Q: Any advice for would-be world builders?

A: Yes. I think that you can try to build worlds that stretch too far, that require too much imagination for your reader or which stretch your scientific credibility. (By that I mean that even when you believe you have a firm understanding of a science, at the upper echelons you'll usually find lots of diverse opinions. For example, a few years ago I was giving a talk on cloning, and several people raised their hands to object that "cloning wasn't possible." Well, according to a few hair-brained articles that had been recently published, it wasn't. But I explained to them that it was, and that it would happen. Thankfully, the creation of Dolly was announced a couple of weeks later. But even when you think you understand the facts, others don't, and they'll argue about it ad nauseum.

But back to world creation: I think it's important to ground your reader in your world using real details. In fantasy, it's important to use details drawn from our world. In my world, I talk about birds and grasses and trees not for lack of imagination, but in order to create a door into the fantasy world so that the reader can enter.

So my advice is to get to know this world--the biology of its organisms, the history of its cultures, the way people speak--and to use it as a tool when shaping your own fictive universe.

Q: I have read that Runelords was also going to be a video game for Nintendo's Game Boy. How is the video game coming along?

A: Actually, I think that is on hold for a while. There will be a new hardware platform for the Game Boy, and it may come out on the new platform, but I'm not sure.

Right now, I'm working with some partners to fund a movie development company, and Runelords is slated to be our first picture. It looks as if this will happen within the next couple of weeks, so I'll keep you posted.

Q: On your website, www.runelords.com, similar to the one here at sffworld.com, there is a discussion forum where your fans passionately discuss the Runelords series. How valuable a tool is this regarding interacting with your fans?

A: I think it's great. Writing is a performance art, but when compared to other arts, like dancing or singing, it's often very difficult to judge your audience's estimation of your performance, to find out what they like and what they don't. The Runelords site allows me to have some interaction, to find out a bit more.

Q: Wizardborn made the extended NYT Times bestseller list. Has this, along with the critical praise of people such as Orson Scott Card and Terry Brooks and comparisons to Jordan affected your approach to writing or is it just great to know people really appreciating your work

A: It doesn't affect my writing. I'm happy that the series is building such a large readership, but I don't try to compare myself with anyone else. I've been getting thousands of fan letters, comparing me to Tolkien, Jordan, Brooks, Eddings, and so on. The fans naturally compare me to the writers that they most enjoy, but I think that I'm very different from any of them. Really, what they're saying is that "I like your work as much as I liked Tolkien's or Jordan's." But I think that we are very different writers, and each of us has our own strengths.

Q: What books/writers, speculative fiction or otherwise, have been enjoying lately?

A: I like a number of different things. I like Orson Scott Card for his storytelling ability, and I've been admiring Dean Koontz lately for the breadth of his stress-inducing techniques. However, in the past few months I've primarily been reading poetry--Leslie Norris, Dylan Thomas, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare. I find that I need to ground myself in it from time to time.

Thanks for your time Mr. Farland. I along with the rest of your fans will be looking forward to the next book in the series!

The official Runelords website: http://www.runelords.com

Runelords Discussion Forum

Tor Books Publisher of The Runelords