About Ashok K. Banker – The Pioneer of Indian Epic Fantasy

✨ Over 3 Million Copies Sold Across 58+ Countries

The Storyteller’s Journey

Ashok K. Banker is widely acclaimed as the pioneer of the contemporary Indian mythological fantasy genre in English literature.

Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Ashok has spent over three decades crafting sprawling fictional universes that intertwine ancient history, timeless epics, and cutting-edge worldbuilding. His ground-breaking 8-volume Ramayana Series single-handedly launched the wave of Indian mythological retellings in the early 2000s, mesmerizing a new generation of global readers.

Beyond traditional mythologies, Ashok is a remarkably versatile author whose bibliography spans historical fiction (Ashoka: Lion of Maurya, Chanakya), high epic fantasy (The Burnt Empire Saga), hard-hitting crime thrillers, cross-genre graphic novels, and television screenplays.

His work has appeared on numerous international bestseller lists, with editions published and distributed across the United States, United Kingdom, India, and translated into dozens of world languages.

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70+ Books Published

3M+ Readers Worldwide

16+ Languages Translated

30+ Years of Storytelling

The Epic Universe & Legacy

Before Ashok K. Banker’s emergence, ancient Indian epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata were predominantly preserved in classical formats or localized folklore. Banker bridged the gap between timeless Vedic epics and modern narrative prose, creating a cinematic reading experience rich in psychological depth, gritty pacing, and poetic vision.

"Banker has created a universe as vast and gripping as Tolkien's Middle-earth or Martin's Westeros, yet deeply grounded in the ancient soul of the Indian subcontinent." — International Literary Review

A Global Footprint

In recent years, Ashok embarked on the monumental Burnt Empire Saga, introduced by Upon a Burning Throne (published internationally by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). The series received critical acclaim for re-imagining the foundational conflict of the Mahabharata on an interplanetary, high-fantasy scale with unyielding ambition.

Today, Ashok continues to write unabated, working on multiple manuscripts simultaneously spanning contemporary crime, young-adult fiction, scriptwriting for OTT platforms, and continuation of his historical trilogies.