Hello, Julian: many thanks for giving us some time here. Welcome to SFFWorld.
We’re writing these questions as Open Road Media are releasing some of your older work in the USA as e-books.
The republished series, the Trillium books, was a collaboration between yourself, Andre Norton and Marion Zimmer Bradley. How did that work when writing? What was your original intention when writing the series?
The interesting idea of having 3 well-known authors collaborate on a fantasy adventure featuring 3 princesses came from a German fan named Uwe Luserke. Unfortunately, Luserke’s plot was commercially non-viable. When I told Bantam’s Betsy Mitchell my opinion, she suggested that I come up with something better, so I did a new plot outline that I named BLACK TRILLIUM. The collaboration was difficult, but thanks to Betsy’s tact and perseverance, we three writers came up with a finished book that proved to be a critical and financial success. Sequel Trillium books are by mutual agreement written by each individual.
During the last few years you have had several of your older books released as ebooks – here in the UK, The Saga of the Exiles series was released last year, for example. How are you personally finding the e-book revolution? Are you happy with an e-reader these days, or do you still prefer ‘tree-books’?
I’m retired from writing at age 84, but happy that my SF/fantasy books are available as ebooks and even in print. I myself am more comfortable with paper-page books, but I own a Kindle reader, too.
How comfortable are you generally with seeing the re-appearance of older work? Is it something you’re happy to do, reaching a potentially new, wider audience, or are they something from your past but something you’ve moved on from?
I love re-reading my own books, especially Saga/Exiles and Galactic/Milieu. A British producer is actively at work on a major TV/movie adaptation of the 8 books, which form a long circular history unique in the SF field. Those interested in plot summaries of my stuff can Google “JULIAN MAY”. There’s a huge amount of background material available on-line as well. I’m sorta a cult!
Thinking back, how did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurred you on?
I began writing when I was 8 years old, doing a Halloween play for my grade school class. I never wanted to do anything else.
What is it with the Science Fiction genre you find fascinating?
SF appealed to my imagination–which is cinematic, not based on speculative abstraction. I’m a storyteller and a creator of thrillers. My work is character-driven with strong plotting, snappy dialogue, and a strong leaven of humor and violence. I do my best to use real science.
I’m lucky enough to own a copy of Astounding/Analog with your first published story, Dune Roller, in it, as ‘J.C May’. This is a few years ago, being published in December 1951! However, after that, there’s a big gap, as I don’t recall anything until The Many-Coloured Land in 1981. What were you doing in the thirty years between?
The Dune Roller novelette was carefully tailored to John W. Campbell’s personal preferences. It featured a then little-known science called ecology, a cast of realistic characters, and a genuine physical setting in the Michigan Dunes country. It was made into a B-movie called The Cremators, adapted for 2 TV fantasy shows, and was presented as a BBC radio play. It has been anthologized 8 times, most recently last year in a collection of “classic” SF stories. The late Arthur C. Clarke named his hot-rod wheelchair “Dune Roller,” and I bestowed the name on my wilderness-travelling canoe …
In 1951, one could not earn a decent living in the SF/fantasy field. So I occupied myself writing (among other things) 7,000 encyclopedia articles on science and technology, over 200 juvenile nonfiction books on science, sports, and biography, a couple of Buck Rogers comic strips, and a modern Catholic catechism in collaboration with a Franciscan Doctor of Theology. My late husband, T. E. Dikty, and I also owned an editorial and production service catering to small publishers. In the 1970s, when SF/fantasy began to be money-making, I began researching an SF series.
I remember The Many Coloured Land as an entertaining mix of SF (aliens, time travel, psi-powers) and Fantasy (torcs, the societies in the Pliocene). What was your intention for that series originally? Was it to mix up the genres a little, or was that not important? How did the series come about in the first place?
I first outlined the Galactic Milieu books. Decided they were too sophisticated and difficult for the market at that time, and devised the more sword-and-sorcerer-style Saga of the Exiles, which was snapped up by mainstream American and British publishers and ultimately translated into I forget how many foreign languages, including Russian. THEN I wrote Intervention to link the Exile Saga with the Galactic Milieu books.
Undoubtedly, the science fiction field is a genre that has grown in style, maturity and complexity over the years. Do you find yourself still reading for entertainment much? Or do you tend to read away from the genre?
I read thrillers and mysteries for fun, not SF/fantasy. My hobbies are gardening, flyfishing, worldwide email correspondence, and playing my electronic keyboard.
Once again, thank you very much for your time, Julian.
Interview by Mark Yon – SFFWorld.com © 2015
I have loved Julian May’s books from the first time I read The Many-Colored Land. The Galactic Milieu series is a true masterpiece! Thank you, Julian, for many wonderful hours of reading.
I entirely agree: the Galactic Milieu-books are sheer genius!!
It was a great time for me reading those books. I have never forgotten that world Julian created, and my imagination coloured. Every so often I find myself watching a movie and thinking that actor, or that effect, would be terrific in a cinematic adaption of Julian’s sweeping series. Epic and entertaining, thank you Julian.
I too agree with these comments. Her body of work has given me countless hours of reading enjoyment. I’m a bit saddened to hear she has retired, but I completely understand. I am REALLY looking forward to seeing any and all her books made into movies as they would be up there with anything current! There just aren’t many authors with her skills these days.
I utterly enjoyed The Many Coloured Land and all the books to follow and have always been waiting for someone to adapt them to film but I am glad it has taken this long because only now has tevhnology caught up to do justice to such storytelling.
Your books wnchanted me into a world that physically resembled places in France & Spain but also made my imagination soar. Thank you so much for such beautifully written word. With respect, Jo Stewart
Having been a huge fan of Julian’s I have tried to find the book slaughter of the innocents but unfortunately the only copy I found does not have the passage”once we fought against the empire of heaven” in it, anyone know where this could be found. Andrew Mcgurry
My copies of mays books are dogeared. When I first bought them I did so in paperback. It was the cheap way to go at the time. Had I known that every few years I would be rereading them. I probably would have spent the extra money. I have a nook so I don’t know if I will be able to find the ebooks. But would also like to say thank you. I have always had a great imagination but sometimes it becomes small. By reading her books my imagination soars again. So thank you again for recognizing your talent and sharing it with us.
These are some of my all time favourite books and I’ve just bought more copies as ebooks (or plaques as Julian might have called them in the Milieu!). They’ve dated pretty well and I love the fact that I can now Google Map stalk the locations!
I have just begun re-reading the Saga of the Exile Trilogy once again, and will likely re-read the rest of the Milieu after that. First read the Many Colored land in Middle school and have loved it ever since.