Stieg Larsson is one of those authors whose life story is as interesting a journey as that of the characters he created for his novels. Even more so perhaps, because it is real life, not fiction.
Larson's first career was in the largely harmless and safe profession of graphic designer and photographer. But the young Larsson had bigger things on his mind. As a science fiction fan from a young age, Larsson loved books and writing and as he matured, he slowly transformed himself into a journalist. More importantly, he transformed himself into a committed crusader against right wing extremist groups in Sweden and in Europe.
He was inspired in this regard by the life on his grandfather Sverin Bostrom, a well known anti fascist in his day, who was imprisoned by the Nazis during the second world war for his Anti Nazi beliefs.
Larsson became an expert on right wing extremism, giving lectures for Scotland Yard on the subject, and eventually became the editor of an influential anti extremist magazine, Expo.
Stieg's expertise did not come without risk. For the last 15 years of his life, with his public profile growing, Larsson and his life long partner, Eva Gabrielson, an anti Vietnam War demonstrator in her youth, lived under constant threat to their lives from underground extremist groups. The couple avoided being seen in public, lived in a shuttered house, and kept details about their lives as secret as possible. Knowing a good deal about how right wing extremist groups worked, Larsson actually wrote a book for the Swedish Union of Journalists, on how journalists should protect themselves from threats.
It was in fact the isolation brought about by the threats, that led Stieg to write his novels, alone at home at night, as a form of relaxation. The three novels together form what is now known as "The Millennium Series."
Larsson died suddenly of a heart attack in 2004 and given who he was, many questioned if there was more to his death than the public were permitted to know. Foul play has been repeatedly denied, but as we all know, many things can be denied.
The three novels "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl Who Played With Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest" were published posthumously. Regarded as innovative and unique in their genre when they first appeared, in the intervening short years between then and now, the books quickly became international best sellers and have sold to date, more than 27 million copies. The novels are now popular books on audio, all three being read by English actor Simon Vance.
An unfortunate epilogue to Steigs story is that he failed to make a will, the end result being that his life long partner and confidant Eva Gabrielson (they were not married) has received none of the wealth his books have earned following his untimely death, the estate being awarded by the Swedish Courts to Larsson's closest relatives, his father and brother. Bitter court battles have ensued.
Reader's have you drawn up your will?
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