Beth Swahn
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I am reading the Sharing Knife Series and I love it, but I have to wonder why you made the age difference so great between the couple. It seems like a very thought out choice, but I have to admit I just don’t get it! Can you explain?
Lois McMaster Bujold
Two reasons, well, three, one extrinsic and two intrinsic. Extrinsically, the age gap gives a proxy visceral response to some readers parallel to the in-story visceral response of characters to the bloodline gap. Modern readers, well, any that are likely to pick up my books, would presumably scorn a negative response to the latter; quite a few of them recoil from the former. Alas, absolutely no one other than myself has ever made this mirroring cultural compare-and-contrast connection, one of the many sub-components of the long journey-of-understanding the books try to give to both characters and readers.
Intrinsically, this is what the characters were when they walked into my head. I don't argue with that gift.
But more specifically, Dag and Fawn stitch together what were at the time the two emotional ends of my own generational life experiences. I was 55 when I started writing the tetralogy, as post-adult as I'd ever been, and I most certainly remembered being a late-teen girl-woman, desperate to start my adult life. (Which makes Dag, not Fawn, my Mary Sue, but a lot of people don't seem to realize that strong identification with characters, for media creators and consumers, crosses genders. Which is a whole 'nother essay.)
So, yeah, very thought out.
Ta, L.
Two reasons, well, three, one extrinsic and two intrinsic. Extrinsically, the age gap gives a proxy visceral response to some readers parallel to the in-story visceral response of characters to the bloodline gap. Modern readers, well, any that are likely to pick up my books, would presumably scorn a negative response to the latter; quite a few of them recoil from the former. Alas, absolutely no one other than myself has ever made this mirroring cultural compare-and-contrast connection, one of the many sub-components of the long journey-of-understanding the books try to give to both characters and readers.
Intrinsically, this is what the characters were when they walked into my head. I don't argue with that gift.
But more specifically, Dag and Fawn stitch together what were at the time the two emotional ends of my own generational life experiences. I was 55 when I started writing the tetralogy, as post-adult as I'd ever been, and I most certainly remembered being a late-teen girl-woman, desperate to start my adult life. (Which makes Dag, not Fawn, my Mary Sue, but a lot of people don't seem to realize that strong identification with characters, for media creators and consumers, crosses genders. Which is a whole 'nother essay.)
So, yeah, very thought out.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Elizabeth Kerner
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Now *that* I find astounding. I expect to get that sort of nonsense, I have three books out and folk think that I must be desperate for ideas (really not, thanks) - but you must have a reinforced mantlepiece to hold all the Hugos! Or do you keep them in your office? Sorry to be so obvious with the initial question. My publisher is wanting 'more of the same' and I'm finding it a bit of a trial. Cheers, Elizabeth
Erin Kellison
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
My mother and I share a love of your books. I have all of your Penric novellas in ebook, but she only reads print. I would love to give her the novellas for her 80th bday, but Penric's Demon is not in print...so I can't even get her started. Do you know if it is going to be back in print any time soon? I have searched online and can only find one used copy for $190...which is a little out of my price range :)
Adam
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Dear Lois, Thank you for all the excellent hours of reading over the years. I really have to force myself to slow down when you have a new release because it's always bittersweet to wait a year or more for a book and then finish it in a day. I'm really enjoying penric. I'd write more, but I have to get to my question. Do you have any recommendations for someone looking for a new author to read?
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