P.C. Hodgell's Blog, page 7
August 14, 2016
Post-Portland
Just back from my west coast jaunt. It was good to meet readers in Portland, an opportunity I hope to repeat in other parts of the country as permitted. Right now I'm looking at San Jose if NASFIC is there next year. No Mid-Americon, alas.
San Jose this year was a bit of a trial. My aunt (with whom I was staying) is showing signs of dementia, which brought back all the anguish of dealing with my mother. God, what a terrible thing. Once home, I went on BrainHQ, which is supposed to train one's mind, and did so poorly that I'm terrified. On the other hand, could I write such complicated stories without some mental competence? Hopefully not.
No word yet from Baen about the plot summary or the 8th novel. Feedback would be really helpful.
I'm thinking now about the dead gods of Tai-tastigon. Where do such entities go when their worshippers lose faith in them? Where does any dead Rathillien native go? I never thought about that before. Suddenly it's an issue. I would like to find a link between said deceased parties and Perimal Darkling for the plot's sake. Clearly, native divinity has become entangled with the Three faced God via his (her, its) temples. If the dead Old Pantheon gods come back to Tai-tastigon other than on their feast, what's going on?
San Jose this year was a bit of a trial. My aunt (with whom I was staying) is showing signs of dementia, which brought back all the anguish of dealing with my mother. God, what a terrible thing. Once home, I went on BrainHQ, which is supposed to train one's mind, and did so poorly that I'm terrified. On the other hand, could I write such complicated stories without some mental competence? Hopefully not.
No word yet from Baen about the plot summary or the 8th novel. Feedback would be really helpful.
I'm thinking now about the dead gods of Tai-tastigon. Where do such entities go when their worshippers lose faith in them? Where does any dead Rathillien native go? I never thought about that before. Suddenly it's an issue. I would like to find a link between said deceased parties and Perimal Darkling for the plot's sake. Clearly, native divinity has become entangled with the Three faced God via his (her, its) temples. If the dead Old Pantheon gods come back to Tai-tastigon other than on their feast, what's going on?
July 17, 2016
Trip and Lunch
In about a week I leave for the west coast. This is an open invitation for anyone who wants to have lunch with me at noon Aug 4 in Portland OR, RSVP
City Thai
6341 SW Capitol Hwy
Portland, OR 97239
Hillsdale, Southwest Portland
Information and map at http://citythaiportland.com/
Meanwhile I've sent off the plot summary for the next novel to Baen and am waiting to hear from Toni if it will do. I ought to start writing it anyway, but it's hard with a trip looming. I'm really looking forward to getting out of town for awhile.
City Thai
6341 SW Capitol Hwy
Portland, OR 97239
Hillsdale, Southwest Portland
Information and map at http://citythaiportland.com/
Meanwhile I've sent off the plot summary for the next novel to Baen and am waiting to hear from Toni if it will do. I ought to start writing it anyway, but it's hard with a trip looming. I'm really looking forward to getting out of town for awhile.
June 19, 2016
Looking Ahead
It's been awhile since I last posted. Sorry about that. I meant to take some time off after I finished the last novel, but couldn't figure out what to do with myself. Now I have some 80 pages of new notes and a final decision to send Jame back to Tai-tastigon, assuming Baen agrees. One question: did I ever explain how the New Pantheon was related to the Old? The New is an off-shoot of the Kencyr Temples. The Four also, sort of. I guess that the Four are the link between the Old and the New, or am I forgettting something? G'ah. My brain is melting.
Ructions at the stable. For the past few months I pretty much stopped riding (the last time I was thrown, hard). It's unclear to me if I can keep going even to muck out stalls, given the barn culture. Will see tomorrow.
Also, I'm headed west again: San Jose CA July 26-31, Portland OR Aug 2-9. Anyone want to hook up?
Ructions at the stable. For the past few months I pretty much stopped riding (the last time I was thrown, hard). It's unclear to me if I can keep going even to muck out stalls, given the barn culture. Will see tomorrow.
Also, I'm headed west again: San Jose CA July 26-31, Portland OR Aug 2-9. Anyone want to hook up?
April 23, 2016
Writing Journal
As I read your comments and try to work through these matters on my own, I keep a writing journal. In lieu of a snippet, this is what came out of the current round of comments regarding Bane. Here you can see my evolving thoughts:
Perhaps Bane’s shadow-soul has a sort of innocence. As an entity, it didn’t consent to what it became and it acts by mindless instinct. Dalis-sar could have sensed this and not destroyed it. (He could be confused by the conflict) Would he then hunt Bane himself? If so, by this reckoning, Bane got to his temple and sanctuary before DS found him and there he has stayed ever since. (And, of course, DS was soon afterward re-templed)
Bane could still feel that he has lost honor by his actions. The guilt belongs somewhere. Bane is well aware that he was doing evil by following his appetites. Giving his soul to Ishtier was a dodge and an excuse.
I dunno, though: one’s instinct is that the Lower Town Monster is Bane’s corrupted, detached soul. That’s certainly the way I’ve presented it. It’s possible, though, that the situation is more complicated than Jame thinks in God Stalk. She turns out to be wrong about a number of things re: gods and demons.
Then too, the Kencyr concept of honor allows for considerable evil as long as one doesn’t lie about it. See Caldane. Bane hasn’t lied. However, he might at heart be more moral and traditional than Caldane, knowing that evil must be paid for, recognizing it when he sees it.
Is he a psychopath? Maybe. If so, he’s adopted a moral code from the Kencyrath. Even if he doesn’t follow it, he knows when he breaks it not just in the letter of the law but also in its spirit. He will now be very aware of his compromised nature/honor. What he really wants is an honorable death. Ironically, any death will be hard to get while his body and soul remain separated. When/if they reunite, will he become horrible, like Dorian Gray? Something dramatic will happen to him, anyway. That won’t be until near the end.
There’s an on-going question here of honor and justice. As I said, guilt belongs somewhere. Bane is aware of that. He thought, if he preserved his soul in its purity by entrusting it to Ishtier, he could do what he wanted. His honorable death would result in reclaiming it in the end. He really believed this. Then he finds out what Ishtier has done with his soul, i.e. used it to create a demon. Where is his honorable death now? Both he and the soul-demon have done terrible things, mostly to children. There’s a kind of innocence in Bane, though. He’s tried to play by the rules as he understood them. He was essentially naïve – a fool, he would say. Ignorant and innocent? A broken, wrong thing, anyway, who will give anything to be made right, within the bounds of his dignity and sense of humor. He will pay, if only he can figure out how, but always with a twist. Part of his faith is that things come at a cost. He needs to pay. His regained honor depends on it. He’s ironic, never pathetic. He’s posing a problem, a challenge, to Jame, handing himself over to her as he did at Mt. Alban. She has to make decisions too. In a sense he’s using her as a moral compass the way she does Marc, something that she realizes with profound chagrin.
And I mustn’t forget that he’s blood-bound to her, unless he’s a sufficiently strong Shanir himself to have mitigated her blood in his mouth when he bit her lip. (I don’t think I understood blood binding when I wrote that, but it happened. Is he Shanir? I wouldn’t be surprised.)
There has to be a “logic” to these things. They have to make sense in context. Said context is at base moral and psychological. Therein lies the realism of fantasy.
(An interesting note in VE Schwab’s Vicious: Victor is at least a sociopath since he was reborn, but he recognizes this and tries to compensate by remembering what it is to have a conscience. Maybe Bane is more like Dexter, though, a psychopath who has been given a moral code. Either way, what fun!)
Perhaps Bane’s shadow-soul has a sort of innocence. As an entity, it didn’t consent to what it became and it acts by mindless instinct. Dalis-sar could have sensed this and not destroyed it. (He could be confused by the conflict) Would he then hunt Bane himself? If so, by this reckoning, Bane got to his temple and sanctuary before DS found him and there he has stayed ever since. (And, of course, DS was soon afterward re-templed)
Bane could still feel that he has lost honor by his actions. The guilt belongs somewhere. Bane is well aware that he was doing evil by following his appetites. Giving his soul to Ishtier was a dodge and an excuse.
I dunno, though: one’s instinct is that the Lower Town Monster is Bane’s corrupted, detached soul. That’s certainly the way I’ve presented it. It’s possible, though, that the situation is more complicated than Jame thinks in God Stalk. She turns out to be wrong about a number of things re: gods and demons.
Then too, the Kencyr concept of honor allows for considerable evil as long as one doesn’t lie about it. See Caldane. Bane hasn’t lied. However, he might at heart be more moral and traditional than Caldane, knowing that evil must be paid for, recognizing it when he sees it.
Is he a psychopath? Maybe. If so, he’s adopted a moral code from the Kencyrath. Even if he doesn’t follow it, he knows when he breaks it not just in the letter of the law but also in its spirit. He will now be very aware of his compromised nature/honor. What he really wants is an honorable death. Ironically, any death will be hard to get while his body and soul remain separated. When/if they reunite, will he become horrible, like Dorian Gray? Something dramatic will happen to him, anyway. That won’t be until near the end.
There’s an on-going question here of honor and justice. As I said, guilt belongs somewhere. Bane is aware of that. He thought, if he preserved his soul in its purity by entrusting it to Ishtier, he could do what he wanted. His honorable death would result in reclaiming it in the end. He really believed this. Then he finds out what Ishtier has done with his soul, i.e. used it to create a demon. Where is his honorable death now? Both he and the soul-demon have done terrible things, mostly to children. There’s a kind of innocence in Bane, though. He’s tried to play by the rules as he understood them. He was essentially naïve – a fool, he would say. Ignorant and innocent? A broken, wrong thing, anyway, who will give anything to be made right, within the bounds of his dignity and sense of humor. He will pay, if only he can figure out how, but always with a twist. Part of his faith is that things come at a cost. He needs to pay. His regained honor depends on it. He’s ironic, never pathetic. He’s posing a problem, a challenge, to Jame, handing himself over to her as he did at Mt. Alban. She has to make decisions too. In a sense he’s using her as a moral compass the way she does Marc, something that she realizes with profound chagrin.
And I mustn’t forget that he’s blood-bound to her, unless he’s a sufficiently strong Shanir himself to have mitigated her blood in his mouth when he bit her lip. (I don’t think I understood blood binding when I wrote that, but it happened. Is he Shanir? I wouldn’t be surprised.)
There has to be a “logic” to these things. They have to make sense in context. Said context is at base moral and psychological. Therein lies the realism of fantasy.
(An interesting note in VE Schwab’s Vicious: Victor is at least a sociopath since he was reborn, but he recognizes this and tries to compensate by remembering what it is to have a conscience. Maybe Bane is more like Dexter, though, a psychopath who has been given a moral code. Either way, what fun!)
April 20, 2016
Next Novel
Many thanks for all the suggestions re: the Arrin-ken. You've given me a lot to think about.
I just re-read God Stalk, something I haven't done in years. Alas, once I finish with a novel, it's hard to go back to it, as I've probably said before. Anyway, I noticed at the end that I was shy about saying if Bane was on the Mercy Seat, much less if he had been flayed. And I can't remember if I ever cleared that up. Obviously Dalis-sar didn't succeed in destroying his soul, since it comes after Jame in the Riverland. His body apparently wasn't destroyed either since that should set the soul free. Arrgh. What did I say?
You may (or may not) gathering from the above that I'm thinking of sending Jame back to Tai-tastigon in Novel 9. I am. She left a lot of loose ends. Also, her ideas about godhood have expanded since her days there. Other things I should cover?
Baen has Novel 8: The Gates of Tagmeth. I tried to take time off, but couldn't figure out what to do with myself.
I just re-read God Stalk, something I haven't done in years. Alas, once I finish with a novel, it's hard to go back to it, as I've probably said before. Anyway, I noticed at the end that I was shy about saying if Bane was on the Mercy Seat, much less if he had been flayed. And I can't remember if I ever cleared that up. Obviously Dalis-sar didn't succeed in destroying his soul, since it comes after Jame in the Riverland. His body apparently wasn't destroyed either since that should set the soul free. Arrgh. What did I say?
You may (or may not) gathering from the above that I'm thinking of sending Jame back to Tai-tastigon in Novel 9. I am. She left a lot of loose ends. Also, her ideas about godhood have expanded since her days there. Other things I should cover?
Baen has Novel 8: The Gates of Tagmeth. I tried to take time off, but couldn't figure out what to do with myself.
March 18, 2016
Arrin-ken
Hmmm. I'm surprised by how unimpressive so many readers seem to find these great cats. I see them, or at least the Dark Judge, as part physical, part psychic, and altogether intimidating. Marc may have been willing to take an axe to Immalai, but I doubt that he would have gotten far. Good point about the Master managing to kill and flay so many of them, though. There's a secret there that I don't yet know. And, note, I haven't said who wants to destroy one (or more) now.
March 15, 2016
Question
Question: how does one destroy an Arrin-ken?
That Quote Again
The Quote Investigator has tracked down the history of the "that which can be destroyed quote" -- yes, back to me, finally with an explanation for Carl Sagan's involvement. Our Damien is also mentioned in the course of the search. http://quoteinvestigator.com/2016/03/13/destroy/
The manuscript for GoT sits on my laptop. I find myself loathe to let go and, anyway, I'm waiting for a friend's feedback. The new ending surprised me. Now I'm back to trying to plot the next novel or two. At the moment, it looks as if I have material for 1.5 books. Given my history, though, that's apt to expand. If not, I'm in the situation maybe, of Part 1 and Part 2. Dunno how I feel about that. It would get the pieces out faster, but involve more cliff-hangers.
Thursday I may be going out to look at a horse to lease, an older Tennessee Walker reputed to be very steady. I've slow-gaited a Saddlebred before so I'm somewhat familiar with the pace, but do I want to ride again, on anything? Yesterday Marc talked me into getting on an Arabian bareback. I was not comfortable with that. On the other hand, not to ride again, ever ...
The manuscript for GoT sits on my laptop. I find myself loathe to let go and, anyway, I'm waiting for a friend's feedback. The new ending surprised me. Now I'm back to trying to plot the next novel or two. At the moment, it looks as if I have material for 1.5 books. Given my history, though, that's apt to expand. If not, I'm in the situation maybe, of Part 1 and Part 2. Dunno how I feel about that. It would get the pieces out faster, but involve more cliff-hangers.
Thursday I may be going out to look at a horse to lease, an older Tennessee Walker reputed to be very steady. I've slow-gaited a Saddlebred before so I'm somewhat familiar with the pace, but do I want to ride again, on anything? Yesterday Marc talked me into getting on an Arabian bareback. I was not comfortable with that. On the other hand, not to ride again, ever ...
March 4, 2016
Amusing
Awhile ago I mentioned that a quote from Seeker's Mask ("That which can be destroyed by the truth should be" had gone quasi-viral. For example, on a list of 100 famous quotes it appears just after Gandhi and Hitler. Eliezer Yudkowsky (Machine Intelligence Research Institute) cites it to elaborate the second virtue of rationality. And you can buy it printed on a t-shirt or a trucker’s hat. Fame, huh? Anyway, that was a character speaking (Kirien), not necessarily me.
The most recent stir is that people have finally decided that a similar quote credited to Carl Sagan probably is no such thing, having first appeared (as far as anyone can make out) around 2013. Seekers Mask was published in 1994, I think, and Sagan died in 1996. Anyway, we'll see how that plays out.
A bit more annoying, one site accuses me of being ungrammatical, and people keep inserting a comma after "truth." True, the sentence has an odd construction. I think, though, that I'm right in seeing the first restrictive clause as the subject and the final verb as the predicate. A Ph.d. in English Lit ought to be good for something.
Two weeks ago I finished the current novel, or thought that I did. Then I re-read the end and hated it. It's currently going in a different direction while fighting me tooth and nail, word by word. Thank goodness I have until May 1 to straighten things out.
The most recent stir is that people have finally decided that a similar quote credited to Carl Sagan probably is no such thing, having first appeared (as far as anyone can make out) around 2013. Seekers Mask was published in 1994, I think, and Sagan died in 1996. Anyway, we'll see how that plays out.
A bit more annoying, one site accuses me of being ungrammatical, and people keep inserting a comma after "truth." True, the sentence has an odd construction. I think, though, that I'm right in seeing the first restrictive clause as the subject and the final verb as the predicate. A Ph.d. in English Lit ought to be good for something.
Two weeks ago I finished the current novel, or thought that I did. Then I re-read the end and hated it. It's currently going in a different direction while fighting me tooth and nail, word by word. Thank goodness I have until May 1 to straighten things out.
February 10, 2016
Getting there ...
I'm nearly at the end of the next novel, titled The Gates of Tagmeth unless I think of something better. Just a few pages to go, with a due date of May 1.
Looking ahead, I'm trying to think of negative aspects and repercussions of creation. Any suggestions?
Looking ahead, I'm trying to think of negative aspects and repercussions of creation. Any suggestions?
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