Stieg Larsson

Karl Stig Erland Larsson, or as we all know him, Stieg Larsson, was a Swedish journalist, activist, and writer best known for his Millennium trilogy of crime novels following the life of Lisbeth Salander and Mikel Blomkvist. Sadly for Stieg, he passed away only just after completing the third installment of his Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Kicks the Hornet’s Nest. Posthumously, however, this series has become an international sensation, inspiring films on both sides of the Atlantic as well as a continuation of the series by David Lagercrantz, with the sixth novel to be released in September 2019. Still, what you might not know about Mr. Larsson is that he, in fact, led a very parallel life path to that of his signature character, Mr. Kalle Blomkvist. He spent his life devoted to a socialist cause, fighting as an independent researcher of right-wing extremism within the depths of Swedish government. Stieg was additionally a staunch feminist after witnessing a horrifying assault at a young age, and devoted much of his time and writing to giving women an equal voice. A little side note here – I do not believe I can even put into words how much I fucking love this man, this trilogy, and the message he is propelling out into the world. Not only does Larsson put together an intense, thrilling storyline with flawed yet loveable characters, but he also manages to confront huge issues within society and culture such as political corruption, sexism, sexual assault, mental illness, violence…the list goes on and on and on. So just who was the man behind The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Let’s find out together this week on episode 29 of Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends.