Matthew Reilly Biography

About Matthew Reilly

Born July 2nd, 1974, Matthew Reilly is the international bestselling author of the following action/thriller novels:

1. Contest
2. Ice Station
3. Temple
4. Area 7
5. Scarecrow
6. Hover Car Racer
7. Seven Ancient Wonders
8. Hell Island
9. The Six Sacred Stones
10. The Five Greatest Warriors

Published in over 20 countries and known for their highly visual style, fast pace and large-scale action scenes, over 3.5 million copies of his books have been sold around the world, more than a million copies apiece between Australia, the UK and the USA.

Some of his works have been optioned by film studios for series or feature production, and he continues to create works of fiction across all major media platforms, from short stories, through to novellas and screenplays.

Matthew’s novels have also - unexpectedly - become a major tool in the fight to get teenagers into reading. While written for a mature readership, Matthew’s novels have become very popular with reluctant male readers. This may stem from Matthew's own childhood experience, citing his dislike for set reading projects in high-school as his main inspiration to 'do it better'.

He wrote and self-published Contest in 1996 while just 19, deliberately aiming to have his book noticed by publishers who talent-scout at bookstores. His dedication paid off, and was discovered by Pan Macmillan's then commissioning editor Cate Paterson. His first industry-produced novel, Ice Station, proved so monumentally popular, that it had to be reprinted six times in its first two years.

The continued success of his novels has been attributed to not only the accessible, 'storyteller' style of writing, but also the highly charged and kinetic action sequences that take place throughout his works, deliberately making use of his 'unlimited budget' of imagination to create scenes 'too big for Hollywood'.

A huge movie fan, Matthew owns an extensive range of movie memorabilia, including:

• A life-size replica of Han Solo encased in Carbonite (from Star Wars)
• A DeLorean DMC-12 (From Back to the Future)
• A 1:1 scale replica of the Jango Fett helmet (also from Star Wars)
• A replica of the Chachapoyan fertility idol (from Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Matthew has also written several short stories, including those for charity, magazines, the web and The Bulletin's annual Summer Fiction issues. These include:

1. Rewind / The Fate of Flight 700
2. The Mine (a 4-part serial)
3. A Bad Day at Fort Bragg
4. Altitude Rush
5. The Rock Princess and the Thriller Writer
6. Time Tours
7. The Dead Prince
8. Complex 13

Outside of the entertainment industry, Matthew has also partaken in several charity-, celebrity- and publicity-based events. Including:

• He regularly attends writer's festivals around Australia as a speaker or panellist.
• In 2000, Matthew was a delegate at the What Makes a Champion conference in Sydney. Nelson Mandela gave the opening address at the conference, and it featured such luminaries as Edmund Hillary, Richard Butler and Shane Gould.
• On January 1st, 2001, Matthew walked in the Australian Centenary of Federation Parade as a representative of Australian Literature.
• He has appeared on the Big Breakfast television show in Britain.
• He has appeared on the Good News Week celebrity game show in Brisbane.
• Matthew has been engaged by one of Australia's most successful television producers, Hal McElroy - creator of Blue Heelers and Water Rats - to develop a couple of new television series.
• In 2001 and 2002, Matthew was a special ambassador for National Youth Week, an initiative designed to get young people to chase their dreams.
• In 2003, he is one of the faces of the Australian government's National Literacy and Numeracy Week.
• In August, 2003, his book, Ice Station, will be one of six books sold at less than half price as part of a special literacy-driven project called Books Alive.
• As part of a charity dinner for the NSW Cancer Council in 2002, he offered to name a character in Scarecrow after the highest bidder. The winner was Alec Christie. Look for his name in Scarecrow!
• Matthew has played in several celebrity cricket matches and golf days alongside members of INXS, rugby union legend Matthew Burke and a host of other Australian celebrities.
• He has trekked to the base of Mount Everest

Get his books here

Books

Jack West Jr. Novel Series
The Five Greatest Warriors (2009)
Six Sacred Stones (2007)
Seven Ancient Wonders (2005)

Scarecrow Series
Hell Island (2005)
Scarecrow (2003)
Area 7 (2001)
Ice Station (1998)

Stand-Alone Novels and Other Books
Hover Car Racer (2004)
Temple (1999)
Contest (1996)

Hover Car Racer – The Illustrated Series (2005 – 2007)
Ice Station – The Manga Series (2005 – 2007)

About Matthew Reilly