Artemis Fowl (novel)

Artemis Fowl
First edition cover
AuthorEoin Colfer
Audio read byAdrian Dunbar[1]
LanguageEnglish
SeriesArtemis Fowl
GenreYoung adult, fantasy
PublisherViking Press
Publication date
26 April 2001
Publication placeIreland
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback), Audiobook CD
Pages280
ISBN0-670-89962-3
OCLC46493219
813
Followed byThe Arctic Incident (2002) 

Artemis Fowl is a young adult fantasy novel written by Irish author Eoin Colfer. It is the first book in the Artemis Fowl series, the first cycle of The Fowl Adventures, followed by Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident. Pitched by its author as "Die Hard with fairies",[2][3] the novel follows fairy LEP reconnaissance officer Holly Short (based on John McClane and Holly Gennero McClane) after she is kidnapped by twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II (based on Hans Gruber) for a large ransom of gold.

Throughout the book, the third-person narration switches from following the human characters to following the fairy characters to present underlying themes of greed and conflict. The book received a mostly favourable critical response and several awards.[4] A film adaptation titled Artemis Fowl was released in the United Kingdom on 12 June 2020 and the United States on 10 September 2021 by Walt Disney Pictures.

  1. ^ Colfer, Eoin (2001). Artemis Fowl. Puffin Audiobooks. ISBN 0-14-180286-3.
  2. ^ Frederick, Heather Vogel (23 April 2001). "'Die Hard' With Fairies". Publishers Weekly. 248 (17). Retrieved 23 March 2012. In fact, this fantasy/action-adventure hybrid owes its tone as much to American action movies as it does to Ireland's rich treasure trove of lore. Sheepishly 'fessing up to the "Die Hard with fairies" pitch ("this was back when I didn't know to be careful what I was saying—I just hope Bruce Willis isn't upset if he ever reads it"), Colfer traces the story's evolution. "I really liked the Die Hard movies, particularly their self-deprecating humor. They were big-budget action movies, but very much tongue-in-cheek, and I wanted to create an adventure with one foot in the comedy zone."
  3. ^ Atkinson, Fran (2 October 2005). "A way with the fairies". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
  4. ^ "Artemis Fowl Official Site". Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 15 March 2008.