Jan Kjærstad (born
March 6,
1953) is a
Norwegian author. He has written a string of novels, short stories and essays and was editor of the literary magazine
Vinduet ("The Window"). He has received a number of prizes, the most important being the trilogy about the TV personality Jonas Wergeland (
The Seducer,
The Conqueror and
The Discoverer), for which he received the
Nordic Council Literature Prize.
Kjærstad's books are complex and humorous, showing an outstanding ability to visualize modern life and its many interdependencies, reminiscent of a less computer-focused Neal Stephenson. His books have been translated to English, German, Danish, Swedish, and Hungarian, among others.
- The Earth Turns Quietly ("Kloden dreier stille rundt", Short stories, 1980)
- Mirrors ("Speil", Novel, 1982)
- Homo Falsus or the Perfect Murder ("Homo Falsus eller det perfekte mord", Novel, 1984)
- The Great Fairy Tale ("Det store eventyret". Novel, 1987)
- The Matrix of Man ("Menneskets matrise", Essays, 1989)
- The Arabian Nights, vols 1 and 2 ("Tusen og én natt", Bind 1 og 2. Ed. 1989)
- The Hunt for the Hidden Waffle Hearts ("Jakten på de skjulte vaffelhjertene", Picture book, 1989)
- Brink ("Rand", Novel, 1990)
- The Seducer ("Forføreren", Novel, 1993)
- With Sheherazade, Imagination's Queen ("Hos Sheherasad, fantasiens dronning", Picture book, 1995)
- The Conqueror ("Erobreren", Novel, 1996)
- The Human Sphere ("Menneskets felt", Essays, 1997)
- The Discoverer ("Oppdageren", Novel, 1999)