Clio
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Bit of an odd question, but, what was the inspiration behind the name of the planet Escobar?
Lois McMaster Bujold
I pulled it out of the air, having seen it I-don't-remember where (this would have been in 1983), for something sounding vaguely Spanish-y not-Anglo-Saxon. Trying to indicate, despite the books being written in then-20th. C. English, that all the other major languages and peoples were still Out There.
I don't care to salt my prose with SF or fantasy neologisms to the point of making it indigestible, so the reader may take this thousand-years-from-now English, which ought to be profoundly altered by then, as being translated back for them by the narrative, just like the Penric tales where the people are all speaking Wealdean or Cedonian.
Ta, L.
I pulled it out of the air, having seen it I-don't-remember where (this would have been in 1983), for something sounding vaguely Spanish-y not-Anglo-Saxon. Trying to indicate, despite the books being written in then-20th. C. English, that all the other major languages and peoples were still Out There.
I don't care to salt my prose with SF or fantasy neologisms to the point of making it indigestible, so the reader may take this thousand-years-from-now English, which ought to be profoundly altered by then, as being translated back for them by the narrative, just like the Penric tales where the people are all speaking Wealdean or Cedonian.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Gard Evyr
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Lois, I noticed in reading Chalion/Paladins that out of all modern fantasy 'greats', your writing in the medieval 'idiom' is the most authentic in terms of colloquialism / style of language / manner of speaking, syntax, turns of phrase. Many authors write very 'modern' medieval prose. How/where do you learn this authentic manner of accurate syntax/dialogue/prose? Reading a lot of historical fiction, or? Thanks!
Christiane
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
What are some books/authors you enjoy? I'm still reading through past questions & answers here, but it deserves to be asked even if redundant, as I'd be pleased if you have different answers to this same question as time passes. Your GR profile page doesn't list who your influences have been. Please, could you recommend some things we might be satisfied with while we're waiting for more BY you?
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