, anime, and video games.
  • Sword Art Online has become a major franchise, with its novels being translated into English, German, Italian, and Korean among others.
  • He began writing the web novel version of Sword Art Online in 2002.
  • Some of his notable works also include The Isolator and Project Alicization.

Background

Kawahara was born in 1974 in Gunma, Japan. He has loved writing since he was a child, winning a literature contest in elementary school, and later pursuing a career as a freelance writer after graduation from university. He is best known for his light novel series, Sword Art Online and Accel World. Both of these series have been adapted into anime.

Kawahara originally wrote Sword Art Online for a literary contest, but withdrew it and published it on his web page as a web novel under the pseudonym Fumio Kunori. After its success, it was published in print, with illustrations by abec.

He entered his novel, Accel World, into another literary contest, the 15th Dengeki Novel Prize, in 2008 and won the Grand Prize. Kawahara has also written the light novels Phantom Bullet, Calibur, Mother's Rosario, and Project Alicization.

Writing Style and Impact

Kawahara’s writing style is detailed and engaging, often diving into the intricate world-building aspect in his works. His novels revolve mainly around fantasy, and he’s best known for integrating video game concepts with his storytelling. His work has inspired many and led to the elevation of the "light novel" genre. Besides, he has also influenced the depiction of virtual reality in literature.

Notable Works

  • Sword Art Online series (2009- )
  • Accel World series (2009- )
  • The Isolator series (2014- )