Interview with Gail Z. Martin

Q: What was the spark that generated the idea which drove you to write The Chronicles of the Necromancer series in the first place?

I’ve always loved ghost stories, and I started to play with the idea of someone who could really intercede between the living and the dead, beyond just carrying messages. I liked the idea of playing with the whole concept of death and what it actually means to be dead-or undead. And I liked the idea of a world where ghosts and the undead were accepted as fact.

Q: Were there any perceived conventions of the fantasy genre which you wanted to twist or break when you set out to write THE SUMMONER and its sequel?

I really set out to write a book that I wanted to read. I didn’t realize that the idea of a good necromancer was quite such a radical notion before readers started writing in! I think if there was one thing I wanted to consciously change it was that in many adventures the relationships between the characters-and especially romantic relationships-get very superficial coverage. I wanted the characters to be more than the sum of their hit points, to borrow language from gaming. So as we get deeper into the series, who the characters are, what they think, where they’ve been and what they want becomes very important-more so even than the skills and talents they bring to the quest.

Q: In light of the current market, are you tempted to write one of those enormous fantasy epics which continue to be the most successful series at the moment?

I have a lot of stories in the world of the Winter Kingdoms that I hope to have the chance to tell. They don’t all involve the same characters or the same time period, but they reside in the same world. I don’t know if that qualifies as "epic," but I don’t seem to be able to write anything shorter than 600 pages. Every short story I ever wrote ended up as a novel.

Q: Given the choice, would you take a New York Times bestseller, or a World Fantasy Award? Why, exactly?

Do I have to choose? Awards and lists are certainly nice when they happen, but I’ve never been big on chasing them. I am absolutely thrilled when I hear from readers for whom the characters and the world have become real. To be able to share a very personal vision with readers around the world and have them enter into my fantasy and enjoy exploring the Winter Kingdoms is just amazing-that’s the best "award" there is.

Q: What authors make you shake your head in admiration? Many fantasy authors don't read much inside the genre. Is it the case with you?

I don’t get to read as much for fun as I used to or as I’d like to-it’s a side effect of having a family, running a company and trying to write a novel a year plus promote a book! So where I used to read a 100 or so books over the summer when I was in school, I’m lucky to get the time to read a half dozen or so for fun in as many months. That said, when I read for fun, it’s always fantasy. I love getting lost in someone else’s world for a change! I hate to list favorite authors because I’m sure that I end up leaving off someone. What makes me admire an author is the ability for me to care about the characters so much that I almost go through a grieving period when I’m done with the book. Characters, situations and worlds that stick in my mind and come back to me later to think about and mull over-that’s what I admire.

Q: Cover art has become a very hot topic of late. What are your thoughts pertaining to that facet of a novel, and what do you think of the Michael Kormarck cover for THE SUMMONER?

Michael’s artwork is absolutely awesome! I’m very fortunate to have him as the cover artist, and I’m thrilled that he’s doing the cover for The Blood King as well. He is very, very talented. Every time I look at the artwork I see new details-you can even see the tooling in the leather of Tris’ cloak! Cover art is so important for a book-and critical for a new author. When no one has ever heard of the author, it’s going to be the cover art that makes readers pick up the book. No one will discover what’s inside if they don’t pick it up. I think SF/F readers especially expect and appreciate great cover art. I know that Michael’s cover is what prompted many, many readers to pick up The Summoner.