Interview with Mitchell Graham

1 comments /

Readers have varying theories about whether the trilogy is set on a future Earth or a different planet that resembles earth. Mitchell Graham seems content to let readers make up their own minds admitting that the map of the world looks European-like and the apocalyptic war leading to the present culture did change the face of the world. He does say that the world "is certainly a reflection of Earth".

Mitch is more specific on his use of the subterranean race, Orlocks. He acknowledges the surface similarities to H.G. Wells Morlocks, but denies they are transplants from The Time Machine. In the upcoming Legacy of the Ancients, readers will find out who and what the Orlocks are and where they came from. Mitch states, "Their name is not an accident. It is very deliberate and not just a tribute to H.G. Wells." They are an intelligent race and not inept combatants that will "line up to be killed on one spear."

As a writer, Mitchell Graham wants to be an entertainer and not a philosopher. He points out that J.R.R. Tolkien was questioned about allegories in his work. Tolkien’s response was that he just wanted to write an entertaining story about good versus evil. Mitch’s intent was the same. He thought the best was to achieve the result was by inventing dynamic characters. "My goal was to write a story about a young boy coming of age. The character growing is seminal to me." The genre isn’t as important as the characters. "For me, the ray gun isn’t as interesting as the person holding it."

The books Mitch Graham writes vary in their focus. The Fifth Ring is an adventure novel. The Emerald Cavern concentrates on intrigue and more significant character growth. Still early in his writing career, Mitchell Graham has already avoided one pitfall of the science fiction writer: getting trapped into a single genre. His first murder mystery, Murder on The Majestic is expected to be in stores in July of 2004.

As with other writers, Mitch writes what he knows. "My background in fencing is such that sword fighting is easy for me to write about. The original fencing scene with Mathew and Burke Ramsey was probably four times as long [as in the published version]." His editor convinced him to trim it down. As for the murder mystery, "the trial scenes come naturally to me, as with court room dialogue."

As the discussion turned to the craft of writing, Mitch revealed the he believes formal education is not the preferred method of learning how to write. "You can spend your life reading ‘How to Write Science Fiction’ but you will gain more by actually studying writers that you admire – seeing how they turn a phrase and craft sentences and how structure works. My feeling is that a good writer has to be a good reader."

Mitch Graham’s plan for the future is to retire completely from his law and medical practice and write full time. He will continue dividing his writing between science fiction and mystery. Fans who like the world of The Fifth Ring may be disappointed to learn that Mitchell Graham has no plans return to the world. "I think that when its over, it should be over. I’m not a fan of trilogies that turn into nine books," he says to define his own style. "That’s not a negative comment towards my contemporaries." The good news is that Mitch will resolve the relationship questions of all the main characters. As far as the plot, his aim is to end the series "with a bang, not a whimper."