INTERVIEW: with author Glen Cook
Glen Cook grew up in northern California, served in the U.S. Navy, attended the University of Missouri, and was one of the earliest graduates of the well-known Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop. Since 1971, he has published a large number of science fiction and fantasy novels, including the occult detective Garrett novels, and the very popular Chronicles of the Black Company grimdark fantasy series, which began with the publication of The Black Company in 1984. After working many years for General Motors, Cook now writes full time.
Glen Cook returns to his pioneering grimdark fantasy series with Lies Weeping, scheduled to be published on November 4, 2025 from Tor Books. Lies Weeping is the first book in an all-new arc of the Black Company called A Pitiless Rain. We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Cook about his latest novel and his journey as one of the pioneering authors of grimdark fantasy.
[GdM] Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview with Grimdark Magazine. What inspired you to return to the Black Company after so many years with Lies Weeping, the tenth mainline novel in the series?
[GC] I’ve been working this arc since I finished Port Of Shadows. Just way slow in my old age. But, by the time Lies Weeping comes out I’ll be well into Volume 5.
[GdM] One of the highlights of Lies Weeping is the dual narration from the two lead protagonists, Arkana and Shukrat. How did you decide upon this dual narrative approach, and how did you develop the unique voices of your heroines?
[GC] Not the kind of thing I think about consciously. At one time, I thought about having my twin teen granddaughters collaborate on these characters—their dad liked the idea—but 17-year-old girls don’t have the attention span. I don’t really have a “process” for doing anything. I just do it.
[GdM] You’ve been a pioneer in grimdark fantasy dating back to the mid-1980s. How do you feel about being a foundational figure in grimdark? What are your thoughts about the evolution of grimdark literature in the decades after you published The Black Company?
[GC] Some writers have been influenced by what I’ve written. They have told me so. Don’t know about the grimdark thing. Hadn’t heard of it until earlier this year. For most of the past 20 years I have been doing the J. D. Salinger thing. Can’t honestly comment on evolution. Almost the only fantasy I read is stuff sent by editors wanting a cover blurb.
Author Glen Cook[GdM] Could you share the origin story of your first Black Company novel? How long did it take for you to go from initial conception of the idea to final publication? How did publishers react to a book that was so different from everything else being published at the time?
[GC] I don’t recall how long it took to write BC. Parts appeared in magazines before. Took quite a while to sell. When my agent offered it to Tor, they gave it to their Horror editor, who, after some months, rejected it because it was too different. But six months later, she contacted me directly and told me she couldn’t get it out of her head. If I would meet her at World Fantasy Con we would talk about her changing her mind. Done, and done!
[GdM] Looking back now on your career with over 40 years of publishing, what has surprised you the most about your journey as an author? Is there anything you would change if you had a do-over?
[GC] Most surprising is the fact that almost all of my stuff is in print. The only thing I would change is my ability to deal with computers. I still can’t get Word to do right.
[GdM] What advice do you have for new authors in the realm of fantasy and science fiction, especially those trying to create a morally complex, character-drive story?
[GC] Write! And pay attention to the real world, not the world you want to be. And look at your own dark heart hiding behind all the excuses.
[GdM] You served in the U.S. Navy in the decade leading up to the Vietnam War. Thank you for your service to our country. Did any of your real-life experiences from your military service act as inspiration for events in Chronicles of the Black Company?
[GC] Events, no. People, very much yes.
[GdM] I’m also curious about your time working at a General Motors assembly plant. Did that experience influence your writing, such as the tone and camaraderie in The Black Company?
[GC] Absolutely. The people in my stories pretty much think and act like working-class people.
[GdM] What are you reading now? Do you have any new book recommendations for grimdark fans?
[GC] I read a lot! And a lot of different stuff at the same time. Just finished a Michael Connolly mystery. I am reading a bio of Sir Walter Raleigh, a book about WWII Luftwaffe fighter pilots, a Japanese juvenile light novel series, and a book about Nabakov’s Lolita. Next up is a book about Mary Magdalene. I would recommend Steven Erikson and Ian Esslemont.
[GdM] Thanks again for taking the time to do this interview with Grimdark Magazine. What can readers expect next in A Pitiless Rain, your latest arc in Chronicles of the Black Company?
[GC] A Pitiless Rain, if it doesn’t sink commercially, will go at least five volumes (4 already sold in Russia), as a combo family saga/light novel/hard fantasy experiment.
Read Lies Weeping by Glen CookThis interview with Glen Cook first appears in Grimdark Magazine Issue #44
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