Michael Lawson Bishop, USA, classe 1945, vincitore del Premio Nebula per due volte e del Locus quattro volte, autore di decine di romanzi (di cui molti tradotti e pubblicati in Italia) di genere fantascientifico e fantasy, oggi alla ricerca di un editore per un inedito mainstream novel.
Michael (personal website here ) has agreed immediately and with extreme kindness to answer the following questions in an interview that we announced some time ago .
The quote in full, in the belief that in the words of this great writer, there are hints of great interest, not only from the literary point of view.
Michael has proven to belong to that group of characters who, despite being entered in the history of law of its kind, reveals great sensitivity, attention to their admirers, ready to get completely into question e. .. desire to grow. Again.
F. Dear Michael, thanks for the time you'll want to devote. I am honored to have the opportunity to conduct this interview.
These are the first lines of the Wikipedia entry about yourself: " Michael Lawson Bishop is an award-winning American author. In forty years and thirty books, has created a body of work that places it among the most important authors in the literature of science fiction and fantasy . "You have twice won the Nebula, Locus four times, and received several applications for the Hugo Award. What do you think about your figure in the world of FS?
M. I think I'm lucky to still have a similar reputation in the fields of science fiction and fantasy, especially considering that in recent years, I focused my attention on other kinds of writing, especially stories set in the contemporary world that has not proved easy to put on market (although some have found accommodation in literary magazines) and a mainstream novel set in the early '80s, which many publishers were "respectfully declined" to use the ironic expression of my agent.
F. Did you graduate e specializzato in lingua inglese. A che età ha iniziato a scrivere? È avvenuto per caso, o per scelta? E perché proprio la fantascienza ?
M. Iniziai a scrivere con la convinzione che un giorno sarei diventato un vero scrittore quando ero, mi pare, in settima elementare ( ndt: ultimo livello della scuola elementare di alcuni stati USA ), all’età di dodici o tredici anni. A quei tempi i miei autori preferiti erano Edgar Allan Poe, Jack London, e svariati autori di “ dog stories ” per ragazzi, come Marshall Saunders, Albert Payson Terhune, Eric Knight, e Jack O’Brien. Iniziai a scrivere fantasy e horror soprattutto perché in seguito la mia tesi di degree would have covered the works of HG Wells and Ray Bradbury, among others.
F. anthropological themes and exotic are a crucial part of your work from your first novel ever ("A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire"), written and re-released again five years later with the title "The Eyes of Fire "(" Eyes of Fire "). Is there a specific reason for this particular interest as a writer?
M. I attended an excellent course of anthropology at the University of Georgia, Athens, taught by a professor named Charles Hudson, who was the author of works on the Indians of the Southeast United States that represent una pietra miliare. Durante il corso ebbi modo di leggere gli importanti studi di Colin Turnbull sui pigmei della foresta pluviale di Ituri in Congo, nel libro "Il popolo della foresta ", e tanto questa lettura quanto l’entusiasmo di Hudson per la sua materia d’insegnamento accesero il mio interesse nei confronti di altre culture e altre popolazioni, e di quella ingenuità adattativa che gli esseri umani mostrano in ambienti estremi, che si tratti di giungla, deserto o taiga.
F. Immagino che ti sarà già stato detto dozzine di volte che tu e U. K. Le Guin avete un modo molto simile di osservare l’essere umano. Si tratta di un approccio antropologico comune a entrambi, non è così? Più in general, as the authors of FS (or not) were more important to you, or what you loved most?
M. After deciding to start reading science fiction - in a sort of self-paced program of gender, we might say - I came across the works of authors whose anthropological approach was congenial to my imagination. Among them is without doubt Ursula K. Le Guin, in particular his novel "The Left Hand of Darkness ," which won both the Hugo Award Nebula, but also precursors to the likes of Wells ("The Time Machine "), George P. Elliott ("Among the Dangs ") and Chad Oliver (author of several very insightful stories from the anthropological point of view). But Ursula K. Le Guin remains the favorite, and a novel like "The world of the forest " resonates with my strings, even today, perhaps because it stimulates the revival of my personal debt in respect of "the people of the forest " by Colin Turnbull and at the same time because it takes a firm stand on the devastation and necessary and total immorality of the war in which at that time the United States became embroiled in Vietnam.
I would also add that I deeply loved " Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift . The four trips in which the work is divided, the description is obviously given by the author in Gulliver, are actually more than four acute ethnographic accounts of many people's imagination, this is a satirical work that represents a veritable anthropological study of the imagery. It can not be read without feeling astonishment, and with each rereading one has the feeling of colliding with something completely new compared to last time.
F. The increasing need for comparison between different cultures in the world of the '70s probably stimulated the authors of FS to be particularly sensitive to these issues? What do you think, feel, and what has survived of that feeling today?
M. I started writing in a time when SF writers - particularly those who started or were involved in the New Wave movement the first half of the '60s to the early 70s - had accepted responsibility for a more cosmopolitan the matter of their works. How could anyone write about sentient species from other worlds without accepting the tangible fact that our Anglo-American culture represented only a small percentage of the whole human knowledge, namely art, languages, music, agriculture, scientific research and sustainable development strategies of this planet? How could anyone think of exploring other solar systems, other galaxies, or the nature of infinity, immediately, without having the desire to study the length and breadth of the characteristics of our species, in before throwing nell'avida curiosity that fuels the coveted race for the stars?
At this point, however, are no longer able to recognize a particular motivational or emotional in the current authors of Fantasy and FS, although I believe that our old passion for space exploration has fallen prey to discouragement resulting from the crisis much of the world's economic and understanding of the difficulties of conducting long-duration space flight with human crews. Consequently, it seems that a day d’oggi il fantasy abbia spesso spodestato la fantascienza come narrativa fantastica d’elezione nel mercato. Nonostante io non pensi di poter essere classificato, se non per qualche opera, come scrittore di fantascienza “hard”, sono in parte dispiaciuto di questo sviluppo. Benché io ritenga che validi autori abbiano prodotto alcune opere fantasy avvincenti e di valore durevole, come ad esempio “ Little, Big ” di John Crowley, in genere trovo in effetti che molti scrittori che ricorrono alle figure tipiche del fantasy o dell’horror (elfi, fate, orchi, vampiri, lupi mannari, zombi e quant’altro) solo raramente riescano a elevarli al di sopra dei recessi letterari del prevedibile, quando not of total ridiculous.
F. The novel " Eyes of Fire" addresses the problem of the differences between cultural systems and the possibility of a meeting between them. What is your personal definition of "diversity"? Do you think that the barriers to co-existence can be overcome, and how? In other words, there is a general definition of "humanity" that could be the only critical factor that is to eliminate any type of barrier or different cultural identity / national / religious conflict with one another to remain in the definition?
M. In reality, I never thought you could posit a personal definition of "diversity." I might instead say that diversity on Earth, exist as a matter of indisputable fact. We ignore at our peril. However, we can overcome some barriers to mutual understanding by learning other languages \u200b\u200b(area in which, I regret to have to admit, I have some gaps), visiting other places, reading fiction and poetry from other countries (in the original language or translated), spending long periods in populations different from ours in terms of ethnic, religious or cultural, and so concluded that there is at least as many good things are discovered, useful, and aesthetically rich, how many useless, puzzling, or disgusting expected to find. We must break the vicious circle of our own prejudices, gusti e identità, un movimento a cui la maggior parte di noi tende a resistere, ritenendolo arduo quando non del tutto impossibile. Ma persino se riusciamo a farlo, non riusciamo ad abbattere proprio tutte le barriere, e talora arriviamo persino a scoprire che alcuni comportamenti (nostri o degli altri) concorrono a contrastare la totale accettazione, o la comprensione, dell’oggetto dello studio, in quanto ci sembrano negativi al punto di poterli tollerare soltanto se svisceriamo completamente la nostra identità: un problema che è il cuore dell’attuale scontro fra l’occidente industrializzato e alcune fazioni islamiche militanti.
F. Nel romanzo " Il segreto degli Asadi ", derivante dallo Development of a short story shorter, which was nominated for the Hugo Award and Nebula, have described a sort of "involution" of an intelligent species.
The story is very intriguing: the reader struggles to understand what has happened is that at the Asadi dispersed Professor Chaney. Because of this kind of "regression" Asadi's have lost their intelligence and have gradually fallen into a condition in which they show a behavior more "social" that reveals signs of their ancient culture emerging in ceremonies and rituals, including practices cannibalism that you described realistically and without censorship. Humans hate them and treat them as animals. So the loss of rationality equivarrebbe a una regressione ad una condizione animalesca? Qual è il tuo pensiero in merito? Puoi approfondire la condizione in cui sono precipitati gli Asadi?
M. Preferirei definirla una “ devoluzione ,” ma la tua descrizione del processo subìto dagli Asadi nella storia è efficace. Ciononostante, non sono del parere che la perdita della facoltà razionali, delle capacità di calcolo, risulterebbe necessariamente in una forma di vita completamente animalesca nel senso più dispregiativo della parola. Arriverei quasi a intuire che attraverso questa “devoluzione” ad un simile stato, la specie diventi in grado di vivere più serenamente ed efficientemente nel suo ambiente than he could as a form of life known as rational as the rational form of life as its increased intellectual power to bring her to face any obstacle with an aggressive attitude that then actually posed a threat to its survival. (In fact, it looks like the portrait of 'Homo sapiens sapiens ?)
With regard to Asadi, are an enigma, conceived as an enigma, able to evolve back to the intelligence or invalidate all the way to the' extinction. The presence of humans on their world would condemn them to that fate, if the beginning of the novel will not fail to understand the purpose of giving that are already condemned.
F. How does one reconcile this with the Darwinian theory of evolution?
M. If I have to be completely honest, the devolution of Asadi did not sound too scientific. I think (and precisely that we are talking about a day today of a story born from a perspective of almost forty years ago) that he wanted to be with this alien species a degraded version of humanity, a dramatic metaphor for all the ways in which We humans also cause damage to ourselves, subverting our own intelligence, and thus jeopardize the fruits of our best intentions. In the early '70s no doubt was referring to the Vietnam War, tensions race, the oil crisis and everything else, but today I could easily mention the catastrophe for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the global financial crisis, among many other issues unresolved. So how can I argue about the placement of Asadi than evolutionism of Darwin, when their origin, as well as in my love for anthropology, literature lies in my debt for the great Anglo-Irish satirist Jonathan Swift?
F. Now to your masterpiece, "Time is the only enemy." I loved this book. It is one of five that I would bring with me on a desert island. There seems to be a lot of your life, this novel, is not it? Nell'USAF a father, a part of the story takes place in Spain ...
M. Yes, some parts of the novel were inspired by my life, especially the year I spent in Spain with my father since the summer of 1962 the early summer of 1963. (By the way, thanks for calling "Time is the only enemy" as my masterpiece, I appreciate a review from you, although I consider the "Ancient of Days " or perhaps "Fragile seasons " works best science fiction. And I am even more convinto del valore del mio romanzo inedito, che a me piace anche più di questi due. Allo stesso tempo, percepisco tutti questi romanzi come imperfetti, in maniere diverse e talora scoraggianti, che sarebbe oggi troppo complesso modificare e migliorare).
Mio padre era di stanza presso la base del Comando Aereo Strategico, a circa trenta miglia da Sivigilia, a Morón de la Frontera, ma noi vivevamo in un appartamento nella città di Siviglia in una palazzina di tre piani a Calle Leoncillos 15. Eravamo al secondo piano (che voi europei chiamate il primo piano), mentre i padroni di casa vivevano al primo piano (il piano terra), e un aviere americano di nome Pete Tanaguchi, sua moglie tedesca Ilsa e la loro Nisei young daughter lived on the third floor (the second for you); lavavamo clothes all together on the roof, and we had a nice view of the Giralda, the bell tower of the huge Gothic cathedral. And anyway, the contents of anthropological " Time is the only enemy " come from my reading of paleo-anthropologists in the sector such as Louis B. Leakey, Mary Leakey, their son Richard Leakey, and the hunter of fossils of proto-hominids rival of the Leakey family, Donald Johansson. I did a considerable amount of research to write the novel, but the characterization came from my personal experience or direct observation, or a combination thereof.
F. type you've invented time travel in this novel seems to me entirely original. Do not think I've ever read about time travel that takes place thanks to a kind of "memory" recorded in the flow of time, and also to target the prehistoric era ...
M. The idea also involves the supposed susceptibility of the time traveler to what sleep researchers call " vivid dreams" . It is an imaginary concept, not with a strong scientific basis and therefore may represent a weak point of the story. I could also indicate nell'imprevista appearance of the deus-ex-machina, or the astronauts Zarakali ( the imaginary African country where the story takes place, ndt ) in the Pleistocene dream, like a second weakness, as the protagonist and the timing device of the 'Air Force have raised this territory ghost from his dreaming. Nowadays, forgive me, but I shudder a little when I read these passages of the novel.
F. exotic anthropology at the paleo-anthropology, from aliens to abilini, and the story continues in a sense in " Ancient of Days" (which includes the story won the Locus Award Her husband habiline "), book unfortunately not available in Italian. Come si spiega questo passaggio? Sei interessato allo studio del Pleistocene?
M. Con il passare del tempo (come alcuni hanno notato), ho trasferito l’ambientazione delle mie storie dai pianeti esterni di lontani sistemi in luoghi più riconoscibili qui sulla Terra. Sono ancora interessato al Pleistocene, certamente, ma sono molto più interessato a tentare di tracciare lo sviluppo della nostra umanità dalle più lontane origini della nostra specie fino al tempo presente.
Il libro “ Ancient of Days ”, per esempio, segue il percorso di un esemplare intelligente di Homo habilis (a cui un po’ sfacciatamente ho dato nome Adamo), erede di una tribù perduta of his fellows on an island off the coast of Haiti, struggling to be accepted by Americans of the twenty-first century in the U.S. Southeast. In truth, by the way, I prefer this story to "Time is the only enemy," and I would add that the three interconnected stories that make up the contents represent the whole thematic continuity, if not direct, the previous novel. Just as the human protagonist in "The Time is the only enemy" comes to recognize that abilini are more than fun bipedal animals, the two human protagonists of "Ancient of Days " Adam recognize one of them, in fact, has even higher moral and intellectual qualities.
These are the first lines of the Wikipedia entry about yourself: " Michael Lawson Bishop is an award-winning American author. In forty years and thirty books, has created a body of work that places it among the most important authors in the literature of science fiction and fantasy . "You have twice won the Nebula, Locus four times, and received several applications for the Hugo Award. What do you think about your figure in the world of FS?
M. I think I'm lucky to still have a similar reputation in the fields of science fiction and fantasy, especially considering that in recent years, I focused my attention on other kinds of writing, especially stories set in the contemporary world that has not proved easy to put on market (although some have found accommodation in literary magazines) and a mainstream novel set in the early '80s, which many publishers were "respectfully declined" to use the ironic expression of my agent.
F. Did you graduate e specializzato in lingua inglese. A che età ha iniziato a scrivere? È avvenuto per caso, o per scelta? E perché proprio la fantascienza ?
M. Iniziai a scrivere con la convinzione che un giorno sarei diventato un vero scrittore quando ero, mi pare, in settima elementare ( ndt: ultimo livello della scuola elementare di alcuni stati USA ), all’età di dodici o tredici anni. A quei tempi i miei autori preferiti erano Edgar Allan Poe, Jack London, e svariati autori di “ dog stories ” per ragazzi, come Marshall Saunders, Albert Payson Terhune, Eric Knight, e Jack O’Brien. Iniziai a scrivere fantasy e horror soprattutto perché in seguito la mia tesi di degree would have covered the works of HG Wells and Ray Bradbury, among others.
F. anthropological themes and exotic are a crucial part of your work from your first novel ever ("A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire"), written and re-released again five years later with the title "The Eyes of Fire "(" Eyes of Fire "). Is there a specific reason for this particular interest as a writer?
M. I attended an excellent course of anthropology at the University of Georgia, Athens, taught by a professor named Charles Hudson, who was the author of works on the Indians of the Southeast United States that represent una pietra miliare. Durante il corso ebbi modo di leggere gli importanti studi di Colin Turnbull sui pigmei della foresta pluviale di Ituri in Congo, nel libro "Il popolo della foresta ", e tanto questa lettura quanto l’entusiasmo di Hudson per la sua materia d’insegnamento accesero il mio interesse nei confronti di altre culture e altre popolazioni, e di quella ingenuità adattativa che gli esseri umani mostrano in ambienti estremi, che si tratti di giungla, deserto o taiga.
F. Immagino che ti sarà già stato detto dozzine di volte che tu e U. K. Le Guin avete un modo molto simile di osservare l’essere umano. Si tratta di un approccio antropologico comune a entrambi, non è così? Più in general, as the authors of FS (or not) were more important to you, or what you loved most?
M. After deciding to start reading science fiction - in a sort of self-paced program of gender, we might say - I came across the works of authors whose anthropological approach was congenial to my imagination. Among them is without doubt Ursula K. Le Guin, in particular his novel "The Left Hand of Darkness ," which won both the Hugo Award Nebula, but also precursors to the likes of Wells ("The Time Machine "), George P. Elliott ("Among the Dangs ") and Chad Oliver (author of several very insightful stories from the anthropological point of view). But Ursula K. Le Guin remains the favorite, and a novel like "The world of the forest " resonates with my strings, even today, perhaps because it stimulates the revival of my personal debt in respect of "the people of the forest " by Colin Turnbull and at the same time because it takes a firm stand on the devastation and necessary and total immorality of the war in which at that time the United States became embroiled in Vietnam.
I would also add that I deeply loved " Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift . The four trips in which the work is divided, the description is obviously given by the author in Gulliver, are actually more than four acute ethnographic accounts of many people's imagination, this is a satirical work that represents a veritable anthropological study of the imagery. It can not be read without feeling astonishment, and with each rereading one has the feeling of colliding with something completely new compared to last time.
F. The increasing need for comparison between different cultures in the world of the '70s probably stimulated the authors of FS to be particularly sensitive to these issues? What do you think, feel, and what has survived of that feeling today?
M. I started writing in a time when SF writers - particularly those who started or were involved in the New Wave movement the first half of the '60s to the early 70s - had accepted responsibility for a more cosmopolitan the matter of their works. How could anyone write about sentient species from other worlds without accepting the tangible fact that our Anglo-American culture represented only a small percentage of the whole human knowledge, namely art, languages, music, agriculture, scientific research and sustainable development strategies of this planet? How could anyone think of exploring other solar systems, other galaxies, or the nature of infinity, immediately, without having the desire to study the length and breadth of the characteristics of our species, in before throwing nell'avida curiosity that fuels the coveted race for the stars?
At this point, however, are no longer able to recognize a particular motivational or emotional in the current authors of Fantasy and FS, although I believe that our old passion for space exploration has fallen prey to discouragement resulting from the crisis much of the world's economic and understanding of the difficulties of conducting long-duration space flight with human crews. Consequently, it seems that a day d’oggi il fantasy abbia spesso spodestato la fantascienza come narrativa fantastica d’elezione nel mercato. Nonostante io non pensi di poter essere classificato, se non per qualche opera, come scrittore di fantascienza “hard”, sono in parte dispiaciuto di questo sviluppo. Benché io ritenga che validi autori abbiano prodotto alcune opere fantasy avvincenti e di valore durevole, come ad esempio “ Little, Big ” di John Crowley, in genere trovo in effetti che molti scrittori che ricorrono alle figure tipiche del fantasy o dell’horror (elfi, fate, orchi, vampiri, lupi mannari, zombi e quant’altro) solo raramente riescano a elevarli al di sopra dei recessi letterari del prevedibile, quando not of total ridiculous.
F. The novel " Eyes of Fire" addresses the problem of the differences between cultural systems and the possibility of a meeting between them. What is your personal definition of "diversity"? Do you think that the barriers to co-existence can be overcome, and how? In other words, there is a general definition of "humanity" that could be the only critical factor that is to eliminate any type of barrier or different cultural identity / national / religious conflict with one another to remain in the definition?
M. In reality, I never thought you could posit a personal definition of "diversity." I might instead say that diversity on Earth, exist as a matter of indisputable fact. We ignore at our peril. However, we can overcome some barriers to mutual understanding by learning other languages \u200b\u200b(area in which, I regret to have to admit, I have some gaps), visiting other places, reading fiction and poetry from other countries (in the original language or translated), spending long periods in populations different from ours in terms of ethnic, religious or cultural, and so concluded that there is at least as many good things are discovered, useful, and aesthetically rich, how many useless, puzzling, or disgusting expected to find. We must break the vicious circle of our own prejudices, gusti e identità, un movimento a cui la maggior parte di noi tende a resistere, ritenendolo arduo quando non del tutto impossibile. Ma persino se riusciamo a farlo, non riusciamo ad abbattere proprio tutte le barriere, e talora arriviamo persino a scoprire che alcuni comportamenti (nostri o degli altri) concorrono a contrastare la totale accettazione, o la comprensione, dell’oggetto dello studio, in quanto ci sembrano negativi al punto di poterli tollerare soltanto se svisceriamo completamente la nostra identità: un problema che è il cuore dell’attuale scontro fra l’occidente industrializzato e alcune fazioni islamiche militanti.
F. Nel romanzo " Il segreto degli Asadi ", derivante dallo Development of a short story shorter, which was nominated for the Hugo Award and Nebula, have described a sort of "involution" of an intelligent species.
The story is very intriguing: the reader struggles to understand what has happened is that at the Asadi dispersed Professor Chaney. Because of this kind of "regression" Asadi's have lost their intelligence and have gradually fallen into a condition in which they show a behavior more "social" that reveals signs of their ancient culture emerging in ceremonies and rituals, including practices cannibalism that you described realistically and without censorship. Humans hate them and treat them as animals. So the loss of rationality equivarrebbe a una regressione ad una condizione animalesca? Qual è il tuo pensiero in merito? Puoi approfondire la condizione in cui sono precipitati gli Asadi?
M. Preferirei definirla una “ devoluzione ,” ma la tua descrizione del processo subìto dagli Asadi nella storia è efficace. Ciononostante, non sono del parere che la perdita della facoltà razionali, delle capacità di calcolo, risulterebbe necessariamente in una forma di vita completamente animalesca nel senso più dispregiativo della parola. Arriverei quasi a intuire che attraverso questa “devoluzione” ad un simile stato, la specie diventi in grado di vivere più serenamente ed efficientemente nel suo ambiente than he could as a form of life known as rational as the rational form of life as its increased intellectual power to bring her to face any obstacle with an aggressive attitude that then actually posed a threat to its survival. (In fact, it looks like the portrait of 'Homo sapiens sapiens ?)
With regard to Asadi, are an enigma, conceived as an enigma, able to evolve back to the intelligence or invalidate all the way to the' extinction. The presence of humans on their world would condemn them to that fate, if the beginning of the novel will not fail to understand the purpose of giving that are already condemned.
F. How does one reconcile this with the Darwinian theory of evolution?
M. If I have to be completely honest, the devolution of Asadi did not sound too scientific. I think (and precisely that we are talking about a day today of a story born from a perspective of almost forty years ago) that he wanted to be with this alien species a degraded version of humanity, a dramatic metaphor for all the ways in which We humans also cause damage to ourselves, subverting our own intelligence, and thus jeopardize the fruits of our best intentions. In the early '70s no doubt was referring to the Vietnam War, tensions race, the oil crisis and everything else, but today I could easily mention the catastrophe for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the global financial crisis, among many other issues unresolved. So how can I argue about the placement of Asadi than evolutionism of Darwin, when their origin, as well as in my love for anthropology, literature lies in my debt for the great Anglo-Irish satirist Jonathan Swift?
F. Now to your masterpiece, "Time is the only enemy." I loved this book. It is one of five that I would bring with me on a desert island. There seems to be a lot of your life, this novel, is not it? Nell'USAF a father, a part of the story takes place in Spain ...
M. Yes, some parts of the novel were inspired by my life, especially the year I spent in Spain with my father since the summer of 1962 the early summer of 1963. (By the way, thanks for calling "Time is the only enemy" as my masterpiece, I appreciate a review from you, although I consider the "Ancient of Days " or perhaps "Fragile seasons " works best science fiction. And I am even more convinto del valore del mio romanzo inedito, che a me piace anche più di questi due. Allo stesso tempo, percepisco tutti questi romanzi come imperfetti, in maniere diverse e talora scoraggianti, che sarebbe oggi troppo complesso modificare e migliorare).
Mio padre era di stanza presso la base del Comando Aereo Strategico, a circa trenta miglia da Sivigilia, a Morón de la Frontera, ma noi vivevamo in un appartamento nella città di Siviglia in una palazzina di tre piani a Calle Leoncillos 15. Eravamo al secondo piano (che voi europei chiamate il primo piano), mentre i padroni di casa vivevano al primo piano (il piano terra), e un aviere americano di nome Pete Tanaguchi, sua moglie tedesca Ilsa e la loro Nisei young daughter lived on the third floor (the second for you); lavavamo clothes all together on the roof, and we had a nice view of the Giralda, the bell tower of the huge Gothic cathedral. And anyway, the contents of anthropological " Time is the only enemy " come from my reading of paleo-anthropologists in the sector such as Louis B. Leakey, Mary Leakey, their son Richard Leakey, and the hunter of fossils of proto-hominids rival of the Leakey family, Donald Johansson. I did a considerable amount of research to write the novel, but the characterization came from my personal experience or direct observation, or a combination thereof.
F. type you've invented time travel in this novel seems to me entirely original. Do not think I've ever read about time travel that takes place thanks to a kind of "memory" recorded in the flow of time, and also to target the prehistoric era ...
M. The idea also involves the supposed susceptibility of the time traveler to what sleep researchers call " vivid dreams" . It is an imaginary concept, not with a strong scientific basis and therefore may represent a weak point of the story. I could also indicate nell'imprevista appearance of the deus-ex-machina, or the astronauts Zarakali ( the imaginary African country where the story takes place, ndt ) in the Pleistocene dream, like a second weakness, as the protagonist and the timing device of the 'Air Force have raised this territory ghost from his dreaming. Nowadays, forgive me, but I shudder a little when I read these passages of the novel.
F. exotic anthropology at the paleo-anthropology, from aliens to abilini, and the story continues in a sense in " Ancient of Days" (which includes the story won the Locus Award Her husband habiline "), book unfortunately not available in Italian. Come si spiega questo passaggio? Sei interessato allo studio del Pleistocene?
M. Con il passare del tempo (come alcuni hanno notato), ho trasferito l’ambientazione delle mie storie dai pianeti esterni di lontani sistemi in luoghi più riconoscibili qui sulla Terra. Sono ancora interessato al Pleistocene, certamente, ma sono molto più interessato a tentare di tracciare lo sviluppo della nostra umanità dalle più lontane origini della nostra specie fino al tempo presente.
Il libro “ Ancient of Days ”, per esempio, segue il percorso di un esemplare intelligente di Homo habilis (a cui un po’ sfacciatamente ho dato nome Adamo), erede di una tribù perduta of his fellows on an island off the coast of Haiti, struggling to be accepted by Americans of the twenty-first century in the U.S. Southeast. In truth, by the way, I prefer this story to "Time is the only enemy," and I would add that the three interconnected stories that make up the contents represent the whole thematic continuity, if not direct, the previous novel. Just as the human protagonist in "The Time is the only enemy" comes to recognize that abilini are more than fun bipedal animals, the two human protagonists of "Ancient of Days " Adam recognize one of them, in fact, has even higher moral and intellectual qualities.
F. seems to me that these books have marked your intellectual evolution. In other words, there seems to be a story of deep faith in the potential of human beings.
Joshua is more humanity among abilini that among modern humans. The abilini not speak, their intelligence is reduced. Their ability to escape the danger does not exceed that of animals. Survive and are constantly terrified. Yet they have human feelings. I almost cried when I read the scene of the accident in which one of them kills himself with gun Joshua, and in another scene Joshua is very touching love with one of them, and ends up falling in love with her.
This "regression" of history is very different from that suffered by Asadi. It seems that the question of what defines the human being has finally found an answer in this book ... the spark of humanity is therefore not rational thinking, but the emotion, the irrational, friendship, love, or even hatred, jealousy. The non-logical aspects of intelligence. What are your thoughts on this?
M. I do not mean in any way around your question, but I can only respond by saying that I think you have properly supervised the source abilini of humanity described in "Time is the only enemy", just with the words "non-logical aspects intelligence" of them as of our, however, scientists would look quite forward to the next between the genetic abilino and human and also to the ability of the two species to create a viable and fertile offspring (a skill that I have taken for granted in the novel, without any solid scientific evidence). I find it gratifying, however, that you have accepted the abilini as humans on the basis of their close relationship with Joshua, and of course among the members of their group.
F. The Western thought from ancient Greece to the Enlightenment, (not to mention Christianity) is based on the idea that every human being is calibrated by a kind of malignancy (which can be defined as illness, violence, aggression or any other form of original negative nature) since birth, and that only rational thought can allow control of it through the emotional aspects of coercion. It "Time is the only enemy" it seems that you go beyond this perspective: in your history people seem inclined by nature to move toward each other rather than against one ' more ...
M. Così risulta dall’osservazione degli eventi narrativi, e molto di questa tendenza sociale intra-specie, descritta nel romanzo, deriva da ciò che io vedo come la naturale riluttanza dell’essere umano a uccidere i propri simili… in assenza di un insegnamento consapevolmente mirato a capovolgere questa riluttanza, come avviene nei campi di addestramento militare o terroristico, o nei campi di football ( una misera battuta, chiedo scusa ). D’altra parte, Joshua e gli abilini stabiliscono una relazione perché il protagonista si sforza di dimostrarsi loro amico ed essi non trovano alcuna ragione per cui valga la pena mangiarlo o allontanarlo. Spesso, è in condizioni di sopravvivenza – che si può do very little to change - you decide if two people are apparently similar fight or become allies.
Joshua is more humanity among abilini that among modern humans. The abilini not speak, their intelligence is reduced. Their ability to escape the danger does not exceed that of animals. Survive and are constantly terrified. Yet they have human feelings. I almost cried when I read the scene of the accident in which one of them kills himself with gun Joshua, and in another scene Joshua is very touching love with one of them, and ends up falling in love with her.
This "regression" of history is very different from that suffered by Asadi. It seems that the question of what defines the human being has finally found an answer in this book ... the spark of humanity is therefore not rational thinking, but the emotion, the irrational, friendship, love, or even hatred, jealousy. The non-logical aspects of intelligence. What are your thoughts on this?
M. I do not mean in any way around your question, but I can only respond by saying that I think you have properly supervised the source abilini of humanity described in "Time is the only enemy", just with the words "non-logical aspects intelligence" of them as of our, however, scientists would look quite forward to the next between the genetic abilino and human and also to the ability of the two species to create a viable and fertile offspring (a skill that I have taken for granted in the novel, without any solid scientific evidence). I find it gratifying, however, that you have accepted the abilini as humans on the basis of their close relationship with Joshua, and of course among the members of their group.
F. The Western thought from ancient Greece to the Enlightenment, (not to mention Christianity) is based on the idea that every human being is calibrated by a kind of malignancy (which can be defined as illness, violence, aggression or any other form of original negative nature) since birth, and that only rational thought can allow control of it through the emotional aspects of coercion. It "Time is the only enemy" it seems that you go beyond this perspective: in your history people seem inclined by nature to move toward each other rather than against one ' more ...
M. Così risulta dall’osservazione degli eventi narrativi, e molto di questa tendenza sociale intra-specie, descritta nel romanzo, deriva da ciò che io vedo come la naturale riluttanza dell’essere umano a uccidere i propri simili… in assenza di un insegnamento consapevolmente mirato a capovolgere questa riluttanza, come avviene nei campi di addestramento militare o terroristico, o nei campi di football ( una misera battuta, chiedo scusa ). D’altra parte, Joshua e gli abilini stabiliscono una relazione perché il protagonista si sforza di dimostrarsi loro amico ed essi non trovano alcuna ragione per cui valga la pena mangiarlo o allontanarlo. Spesso, è in condizioni di sopravvivenza – che si può do very little to change - you decide if two people are apparently similar fight or become allies.
F. On the other hand, a novel like "The alternative " (you've been a dystopian future world), as a tribute to Philip K. Dick, clearly shows your admiration for this author, whose thinking on the human being was certainly more negative ...
M. I think Philip K. Dick had a lot of confidence in what he called "the little man," or that particular human being who, though devoid of political, religious or military, however, continues to do what gli è richiesto, che si tratti di fabbricare vasi, incidere gioielli, o essere diplomatici, anche se il mondo, o le forze del male, cospirano contro la sua modesta creatività, e anche se la realtà stessa tenta di sovvertire l’ordine in cui vive. Ammiro Dick non per il punto di vista negativo sull’umanità che potrebbe avere o non avere avuto, ma per i suoi eroi immancabilmente creativi, uomini o donne, persone che tentano di mettere da parte le loro debolezze a favore dei propri punti di forza, nonostante le soverchianti difficoltà che devono affrontare. Questi personaggi esprimono una nobiltà di cui le persone che detengono il vero potere sono spesso del tutto sprovviste.
F. I tuoi romanzi “ Who Made Stevie Crye ? "," Count Geiger's Blues "(not available in Italian), and" Fragile seasons "jobs are completely different, with elements of humor, fantasy and horror, sometimes mixed together ...
M. In truth, " Who Made Stevie Crye?" in itself is a satire of horror novels, especially " Cujo" by Stephen King, who was very popular at the time when I wrote it. Predictably, Stephen King interpreted it as a virulent attack on his image and his work, when in fact for me it was more of an attack or less serious in relation to many of its rivals, and a respectful act of mockery against the ludicrous excesses of a single novel by Steven King in particular. The novel has its admirers, so much that it ended up in the list of "100 Best Novels Fantasy", but has never been produced in paperback here in the U.S. and is now out of print, both here and in England.
" Count Geiger's Blues," as " Ancient of Days" and the story " Death and Designation Among the Asadi ," has an intentional satire superstructure. The subject this time are the comics and the superheroes their ubiquitous assumption that accidents with radiation procure in some way miraculous powers to those who are contaminated, an idea that is fully realized in the comic strip " Watchman" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, in particular the character of Dr. Manhattan. In fact, " Count Geiger's Blues" owes much to Watchman is that the novel by Michael Chabon " The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay ", winner of the Pulitzer Prize. The subtitle of my book is "A comedy ," in homage to Dante and William Saroyan, but the epilogue shows that it is folly to believe radiation is a phenomenon entirely benign.
" seasons Fragile" is set in the world of professional baseball in the Deep South (U.S.) during the Second World War. But while the story is a sequel to " Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley. I really enjoyed writing this novel, but I also sweated the seven labors in search of background in the development of the various elements of the plot. In fact, I had to invent all the details of the summer of 1943 to a minor league baseball, the Highbridge Hellbenders , in whose ranks the height of the war is playing the narrator, Danny Boles, that his mysterious and grotesque companion roommate, Hank Clerval. Twentieth Century Fox has bought the rights to the novel into a film, but never managed to find a director who accepted the challenge. "Fragile seasons" is currently out of print in the United States, and among the novels I've written is my favorite.
M. I think Philip K. Dick had a lot of confidence in what he called "the little man," or that particular human being who, though devoid of political, religious or military, however, continues to do what gli è richiesto, che si tratti di fabbricare vasi, incidere gioielli, o essere diplomatici, anche se il mondo, o le forze del male, cospirano contro la sua modesta creatività, e anche se la realtà stessa tenta di sovvertire l’ordine in cui vive. Ammiro Dick non per il punto di vista negativo sull’umanità che potrebbe avere o non avere avuto, ma per i suoi eroi immancabilmente creativi, uomini o donne, persone che tentano di mettere da parte le loro debolezze a favore dei propri punti di forza, nonostante le soverchianti difficoltà che devono affrontare. Questi personaggi esprimono una nobiltà di cui le persone che detengono il vero potere sono spesso del tutto sprovviste.
F. I tuoi romanzi “ Who Made Stevie Crye ? "," Count Geiger's Blues "(not available in Italian), and" Fragile seasons "jobs are completely different, with elements of humor, fantasy and horror, sometimes mixed together ...
M. In truth, " Who Made Stevie Crye?" in itself is a satire of horror novels, especially " Cujo" by Stephen King, who was very popular at the time when I wrote it. Predictably, Stephen King interpreted it as a virulent attack on his image and his work, when in fact for me it was more of an attack or less serious in relation to many of its rivals, and a respectful act of mockery against the ludicrous excesses of a single novel by Steven King in particular. The novel has its admirers, so much that it ended up in the list of "100 Best Novels Fantasy", but has never been produced in paperback here in the U.S. and is now out of print, both here and in England.
" Count Geiger's Blues," as " Ancient of Days" and the story " Death and Designation Among the Asadi ," has an intentional satire superstructure. The subject this time are the comics and the superheroes their ubiquitous assumption that accidents with radiation procure in some way miraculous powers to those who are contaminated, an idea that is fully realized in the comic strip " Watchman" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, in particular the character of Dr. Manhattan. In fact, " Count Geiger's Blues" owes much to Watchman is that the novel by Michael Chabon " The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay ", winner of the Pulitzer Prize. The subtitle of my book is "A comedy ," in homage to Dante and William Saroyan, but the epilogue shows that it is folly to believe radiation is a phenomenon entirely benign.
" seasons Fragile" is set in the world of professional baseball in the Deep South (U.S.) during the Second World War. But while the story is a sequel to " Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley. I really enjoyed writing this novel, but I also sweated the seven labors in search of background in the development of the various elements of the plot. In fact, I had to invent all the details of the summer of 1943 to a minor league baseball, the Highbridge Hellbenders , in whose ranks the height of the war is playing the narrator, Danny Boles, that his mysterious and grotesque companion roommate, Hank Clerval. Twentieth Century Fox has bought the rights to the novel into a film, but never managed to find a director who accepted the challenge. "Fragile seasons" is currently out of print in the United States, and among the novels I've written is my favorite.
F. What do you think of the "fantasy"? I am also referring to your " Unicorn Mountain."
M. This novel was born out of my deep interest in the AIDS epidemic that occurred in the early '80s, my admiration for the work of Philip K. Dick and charm that have always held up di me gli Indiani d’America del Sud-Est del Colorado, gli Ute. Il romanzo è la storia di una specie di unicorno che proviene da un’altra dimensione e arriva nell’attuale stato del Colorado, una specie affetta da una forma di febbre equina specifica degli unicorni, geneticamente simile al virus umano dell’AIDS. Nella trama anche la magia indiana (il ballo del palo Ute) trova un suo spazio. Dopo tutto questo tempo, non sarei in grado di rammentare il percorso che mi portò giorno dopo giorno a sviluppare quel romanzo, ma posso dire che se qualcuno avesse interesse a ripubblicarlo, insisterei per rivedere i testi, abbreviandolo e attenuando il livello di concitazione dei dialoghi.
F. Sei religioso? Believe in God? What are the main cultural factors and human education in your art?
M. If you give me your address, Francis will send you a copy of an anthology that I have personally looked for Thunder's Mouth Press , a collection of short stories entitled "A Cross of Centuries: Twenty-five Imaginative Tales About the Christ" . The preface to the book will give you all information about my position on religion, which perhaps goes beyond what you are willing to know.
F. I think this is the collection that includes the story " INRI" ( ndt: a ferocious satire of the figure of Christ ) of Moorcock ... well, 'if this is the spirit of the book, I think I fall in love, and you can not wait to send it to me. Of course, expect an autographed copy ...
M. The anthology also includes in fact the original version of this story by Moorcock ("Behold the Man "), slightly shortened. The other stories in the book include " The Sin of Jesus " by Isaac Babel's " The Gospel of Mark ," Borges, my adaptation of " Grand Inquisitor " by Dostoyevsky from " The Brothers Karamazov " (here called "The Inquisitor General "), "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde, and various other stories, some original, written by renowned American authors, including Ray Bradbury, Jeffrey Ford, Karen Joy Fowler, Paul Di Filippo Henry Kuttner (whose story is the title of the book), Barry Malzberg, Jack McDevitt, and Mike Resnick. There are also two of my stories, "Sequel On Skorpios " and "Miriam ." I promise you that I dedicate and sign a copy and send to you, Francis.
F. Thanks! What can you tell us of your unpublished novel mainstream?
M. My unpublished novel, entitled "An Owl at the Crucifixion", is still looking to place, and now I have little hope of seeing him run until I am alive. It is the story of a teenager, Jude Huckaby (fourteen at the beginning of the narrative), who accidentally learns that her drama teacher at a secondary school teacher and youth group on Sunday, Piet Scarboro, has a lover. A man. Jude's father is a pastor of a unified approach Chiesta Chinaberry, Georgia, in 1980, and the discovery triggers a series of events that forever changed the life of piety. That's all right now are able to anticipate.
Oh well 'I would add that Peter Crowther, in the UK, has recently accepted a chapter of the novel, about 7000 words, entitled "Unfit for Eden," for the magazine that his publishing house, PS Publishing , public or semi-annually . "Unfit for Eden" is narrated in first person by the lover of Piet, Dwight David Colter, who grew up as a Jehovah's witness in a village on the edge of Okefinokee Swamp in Georgia. This chapter is virtually self-sufficient as a story, has no real fantasy element, but because of its fast-paced narrative style, some readers may (I emphasize the use of conditional) exchange it for a text like that.
F. So che attualmente sei impegnato come docente di scrittura di narrativa presso il LaGrange College in Georgia. Cosa puoi dirci in merito? Ritieni che la scrittura sia qualcosa che si può imparare partendo da zero? Qual è il giusto equilibrio fra talento e tecnica?
M. Penso che un corso di scrittura creativa possa davvero insegnare ad altri come scrivere una buona opera di narrativa o una buona poesia. Ovviamente il talento non si può insegnare, ma alcune persone, se si impegnano molto, possono arrivare con il tempo a creare storie, romanzi, poesie, virtualmente indistinguibili in termini di qualità da quelle prodotte da scrittori geniali e di talento… benché questa evenienza sia alquanto rare, exactly as it is talent in itself. In my class at LaGrange College apply intelligence teaching strategy by Anne Lamott, which would be for students "short duties" by allowing them to produce, or better than expected, the "draft disgusting", and so learn from their same mistakes, and then clean up the proofs to make them acceptable to be ... ', and publishers.
F. What are your tips for those who want to be a writer of FS?
M. Read a lot. Read a lot of FS. Write a lot. Write a lot of FS. Mistakes in writing. FS mistakes in writing. Try again. And make small mistakes. This is not about my recipe for beginners of writing, but I think the only smart way to proceed, although it is likely to take a long time. Insist.
M. If you give me your address, Francis will send you a copy of an anthology that I have personally looked for Thunder's Mouth Press , a collection of short stories entitled "A Cross of Centuries: Twenty-five Imaginative Tales About the Christ" . The preface to the book will give you all information about my position on religion, which perhaps goes beyond what you are willing to know.
F. I think this is the collection that includes the story " INRI" ( ndt: a ferocious satire of the figure of Christ ) of Moorcock ... well, 'if this is the spirit of the book, I think I fall in love, and you can not wait to send it to me. Of course, expect an autographed copy ...
M. The anthology also includes in fact the original version of this story by Moorcock ("Behold the Man "), slightly shortened. The other stories in the book include " The Sin of Jesus " by Isaac Babel's " The Gospel of Mark ," Borges, my adaptation of " Grand Inquisitor " by Dostoyevsky from " The Brothers Karamazov " (here called "The Inquisitor General "), "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde, and various other stories, some original, written by renowned American authors, including Ray Bradbury, Jeffrey Ford, Karen Joy Fowler, Paul Di Filippo Henry Kuttner (whose story is the title of the book), Barry Malzberg, Jack McDevitt, and Mike Resnick. There are also two of my stories, "Sequel On Skorpios " and "Miriam ." I promise you that I dedicate and sign a copy and send to you, Francis.
F. Thanks! What can you tell us of your unpublished novel mainstream?
M. My unpublished novel, entitled "An Owl at the Crucifixion", is still looking to place, and now I have little hope of seeing him run until I am alive. It is the story of a teenager, Jude Huckaby (fourteen at the beginning of the narrative), who accidentally learns that her drama teacher at a secondary school teacher and youth group on Sunday, Piet Scarboro, has a lover. A man. Jude's father is a pastor of a unified approach Chiesta Chinaberry, Georgia, in 1980, and the discovery triggers a series of events that forever changed the life of piety. That's all right now are able to anticipate.
Oh well 'I would add that Peter Crowther, in the UK, has recently accepted a chapter of the novel, about 7000 words, entitled "Unfit for Eden," for the magazine that his publishing house, PS Publishing , public or semi-annually . "Unfit for Eden" is narrated in first person by the lover of Piet, Dwight David Colter, who grew up as a Jehovah's witness in a village on the edge of Okefinokee Swamp in Georgia. This chapter is virtually self-sufficient as a story, has no real fantasy element, but because of its fast-paced narrative style, some readers may (I emphasize the use of conditional) exchange it for a text like that.
F. So che attualmente sei impegnato come docente di scrittura di narrativa presso il LaGrange College in Georgia. Cosa puoi dirci in merito? Ritieni che la scrittura sia qualcosa che si può imparare partendo da zero? Qual è il giusto equilibrio fra talento e tecnica?
M. Penso che un corso di scrittura creativa possa davvero insegnare ad altri come scrivere una buona opera di narrativa o una buona poesia. Ovviamente il talento non si può insegnare, ma alcune persone, se si impegnano molto, possono arrivare con il tempo a creare storie, romanzi, poesie, virtualmente indistinguibili in termini di qualità da quelle prodotte da scrittori geniali e di talento… benché questa evenienza sia alquanto rare, exactly as it is talent in itself. In my class at LaGrange College apply intelligence teaching strategy by Anne Lamott, which would be for students "short duties" by allowing them to produce, or better than expected, the "draft disgusting", and so learn from their same mistakes, and then clean up the proofs to make them acceptable to be ... ', and publishers.
F. What are your tips for those who want to be a writer of FS?
M. Read a lot. Read a lot of FS. Write a lot. Write a lot of FS. Mistakes in writing. FS mistakes in writing. Try again. And make small mistakes. This is not about my recipe for beginners of writing, but I think the only smart way to proceed, although it is likely to take a long time. Insist.
F. "Last but not least. She also writes poetry. A writer of FS is also a poet. How can we reconcile the two?
M. Depends if you want to incorporate poetry into the FS to write poetry or fiction content. In any case, I see no contradiction or incompatibility between these two passions ...
M. Depends if you want to incorporate poetry into the FS to write poetry or fiction content. In any case, I see no contradiction or incompatibility between these two passions ...
(Thanks for the photo in Seville, Serena Barbacetto).
original version in English: QUI .
0 comments:
Post a Comment