Have you ever wanted to ask me that all important question but just couldn’t bring yourself to go all the way to the comments section?
Well, my dark masters at Gollancz are offering you that chance. Over at their facebook page they’re asking for questions, and the most exciting/embarrassing/amusing three of them will be posed unto me when I do an interview next week in genuine 2d video! The spectacular results will then be posted upon said facebook page for you, and the world, to enjoy! It’s the closest you can get to being in a room with me without, erm, being in a room with me.
Can’t make their facebook page work? Hell, you could always post your questions right here in the comments section.
32 comments so far
Your books so far seem to be building up toward a major conflict between the surviving Magi (Bayaz on one side and the one ruling Ghurkal (sorry forgot his name) on the other).
Do you have a plan already laid out in your head how this will proceed and how many books it will cover?
Hehe good work Phil N, saved me and most likely a few others asking that one.
Apologies as you have probably been asked this question a few times before:
You talk about not having too much emotional connection with characters in the book when you write an event happening to them e.g character Z dying horribly, as you have had it planned months in advance.
Would like to know if you have a character in any of the books you enjoyed writing about the most and whenever you were about to start the next chapter in their life it brought about a sense of anticipation and “axecitement”(see what i did there?)
Cheers
Joe, in my opinion, your fight scenes are the best there are in written fantasy(*). I don’t just mean the fireworks descriptions (which are great), but also the way the characters behave before and after a fight. Particularly because they don’t all act the same, but go through feelings and behaviours that seem very appropriate to their respective experience with violence.
My question: from your account of a certain real-life occurrence involving a banister two years back, as well as a third-party report of you demonstrating martial arts at Bristolcon this year, I get the impression you are not really a martial arts enthusiast, nor have you had much experience with violence in your real life (thank Dog). So how come your your depictions ring so true? Where did you “learn” how fights go and how they affect the people involved?
(* Hope I’m doing all right with the ego-stroking, I’ve been told it always helps when asking an author a question ;-). If it shouldn’t have been enough yet, I’d like to add that I believe absolutely everyone should buy the “Swords & Dark Magic” anthology for your short story “The Fool Jobs” alone! It’s an excellent demonstration that my assertion in the first sentence of this post is valid.)
And I suppose I’ll ask the obvious question.
Will we see Logen again, ever?
Who would win in a fight between a Polar Bear and a Chimp armed with a flick knife?
Where the heck is my left hand axe?
We need more books.
What did you write at the moment?
Why not coming to Austria(not Australia)? Need some autograph on my german Editions.
Well, Phil N. has already stolen two of my questions, so I’ll ask my other one: Ferro. Any plans to bring her back? I’d love to see more with her and Logen.
What metaphysical floor are the loos on in the house of the maker? Do they have auto-flush?
Will we see another book or series staring Logen? I’m positive this will be the most asked question. I’m also sure the answer will be yes. So just answer the blasted question and put us at ease!!! (lol)
Will you ever write a book centered on Craw and his troop of Northmen (whirrun, wonderful, etc)? I love those guys and I see many possibilities to expand on these characters.
Ever thought about doing a prequel of First Law, staring the original northmen group, Three trees, Dogman, Logen, Black Dow, etc. God I would love this. Can’t get enough of their shinanigans…
You mentioned reading plenty of non-fiction for research while writing The Heroes. Did you focus on any specific war or battles?
Will you ever write another series? Or will you ever move away from the world you have built?
Yeah, I was wondering if you had any advice for aspiring authors…
BUAHAHAHA!!!! Sorry, I couldn’t ask that with a straight face… whenever I hear some smacktard ask that question, it quite literally ties my large intestines in a knot.
Dear Joe. How big a sell-out are you, really?
Imagine you are approached by That-Game-Developer-You-Loath and they are in league with That-Publisher-You-Despise. They propose a game set in tFL setting and, as you hear them telling their story, your start to experience physical discomfort cuz their plan is sooo horrendous. Your gamer heart dies a thousand deaths…
…but they bring a bag of cash! What do you do?!? (roll initiative =P)
Also, planning on coming to the Netherlands this winter once more?
~ErikNL
Will the answers to these and other questions be on here or Facebook cos I dont have FB?
Simple question from me,
From the last five years, what are the top five books have your read that you wish YOU had written?
Following up on Phil N’s first question…
…you have an age old feud between Bayaz and Khalul (both followers of Juvens). Then you throw Cas (I will refer to him by this name and not the other…spoilers…) in it from BSC who appears to be against both of the above-referenced Magi; throwing a third party into the feud? The question is, what the hell IS Cas and why does he have the motives he does?
I know you have a plan…you books are too damn good for you not to have a master plan behind it all. I like how you are going about it, no Martin/Sanderson “I will write a 10 book epic, each book a 1200 page tome…but I won’t get past book 4 after I revel in the successes of the first 3…”
You said Bayaz is making an appearance in The Heroes. Regarding your next book (yes, after Heroes…sorry…I am impatient and want to know there is more coming), I have read interviews where you stated you are going for a classic western-themed type book. I am hoping this will shed some light on Ferro Maljin’s trip to the south after tFL, the death of Ishri’s brother, and Gurkhul in general. Can you give us any hints? Please?
Will we ever see a book set in the South and/or will we ever read more than hearsay about what Ferro is currently up to
Good question Yulwei…
Joe, will we ever find out if Monza Murcatto will eventually become just another tyrannical despot, or will she be good leader. I just can’t see her as a politican.
In your opinion, is violence necessary in a realistical fantasy book? In theory I’d say no, but in practice I can’t come up with any non-violent fantasy book. Would you write one?
Since no one else has asked…
Can I have an advanced reading copy of The Hero’s?
haha Please?
P.S. You can never have too many knives.
P.S.S Will The Hero’s be out in e-book at the same time as the print versions or will there be a delay?
Why make Monza a brother-fucker? It didn’t particularly offend me or anything, but after finishing the book I was struck as to how it is specifically mentioned and specifically hinted at throughout the story, but it is never used for any particular reason that actually impacts the story, at least not that I could see. And it’s a such a huge flashing sign of a shocking trait to add to a character, too. I’m not saying I’ve got any idea what you should have done with it to “tie it altogether” or anything, I’m just wondering: Why include that piece of information and yet never “use” it?
I guess the ‘ is Logen coming back’ question is covered.
However, I want to know is there any chance of a series based around the time of Bayaz, Kanedias and Juvens?
There’s an epic tale to be told there.
Questions?
Sure:
Will Logen ever return/be forced back to the mountains and have to face the revenge of Crummock-i-Phail?
Subterranean have just announced that they’ll be printing another of your books next year – but don’t say which. Are we allowed to know?
How many beans make five?
Are you planning on advancing the technology level at all in the setting? The gunpowder at the end of the First Law was refreshing, but I’d love to see some pike-and-shot type warfare with arquebuses and cannon.
FWIW, I’m as big a fan of Logens as anyone out there, he was easily my favourite character from the Trilogy. But I think it’d be really hard to come up with a more fitting ending (as in end-of-story-as-we-know-it) for him than the one in “Last Arguments of Kings”. So Joe, in case you’re reading this and thinking to yourself “hmm, all these people clamouring for TheBloody9, I’d better do something about that”, here’s my voice of dissent: Logen’s story was great, but it’s done; don’t feel compelled to tack anything on.
Unless you come up with something even cooler than what we have already of course, in which case my advice would be to stop reading this drivel already and writewritewrite :-).
What is the typical attire you wear while writing? Fur vest, loincloth, boots and viking hat? Chainmail? Y-fronts and socks?
This question has been on my mind for quite some time and I feel you are the right person to ask.
Do you think it is possible for a human, armed with nothing but a combat-knife, to kill a blue whale? According to
http://www.neatorama.com/2009/03/04/blue-whale-fun-facts/
‘A human could easily crawl through its major arteries’
Obviously there comes the problem of vision and oxygen but if the person could hold their breath for at least a minute and a half and knew the general direction to crawl towards, do you think they could cut into a blue whale, dive through a major artery, crawl to the heart, and then murder it from the inside out? Maybe dying in the process, but still, do you think it could work?
That or plug its blowhole with a toddler.
What do you think Joe?
LMAO I started reading through all these questions and wondered how the hell Joe would begin to answer them…. then realized the answer was painfully simple – he wouldn’t! He’s too busy playing FO:NV or something.
Are we getting any answers to these questions?
We shot the interview the other day, a few questions from here and my facebook page were answered – I’ll post ’em when they’re up.
If approached by a production company. Would you make the first law trilogy into a film or tv series? At least you could edit, it if it happened. I’m curious because of George r.r Martin doing a series for HBO… Would you consider it?