fall and ascent: individuation in the malazan book of the fallen

Carl Jung’s concept of individuation helps us understand the journey of life from birth to death and the psychological growth that ensues across the lifespan, and through each of life’s stages. This analysis of Steven Erikson’s ten-book fantasy series, The Malazan Book of the Fallen, explores how Erikson has applied the notion of individuation to his characters throughout the story, depicting and working through the individuation journey and its stages. In this rendering, Erikson is both exploring and undertaking the individuation process, and acts as a guide for the reader’s own journey and growth.

The themes of Erikson’s novels tie together and reflect the arc of the individuation journey, and the characters within the stories depict the process as a microcosm of that greater, inner process. Experiencing The Malazan Book of the Fallen as a modern myth prompts readers to undergo transformation, preparing them for the changes they’ll encounter in life.

This book synthesizes, challenges, and reinvigorates Jung’s psychology, drawing on ideas about archetypes, instincts, and alchemy, while unpacking the hero’s journey through life and how it weaves through the notion of individuation. It elucidates the power of story as a facilitator of experience and growth, and what can be learned from witnessing the journey of individuation.