Posted by Lisa on 10/1/2001, 11:05 am

Kudos to you, Terry! I'm an avid reader of fantasy and am thrilled to add another writer to my list of "must-reads," along with Robin Hobb and Terry Goodkind, :-) I read a lot, but it's rare to find someone in fantasy whose writing is this good. I don't mean just the plot and characters, which were incredible, but your writing style. One thing bothers me about the direction fantasy has taken in the last 4-5 years, though. The descriptions of torture, rape, and extreme violence are becoming more and more graphic. Reading some of these passages in Goodkind's books, and in yours, actually makes me nauseous. Is this necessary, I wonder? Do the publishers "require" some predefined level of horror before they'll publish a fantasy book? I have read that fantasy is second only to romance as the category of books most read by women, but this seems designed to appeal more to adolescent boys. Although, God help us if anyone is truly drawn to this kind of thing! Well, I had to get that off my chest, I guess. When all is said and done, though, I found it hard to put down "Illumination," and I assume (and hope) that it's just the first book in a trilogy. Thanks for the wonderful story! Lisa

Posted by Terry on 10/1/2001, 7:15 pm, in reply to "I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

Lisa, thank you so much for your wonderful message. You made my day! Odd as this may sound, I agree with you regarding graphic descriptions of horrific acts. I have a pretty strong stomach, but I'm disheartened as well as sickened by horror intended to titillate, and I'm distressed to hear that some of the material I wrote seemed intended to do that. It absolutely was not. I held back as much as I could from too-graphic descriptions; I tried to suggest rather than explicitly describe, wherever possible. I may have failed and gone too far, and if I did, I heartily apologize to you. It was important to me not to flinch from portraying the cruelty that was at the heart of the villainy in this book, because it's the antithesis of the compassion at the heart of magecraft. The bad guys are *bad*. To water them down would have seemed to me an authorial dishonesty. I trod that fine line as carefully as I could. I still struggle over something I struggled with while writing, which is the notion that in creating these bad guys, I brought a darkness into the world. That makes me uneasy. It's an issue I've been keen to discuss with other readers and writers, and I'm very interested that you brought it up. As far as I know, there is no explicit demand for graphically horrific elements on the part of publishers. The responsibility for that kind of content rests entirely with the author. Thanks for your post, which helps me as I wrestle with that responsibility. The good news is that yes, Illumination is now the first of three-book story arc...and the issue of torture does not come up in the next book. To my relief! And I'm so glad that you enjoyed the rest of the story. I appreciate you taking the time to post that here!! Terry

Posted by Angi-Kate on 12/27/2001, 5:13 pm, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

Yes! Two more books! WOOO-HOOOOOO! *Does the happy reader fan dance by her computer* I can't wait. The violence is bad, but that was what the Ennead was doing. I don't think that they thought of it as torturing people, to them it was more like extracting magic much like we hook up machines to cows to get milk and cheese at the supermarket. The people were not people to them, they were lower lifeforms. And yes, to us with kind hearts it is sick and disturbing, but to them it was simply a matter of figuring out what to do with those lost sheep who kept following them. I have a very strong stomach and have actually been enjoying writing the antagonist in the little story I'm working on. But no matter how twisted the evil can get in a story, it only makes the hero stronger. There would be no good without evil. And it is scenes like the torture chambers and the like that make the heroes so much more than regular people because in the midst of all that fear and darkness, they still did what they could to stop it. Okay, sorry about all the philosophy stuff. I'll stop now.

Posted by Lisa on 10/2/2001, 10:40 am, in reply to "I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

I find movies like *Silence of the Lambs* and *Pulp Fiction* so disturbing that I simply can't watch them. I'm even more affected by violence in books because the written word is so personal, and I internalize what I'm reading. I didn't mean to imply that your writing seemed designed to titillate readers with graphic violence because that's not what I felt at all. I did note your restraint in dealing with the scenes of torture. It was actually the descriptions of the mutilated mages in the torture chamber that bothered me most. Of course, it didn't help that I was so involved in the story that I read most of that chapter while I ate dinner Monday night. I understand your worries about unleashing a dark force simply by writing about these things. There's nothing new under the sun, of course, and people have actually been subjected to similar horrors for thousands of years. I do wonder what other people are feeling when they read scenes of torture and murder, though, and I hope that they're as repulsed as am I. As long as your writing moves readers to compassion for the victims and dismay at the evil of those who inflict such pain, I think you're okay. I see that the page on your Web site that will list some of your favorite books/authors isn't up yet, so I don't know what fantasy and science fiction you read yourself. I just pre-ordered Terry Goodkind's upcoming book on Amazon yesterday. His last couple of books in the *Sword of Truth* series have been less violent than the earlier books. Thank heaven, because I enjoy his books and was leary of even continuing the series after the long, graphic S&M passages in the first book. Robin Hobb should win an award for excellence in developing characters, as far as I'm concerned. Both the *Farseer* and *Liveship Traders* trilogies were wonderful. I was introduced to fantasy through a friend who insisted that I read Stephen Donaldson's *The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" series. At the time, I was more into science fiction and was rather disdainful of the fantasy genre. :-) I fell in love with those books, though, and have never looked back. I don't read sf anymore, but I do keep meaning to pick up a couple of Ursula Le Guin's books. I read *The Left Hand of Darkness* in a college religion class back in the 80's, and then read *The Lathe of Heaven* on my own, but those are the only books of hers that I've gotten to. I saw that you recommend her *Steering the Craft* to aspiring writers. I think I'll give it and *I Have This Nifty Idea- Now What Do I Do with It?* to my husband as Christmas gifts. Every time he reads a new fantasy book, he declares that he's going to write one himself- but he can't get past the first few pages. His tastes are different than mine as he most enjoys David Eddings and Dave Duncan, and their style is a bit too simplistic for me. It's very interesting to talk to you about your book and about fantasy in general. Thanks for being so generous with your time. Lisa

Posted by Terry on 10/9/2001, 11:35 am, in reply to "I may be a bit too sensitive to depictions of violence"

Lisa, you are absolutely not too sensitive to depictions of violence! I'm *glad* you feel the way you do. I wish more of us were less desensitized to this stuff. And I'm so glad you posted your thoughts. That really helps keep me on track. You must, must, must go pick up more Ursula Le Guin. She writes fantasy in addition to science fiction, and I think you'll be in heaven reading it. I would love to hear what you think of Tehanu in particular, but read the three previous Earthsea books first--A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, and The Farthest Shore. Those first three are often considered young-adult books, but they have a depth and intensity that a lot of adult-aimed fantasy can't match. And if you like those four, there are the more recent Tales from Earthsea and The Other Wind. I got to read the new Terry Goodkind in advance, and I'd say the violence in it is more suggested than graphic. (I don't want to say anything else for fear of coming anywhere near a spoiler.) Robert Jordan's books aren't gory that I can think of offhand (although there's psychological mistreatment), and another big action-and-magic series that isn't graphically icky is David Drake's Lord of the Isles (though I haven't read the most recent one yet). I think you might especially like the characters and narrative voice in Elizabeth Haydon's books Rhapsody, Prophecy, and Destiny. A couple of other books I worked on recently and enjoyed are Through Wolf's Eyes by Jane Lindskold and Mother Ocean, Daughter Sea by Diana Marcellas. And I just discovered Juliet Marillier, whose work is wonderfully written. I love Robin Hobb's books, too. I'm glad you mentioned her. Some other authors I particularly enjoy are Patricia McKillip, Peter Beagle, Phillip Pullman (whose series His Dark Materials is often classified as young-adult science fiction, but appeals to me as an adult fantasy reader), and Robin McKinley. I also love George R. R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire, although that one does get a bit gory and violent (he's awfully hard on his characters), and I've seen some readers complain about profanity in some of the dialogue. Gene Wolfe is another brilliant writer who works in both SF and fantasy; I'd recommend *anything* by him. And have you tried any Tim Powers? He's another author who can be very hard on his characters, but his books are unique and addictive. For fantasy fans, I'd suggest starting with Anubis Gates or The Stress of Her Regard. Oh, oh, and if you can find any books by Phyllis Eisenstein, pick them up! Her work is wonderful. Obviously it's time I finished that recommended-reading list. {g} I hope you'll let me know if you read and enjoy any of these! Terry

Posted by Lisa on 10/15/2001, 3:43 pm, in reply to "Absolutely not too sensitive"

I was actually in one of the mega-bookstores over the weekend but didn't think about it. We were in the children's section with our 2yo and 6yo sons, so we had our hands full. The adults didn't look at anything for themselves. :-) I was a big fan of Robert Jordan when he first started. (I used to read his fan club's listserv site but never contributed to the discussion.) Then the time between books AND the story got so long that I gave up. One day, when the entire *Wheel of Time* series is complete, I'll probably start at the beginning and read the whole thing through. I've seen Elizabeth Haydon's books in the store, but, if I remember them correctly, the cover art turned me off. Says something for the importance of a good cover, huh? That's something that the Robert Jordan online group used to gripe about- the artwork on his covers is notoriously awful. :-) BTW the cover on *Ilumination* is what made me pick up the book and take a look; it really drew me in. I'll investigate the other authors you mentioned. My husband recently finished the *Lord of the Isles* series and has been trying to get me to start it. Maybe I'll go ahead and give it a go. Lisa

Posted by Lisa on 10/15/2001, 3:28 pm

In the atmosphere of fear and patriotism that the US is experiencing right now, I'm going to unearth Guy Gavriel Kay's *Tigana.* I know it's somewhere in the house. :-) It's been a few years, but I remember that its themes include love of country, religious differences, and evil in the world- all things I'm pondering these days. It was the book I gave my husband to hook him on the fantasy genre, and we both think it's one of the most beautiful stories we've ever read. Lisa

Posted by Terry on 10/25/2001, 12:08 pm, in reply to "Definitely going to start the Earthsea books"

Hey Lisa, I responded to this, and to your message about Tigana, a couple of days ago, but the postings seem to have fallen off the board. Weird! If they don't magically reappear soon, I'll repost. Mostly I was just blathering about cover art, and agreeing that Tigana's the perfect book to be reading during these times. And I look forward to hearing what you think of Drake's Lord of the Isles!

Posted by Juan on 1/7/2002, 9:14 pm, in reply to "I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

Having just finished the book today, and having looked you up, I thought I'd toss in my two cents. It is always great to see "Evil" taken care of, and I thought you did a great job in subtly tossing it out. But once it got out there, I don't think your descriptions were too graphic, you provided the key to let the imagination take off on its own path. Stayed up many a late night entranced by your writing, anxious to see what Liath would get into next. I am looking forward to part two. I kept seeing all the those wonderful special effects, and hearing great sound tracks coming out of your story. I wonder what "Illumination" would be like on the big screen? Are you responsible for the great graphics and layout of this website? JW

Posted by Terry on 1/19/2002, 2:55 pm, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

Hey, Juan! I saw your lovely post in the guestbook, but didn't realize you'd posted here as well! Your two cents is much appreciated. It's so cool that you heard a soundtrack while you were reading! I think it would be challenging to do Illumination on the big screen, but of course I'd love it if someone ever wants to try. :) It would be fascinating to see how a filmmaker might portray the mages casting. Thanks also for your lovely compliments about this site. Yup, it's all my doing. Playing with Web pages is one way I relax, and graphic design is a great break from writing and reading text all day long. Great to see you, and so sorry it took me a while to realize your message was here! I'll blame the sequel--I'm nearly done writing, and I've been pretty absorbed in the work. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Posted by juan on 1/21/2002, 8:56 pm, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

With the special effects possible now, I don't see how it couldn't be pulled off. Glad to hear you are working on the sequel, am waiting with itchy fingers, anxious to start turning pages. I can relate to working on web development. I kinda dabble with it on the server side myself, my co-workers have to come in my "cubicle" and shake me out of my cloud if they want to talk to me. It can get pretty intense sometimes. But I guess you know all about being in a cloud of creativity! Its looking like you are on the way to being your own "triad".... Juan

Posted by Terry on 1/26/2002, 11:04 am, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

Oh, I definitely know about being in that cloud. Sometimes I think that writing is a lot like programming that way...programmers talk about "the zone," and I can relate to that wholeheartedly. Web work feels as though it falls somewhere between the two. Sequel's almost done! Can't wait for you to read it.

Posted by juan on 1/26/2002, 9:57 pm, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

"The Binders Road", does Liath get her men back now that she knows so much more about them, after that last casting? I'm caught between not reading anything until it becomes available or getting into something else and then having to re-read "Illumination". That's one of the reasons I usually wait on complete trilogys so I can have one big smorgasbord. Oh well!

Posted by Terry on 1/29/2002, 11:36 am, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

I'm the same way about trilogies and series books. It drives me crazy waiting for the next one. I wish writers could write faster! And I wish I could say that The Binder's Road would be out in a couple of weeks...but alas, it's going to be a few months. And even if TBR were out right now, it would still be another year or so before Triad came out to finish the story arc. Arrggh! The good news is that each book is self-contained, so the immediate story you're reading does come to a conclusion, and there aren't any cliffhangers. Just more to discover in the next one. You should definitely get into something else in the meantime. (And I'd love to hear what else you're reading, if you feel like dropping by to post.) I'll put up a message as soon as The Binder's Road is scheduled, so you'll have a better idea of the timetable. And I'll completely understand if you hold off reading TBR till Triad is in print. I did that with the Philip Pullman series His Dark Materials--I read The Golden Compass, and then I held off reading The Subtle Knife until I had The Amber Spyglass in hand, too. Then I read the whole thing from start to finish. I loved The Golden Compass even more the second time I read it, and I was glad I did it that way. I'm treading very carefully around spoilers (and I noticed that you did too--thanks!), but to answer your question...Liath, and the reader, will definitely find out a lot more about the men in the last casting. Amazing and wonderful things can happen in fantasy!

Posted by juan on 2/4/2002, 10:06 pm, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

Ok, you talked me into it. I had read "Sea Dragon Heir" by Storm Constantine and saw the rest of "The Magravandias Chronicles" on the Science Fiction Book Club, so I ordered them. Looks like I'll be able to satisfy my addiction for awhile. But I'm still anxiously awaiting the rest of "Terry McGarry".

Posted by Terry on 2/5/2002, 3:07 pm, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

Ooh, you ordered some good stuff. Hope you enjoy! (With a big smile that you're anxiously awaiting [big smile here]!)

Posted by juan on 2/18/2002, 9:02 pm, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

Having immersed myself into the mind of another, I now find myself feeling quilt! Hurry!! ;-)

Posted by Terry on 2/26/2002, 1:27 am, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

LOLOL, Juan! That is an excellent way to induce guilt, I have to say. :) I just sent the new book off today...I'll let you know as soon as it's scheduled!

Posted by juan on 3/14/2002, 10:09 pm, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

I'm getting my head full of "Sea Dragons", now I know I'll have to re-read "Illumination" to get the feel of Eiden Myr back in my bones.

Posted by Terry on 3/15/2002, 12:31 pm, in reply to "Re: I just finished the book an hour ago, and I LOVE it!"

A head full of sea dragons. What a wonderful concept! Well, metaphorically, not literally.... :) Isn't it amazing, to have a whole world expand inside what seems like a fairly small circumference of bone? Heads are really cool.