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Tad
and the Shadow
Fantasy author Tad Williams on the immersive nature of epic fantasy,
the fact that what most of us who keep coming back to fantasy fiction
love about it is that “sinking-in” feeling, that thrill of sliding
into a new and convincing world that exists side-by-side with our
own ...
Trudi
Canavan Interview
Fantasy author Trudi Canavan on the Black Magician trilogy, a world
where some humans have evolved the ability to use magic - an energy
that is natural and has no link to gods, demons, the land or any
notion of good or evil. The catch is that to release and develop
their ability all magicians must be taught by another ...
Liz
Williams Interview
I often start with images; dreams, impressions, and occasionally
characters, but those tend to come later, after the setting has
developed. For example, I've just written a short story that started
life as an image of a unicorn in Kew Gardens in London -- from that
developed a far-future SF story. I also quite often misread things,
and that sparks off ideas as well.
Terry
Brooks gets Tanequil
Fantasy author Terry interviewed about his new novel, Tanequil,
the second book in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy, on growing
as an author, and his plans to return to his earlier Word & Void
series.
11/2004
Sea,
Sky by Rosemary Kirstein
The author of The Language Of Power ruminates about world creation
and comes to the conclusion that there are basically two ways to
do it. You can begin from the top down, or from the ground up.
11/2004
Horror
Writer Barbara J. Ferrenz Interviewed
What's worse than death? On the one hand, it's the title of a novel
by school psychologist and writer Barbara J. Ferrenz of Dunkirk,
MD. On the other hand, maybe it's better never to know.
10/2004
Andrew
Fox Interview
A conversation with Andrew Fox author of Bride of the Fat White
Vampire.
10/2004
Juliet
E. McKenna Interview
October sees the launch of the first volume in a new series - The
Aldabreshin Compass - from fantasy author Juliet E. McKenna. So
we scooted down to Oxford to pose her a few questions amidst the
spires and students.
10/2004
Steve
Cockayne Interview
Steve talks about his novel Wanderers and Islanders, being influenced
by C.S. Lewis and Herman Hesse, and working as a TV cameraman, a
puppeteer, and dabbling in hypnotherapy
09/2004
Tanith
Lee Interview
Author Tanith speaks with SFF literary agent John Jarrold about
how people are the starting point for her fiction, tackling pirates
with Piratica, and being influenced by Rider Haggard, Viereck and
Eldridge.
09/2004
Elizabeth
Hand Interview
Sasha talks to SFF writer Elizabeth Hand about the art of developing
characters, drawing on real events and people, and why it now takes
Elizabeth at least two years to write a book.
08/2004
The
Dead Lines of Greg Bear
Author Greg Bear on his new novel, turning to horror after success
as a science fiction writer, and Greg's in-production SF work about
law enforcement on an international scale
08/2004
Marianne
de Pierres Interview
The author of Nylon Angel on the dark futures of cyberpunk, cutting
her teeth on A.C. Clarke, media manipulation, and how studying Film
and TV as an undergraduate has influenced her science fiction writing.
08/2004
Tricia
Sullivan Interview
On why her SF novel Maul was a twisted response to Sheri S. Tepper's
'The Gate to Women's Country', her regard for authors Justina Robson
and John Courtenay Grimwood, and imagining an extremely disturbing
future.
07/2004
Neal
Asher Interview
Psychologically disturbed android killing machines. A Beast that
harvests people to research its genetic dabbling across time by
sending them back to the primordial ages. A mysterious Japanese
man still living millennia after Hiroshima. A physicist that uses
nanotechnology to merge with a spacecraft. Welcome to the weird
and wonderful world of Neal Asher.
06/2004
Big
Ben
Ben Jeapes interviewed. The author speaks about penning cracking
reads like 'His Majesty's Starship' , the differences between writing
SF for the young adult market and the 'grown-up' sector, and the
sadness of shutting the doors at his own publishing house, Big Engine.
06/2004
Just
a Tad More
If Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow & Thorn series is "the fantasy equivalent
of War and Peace" (Locus magazine), then Tad must be Fantasy's Leo
Tolstoy. The prolific Mr Williams is cornered for some vodka and
a chat.
06/2004
Bruce
on Bruce
The father of cyberpunk - or at the very least the Uncle - Bruce
Sterling, chats about his new technothriller, The Zenith Angle,
with real-life security expert Bruce Schneier.
06/2004
Dreaming
Of The Compass Rose
Fantasy author Vera Nazarian is quizzed by our Donna on making the
Nebula Award Preliminary Ballot and how she was forced to flee the
former Soviet Union during the Cold War.
05/2004
Out
of the Labyrinth
Howard Hendrix, author of The Labyrinth Key, on writing historically
real characters, the political component of his fiction, and Howard's
guide to quantum physics.
05/2004
An
Altered Author
Richard Morgan, author of Altered Carbon, on giving up the day job,
his movie deal with Warner Brothers, and making a big splash in
the hard boiled science fiction genre.
04/2004
Cyberpunks
in White Nylon
Now for something completely different. The, err, heroine of Marianne
de Pierres' debut cyberpunk novel Nylon Angel, interviewed about
her bust up face and life in a down and dirty future.
04/2004
Holt
Right There
Fantasy author Tom Holt on whether it's really possible to write
a SFF novel about office life, his first job as a porter in an auction-house,
and the funniest thing he's ever heard.
04/2004
Jensen
Intercepted
Author Jane Jensen on her near-future thriller, Dante's Equation.
With clever science, baffling Torah code, devious secret agents
and just a little bit of romance, what more could you want from
a book?
03/2004
Embracing
the Zahn Side
Author Timothy Zahn interviewed on creating alien characters and
races, his returning to the Star Wars universe, and his new young-adult
Dragonback series ... that's fantasy you know, if the title wasn't
a bit of a giveaway.
03/2004
Sea
of Souls
Interviews with actors Bill Paterson and Archie Panjabi, stars of
the BBC's shortly-to-be-released new X Files-style television series,
'Sea of Souls'.
02/2004
The
Fist and the Stars
Authors David Sherman and Dan Cragg interviewed about the art of
writing high octane military science fiction and how their Starfist
novels were informed by their own years in the services.
01/2003
The
Great Science Fiction Writers Christmas Stuffing '03
An all-star lineup of authors - including Tom Holt, Robert Jordan,
Juliet E. McKenna, Laurell K. Hamilton, David Brin and Tad Williams
- interviewed with a few seasonally pertinent questions. Ho ho ho.
01/2003
Tom
Holt: Singing for Nero
Author Tom Holt on his old life as a lawyer, choosing the right
words, falling asleep during 'The Matrix', and why the Roman Emperor
Nero may not have been such a bad egg after all.
12/2003
Shaun
Jeffrey gets Evil(ution)
Horror writer Shaun Jeffrey sits opposite our Donna in the interview
chair ... and she discovers how hard it is to mix the usual trappings
of a day job with novel writing.
12/2003
Wheels
within Wheels
Fantasy author Robert Jordan interviewed about his Wheel of Time
prequel, and why, if stranded on a desert island, he'd need an M-14
rifle with a good scope and as much ammunition as he could carry
.
12/2003
Seeing
Sullivan
Author Tricia Sullivan interviewed about her stunning new work of
future-fiction, Maul, and why some may fine her imagined world extremely
disturbing.
12/2003
Chris
Moriarty: All in a Spin
The science fiction author behind the amazing novel Spin State braves
our interviewer's chair.
11/2003
The
Horror of Hamilton
Laurell K Hamilton on the eleven Anita Blake novels she has written
to date, and why the series is a regular visitor into the upper
reaches of the New York Times bestsellers list.
10/2003
Navigating
the Aldabreshin Compass
Fantasy author Juliet E. McKenna interviewed about her new series,
The Aldabreshin Compass. Will fans enjoy a ripping yarn set in a
tropical climate with its roots far from the northern European staples
of the fantasy genre? You bet.
10/2003
Todd
Lockwood: Wizard Of The Brush
Wizards of the Coast's most talented fantasy artist is interviewed.
His canvases can literally take your breath away. Typically large
and imposing, beautifully composed and superbly painted, they bring
to vivid life all the classic tropes of heroic fantasy.
09/2003
Kevin
J. Anderson: An Impolite Interview
Kevin J. Anderson on why he can't get enough of sprawling, multiple
storyline books, on making characters grow, live and die, and why
science fiction is the only genre with the entire universe as its
canvas.
08/2003
Jon
Courtenay Grimwood Interview
Jon Courtenay Grimwood belongs to the special group of SFF novelists
who write compelling Science Fiction that keeps the reader's interest
without employing the short cuts of cliché, formulae or fantasy.
Jane Palmer chats with one of the rapidly rising stars of Brit-Lit
SF.
08/2003
The
Subtracted Dimensions of Lisa Snellings
The hugely admired kinetic 3D creations of fantasy sculptor Lisa
Snellings are a constant source of fascination to those lucky enough
to own them, or to visit the people who do. A new development -
Snellings-as-fantasy-illustrator - has come about through the creation
of an anthology of original stories.
08/2003
Where
there's a Wil
Author Wil McCarthy on impostor syndrome, and why that while he
likes the hard stuff - the Egan and Vinge and Linda Nagata - he
also likes a lot of the softer stuff as well, the fantasy and slipstream
... if it's thoughtfully drawn.
07/2003
Star
Wars Shattered
Author Matthew Stover, author of Star Wars: Shatterpoint, on the
first novel in a new series to be set during the Clone Wars, and
why he really wanted a funny droid for comic relief.
07/2003
Starring
The Man With One Name
As Fangorn, illustrator Chris Baker enjoys an enviable reputation
as a fantasy artist: not only is his art highly respected but he
works in a diversity of styles, so that one's never sure quite where
his puckish muse is going to take him next.
07/2003
Going
to Jael
At last, the queen of SFF illustration, Jael, comes under the interviewer's
spotlight. She explains how she put her personal and inner ambition
on hold through most of her extremely busy child-rearing years,
and why she just loves Batman, Green Hornet, Captain Marvel and
Superman.
06/2003
A
little Huth and Puff
Interview with the author Joe Huth - co-editor of the non-fiction
work the 'Knight Rider Legacy'. Joe talks about why, with society's
ongoing love affair with the automobile, you can make that car indestructible,
sentient and able to perform incredible feats and you've got every
young boy's (and many man's) dream.
06/2003
Do
Bear's Write in The Woods?
An interview with Greg Bear about some of the fascinating ideas
contained in his SF novel, Darwin's Children. Human Endogenous Retrovirus
anyone?
05/2003
Of
Clockwork Men
Artist Tom Abba on winning both the the Ken McIntyre Award and the
Paper Tiger Art Award at the UK's Eastercon, plus how he has never
considered himself to be a real science fiction artist. Crikes,
how did we resist slipping some Nordic pop group jokes into this
interview?
05/2003
Agents
of Imagination
They can make - or break - a writer's career, and every serious
author needs to have one. The most powerful agents in the SFF business
speak out about the genre publishing world in this roundtable. This
panel includes Andrew Zack, Lucienne Diver, Shawna McCarthy, Donald
Maass, Joshua Bilmes, Jack Byrne, Eleanor Wood and Nanci McCloskey.
04/2003
Star
Wars and the Rise of Troy
Author Troy Denning interviewed about his new Star Wars universe
novel Tatooine Ghost. It's set before Chewbacca's death, so fans
might come to terms with their grief with this book.
04/2003
Anne
Sudworth Interviewed
Pastels are an awkward, difficult to control medium, but from magic
landscapes to fairies, fantasy illustrator Anne Sudworth has proven
she has the technique well under control.
04/2003
Discworld
Divinity
An interview with the man with a trademark floppy hat. No, not Indiana
Jones (or even Dr Who), but ... Terry Pratchett. He talks about
his latest works, Discworld and, well, the art of being Terry.
03/2003
McMullen'ing
it Over
One of the brightest new voices in science fiction writing to hit
the genre for a long, long time. And struth cobber, he's Australian.
Author Sean McMullen is most definitely interviewed.
03/2003
Hart
to Hart
Publishing guru David Hartwell, currently filling the hotseat as
a senior editor at Tor, chats with Stephen Hunt about why only one
per cent of the SFF slush pile is of publishable quality, the joys
of owning The New York Review of Science Fiction, and the contribution
made by the Philip K. Dick Awards to the field.
03/2003
Windy
Miller
Frankly, what science fiction and fantasy illustrator Ron Miller
doesn't know about fine painting could be etched onto a pinhead
using nanotechnology. And he's not really windy … we made that bit
up because it sounded good as a title. Paul Barnett of Paper Tiger
interviews Ron for the Nest.
03/2003
The
Anderson Tapes
Science fiction Author Kevin J Anderson on his Dune prequel novels,
the Saga of Seven Suns, and why we've come a long way from bug-eyed
monsters slavering over scantily clad women on the garish covers
of old magazines.
02/2003
For
a Few Dollars Moore
Science fiction illustrator Chris Moore, the master of hi-tech,
hi-sheen SF illustration talks about the joy of the airbrush, as
well as using a computer to paint starships like a madman.
02/2003
What
Merry Jeapes we Played
Ben Jeapes, founder of science fiction book publisher Big Engine
and the great new 3SF magazine, interviewed on the tricky act of
keeping the drool from running down his gibbering physiognomy while
running a burgeoning SF empire.
02/2003
Brian
Aldiss: the Master of Glacial Helliconia
Brian Aldiss, one of Britain's greatest authors, interviewed. He
holds forth on why he was glad Michael Moorcock appeared in the
sixties, why his Helliconia trilogy is just about a change in the
weather, and the terrible unwisdom of terraforming Mars.
01/2003
Hunt
vs Hunt
SFF author Walter Hunt interviewed by SFF author Stephen Hunt. Crikes,
that's a whole lot of Hunt-ing going on for Christmas. The author of the crackingly good military SF epic The Dark Wing tells us how the idea of an implacable alien enemy that won't make peace with us, with a religion that teaches that humanity shouldn't exist, comes disturbingly close to home given the events of the past year.
01/2003
Here
comes the 'Egg' man
With four Hugos and a Chesley, Bob Eggleton is one of the most renowned
SF and fantasy artists in the world. And he has a really amazing
haircut too!
01/2003
Eric
Nylund Interviewed
Eric, the SF author of Crimson Skies, talks about his previous career
getting paid to play PC games, about writing to a strict outline,
and the art of giving good sharecrop game novels.
12/2002
Kiss
me, Hardy
Science fiction illustrator David A. Hardy interviewed. Very few
artists have been able to tackle both comprehensively researched
astronomical art and sf art with equal success. But David is a triumphant
exception.
12/2002
Ken
MacLeod interviewed
Scottish SF author Ken MacLeod may be a best buddy with Iain Banks,
but he's now been firmly established as a rising star in the science
fiction firmament in his right. He chats about why he's trying to
find time to read Perdido Street Station, his new book, Engine City,
and why most of the futures are capitalist … but they're terrifying!
11/2002
Fare
thee well, Ron Walotsky
Ron Walotsky's death shattered many people in the fantasy art world.
Here, Paul Barnett, 'Nest columnist and editor of art book imprint
Paper Tiger fondly remembers his friend, and there's a posthumous
interview with Ron too.
11/2002
Walter
Jon Williams interviewed
Science fiction author WJW chats about bashing out a new Star Wars
novel, the impact of September 11th on his writing, and how he probably
left a few scribbles on his mother's womb.
11/2002
DiFate
Smiles Kindly
It's hard not to use superlatives when talking about Vincent Di
Fate. Just when you've been staggered by this artist's work, you
realize he's also the man responsible for the ground-breaking survey
of 20th-century SF art, Infinite Worlds.
10/2002
The
King of Shannara
Fantasy author Terry Brooks on why he didn't think he would still
be writing books in his Shannara universe after all this time, on
why less is more, and why, like science in our own world, magic
is neither good nor bad.
10/2002
The
China Syndrome
Author China Mieville on his passion for Gormenghast, the smug utopianism
of Cambridge, why David Cronenberg should make the film version
of Perdido Street Station, and on being a Dr Who man through and
through.
10/2002
Martina
Pilcerova interviewed
Talented Slovak science fiction artist Martina Pilcerova on how
Star Wars changed her life, plus the fun you can get creating fantasy
paintings in the ex-soviet block. You'll be served up a couple of
her stunning images too.
09/2002
Robert
Newcomb interviewed
The fantasy author behind 'The Fifth Sorceress' talks about magic
as physics, his past life on the lot of a car dealership, and why
the best kings are reluctant ones.
09/2002
Elevating
Elric: Michael Moorcock Interviewed
Fantasy author Moorcock speaks about his dislike of formula sword
& sorcery, the snobbery of the literary set, and on being censored
more in America than anywhere else in the world.
08/2002
Burnsing
Passions: Jim Burns Interviewed
This brilliantly talented science fiction and fantasy artist waves
an airbrush like Yoda waves a lightsaber. You only know you've made
it as an author, when your publisher assigns Big Jim Burns to illustrate
your cover.
08/2002
Fostering
Science Fiction: Alan Dean Foster interviewed
Superstar author ADF on the differences between creating science
fiction and fantasy, the life of Flinx, and the sad tale of how
Alan wept openly for what the big screen did to James Gurney's Dinotopia.
08/2002
In
Honor I Gained Them
Author David Weber - creator of the fabulous
Honor Harrington series of novels - in his most detailed interview
to date.
07/2002
Hot
Spice And Majipoor
Author Robert Silverberg interviewed. The grand old man of SF
on his lust for spicy food, the genius of Majipoor, and living with
Harlan Ellison.
07/2002
The
Future In Futurama. Doh!
Matt Groening, creator of Futurama & the Simpsons,
interviewed by big Jim Pickard.
06/2002
Trials
And Tribbleations
Author David Gerrold
interviewed on his many SF novels; plus, does he really want to
be remembered as the damn scriptwriter behind Trek's classic 'The
Trouble with Tribbles' episode?
06/2002
Jack's
Back
Had he ever left? Writer Jack L Chalker is one of the few novelists
who can switch from fantasy to science fiction with consummate ease.
Read about his life and times here.
05/2002
The
Gold(In) Standard
It's not every author who can boast they co-authored a science fiction
novel with E.E. Doc Smith. Stephen Goldin slips into the author's
hot seat for an interview.
05/2002
A
Stirling Job
American SF author SM Stirling tells the Nest what it's really like
to create a damn fine British-dominated parallel universe. More
tea, vicar?
02/2002
Captain
Morgan And His Cyberpunk Organ
Richard Morgan has just written the first great cyberpunk novel
of the 21st century. Find out why this new author is going to be
stunningly, nay amazingly, big.
02/2002
Dragon'
On
Best-selling fantasy authors Weis and Hickman interviewed by fellow
sword and sorcery novelist, Stephen Hunt.
01/2002
The
Write Stuff: What It Takes To Create Your Own SF Game Company
Andrew Ewanchyna followed his dream, chucking in a sensible day
job for three years worth of coding a science fiction fleet battle
computer game. Was he mad, and will his brave dream now make him
rich? Read this space …
10/2001
Roger
Spottiswood, 6th Day Film Director, Interviewed About Bond, Arnie
And His Crazy Life In Fantasy Film Making!
The man who made 6th Day dishes the inside dirt, and tell us what
it was like making a Bond movie too.
11/2000
The
Grand Old Man Of Sci-Fi
Author Jack Williamson Interviewed.
10/1999
Super
Authors
Iain Banks and Ken McLeod Interviewed.
09/1999
The
Pyramids Of Mars
God's camera angle and a trick of the light, or something more?
We interview The Mars Project Team.
04/1996
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