It began with the masterpiece of epic fantasy, Magician, in 1982 and ended with Magician’s End in 2013, when Raymond E. Feist brought his classic series of magic, action and adventure, the Riftwar Cycle, to a conclusion in May. The cherished and critically acclaimed series that saw thirty books published over thirty years, and which has sold in excess of 15 million copies, brought us the unforgettable characters of Pug, Tomas, Macros the Black and Jimmy the Hand.
But it’s not only the males who get to kick serious ass on Midkemia and realms beyond, for the series also gave us influential and powerful female characters like Miranda, Sandreena, and the Elven Queen Aglaranna. Alongside the many other memorable individuals who have appeared throughout the books over three decades, readers travelled through space and time and different levels of reality, witnessing magical battles involving elves, sorcerers, demons, almighty dragons and their fearsome masters.
Raymond E. Feist is currently on a world book tour for Magician’s End in which he has already visited the UK and New Zealand. This week finds him in Australia, where he is a special guest at the country’s biggest pop culture expo, Supanova, in Sydney over the weekend. After that he will attend the Brisbane Writers’ Festival, functions in both Melbourne and Adelaide, before spending another weekend at the Supanova expo, this time in Perth. He kindly took the time to answer some questions regarding his iconic series, his upcoming publications, and to share his thoughts about topics including reader attachment to fictional characters and that episode of Game of Thrones.
Could you tell us what the highlights of the book tour have been so far and how fans have reacted to the series coming to an end?
R.E.F. It’s been gratifying for the most part. It’s a long series with a lot of threads, and everyone but a few seem satisfied with the resolution. I’ve had a few unhappy readers, but for the most part the wrap-up makes sense, and people have been very generous in their praise.
When you first wrote Magician did you envisage writing thirty books over three decades? What was your initial plan for Pug and Tomas of Crydee?
R.E.F. Of course not. I didn’t know if anyone was going to buy the first one. I put “hooks” in Magician pointing to larger cosmic/historical things down the road, but disguised them so I would look terribly clever if I did write more books, but no one would notice if I only sold one.
How did you feel when you wrote that final sentence for Magician’s End?
R.E.F. Actually, I wrote the final sentence in Magician’s End before I started writing A Kingdom Besieged, because I knew how the entire thing was going to wrap up. I felt mixed reactions, because that’s when I knew that in a couple of years I’d be done.
How long did it take you to write Magician and how long did it take you to write Magician’s End? Which Riftwar books were the most enjoyable to write?
R.E.F. Magician took about fourteen months over two and a half years, because I had a real job then. Magician’s End took about seven months (I’m twice as fast as I used to be). Every book is like a kid; you love them all even if they are different. However, Magician, Darkness at Sethanon, Rage of a Demon King, Rise of a Merchant Prince and Honored Enemy were grins and giggles for too many reasons to detail. Other books, like the Empire series, were very satisfying and all of them had payoffs for me, but you asked about fun and those were the fun books.
The Riftwar Cycle has seen the death of many beloved characters. Considering the recent outcry from fans towards George RR Martin after the airing of “The Red Wedding” episode of Game of Thrones, have you ever received mail from readers angry that you had ended the lives of one of their favourite characters?
R.E.F. Not often. I got a few letters about killing off Locklear, but the oddest one was about Admiral Vykor, who was a minor character who must have done a wonderful job, because someone got very upset with me for offing him. Characters serve a dramatic purpose, and sometimes it’s their deaths that drive the story. If readers get upset, it’s because the writer did a decent job of connecting the characters with the reader. George did a wonderful job of convincing his readers that Robb Stark was the hero, then “surprise!” George is a very good writer.
Can you tell us a little about The Chronicles of Pug and when it will be published?
R.E.F. It’s a project that began as an “Atlas of Midkemia” but morphed into something I think is more interesting. It’s Pug’s attempt to bring organization to all the maps, notes, and other stuff he inherited from Macros, with Magnus writing additional comments about it. I’m very happy with the project. Stephen Abrams, my old college chum, and the “father of Midkemia” did seriously brilliant work in organizing the projects, and the maps and art are killer. I love it. It is scheduled for a late fall release, so I’m guessing late October, or early November 2013.
What is The King of Ashes – the first book from The War Of Five Crowns – your next series, about?
R.E.F. The War of Five Crowns is like the Iliad with show tunes. OK, just joking. It’s a three-book revenge motif story, set in a completely new world with all new characters. The opening is a betrayal where four kings turn on the fifth and kill every member of his family, but a baby is missed. He is turned over to a band of assassins to raise. Mayhem ensues, and a good time is had by all.
Are you considering writing any more one-off books, like Faerie Tale?
R.E.F. I’m doing a stand-alone contemporary fantasy entitled Elder Gods. Modern times and the Elder Gods come back to Earth – and a good time is had by all.
Do you develop a detailed plot outline before you begin to write your novels?
R.E.F. No. I have an idea of the arc of the narrative, but I know where it’s going to start and how it’s going to end, everything in between is the fun stuff. I’m reading a new book as I’m writing it.
Do you make time to read and what kind of books do you enjoy reading? Who is your favourite author?
R.E.F. I wish I had more time to read, but when I do I try to read histories and biography. There are too many authors to praise, so let’s say Shakespeare and the rest of us.
In your opinion, why is the fantasy genre so predominant today?
R.E.F. Sense of wonder. When I was a kid I could read about darkest Africa, and hidden temples in the desert, and knights in battle, and the rest. The modern reader is a bit numb from too much TV, both fiction and history, to believe in a lost city anywhere (satellite mapping, you know) and science has taken a lot of energy out of science fiction, so we’re left with other fantasy worlds. The short answer: “It’s fun!”
Details for upcoming events for the Magician’s End book tour of Australia can be found here.
And please visit Raymond E. Feist on his official website.
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