Iva Koleva
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hi Lois, I'm a great fan of all your books, but my question is about the Sharing Knife universe. Do you have in your mind a more detailed backstory of how the first malice emerged? And how precise are Dag's ideas about the lives of the old lords? Could you say something more about it? Thank you.
Lois McMaster Bujold
Hi Iva --
The backstory of the first malice is almost as vague in my mind as it is in the characters. I figure to fill in the details if I ever write a prequel which, I admit, does not seem likely. But it involved the most powerful magics of the old mage-lords, a deal of hubris, and an attempt to pull in something that was Not Of This World. From there, things did NOT go according to plan.
I do believe that the alien-ness of the malices is from that Outside; their evil, all from their human parts or programming.
Dag's people have very limited written records of the Old Days, and some oral traditions more-or-less distorted in the retellings. Their broad outline is more-or-less correct, but there are a lot of missing details.
Ta, L.
The backstory of the first malice is almost as vague in my mind as it is in the characters. I figure to fill in the details if I ever write a prequel which, I admit, does not seem likely. But it involved the most powerful magics of the old mage-lords, a deal of hubris, and an attempt to pull in something that was Not Of This World. From there, things did NOT go according to plan.
I do believe that the alien-ness of the malices is from that Outside; their evil, all from their human parts or programming.
Dag's people have very limited written records of the Old Days, and some oral traditions more-or-less distorted in the retellings. Their broad outline is more-or-less correct, but there are a lot of missing details.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Georgy Iliev
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hi Lois, as I recently saw a youtube series about "The Truth about Space War" - the channel's name is Because Science - I came to realize I think I've read that somewhere in the books. In Mirror Dance I remember Mark recalling "The weapons were supposed to cook everyone neatly, like eggs in their shells". Considering he's from a universe in the future how scientifically aimed was that statement?
Sybal Janssen
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Finished "The Hallowed Haunt" today and am starting to reread it. Your Five Deity theology fascinates me. I was particularly taken with the idea the thumb, which represents The Bastard God touches all five fingers. Did you develop this theology completely from your own creative imagination, or was it a partial not to the five elements of the Ancient Chinese world view? Much else of your theology delighted me.
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