The lovely RandomAlex has done a quick interview with me for the Snapshot project this year, part of the lead up to
AUSSIECON 4
68th World Science Fiction Convention
September 2nd - 6th 2010 - Melbourne, Australia
... being the 4th WorldCon to be held in Australia. I hope to go and thus for me it will be my first world con ever in Australia or out of it.
And now for answers!
Emma Nicole Reinmuth posits: "Just a theory... Are monsters aware of which humans possess Monster Blood Tattoos without seeing with their own eyes, and does that influence heavily whom they see as a threat? Rossamünd [we can heavily assume] is of monster blood and any action by monsters against him are taken with consideration. Perhaps it's the sense of their blood kin festering under human flesh that really grinds their gears?"
Dear E.N.R., I had not thought of it quite like that, but great late night fancy talk. I reckon it more the sight of cruorpunxis that would warn a monster off an everyman possessing them. I think that once the cruor has done its "thing" in the flesh of a person it has become a part of that person rather than leaving traces. As for eekers and monsters, I reckon there is certainly a "vibe" the monsters pick up, but more so, it is through the observation of the eeker's behaviour that would tell a monster of their sympathetic character. I reckon what ticks monsters off most is the ancient and ongoing treachery (as they see it) of everymen.
Jackie is wondering: "Why did (Threnody) act so possessive of Rossamünd? Did she want Rossamünd as her factotum, or did she just like him? Or was she reacting because she was jealous of the Bradon Rose?"
I reckon it is a combination of them all; vanity at the start that does turn into a crush as the book goes on and true affection by the end. When Europe enters the scenario, it is definitely ego that is driving her, jealousy for what Threnody considers is hers probably more than specific regard or feeling for Rossamünd at the time (well, nothing she would have acknowledged at the time anyway). That Rossamünd does not nag at her or chide her but persists with her is novel for Threnody, and she is drawn to such treatment. That said, she is still a bossy pain in the behind, so along with the wounded heart comes the painful character. Am I making sense?
13 comments:
poor Rossamund. stay away from girls; we are strange and dangerous and bizarrely possessive.
i saw a highway sign the other day, Mr Cornish, and I thought of something: are Hergoatenbosch [the H-c] and 's-Hertogenbosch [the Netherlands, Earth] really similar on purpose or by accident? oh, well, yeah, and then there's Gelderland, Heerling, Andover, Eveningen, Boschenburg, Einghenin, Woord, the river Swartgallig...
[the zoomable map is awesome.]
anyhow. just wondering.
monday, you made me chuckle. We are drawn to the feminine flame, we masculine moths. There is no staying away.
commus: that spacey near comma awakeness we experience upon opening our eyes from an afternoon nap.
Cool.
Threnody was a funny one.
Hergoatenbosch is a great example of me mis-reading a word and liking the result better than the real word. Read "HerTOGENbosch" as "HerGOTTENbosch" and stuck the 'a' in later because I liked the association with goats/sheep (hence the Hergott sigil being Arias Vigilans (the Vigilant Ram). Nice pick, Monday!
I actually do that with song lyrics, except for me the words make no sense. Misinterpretation can be a great thing.
This may have been mentioned before, but how does education go in the H/c? Like, where do surgeons and physicians learn their trade?
Will you be participating in AussieCon4 in Melbourne? Hope so, I'd really like to hear you speak about your books.
Looking forward to May 2010 and many more publications in the future.
I read your RandomAlex interview and, when I saw that you wanted Harland's Worldshaker to be nominated for a Hugo,I rushed over to Amazon.com to get hold of a copy. To my suprise, it's not available yet! Are you in a writer's club with this guy, and so got a preview?
Anyway, whatever happens with Worldshaker, I'll make certain to get the Legends collection when it comes out this summer. I don't want to miss part of the growing HC story. Will it shed light on anything going on in the triology?
Hello Mr. Cornish! I have a bit of a non sequiter request that I hope you can help me with. What is a Half Continent style name for an external hard drive?
Mister Cornish, your books were recommended to me by my sister, who devoured your books with a zealous appetite. She bought your books and there they sat on her shelf (this is an immense compliment, as she rarely keeps any books) waiting for me to pick them up. I finally did just the other day. I am now well into Lamplighter and loving it! I admit that I turn every page hoping Sebastipole will be there, but I do enjoy it all thoroughly and look forward to reading many of your books in the future.
My sister and I, however, don't understand one tiny, little thing. You are so thorough in your tellings that there is very little question about the drives and feelings of various characters, large or small. I hope that I'm not about to ask a question that's already been answered, but our concern regards Poundinch. We understand every last motivation and action he performs except for their very first meeting. We cannot figure out what his motivation was for tricking Rossamund onto his ship to begin with. It wasn't money, he had more than enough opportunities to mention it, attempt to take it, and so on. In fact he loses money by having him aboard. Was it merely to have another mucker about his boat? A cabin boy for some nefarious purpose, as suggested by the men at the Axle (I hope I'm remembering the location correctly) concerning a previous cabin boy? It never really came out what caused him to decide to take him on in that very first moment, but everything afterwards was most clear. Are we reading too much into this, or is there something we missed?
dianainoz, I hope to be doing some kind of out-the-front-hey-look-at-me-I'm-a-"famous"-author stuff, yes. See you there?
Well, scarylady (you do not seem too scary to me...), an external hard drive might be a dianocatex or a cibit.
And, I think Poundinch's motivation is as you surmise, Brandy, that, being an opportunistic fellow, the master of the Hogshead sees a chance for a benefit from Rossamünd's labours and eventual profit from his members (as sold to highest bidder in the dark trades). His descision to take Rossamünd at Boschenberg was made in a moment, a product of a naturally deceitful and self-seeking soul.
One of the limitations I have discovered with MBT is that in writing only from what Rossamünd sees and knows, it is rather hard to then include an expostion of all other characters' motives and the like without coming off a bit expositional and, well, twee. I am having this struggle with Book 3 and had it too with Book 2 - especially when I really like a character and want to include them but the logic of the Half-Continent and the truth of that character's life means Rossamünd is going in one direction, they another, and my chance to include them in the story reduce to unlikely coicidence or some unrealistic 'invention' to get them back in the tale. Fouracres is a great example of this.
Suffice to say, I am still learning how to write, so mayhap this will become less of an issue as I go on...
Ah, see, I knew that if I put the question to you that it would make some sense! With the insight about his limbs being of use on top of his labor while alive, suddenly his momentary incentive becomes clearer. Thank you very much!
We all learn as we write, that's for certain. I have to say, though, that if what we're seeing in these first few books is only the beginning of your learning curve, we are all in for some even more incredible work in the future. If I may give your ego a little pumping, dear sir.
You most certainly may...
Yay! You answered my question! thank you, Mr. Cornish!
Oh great- Now I feel liek I should feel sorry for Threnody- but she reminds me so much of my annoying little sister, I don't know what to do! ;)
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