Dragons in the Metcalfe - #ra2011 - part one

Back on March 9th I had the fun of participating in the annual Readers Advisory seminar at the State Library of NSW – Dragons in the Metcalfe. It’s taken me some time to compile my thoughts on that day, but here they are…….. (this may take a while .............)

Following on from an Intro from Ellen Forsyth & the Executive at NSL, we launched straight in to a fabulous Skype session with American Fantasy Author, Brent Weeks - @brentweeks - the author of The Night Angel trilogy and The Black Prism (first title in the Lightbringer series). Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe at 12 yrs old, Weeks was comforted by the language and sense of kindred spirit he found in reading books – and noted that Librarians have the skills necessary to give the right books to the right people!!

After a beautiful description of his relationship with his older brother, Weeks explained how he came to write The Black Prism – a book about brothers and what happens when the “rules” for fighting are broken. In any novel you use the people around you to inspire characterisation. In The Black Prism, Gavin & Dazen have a love / loathing relationship (like many siblings). The use of Kip as ‘the fat kid’, the outsider who is necessary for success is pertinent to this story. It’s about keeping secrets and complicated love – “the human heart in conflict with itself”. Personally, it’s absolutely brilliant!

Weeks went on to talk about Fantasy as a genre as some authors he regards as being important to the genre. Whilst Tolkein popularised the genre it did not start with him. Rather Lester Del Rey had a bet with other publishers which led to the genre becoming commercially viable.
* Terry Brooks and his Sword of Shannara promoted the genre and really kicked it off.
* Robert Jordon’s Wheel of Time series shows the sheer scope of huge Fantasy (epic at 13 books with Book 14 due out in 2012).
* The 1990’s brought us George R. Martin and the concept of Fantasy without the Romanticism (A Song of Ice and Fire series).
* Joe Abercrombie’s Fantasy is gritty (UK, First Law series).
* Whilst Scott Lynch is described as “oceans meets Fantasy”.
* Brandon Sanderson, currently finishing Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, writes very fast, has a number of YA titles already (including Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians), and is bound to be as big as George R. Martin.
* Peter V. Brett – The Painted Man;
* NK Jemison – The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms;
* Nnedi Okorafor – Who fears death?;
* Paolo Bacigalipi – YA, exploring political / social issues; Sci-Fi / dystopian future;
* Pat Rothfuss – The Name of the Wind, has beautiful prose and is literary Fantasy, will be a best seller.
*For YA / Urban fantasy try Gail Carraigher – Soulless, Blameless, Nameless (light Victorian vampire novels), and
* Jim Butcher (huge!).

So why did Brent Weeks choose to write Fantasy? Fantasy as genre is huge, like a playground without fences. The sky is the limit for imagination – the author creates the world, presents the unfamiliar, and allows readers to see things with new eyes. In reading about the ‘thugi’ in India during the period of British Imperialism (ambushed travellers by joining merchant caravans and at an agreed spot would strangle merchants and disappear with the goods – they did not believe in spilling blood), discovers how hard it is to untangle the truth of history, where our own perspectives influence how we view the events / or the import/impact of the events. Writing Fantasy allows authors and readers to break away from this and create a sense of magic exploring new cultures – telling stories with lots of action and moral dilemmas.

I was impressed by Brent Weeks’ presentation, especially when our webcam went a little skewed and whilst we could still see him, he lost all sight of us and got a lovely shot of the ceiling!! Presenting via Skype isn’t easy but he was an absolute joy to listen to and so open and forthcoming with his viewpoints and ideas and oh so generous in giving of his time to talk with us as he did.

On a personal note. I first read The Night Angel trilogy and decided that I had found my new favourite Fantasy author. I was re-inspired to read more and to get closer to this genre which is already one of my favourites. Reading The Black Prism I was completely blown away by Weeks' capacity to create this amazing, believable world and characters that I simply needed to know more about.
I had always read light fantasy stories about dragons and faeries and the like as a child but I was first introduced to Fantasy as a very young teenager when someone handed me The Lord of The Rings and I did not sleep until I finished it (yes, 3 days is a very long time, thank goodness I started it on a Friday evening!), closely followed by Stephen Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever. From that moment I was hooked on Fantasy. The Night Angel trilogy and The Black Prism has brought me back to that point and I am inspired once again by this fantastic genre!