To call The Adventures of Sir Edric (Volume One) politically incorrect would be an understatement. I suspect that’s the whole point of the character our mysterious author Thaddeus White (OK so it’s a nom-de-plume!) chose to lead his first traditionally published comedy-fantasy novel, published by Tickety Boo Press.
Welcome to SFFWorld Thaddeus! It’s clear Sir Edric isn’t exactly the stereotypical hero. In fact he’s quite the opposite. With so many voices crying out for diversity, equality and fair representation, what caused you to capture a character who’s very much against the current trend?
I forget who said it, but there’s a quote: “Every man has his flaws, and his flaws are often the most interesting thing about him.” Sir Edric is a very interesting man. Equality doesn’t necessarily mean don’t take the piss out of anyone. It can mean taking the piss as much as possible (the protagonist is, after all, a man who is a selfish, thieving, lying, greedy, lusty bounder, and I’m quite happy to make Sir Edric the butt of jokes). And let us not forget that Sir Edric rails against the false consensus, driven by elven propaganda, that elves are in some way better than mankind. This is nothing but anti-human bigotry, propagated by too many fantasy authors.
All right, can you tell us a little bit more about The Adventures of Sir Edric?
It’s a fantasy-comedy, a blend of silly and cynical humour that moves along at a fair lick. The book contains two large stories, Sir Edric’s Temple and Sir Edric’s Treasure. In Temple, the King dispatches Sir Edric, and his trusty manservant Dog, to retrieve stolen royal seals from the Unholy Temple in a mission that could optimistically be described as suicidal. In Treasure, Sir Edric discovers it isn’t always nice to be wanted when an enormous bounty on his head attracts bounty hunters to him like dung attracts flies. To escape near certain capture, he embarks on a daring quest to pay off his bounty by winning the inheritance of the dying, and obscenely wealthy, Archibald Thrift.
When writing a scene does the punchline come first or is it something you have to add and edit around to ensure it doesn’t spoil the flow for the reader?
Usually I’ll have a scene in mind and punchlines will present themselves as I write. I do, however, have a separate document full of one-liners (it’s about 16 pages now), and if I have a cluster that have a similar theme (a dinner party, for example) I might add a dinner party, if it fits, and use the pre-written lines there.
The flow’s very important. I wrote the comedy so that it’d be a smooth, easy read. I want people to plan to read a few pages, or a chapter, and end up spending an hour with Sir Edric because it’s a relaxing, fun read.
Of the three main characters we meet including Sir Edric, does one coerce you into writing scenes for them over the others?
Sir Edric is the sun around which the whole story revolves, so what fits him fits the story. However, it’s important that the secondary characters (especially Dog, his manservant) have enough about them to act as both a foil to Sir Edric’s shenanigans and a contrast to his general moral depravity. There’s a nice juxtaposition between Dog’s selfless heroism and virtuous intelligence, and the man he serves, which also means that Dog’s loyalty is a case of a virtue becoming a vice.
While The Adventures of Sir Edric (Volume One) is your first traditionally published novel you have been writing for some time now. What’s the most exciting part of the traditional process for you?
It’s a milestone, and quite nerve-wracking to see how well it’ll end up doing. What I’m most looking forward to is getting my copies in the post (I think that might be a bit surreal). My publisher (Tickety Boo Press) has enjoyed significant success with a number of books (such as Abendau’s Heir, and Endeavour), and being picked by a firm with that track record is a good feeling. That said, a lot of the pre-release stuff is similar to self-publishing (and, coming a little while after my last self-published book, I have a better idea of pre-release publicity. Like getting interviews from lovely people).
Last year saw the serialisation of Zodiac Eclipse through Kraxon Magazine. What challenges did you encounter in writing a serial compared to The Adventures of Sir Edric?
The serial is 12 episodes of 1,000 words each, and each episode had to be both self-contained and form a broader narrative. That was far more difficult than Sir Edric’s assorted frolics, larks and japes, and I was lucky that I had an old idea on a shelf that fit the tricky structure surprisingly well (I’d actually written the first episode a few years ago, although I had to remove the F-words). With just 1,000 words a time there’s no room for flimflam.
Are you working on anything else other than the next instalment of the Hero of Hornska series?
I’ve actually written the next instalment (still needs a final check) and have a plot outlined for Book 3. As well as that, I’m working on a trilogy set in the same world as my two self-published books (Bane of Souls, and Journey to Altmortis). Currently, I’m checking over the first book in the trilogy (it’s essentially done), and have completed the first draft of the second.
Aside from writing you have a – how shall we say – mild interest in F1. In the interests of humour and of course, fantasy, if you were to create a track in your world what would you do to make it fantastic? Who would be your driver and what would power the engine? (For health and safety purposes Chocobos cannot be included, also no Mario Kart/Wipe-Out obstacles allowed!)
Hmm. A corner overflown by flying baboons would add an element of danger, and the track could take a 180 loop around a castle’s moat (the water dragon within acting as a crash deterrent). Although his ride usually has one horsepower, I think Sir Edric would intend to take the helm himself, fuelled by intrepid daring and two bottles of wine (though Dog might point out inebriation and 200mph speeds are not a good mixture). Petrol’s not readily available in Awyndel, so he’d have to ask Lysandra to enchant the engine. I think Sir Edric would also enjoy the idea of elven grid girls (although, knowing his luck, it might end up being a grid boys race).
Thank you, Thaddeus. If you want to find out more about his plans check out his website or stalk him – err, I mean follow him on Twitter
If you’re quick you can even get a limited edition of The Adventures of Sir Edric (Volume One) from Tickety Boo Press.
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Interview by Shellie Horst – SFFWorld.com © 2016
