Interview with C.S. Friedman

Q: Honestly, do you believe that the speculative fiction genre will ever come to be recognized as veritable literature? Truth be told, in my opinion there has never been this many good books/series as we have right now, and yet there is still very little respect (not to say none) associated with the genre.

I'm not sure what you mean by "respect". Harry Potter made millions, and is generally acknowledged to have gotten a whole generation of children interested in reading. Phillip K. Dick novels get re-released every time a movie is made out of one of them. Fantasy novels appear time and time again on the New York Times list and get serious reviews in professional journals. Amy Tan writes bestselling novels with Chinese ghosts as main characters.

I think we are well past the point when fantasy and science fiction are "not respected", but perhaps a little slow to realize things have changed.

I think we are

Q: If you could go back in time, what advice would you give the younger C. S. Friedman concerning her writing career?

"Quit your other job sooner. This is way more fun."

Q: How would you like to be remembered as an author? What is the legacy you'll leave behind?

I want to write books that readers will think about long after they put them down. I want to get them so involved with my characters that they can't sleep at night, wondering what will happen to them. I want to explore themes that make readers reflect upon the nature of life, the universe, and everything. I want there to be a world full of readers saying, "hey, i don't usually read fantasy (or science fiction), but this book is great!"

Q: M. John Harrison recently wrote this post on his blog:

"Every moment of a science fiction story must represent the triumph of writing over worldbuilding.Worldbuilding is dull. Worldbuilding literalises the urge to invent. Worldbuilding gives an unneccessary permission for acts of writing (indeed, for acts of reading). Worldbuilding numbs the reader's ability to fulfil their part of the bargain, because it believes that it has to do everything around here if anything is going to get done.

Above all, worldbuilding is not technically neccessary. It is the great clomping foot of nerdism. It is the attempt to exhaustively survey a place that isn't there. A good writer would never try to do that, even with a place that is there. It isn't possible, & if it was the results wouldn't be readable: they would constitute not a book but the biggest library ever built, a hallowed place of dedication & lifelong study. This gives us a clue to the psychological type of the worldbuilder & the worldbuilder's victim, & makes us very afraid."

Needless to say, a multitude of people disagree with Harrison's postulation. What's your take on Harrison's post and the concept of worldbuilding in general?

Well, honestly, I think any meaning in that question is concealed by obscure writing in this post. At first it looks like he is talking about creating a universe, and of course I would disagree, as I feel that is absolutely central to any fantasy or science fiction work. But as you read more closely, it appears that what he is calling "world building" is in fact a style of writing in which you spend time describing your world to the reader. If that's the case, I agree with him, though he's using an awful lot of words just to say "don't bore your reader with nonessentials."

Q: Anything you wish to share with your fans?

Read my books! Let me know what you think! www.csfriedman.com

Many thanks again for accepting to do this. I wish you continued success with your writing career and best of luck with the recent release of FEAST OF SOULS.

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Interview by Patrick
fantasyhotlist.blogspot