n TadWilliams.com there is a new Question and Answer session regarding the author’s long-awaited return to the world of Osten Ard.
Williams, the author of more than twenty science fiction and fantasy novels, will be returning to his beloved realm of Osten Ard at the end of June, with the release of The Witchwood Crown, the first volume of a new series of books called “The Last King of Osten Ard”. The novel takes up the story more than 30 years after the characters were last seen in the classic Osten Ard novels.
Tad was asked about how he felt returning to his old world and the old characters; in the Q&A session, he says he had forgotten “how much effort and thought [he] had put into Osten Ard in the first place, so many years ago. Layers upon layers.” (Those layers are no surprise to longtime readers, who have compared the Osten Ard novels to the layers of an onion: peeling one layer reveals another).
He also reveals why it took him so many years to return to the world:
I sat down one time to list off for Deborah (my wife and business partner) all the reasons I had no more stories about Simon and Miriamele and Binabik and the rest, I realized that I had left most of the main characters still very much in the bloom of their youth, and that after decades of life and growing responsibility—which I had undergone myself since I wrote it—they must all look at the world very differently. That set me to thinking, and within one night the first rudiments of the story for “The Last King of Osten Ard” (the title for the whole series) had begun to take real shape. So every moment I was aging, and moving from one country to another, and becoming a parent, and so on, I was actually creating a plot for new Osten Ard books without realizing it.
So Williams’ aging has helped inspire the new books.
We at Treacherous Paths were honored to be mentioned in the Q&A session, the full version of which can be read here. The Witchwood Crown will be released on June 27, 2017. It is available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and other booksellers.
ere is Part 2 of our video interview with legendary fantasy and science fiction author Tad Williams, author of the now-classic “Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn” series; the questions from the interview were submitted by readers from TadWilliams.com and Westeros.org forums.
In this interview, Tad Williams discusses his new Osten Ard novel project, including his thoughts on Tolkien, whether or not new areas of Osten Ard (such as Nascadu and Khandia) will be seen, as well as whether or not he regrets killing off characters (and if he’s ever tempted to resurrect some of them). He also discusses the problem of the Norns, and how challenging it is to write sympathetic characters who do monstrous things.
Williams also discusses both Binabik and Duke Isgrimnur, two beloved characters from the original series, as well as a 45-foot crocodile in the swamps of the Wran. The Witchwood Crown, the latest Osten Ard novel, will be released on June 27, 2017.
his week, we have a new video interview; the questions were submitted by readers from TadWilliams.com and Westeros.org forums.
In this interview, legendary fantasy and science fiction author Tad Williams discusses his new Osten Ard novel project, including his thoughts on Tolkien and George R. R. Martin, and news about his new Osten Ard novels. The first new Osten Ard novel in 23 years, The Heart of What Was Lost is being released this week; reviews have been positive. The Daily Mail called this novel a “thrilling, pitch perfect mini epic” and added:
There are bloody battles, back stories and, most interestingly, sympathetic characters on both sides to give insight into the conflict and add fascinating layers of complexity to the story.
Fans of Tad Williams will delight in this new addition to his work — new readers could not have a better introduction.
The Heart of What Was Lost will shortly be followed by The Witchwood Crown this summer.
n October 16, Tad Williams, author of the classic “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” books, interviewed legendary author Peter S. Beagle, best known as the author of The Last Unicorn. The interview took place at Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park, California.
Tad Williams, author of the classic Memory, Sorrow and Thorn fantasy series as well as the upcoming Heart of Regret and The Witchwood Crown sequels, all set in the world of Osten Ard, was interviewed by British publisher Hodder Books this week. The full podcast interview runs just under 12 minutes, below. The Osten Ard part of the interview begins at 2:58. (The interview contains some minor spoilers for The Witchwood Crown, including some basic plot details, as well as major spoilers for Memory, Sorrow and Thorn).
The character of Simon Snowlock is based at least partially on Tad Williams’ younger brothers, according to Williams’ latest interview.
Williams reveals several tidbits during this interview. The first is that his character Simon Snowlock, the main protagonist of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, was modeled on his younger brothers. He also states that some fact-checking has been done on The Witchwood Crown, to make sure there are no conflicts with the original text.
The tentative dates for publication of the upcoming Osten Ard books are late 2016 for Heart of Regret and early 2017 for The Witchwood Crown. Subsequent volumes set in the same universe, titled Empire of Grass, The Navigator’s Children, and a fifth, as yet unnamed volume, will be published sometime thereafter.
Williams also reveals some details about his Bobby Dollar books (at 0:20 in the interview), and also discusses Tailchaser’s Song, his first novel (at 9:40).
Here is part 3 of “An Interview with Tad Williams”, translated into German by OstenArd.com contributor Ylvs.
Dies ist der dritte Teil des Interviews, das OstenArd.com mit Tad Williams geführt hat, dem Verfasser der ‚Großen Schwerter‘-, ‚Otherland‘-, ‚Shadowmarch‘- und ‚Bobby Dollar‘-Reihen. Williams hat kürzlich die Fertigstellung der Rohfassung des Manuskripts von ‚The Witchwood Crown‘ (‚die Hexenholzkrone’) bekanntgegeben, des ersten Bandes der Fortsetzungstrilogie von ‚die großen Schwerter‘, welche ‚der Letzte König von Osten Ard‘ heißen wird. Die Veröffentlichung wird für das Frühjahr 2016 erwartet.
Teil 1 des Interviews findet sich hier, Teil 2 ist hier.
Die folgenden Fragen stammen von Lesern des Tad Williams Message Board und von Mitwirkenden bei OstenArd.com. In diesem Teil des Interviews fragen wir Williams nach einem Vergleich der Charaktere aus den ‚Großen Schwertern’ mit Bobby Dollar; ob er Pläne hat in eine seiner anderen Welten zurückzukehren und ob er es jemals bereut hat, ins Dickicht der Welt von Osten Ard zurückzukehren.
OstenArd.com: Tad, Dein jüngster Protagonist, Bobby Dollar scheint manchmal ziemlich zynisch zu sein, aber seine Handlungsweise ist eindeutig die eines Optimisten. ‚Natürlich gehe ich in die Hölle, um meine neue Freundin zu retten (die nicht mal wirklich meine neue Freundin ist)‘. Simon hingegen ist von jugendlichem Idealismus (oder wie manche sagen: Ahnungslosigkeit) geprägt und verdient sich auf seinem Weg erwachsen zu werden, eine gehörige Portion Weisheit.
Wie verändert sich Simons Weltsicht über die Zeit? Würdest Du ihn als Idealisten oder Optimisten bezeichnen? Hat er irgendetwas mit Bobby Dollar und seinem Zynismus gemeinsam, nachdem er nun ein paar Runden mehr um die Sonne gedreht hat?
Tad Williams: Simon ist nach wie vor ein größerer Optimist als Bobby, was zum Teil daran liegt, dass er sich entschieden weigert, ausführlich über die schlimmsten Dinge im Leben nachzugrübeln. Das heißt nicht, dass er sie ignoriert, aber er ist entschlossener, sich nicht von ihnen sein Leben diktieren zu lassen als … sagen wir Miriamele. Ich glaube, ich selber bin von Natur aus ein verwundeter Romantiker, ein Optimist mit einem zynischen Sinn für Humor, kein Zyniker per se. Simon ist – hoffe ich – eine ältere Version seines jüngeren Selbst, also pragmatischer, weniger überrascht wenn die Dinge schlecht laufen. Und er ist sich bewusster, wie anstrengend es ist, die Welt zu verändern. In mancher Hinsicht ist er wahrscheinlich weniger ein Romantiker als Bobby.
Tad Williams erklärt, dass Simon Schneelocke weniger zynisch ist als seine Frau Miriamele – ein Hinweis auf die Handlung?
OA.com: Als Du zur Vorbereitung ‚die großen Schwerter’ gelesen hast – gab es irgendwas im Hinblick auf die Handlung oder die Weltkonstruktion, das Dich hat denken lassen: „Ich wünschte, ich könnte das überarbeiten“? Oder gab es etwas, was Du total vergessen hattest und das Dich positiv überrascht hat?
Tad: Ich dachte: „Ich wünschte, ich hätte es nicht so verdammt lang gemacht.“
Ehrlich gesagt, reagiere ich immer ziemlich ambivalent auf meine eigene Arbeit. Am meisten zucke ich bei Prosaproblemen, wie ich sie nenne, zusammen: zu viele Kommas, zu blumig an unnötigen Stellen etc., nicht so sehr wegen Entscheidungen, die die Handlung betreffen. Ich denke, ich hatte schon immer ein Händchen für Geschichte und Figuren, daher sind die meisten Sachen, die ich ändern würde technischer Natur, betreffen das Schreiben an sich.
Andererseits bin ich immer angenehm überrascht, wenn sich meine älteren Werke als weniger langweilig erweisen, als ich das machmal befürchte.
Einband von Fluss aus blauem Feuer, der 2. Band von Otherland.
OAcom: Du hast gesagt, dass Du gerne mehr Orlandogeschichten (Otherland) schreiben möchtest. Meinst Du aus diesem Wunsch könnte ein neues Buch werden oder gar eine Serie? Gibt es eine bestimmte Otherlandsim, die Du gern wiedersehen und ausbauen würdest?
Tad: Nicht so sehr eine bestimmte Simulation, vielmehr würde ich gern 1) mehr Simulationen erschaffen, 2) erforschen wie sich das Otherlandnetzwerk verändert, während es „lebendiger“ wird und sich seiner selbst bewusst oder zumindest sich selbst regulierend, und 3) denke ich, dass Orlandos Lebensumstände an sich und aus sich selbst heraus spannend sind (siehe „Der glücklichste tote Junge der Welt“). Außerdem interessiert mich die Idee, dass einige der künstlichen Lebensformen (oder Halblebensformen) im Netzwerk aus ganz eigenen, merkwürdig-pseudoreligösen Gründen versuchen könnten, Dread wieder zum Leben zu erwecken.
OAcom: Du hast Dich lange Zeit geweigert, nach Osten Ard zurückzukehren; erwischst Du dich jetzt ,wo Du wieder dort bist bei dem Gedanken: „Was zur Hölle tue ich hier?“
Tad: Jeden verdammten Tag. Besonders wenn ich versuche, mich an Geschichte und Sachen aus den ersten Bänden zu erinnern (also dauernd), statt mir einfach was auszudenken zu können. Aber wie schon gesagt, ist es auch eine richtig spannende Herausforderung. Ich will nicht wie ein kompletter Trottel klingen, aber das ist ein wichtiger Teil dessen, was ich am Schreiben liebe. Ich weiß, dass ich nicht allen damit gefallen werde, aber es wird herrlich rauszufinden, ob ich nicht zumindest einigen eine Freude machen kann.
OA.com:‚Die großen Schwerter‘ wird gerade in Vorfreude auf die neuen Bücher wieder weit überall gelesen und neu entdeckt. Das Leserfeedback ist umfassend positiv. Glaubst du, dass „die alten Hasen“ die neuen Bücher genauso mögen werden? Warum oder warum nicht?
Tad: Wenn überhaupt muss ich mir eher große Mühe geben, diese Bücher für neue Leser spannend zu machen, weil es so viel alte Geschichte, so viele bekannte Charaktere und Handlungsstränge gibt. Ich denke die alten Hasen werden keine Probleme haben, weil es eine MENGE Kontinuität gibt trotz all der Zeit, die vergangen ist.
Like Tad Williams, we tried to keep it to three parts, but it ended up being four. Below is Part Four of OstenArd.com’s interview with internationally bestselling speculative fiction writer Tad Williams, author of the “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn”, “Otherland”, “Shadowmarch” and “Bobby Dollar” books, and who recently announced the completion of the first draft of The Witchwood Crown, the first volume of a series of sequel novels to his classic “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” trilogy, called “The Last King of Osten Ard“. The Witchwood Crown is tentatively slated for a Spring 2016 release.
The below questions were asked by readers on the Tad Williams Message Board and by OstenArd.com contributors. In this part of the interview, we asked Williams about publication plans for print and audiobooks, plans for re-releases of the classic “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” books, and what, if anything, he has found challenging about writing a much-older Simon, Miriamele, Binabik, and the rest of the crew.
Tad Williams’ novels have long been available as audiobooks in Germany. Now “The Last King of Osten Ard” will get an English-language audiobook, Williams reveals.
OstenArd.com: Tad, the new series will certainly be a major publishing event, and deals have been announced for the US and the UK. Are there any other deals in place that you can talk about? Have plans been put in place on how the new books are going to be published and/or marketed? Will there be audiobooks?
Tad Williams: I’m sure there will be audiobooks in English and German, although I don’t know any details yet. All other stuff, I really don’t know. Deb [Tad’s wife and business partner Deborah Beale] probably knows more than I do, because I’m doing my best just to get the books written.
OA.com: Will there be re-issues of the original trilogy? Hardcover reprint? Audiobooks? Any news on that front?
Tad: Same answer. But, yes, we’re pushing for a re-release.
OA.com: In the “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” reread on the Tad Williams Message Board, we had a lot of fun tracking down references to mythology/history/other books – can we expect more of that in “The Last King of Osten Ard”? Is there a reference you particularly liked in “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” and that no one mentioned to you yet? Any still hidden Easter-egg?
Tad: I honestly have no idea if there are any Easter eggs that have escaped the laser-focus-bunnies of the message board. I’ll keep an eye open when I do another re-read (which I think I’ll have to do before I commit to the first volume as finalized), and if I see something, I’ll let you know. Besides, it’s better when you guys find these things on your own, because then even if I never intended it, I can look wise and nod my head: “Ah, yes, that. Very clever, wasn’t I?”
Simon and Miriamele gained a throne thirty years ago… How have their experiences changed them over the decades?
OA.com: Were there any aspects of writing a 30-years-older Simon or Miriamele (or any other character from “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” who reappears in “The Last King of Osten Ard” for that matter) that you found surprising or challenging or surprisingly challenging?
Tad: Too early to say, really, because a lot of this will be not just who the characters are at the beginning, but how they change during these books, as they did during MS&T. But it’s all challenging, because we know these characters as young people. The difference between a teenager and a middle-aged adult is almost like two different people. But I think I’ll be able to tell you more when I’m actually done — rewrites and all — with this first volume, because it’s in rereading Witchwood Crown AS A NOVEL that will tell me a lot about whether Simon and Miriamele’s older selves feel real and appropriate.
[Ed.: This concludes our multi-part interview with Tad Williams. We’d like to take a moment to thank Tad Williams and Deborah Beale for their time, and all the friendly folks on the Tad Williams message board, who asked a lot of great questions.]
Below is Part Three of OstenArd.com’s interview with speculative fiction writer Tad Williams, author of the “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn”, “Otherland”, “Shadowmarch” and “Bobby Dollar” books, and who recently announced the completion of the first draft of The Witchwood Crown, the first volume of a series of sequel novels to his classic “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” trilogy, called “The Last King of Osten Ard“. The Witchwood Crown is tentatively slated for a Spring 2016 release. Part One of the interview is here. Part Two is here.
The below questions were asked by readers on the Tad Williams Message Board and OstenArd.com contributors. In this part of the interview, we asked Williams how his main characters from Osten Ard compare to Bobby Dollar, if he has any plans to ever return to other worlds he built, and if he ever regrets his decision to wander back into the thick of things in Osten Ard.
Cover of the Russian edition of The Dirty Streets of Heaven, the first “Bobby Dollar” book.
OstenArd.com: Tad, your most recent main character, Bobby Dollar, seems pretty cynical sometimes, but his actions are unfailingly that of an optimist. “Of course I’m going to go to Hell to save my new girlfriend (who’s not really my girlfriend)!” Simon’s journey was from a youthful idealism (or even, some might say, cluelessness) to adulthood with a good measure of earned wisdom. How has Simon’s worldview changed with the passage of time? Would you describe him as an idealist or optimist? Does he have anything in common with Bobby Dollar’s cynicism, now that he’s been around the block a few times?
Tad Williams: Simon is still much more of an optimist than Bobby, but part of that comes from him resolutely refusing to dwell on the worst things in life. That doesn’t mean he ignores them, but he is more determined not to let them dictate his everyday life than, say, Miriamele is. I think I myself am a wounded romantic by nature, an optimist with a cynical sense of humor, rather than a cynic per se. Simon is, I hope, an older version of his younger self, thus more pragmatic, less surprised when things don’t go well, and more aware of how hard it is to change the world. In some ways, he’s probably less of a romantic than Bobby.
Tad Williams states that Simon Snowlock is less of a cynic than his wife, Miriamele. Possible plot point?
OA.com: When you reread “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” in preparation, was there anything, about the plot or the worldbuilding or the characters, that made you think, “I wish I could rewrite this”? Or on the other hand, something that you’d maybe forgotten about and that surprised you in a positive way?
Tad: I thought, “I wish I hadn’t made this so damn long.”
No, I always have ambivalent responses when look at my own work. Most of my flinch moments come from what I see as prose issues — too many commas, too flowery when not necessary, etc. — rather than story choices. I think I’ve always had a pretty good grasp of story and character, so the main things I see that I wish I could change are almost always technical things about the writing itself.
On the other hand, I’m always pleasantly surprised when my older work isn’t as lame as I sometimes fear it might be.
Cover of River of Blue Fire, second volume of “Otherland”.
OA.com: You’ve said that you are interested in writing some more Orlando (from “Otherland”) stories. Do you think this desire might turn into a book or even a new series? Is there any particular Otherland sim you would like to revisit and flesh out more?
Tad: It’s not so much any one simulation as that I’d like to 1) make more simulations, 2) explore how the Otherland network is changing as it becomes more “alive” and self-aware, or at least self-regulating, and 3) I think Orlando’s situation is interesting in and of itself, as detailed in “Happiest Dead Boy”. Plus, I’m interested in the idea that some of the artificial life-forms (or semi-life-forms) in the network might want to bring Dread back, for weird pseudo-religious ideas of their own.
OA.com: You resisted returning to Osten Ard for a long time; now that you’re back, do you ever find yourself thinking, “What the heck am I doing here?”
Tad: Every goddamn day. Especially when I’m trying to remember history and stuff from the first volumes, which is all the time, instead of just being able to make things up from scratch. But as mentioned, it’s also a really fun challenge. Not to sound like a complete sap, but that’s a big part of what I love about writing, too. I know I won’t please everyone, but it will be fun to see if I can at least please a few people.
OA.com: Readers are re-reading “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” far and wide in anticipation of the new books. And their responses seem uniformly positive. Do you think “veteran” readers of MS&T will enjoy the new books just as much? Why or why not?
Tad: If anything, I have to work hard to make sure these books are as much fun for new readers as for the old readers, because there is so much old history, and so many old characters and plotlines to plug into. I think the veteran readers will have no problem with these because there is a LOT of continuity despite the decades passed.
Editor’s note: the interview with Tad Williams will conclude with Part Four.
Below is Part Two of OstenArd.com’s interview with Science Fiction/Fantasy writer Tad Williams, author of the “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn”, “Otherland”, “Shadowmarch” and “Bobby Dollar” books, and who recently announced the completion of the first draft of The Witchwood Crown, the first volume of a series of sequel novels to his classic “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” trilogy.
In this interview, we asked Williams what it’s like to return to the world of Osten Ard, how he’s reacted to the announcement that Michael Whelan will be illustrating the covers, and what he’s been researching while working on The Witchwood Crown.
Michael Whelan painted the covers for the US and UK editions of “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn”.
OstenArd.com: It’s been recently announced that Michael Whelan will be doing the covers for the new Osten Ard books, just as he did for the classic MS&T series. When I spoke to him in person in November, he was excited and proud to be asked to create the new cover art for your books. How excited are you to know that his amazing work will be on the new books?
Tad Williams: I think it’s wonderful. It’s hard to imagine what anyone else could do with them, since Michael put his stamp on them so authoritatively. And I’ve always loved Michael’s work, since long before he intersected my career, or I even had a career to intersect. So, yes, thrilled to see what he’ll come up with, proud that he wants another go.
OA.com: On the TadWilliams.com message board, you revealed a partial character list. Any plans to reveal a more detailed or more extensive character list? Or would that be too spoilery?
Tad: I intend at some point — probably closing of rewrite of first draft — to update and correct that list. Also, I may very well release the chapter titles, which won’t necessarily give anything away conclusively, but will certainly inspire some guesswork.
OA.com: When MS&T was first published the initial critical reaction was disappointing since critics only read it as a generic fantasy trilogy and failed to see more than that. Only a few critics (like Roz Kaveney) saw beneath the surface and recognized it as a revisionist fantasy. But 30 years on, a new generation of writers is acknowledging their debt to MS&T (Brandon Sanderson, Christopher Paolini, even GRRM), and MS&T is widely regarded as “classic”. Are you still disappointed over the lack of critical appreciation? Do you think that the new trilogy will change that?
Tad: I’m kind of resigned to the fact that for whatever reason, I will remain one of those weird tastes, like some odd ice cream flavor, that some people will be passionate about, and others won’t quite get the fuss. And, in all fairness, I’m just writing fantasy and science fiction books that I’d like to read. It’s not like I think I’m all that important myself in the first place. But, yes, it’s heartening when people DO understand that I put a lot of thought and care into this, that I’m not just writing extra-long role playing adventures, that I bring a few other skills and interests to the table. My wife says, “Don’t worry, they (critics and trendsetters) will kiss your ass after you’re dead”, to which I usually reply, “That doesn’t sound like it will be all that much fun for either of us.”
OA.com: Has Osten Ard society changed in the last 30 years? Does Simon’s upbringing have lasting influence on his kingship and if so was he able to change things? Did he want to?
Tad: That’s one of the things that will definitely be a part of the story, so It’s hard to discuss without giving things away. But, yes, Simon and Miri and the lessons their lives have brought them will have a lot to do with the future of Osten Ard, and they both want to be “good” rulers, so they’ve spent a lot of time since the end of TGAT trying to figure out what that means and how to accomplish it, with mixed success (as is true with all of us with just about anything).
OA.com: How difficult is it to “collaborate with yourself”, as it were, in writing a sequel to a story you wrapped up over twenty years ago? Are you trying to match the style and mood of the original, or are you just trusting yourself that it will come out right? Do you find yourself remembering any of the feelings or thoughts you had when writing MEMORY, SORROW AND THORN, even things you’d forgotten until now?
Tad: I won’t really know until I’ve finished, because when I’m writing things they are always composed of dangly bits and rough edges that have to be fixed, and that’s where I am right now — all dangly bits.
Some of the process is easier than a first-time novel, because for instance I already feel I know who Simon and Miriamele are in a deep sense, and can guess which things would be appropriate to their adult selves, and which wouldn’t be. But of course I’m not just trying to match a style, or match older characters to their younger selves, I’m also trying to match an -impact- as well, because I’m messing with material that in some ways means more to readers than it does to me. While I know I will never be able to write new stories which have the same impact for the older fans, I want them to feel appropriate, and that I took the best possible care of old favorites while justifying a sequel by adding new material. And of course, I can’t forget about all the people who may read this without having read the first books. I don’t want to freeze them out and make it some kind of nostalgia fest. So it’s a very interesting, occasionally terrifying thing to do.
OA.com: For the Shadowmarch series, you mentioned doing research on geology, iirc. What sort of research did you do (are doing) for TLKOOA?
Tad: Ohmigod, what amn’t I researching? I’ll pick some bookmarks at random:
The Morrigan
Battle of Walcourt
List of Anglo-Saxon place names
Ice Cave Picture
3D plans for Skipton Castle
Tetraplegia
Traditional Gaelic Names
Monasticism in Western Europe
The Male and Female Names of Animals
History of the Wool Trade
Crows roosting
Proto-Indo-European
Akasha (name)
Entheogens of Antiquity
Parthenocarpy
Central Asian Steppes
Mythical Thule
Sami People
and so on and so on, to the tune of about five hundred bookmarks. Not to mention the fact that I’ve got about forty or so research books that I have out and in use just for this story alone, as well as copious notes from the first book and various other bits and bobs. (Message Board conversations, Maps, etc.) So, yeah, there’s research in all my stuff, but I think this one is second only to OTHERLAND in terms of how much material I’m using.
Speculative fiction writer Tad Williams has sold over 30 million copies of his books, which have been translated into more than 25 languages. His first epic fantasy trilogy, “Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn”, became an international bestselling series beloved by millions. And now Tad Williams returns to the world of “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” with a new sequel series called “The Last King of Osten Ard”, a series which seems likely to catapult him back once more onto the bestseller lists.
We talked with Williams shortly after he and his wife and business partner Deborah Beale announced that he had just completed the rough draft of the first book in the new series, The Witchwood Crown. In this exclusive interview, we asked Williams some questions about his world-building, plans for book tours, what it’s like to return to a world he hasn’t been to in ages, and his plans to continue to write “Bobby Dollar” books in between Osten Ard novels. Below is Part One of the interview. Further portions of the interview will be published later this week.
OstenArd.com: Thanks, Tad, for agreeing to do this interview! You have stated that you are writing the new Osten Ard novels at the same time as Bobby Dollar stories. Even though they are very different stories, do you ever find yourself confusing the characters’ voices? Or are they just too different for that to happen?
Tad Williams: One of the nicest things about Bobby Dollar is that I tell it in the first person. Once I start writing that voice, it comes pretty naturally (in part because he talks more than a bit like me.) Most of TLK is third-person past tense (there are some epistolary sections in first-person present) so it’s actually quite different. Not to mention that BD is modern in style of speech, so it’s like turning off the tape-delay. When I’m writing fantasy, especially pre-industrial fantasy, I have to find a proper tone and vocabulary to go with the story. But with TLK, I just have to come up with something that feels appropriate to what I used in the first books.
Cover of part 1 of the Japanese edition of The Dragonbone Chair, one of more than 25 translations of the book.
OA.com: You have a devoted fan base who would love to meet you. Does your publisher plan a major book tour before/during/after the launch of The Witchwood Crown, and if so, where might you go? Are there markets that you absolutely know you’ll have to visit?
Tad: I hope so, and I would love to do it. Publishers haven’t been touring writers as much because of a) the loss of profitability in brick-and-mortar publishing and the 2006-present economic ructions. But I hope this is enough of an event to warrant my American publishers touring me again. As far as other countries, that’s always catch as catch can, although I’m pretty sure my German publishers will tour me.
OA.com: Both Christopher Paolini and George R. R. Martin have acknowledged that you inspired them to write their own series. Are there plans afoot to ask them to provide a blurb for The Witchwood Crown?
Tad: Christopher would probably do it, no problem. It’s always hard to get George to do stuff like that just because there’s so many demands on his time. He’s like me times a thousand, probably, in terms of how many things he can pay attention to out of however many are seeking his attention.
Map of Osten Ard, showing the more than a dozen nations which make up the continent.
OA.com: In The Dragonbone Chair, you built a massive world with more than 100 cities, towns and villages spread out over a continent. Then you created languages, cultures, and peoples to fill those places. As you added more books, Osten Ard grew further. Are you planning to do any exploring of areas outside the old maps? The “blank areas at the edges of the maps”? If so, how will that mesh with the existing infrastructure and the old maps?
Tad: There will definitely be some expansion of what we know about O. Ard., but I’ve got plenty of stuff from the originals to elucidate and expand upon without going beyond the Nascadu desert or the northern Trollfells or Nornfells. However, we will learn a bit more about the -conceptual- map of the world, and also see some places we never saw in the first books, that’s for sure.
OA.com: During the events of MS&T, readers got to explore the realm, visiting everything from steaming jungles to frozen tundra (LOTS of frozen tundra!). Any plans to revisit areas of Osten Ard which didn’t get much attention in the classic series? Nascadu? The Hyrkalands? The Westerling Islands? Harcha and Naraxi? Ijsgard? The Lost Garden?
Tad: We’re going to see a LOT of the Nornfells and Nakkiga. We’re also going to see a lot of Aldheorte and the Thrithings and Nabban. As far as other, previously unvisited places, I’m not sure — that will depend on where the second volume and the beginning of the third takes some characters whose steps I haven’t completely mapped yet. (By the way, the amusingly stupid spellchecker on this email keeps trying to change “the Thrithings” to “the Thrashings”.) And we will learn and hear more about the Lost Garden as well — a LOT about the early history of the Norns and Sithi, both in Osten Ard and before. So while I can’t say we’re going to visit the Lost Garden — it is lost, after all — we’re definitely going to learn and hear more about it.
