2008 is shaping up to be another great year for fantasy fans, but nothing gets me more excited than discovering a brand new voice in the genre. So it is with great pleasure that I introduce readers to debut novelist Chris Evans, author of “A Darkness Forged In Fire”, Book One of The Iron Elves:
In an unforgiving world of brutal conflict—where musket and cannon, bow and arrow, magic and diplomacy are all weapons in the Calahrian Empire—there’s no denying that Konowa Swiftdragon, former commander of the Empire’s Iron Elves, could be looked upon as anything but ordinary. He’s murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished to the one place he despises the most—the forest. Now all he wants is to be left alone . . . but for Konowa, nothing is ever that simple.
A falling Red Star in the east heralds the return of magic long vanished from the earth, sparking a frantic race within the Empire to reach it first. Now Konowa is recalled to duty and asked to reform the Iron Elves—only the soldiers he gets aren’t quite what he was expecting. And worse, their key adversary to obtain the Star is none other than the dreaded Shadow Monarch—a legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could ever imagine…
Scheduled for North American publication July 8, 2008, followed by the UK release September 1, 2008, “A Darkness Forged In Fire” is just around the corner and in promotion of the debut’s pending release, Chris has kindly taken part in what I believe to be the first online interview with the author. So readers, please enjoy the following Q&A with a fantasy author that you’ll be hearing more of in the near future:
Q: Your debut novel “A Darkness Forged In Fire: Book One of the Iron Elves” is set for North American publication July 8, 2008 via Pocket Books, followed by the UK release September 1, 2008. Before we talk about the book though, can you tell us a bit more about yourself including when you knew you wanted to be a writer, why you write, and some of your favorite authors?
Chris: I’ve been a writer since I began to read. I recall very early on being inspired by books to create my own worlds and set off on adventures that I crafted myself. Writing is something I thoroughly enjoy doing although there are times when it can be immensely frustrating, too.
I have many favorite authors, although not all of them might be familiar to fantasy readers. Terry Pratchett simply slays me. The man is genius. I swear I reinjured a rib I cracked playing hockey years ago due to laughing while reading “Going Postal”. J.K. Rowling impressed me from the start, not just with her story telling, but with her deft use of mythology and symbology. The fact that she makes it look effortless speaks volumes about her skill. George MacDonald Fraser is another favorite, as much for his Flashman series as for his nonfiction works, especially his memoir of WWII, “Quartered Safe Out Here”. Bernard Cornwell and Rudyard Kipling are always in my reading pile. Both were big inspirations for the Iron Elves series.
Q: Could you elaborate more on the journey you went through in finding a publisher, what you think of Simon & Schuster, and what you think the publisher saw in your book?
Chris: I suppose my journey really started the day I defended my Masters thesis. I went home that afternoon and started writing. That was back in 1998. I was faced with the prospect of continuing my academic career by launching into a PhD program or trying something else. I spent the next two years debating whether to pursue the PhD or not. I started writing short stories and working on a novel in between research assignments at the university. In the summer of 2000 I was accepted into the Clarion East Workshop and things really took off from there. While there I sold one short story, and another took second place in the Toronto Star Short Story Contest.
The final nail in the PhD coffin was supplied by Gavin Grant when he mentioned to me that Del Rey were looking for an editor who knew sci fi, fantasy and military nonfiction. I emailed my resume more on a lark than anything else then never thought a thing about it, until I got a phone call from Steve Saffel wanting to talk to me about the job. My thinking was that if I did get the job it would put me in the heart of New York publishing and from there I'd be able to get my writing looked at with ease. Ha! I took the job and of course became totally immersed in it and did very little writing. That state of affairs continued more or less for the next several years, even when I started my current job with Stackpole.
At some point, though, I realized that if I was ever to get a book published I needed to get serious, so I started getting up around 6am every morning and writing before work. Being an editor in the business means, in the end, absolutely nothing if you aren't writing. Most editors are closet writers, but you only get out of the closet if you do what every other writer does and put your manuscript out there. Mine was shopped around and ultimately offered a very nice deal by Pocket Books which I was thrilled to accept. Publishing is as subjective a business as it gets, so all I can really tell you is that Pocket Books liked what they read. I think they saw a voice and a style taking a bit of a different tack. S&S UK, which also bought the series, responded positively to this approach as well.
For me, S&S impressed me with their energy and their determination to expand into the field of hardcover fantasy and I was keen to be a part of that. Had I been picked up by one of the established fantasy houses my book would have been one of many, but with Pocket my book is something new, and I love the challenges that entails.
Q: So how do you plan on celebrating your first book being published?
Chris: I have no earthly idea at this point. You'd think that I would, or should, but I really haven't given it much thought. If anyone out there has ideas on how to celebrate I'm open to suggestions.
Q: As you mentioned, you work for Stackpole Books editing “military history, history and current affairs/conflicts books”. Obviously this is a little different from your epic fantasy novel, but how has your experience as an editor helped/influenced you in writing “A Darkness Forged In Fire” and what’s it like being on the other side of the fence?
Chris: There’s no question that editing military history has had a profound effect on my writing, and I hope readers will view it in a positive way. Many of the authors I’ve published have been soldiers, veterans who have been in combat, been shot at and taken lives. Their experiences are neither glamorous nor common. One single squeeze of a trigger might mean a medal, a lifetime of nightmares, or something quickly forgotten. It never ceases to amaze me just how extreme and mundane the life of a soldier is. I wanted to read that in fantasy, and save for a few exceptions I rarely did. Technically speaking, being an editor means I know how things work on the inside which means I’m potentially lethal to the process, so I’m doing my best to let Pocket Books do what they know how to do and not become too involved or second guess decisions. I just had my first signing at New York Comic Con where I signed ARCs and had a chance to chat with readers. It was the first time I was the author and not the editor standing a few feet away. A strange, but very gratifying feeling. Perhaps most enjoyable was talking to readers who genuinely wished me well, especially on hearing this was my first book. It touched me, and as the saying goes, you never forget your first time.
Q: Since “A Darkness Forged In Fire” is your first novel, what did you think was the most challenging part about writing the book? What about the easiest or most rewarding?
Chris: For me, writing begins in a wild-eyed frenzy as I struggle to make sense of an idea that’s suddenly captured my interest. Later, it becomes a calmer, more thoughtful process and there were days when I wondered when the wind would pick up and fill my sails again. Luckily, the wind never calmed for long and I was always able to quickly re-engage with the story and find something new to pull me forward. To be totally honest, “A Darkness Forged in Fire” is and isn’t my first novel. I did write something novel length before that is a rough amalgamation of words with some semblance of a narrative that one day, perhaps, will be rewritten and become a true novel, but it did serve the purpose of showing me that I could do this.
Q: So what was this amalgamation about ;)?
Chris: It was a fantasy 'evolved' into a version of the 20th century complete with science and technology and a world about to descend into global war. My thinking went something like this – if you're a human living alongside elves, and elves live for thousands of years, wouldn't you want a piece of that? And if the elves wouldn't willingly hand over their secrets, what would you do to get them? If you lived in a world of science wouldn't someone, somewhere start to delve into those mysteries? And for every scientist looking for cures, you know there would be others looking to make weapons. This would be the backdrop to a world at war, pitting races, cultures, mores, magic and science against each other. The geo-politic and scientific clashing with the thaumaturgic. In many respects that experiment lead me to this book (A Darkness Forged In Fire) which retains a much closer affinity with what we know, or at least term, as traditional fantasy.
Q: According to some of the advance blurbs that I’ve seen, “A Darkness Forged In Fire” has been described as a ‘thrilling’, ‘gritty’ fantasy in the vein of Tolkien, Glen Cook, Bernard Cornwell and one person even mentioned Napoleon. How would you describe “A Darkness Forged In Fire” and what things influenced you when you were writing the book?
Chris: First and foremost, “A Darkness Forged in Fire” is a fantasy I’ve always wanted to read. I wanted to see what Tolkien’s world and tropes and races would look like 500 years on. So many authors have plumbed the depths of fantasy set in a medieval, western European setting, and done it incredibly well, that I knew that if I was to write a story I had to choose something different. At the same time I wanted to acknowledge that history and use it as springboard, which is what I’ve attempted to do. So for example, there are elves in this world, but not all of them view trees and the natural world with the same affinity as Legolas.
As I mentioned earlier, Rudyard Kipling was a huge influence, especially his poems about the British soldier and imperialism and colonialism. Bernard Cornwell’s series Sharpe’s Rifles is another wellspring I happily acknowledge. Then there are the historians – John Keegan, Len Deighton, Terry Copp, Richard Holmes and Barbara Tuchmann. It might seem odd to list historians for a fantasy that is not a historical fantasy, but they inspired me by their story telling prowess more than anything else. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is George MacDonald Fraser. His portrayal of his time in nine squad in the CBI in WWII in “Quartered Safe Out Here” is arguably (and I will argue it) the best memoir ever written of the Second World War.
Q: Well you’re not the only one who wants to see something different in today’s fantasy. In fact, there seems to be a number of authors out there who are writing grittier, darker, more realistic fantasy books or are blatantly attempting to defy traditional tropes like Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, Richard K. Morgan (The Steel Remains), David Keck, Alan Campbell, Tim Lebbon, Paul Kearney, etc. What are your thoughts on this movement, the audience’s response to such books, and fantasy tropes in general?
Chris: It's natural for any genre, discipline—whatever—to evolve or at least mutate. In fact, it's critical if it's going to remain vibrant and interesting. At the same time it serves to reintroduce the books that form the foundation of the genre to readers who might start out with something new and/or different and then wonder what is this author reacting to? I think it's a healthy trend, but it is one fraught with the potential for misunderstanding. The fact that we talk about genres at all does a great disservice to so many books and authors, yet without that construct we'd have a tough time trying to find books on the shelves. I suppose it's a necessary evil, but it doesn't need to be a self-fulfilling one. I see books described as high fantasy, traditional fantasy, epic fantasy, urban, steam, erotic etc. and I view it as so much tribalism. We like to identify ourselves as part of something then develop an elaborate set of rules by which we identify each other which includes the books we read. What, however, does any of that have to do with enjoying a story? This isn't Comparative Fantasy Lit 101. This is the big wonderful world of limitless entertainment choices and we're all trying to get a slice of that pie. I'm hoping good old fashion readers read my book. Whether they self-identify as fantasists, mainstreamers, or some other faction I've never heard of matters not a whit to me.
As for the tropes, well, that's another term that I find myself using to my chagrin. Hell, boy meets girl is a trope. Unrequited love is a trope. Who-dunnits, bodice-rippers, police procedurals and every other genre and subgenre has its tropes. Anyone reading “A Darkness Forged in Fire” will find many tropes alive and well, and others quite mangled. It's a bit like cooking really, the simplest ingredients can make the most exquisite dish if blended and cooked properly. Tropes are no different. It's all in how you use them.
Q: So when and how did the idea for the Iron Elves series first come about, how long have you been working on it, and how much has it evolved from its original conception?
Chris: Not sure when the idea hit me because the gestation period probably began in my youth. I kept reading fantasies where the castle, sword and dragon dominated and I found myself wanting something different. Again, it wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy these fantasies, I did and still do, but I just started thinking there could be other ways to play in this genre. The overall feel of the book actually stayed fairly intact from initial vision, although the plot changed many times.
Q: Speaking of the series, how many volumes are projected, how far along are you in the next book, and is there anything you can tell us about book number two?
Chris: Huge caveat! At the moment the series is projected at three books. I’ve ideas for additional books that both continue the story arc and also take it in different directions, but for the time being I see three, including the final scene. I’d love to talk to you about book two, but I’m one of those writers that needs to keep the ideas under pressure and constantly in motion until they’re written down lest I lose focus. What I can tell you is book 2 will be out next summer, and book 3 will follow in the summer of 2010. After that, who knows?
Q: For some authors it’s easier writing their second novel, while for others it’s more difficult. How are things going for you with book two and did you learn anything when writing “A Darkness Forged In Fire” that helped prepare you for the new book? On a similar note, it sounds like “Iron Elves” is going to be a trilogy so will Book Two suffer from any ‘middle volume’ tendencies?
Chris: Don't get me started about filler or bridge novels! In my rookie status as a first time novelist who has yet to write the sequel in the trilogy I just see no good excuse for books that act as place holders. I would be mortified if my second book was viewed as anything other than a complete story in and of itself. Of course it will continue the major plot arcs and will set up events for the third installment, but that's no excuse to not have an engaging story. I'm in the middle of writing it now and I'm very conscious of the need to give it its own existence. I no more want to write about characters killing time than a reader would want to read it. The second book has a purpose, an arc and a palpable need to be better than the first one.
Q: That’s good to hear :) Would you happen to be involved in any other writing projects?
Chris: I’m one of those writers that gives editors and agents fits. I have ideas the way rabbits have litters, really, really amorous rabbits. In short, there is no end to what I want to write next, but knowing, or at least accepting for the moment the finite nature of time vis-à-vis the human condition, I am working on only two or three others at any given time.
Q: In epic fantasy, some authors like to put an emphasis on characters or worldbuilding; others on storytelling. Where do you fit in this picture and what do you feel are your strengths as a writer? What about weakness or areas that you’d like to get stronger in, especially in future books?
Chris: I’m definitely about characters and narrative. If the character is compelling enough I’ll follow him/her/it to the ends of the earth and beyond. Who among us didn’t want to be part of the Fellowship of the Ring? Even the actors that played the characters all got tattoos to symbolize their bond. I think readers gravitate to characters in a similar, if less painful way. We form a relationship with these characters that often far outlasts the plot or the world or any other aspect of the story. I also like stories with pace. I’ve never been one to wallow in the luxuriousness of prose (nor lie on a beach or sit in a tub for that matter) so anyone looking for that experience might suffer a bit of whiplash reading mine.
I’d like to think that I’m a well-rounded writer equally skilled at world building, plot, narrative and the rest, but I definitely have room to grow. In fact, I look forward to improving with each book and learning new skills as I go. Any writer can no doubt give you a laundry list of where they can improve, and I’m no different in that respect, but for the moment I’ll leave that up to the helpful readers only too eager to post their review on Amazon or some other venue.
Q: Can you tell us more about the world that the Iron Elves is set in and some of the series’ major characters?
Chris: Despite my background in history this is not historical fiction. That said, India, Native American culture, the British regimental system and the Napoleonic Wars all lend some color and shape to the world. Thematically there’s definitely a focus on oaths, bonds and loyalty and how powerful and also how destructive they can be.
The main protagonist is an elf, Major Konowa Swift Dragon, but he’s an elf with a troubled past and his views on his elven heritage are conflicted to say the least. His ultimate rival is the Shadow Monarch, an elf-witch from his tribe who long ago broke with tradition and the natural world to save her one true love. The repercussions of that decision reverberate throughout time and bring the world to the brink of complete destruction, or at least transformation. Then there is Visyna Tekoy, a witch who views the natural world as sacred. She embodies many of the greenest proclivities we see in our culture today and can be fervent in her beliefs. There’s the Viceroy, a singularly driven man seeking power and blind to any and all other needs. And there is Konowa’s foil within the regiment, the Prince of Calahr. He is spoiled, entitled and utterly lost in the situation he finds himself – commanding troops in battle. It might sound clichéd, but men such as this populate history to the detriment of those that served under them. I want to explore this dilemma in more detail though I’m not sure I have a literary cure for such gross incompetence by a leader.
I chose to pair two soldiers, a raw recruit and veteran, to work with that age-old coupling of innocence and experience. Private Alwyn Renwar, the recruit, is every sergeant’s worst nightmare. Left to his own devices Renwar is probably more danger to those around him than he is to the enemy. Doing his best to keep him alive in his own, unique fashion, is Private Yimt Arkhorn, a dwarf career soldier who has been busted in rank so many times the sleeves of his uniform are tattered from having the stripes stitched on then removed.
Q: You mentioned how Visyna “embodies many of the greenest proclivities we see in our culture today”, and truthfully it sounds like many of the book’s themes & characters are a reflection of modern times. How much does “A Darkness Forged in Fire” draw from real-world issues and how important is it for you that your book can be viewed by readers as relevant?
Chris: We're all products of our environment, though that doesn't mean our environment is the sole determinant of our actions. No doubt readers will see modern issues within the plot, but these same issues are universal and not specific to today. I'm exploring PTSD with more than one of the characters in the book, and while that's clearly a huge issue with the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's hardly new. Human beings have suffered from this since they started hitting each other over the head with clubs. And stewardship of the environment is as old as the hills, too. As far as relevancy goes, that really doesn't concern me. This is not a thinly disguised treatise on the foibles of invading a Middle Eastern country or anything of the sort. My goal from the start has been to tell a story and to entertain. I want to be a novelist. Period. The way I see it, the highest compliment I can receive would be a reader telling me that they read through the book in one night, they enjoyed it, and when the heck is the next one due?
Q: In fantasy literature, cover art has been an ongoing issue, especially how important it is in selling a book, how fantasy covers are considered generic, the difference between international & stateside covers, et cetera. What are your thoughts on this subject and how do you feel about the cover for “A Darkness Forged In Fire”?
Chris: To borrow a phrase from the U.K., I was chuffed when I saw the cover for the first time. It’s strong, bold and simple, yet hints at a complexity hidden within. Cover art is important, and it’s important in every genre. Human beings are visual creatures. When you walk into a bookstore you don’t smell or taste a book…I hope. But you see it. You see that cover and for reasons you understand and some you don’t you are drawn to it. The way I view covers is that they are flashing lights designed to grab your attention. If someone is looking for art for the sake of art there are, ahem, art galleries designed for that very purpose (although even there you might find a price sticker below the painting.) Cover art, on the other hand, is designed to sell books. So if I have issues with any cover, they revolve solely around how effective that cover is in getting a reader to walk over and pick up the book. If every cover treatment is dark and serious then I might suggest light and frothy to stand out. If the trend is toward the literal then I might want to go abstract and vice versa. I just don’t think you can afford to be too precious about this stuff, at least, not if you want to be a writer that gets paid. The only real debate I see regarding cover art is does it grab eyeballs. If yes, it worked. Pretty simple.
Q: Pocket Books seems to be pretty confident in your new book, which has a strong marketing campaign behind it including advertising/publicity in both national print publications and online, and being featured in the NY and San Diego Comic-Cons. How do you feel about the support the novel is receiving and what other promotion can readers expect?
Chris: Pocket has been terrific in supporting the book. Look, no one ever really knows what a book will do when it lands on the shelves. I once had a book on D-Day by a top historian all set to take off on the 60th anniversary of the invasion with TV appearances on national networks and then Ronald Reagan goes and dies. Book promotions across the country and the world were shattered after 9/11. You just never know what will happen. That said, a first time author really couldn’t ask for more. And having said that, I was delighted when I got more and the series was bought in the UK. That was an extra vote of confidence and gives me the chance to engage with a whole different set of readers. Pocket Books have really gone above and beyond. I definitely need to single out Deputy Publisher Anthony Ziccardi who got the ball rolling and hasn’t let it stop since, and my ever energetic editor, Ed Schlesinger.
As far as additional promotion, Pocket has plan for a national print media campaign, mass mailings, ARC mailings, promotional events such as Comic Con and BEA, book store events, online outreach and much, much more. S&S Canada and S&S UK are involved as well and I am working with them on marketing efforts throughout Canada and the United Kingdom. Again, I am incredibly impressed with the level of support and enthusiasm I am receiving from my publisher.
Q: Your novel is actually going to be featured as an alternate selection for the Science Fiction Book Club in August, which is pretty exciting for a debut! How cool is that?
Chris: It is very cool. You write in isolation, and before you sell your first book you wonder, well, I did, if you ever will. So when a publisher makes you an offer you can't refuse, it's a wonderful feeling. But then there are all those other possibilities that you probably didn't think a lot about, like foreign rights, book clubs, etc. They're icing on the cake, but they're more than that, too. Each time you get a subrights sale you can't help but feel a little vindication that someone else thinks my book has potential and is prepared to put their money where their mouth is. So hearing the news that the Science Fiction Book Club had picked up my book made my day and then some.
Q: Anymore it’s pretty common to see novels adapted into different formats such as movies, comics, videogames, animation and TV. How would you like to see “A Darkness Forged In Fire” adapted?
Chris: I would be thrilled to see “A Darkness Forged in Fire” adapted. Graphic novel, computer game, movie…it’s just downright flattering. I have a very pragmatic view about all of this and take the position that if anyone wishes to adapt my writing I know and accept that they will have their own vision for their own medium. I write novels, I don’t make movies, so if a film were ever to be made my list of ‘requests’ would start and end with ‘deposit large check into this account.’
Q: Last year was tough for writers of speculative fiction. Several authors passed away including Robert Jordan, Madeline L’Engle, Lloyd Alexander, Leigh Eddings, Fred Saberhagen, Jack Williamson, Alice Borchardt, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. while Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And just recently SF legend Arthur C. Clarke passed away. Were you affected by any of this and is there anything you would like to say?
Chris: It’s always sad when a creative spark is quenched. I would add to that list George MacDonald Fraser who passed away earlier this year. On a more upbeat note, I’d also like to take the opportunity here to wish Terry Pratchett strength and hope in dealing with and even overcoming his challenge. Lest I sound too saintly, my motive is, in part, that I want to keep reading more adventures in Disc World. I’d like to see if it’s possible to actually break a rib from laughter.
Q: That’s a worthy goal :) So what books have recently impressed you the most, what are you currently reading, and what titles are you most looking forward to?
Chris: While at Comic Con (New York) I had a chance to meet Naomi Novik. She was kind enough to sign her first book for me. I plan to start reading that in the near future. Alas, I have not had the time to read much fiction of late as my job reading manuscripts absorbs much of my time. When not assessing others works I find I want to delve into my own. To be perfectly blunt, the books I’m most impressed with of late are the books my authors are writing, but that smacks of nepotism so I won’t name them here. Still, an enterprising reader should be able to find them without too much sleuthing.
Q: Who do you feel is an underrated writer that deserves more attention and why?
Chris: Karen Traviss. She’s an exceptional talent. The knock against her by some is that she writes media tie-in in addition to her own novels, as if somehow that makes her and her books unworthy of being assessed as legitimate stories as opposed to mere appendages of a great multi-media machine. Using that logic one might ask what book on sale in a store isn’t part of machine? I’m not suggesting all media tie-ins are good, they aren’t, but neither are a lot of independent, small press, special edition books. Karen’s a first class story teller and I see her getting a lot more attention in the coming years when she launches her next original series. In the meantime, I’m an unabashed fan.
Q: What other activities or hobbies do you enjoy?
Chris: I live in New York City and can be found most mornings running in Central Park. Most evenings I can be found in any one of New York’s thousands of restaurants which explains why my runner’s build looks, well, not overly runner-like. And I am, to my chagrin, becoming a pro at first dates. While Mrs. Right hasn’t come along yet, I am exploring the city by dating which might just turn into a book one day…
Q: Well hopefully your luck changes! In closing, is there anything else you’d like to say about yourself or your upcoming debut “A Darkness Forged In Fire: Book One of the Iron Elves”?
Chris: Only that I hope readers experience at least some of the joy I did while writing it. It’s now (or will be shortly) in the hands of the reader. For a writer, I can’t imagine a more ideal situation. Now, I need to get back to writing the second book.
In an unforgiving world of brutal conflict—where musket and cannon, bow and arrow, magic and diplomacy are all weapons in the Calahrian Empire—there’s no denying that Konowa Swiftdragon, former commander of the Empire’s Iron Elves, could be looked upon as anything but ordinary. He’s murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished to the one place he despises the most—the forest. Now all he wants is to be left alone . . . but for Konowa, nothing is ever that simple.
A falling Red Star in the east heralds the return of magic long vanished from the earth, sparking a frantic race within the Empire to reach it first. Now Konowa is recalled to duty and asked to reform the Iron Elves—only the soldiers he gets aren’t quite what he was expecting. And worse, their key adversary to obtain the Star is none other than the dreaded Shadow Monarch—a legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could ever imagine…
Scheduled for North American publication July 8, 2008, followed by the UK release September 1, 2008, “A Darkness Forged In Fire” is just around the corner and in promotion of the debut’s pending release, Chris has kindly taken part in what I believe to be the first online interview with the author. So readers, please enjoy the following Q&A with a fantasy author that you’ll be hearing more of in the near future:
Q: Your debut novel “A Darkness Forged In Fire: Book One of the Iron Elves” is set for North American publication July 8, 2008 via Pocket Books, followed by the UK release September 1, 2008. Before we talk about the book though, can you tell us a bit more about yourself including when you knew you wanted to be a writer, why you write, and some of your favorite authors?
Chris: I’ve been a writer since I began to read. I recall very early on being inspired by books to create my own worlds and set off on adventures that I crafted myself. Writing is something I thoroughly enjoy doing although there are times when it can be immensely frustrating, too.I have many favorite authors, although not all of them might be familiar to fantasy readers. Terry Pratchett simply slays me. The man is genius. I swear I reinjured a rib I cracked playing hockey years ago due to laughing while reading “Going Postal”. J.K. Rowling impressed me from the start, not just with her story telling, but with her deft use of mythology and symbology. The fact that she makes it look effortless speaks volumes about her skill. George MacDonald Fraser is another favorite, as much for his Flashman series as for his nonfiction works, especially his memoir of WWII, “Quartered Safe Out Here”. Bernard Cornwell and Rudyard Kipling are always in my reading pile. Both were big inspirations for the Iron Elves series.
Q: Could you elaborate more on the journey you went through in finding a publisher, what you think of Simon & Schuster, and what you think the publisher saw in your book?
Chris: I suppose my journey really started the day I defended my Masters thesis. I went home that afternoon and started writing. That was back in 1998. I was faced with the prospect of continuing my academic career by launching into a PhD program or trying something else. I spent the next two years debating whether to pursue the PhD or not. I started writing short stories and working on a novel in between research assignments at the university. In the summer of 2000 I was accepted into the Clarion East Workshop and things really took off from there. While there I sold one short story, and another took second place in the Toronto Star Short Story Contest.
The final nail in the PhD coffin was supplied by Gavin Grant when he mentioned to me that Del Rey were looking for an editor who knew sci fi, fantasy and military nonfiction. I emailed my resume more on a lark than anything else then never thought a thing about it, until I got a phone call from Steve Saffel wanting to talk to me about the job. My thinking was that if I did get the job it would put me in the heart of New York publishing and from there I'd be able to get my writing looked at with ease. Ha! I took the job and of course became totally immersed in it and did very little writing. That state of affairs continued more or less for the next several years, even when I started my current job with Stackpole.
At some point, though, I realized that if I was ever to get a book published I needed to get serious, so I started getting up around 6am every morning and writing before work. Being an editor in the business means, in the end, absolutely nothing if you aren't writing. Most editors are closet writers, but you only get out of the closet if you do what every other writer does and put your manuscript out there. Mine was shopped around and ultimately offered a very nice deal by Pocket Books which I was thrilled to accept. Publishing is as subjective a business as it gets, so all I can really tell you is that Pocket Books liked what they read. I think they saw a voice and a style taking a bit of a different tack. S&S UK, which also bought the series, responded positively to this approach as well.
For me, S&S impressed me with their energy and their determination to expand into the field of hardcover fantasy and I was keen to be a part of that. Had I been picked up by one of the established fantasy houses my book would have been one of many, but with Pocket my book is something new, and I love the challenges that entails.
Q: So how do you plan on celebrating your first book being published?
Chris: I have no earthly idea at this point. You'd think that I would, or should, but I really haven't given it much thought. If anyone out there has ideas on how to celebrate I'm open to suggestions.
Q: As you mentioned, you work for Stackpole Books editing “military history, history and current affairs/conflicts books”. Obviously this is a little different from your epic fantasy novel, but how has your experience as an editor helped/influenced you in writing “A Darkness Forged In Fire” and what’s it like being on the other side of the fence?
Chris: There’s no question that editing military history has had a profound effect on my writing, and I hope readers will view it in a positive way. Many of the authors I’ve published have been soldiers, veterans who have been in combat, been shot at and taken lives. Their experiences are neither glamorous nor common. One single squeeze of a trigger might mean a medal, a lifetime of nightmares, or something quickly forgotten. It never ceases to amaze me just how extreme and mundane the life of a soldier is. I wanted to read that in fantasy, and save for a few exceptions I rarely did. Technically speaking, being an editor means I know how things work on the inside which means I’m potentially lethal to the process, so I’m doing my best to let Pocket Books do what they know how to do and not become too involved or second guess decisions. I just had my first signing at New York Comic Con where I signed ARCs and had a chance to chat with readers. It was the first time I was the author and not the editor standing a few feet away. A strange, but very gratifying feeling. Perhaps most enjoyable was talking to readers who genuinely wished me well, especially on hearing this was my first book. It touched me, and as the saying goes, you never forget your first time.
Q: Since “A Darkness Forged In Fire” is your first novel, what did you think was the most challenging part about writing the book? What about the easiest or most rewarding?
Chris: For me, writing begins in a wild-eyed frenzy as I struggle to make sense of an idea that’s suddenly captured my interest. Later, it becomes a calmer, more thoughtful process and there were days when I wondered when the wind would pick up and fill my sails again. Luckily, the wind never calmed for long and I was always able to quickly re-engage with the story and find something new to pull me forward. To be totally honest, “A Darkness Forged in Fire” is and isn’t my first novel. I did write something novel length before that is a rough amalgamation of words with some semblance of a narrative that one day, perhaps, will be rewritten and become a true novel, but it did serve the purpose of showing me that I could do this.
Q: So what was this amalgamation about ;)?
Chris: It was a fantasy 'evolved' into a version of the 20th century complete with science and technology and a world about to descend into global war. My thinking went something like this – if you're a human living alongside elves, and elves live for thousands of years, wouldn't you want a piece of that? And if the elves wouldn't willingly hand over their secrets, what would you do to get them? If you lived in a world of science wouldn't someone, somewhere start to delve into those mysteries? And for every scientist looking for cures, you know there would be others looking to make weapons. This would be the backdrop to a world at war, pitting races, cultures, mores, magic and science against each other. The geo-politic and scientific clashing with the thaumaturgic. In many respects that experiment lead me to this book (A Darkness Forged In Fire) which retains a much closer affinity with what we know, or at least term, as traditional fantasy.
Q: According to some of the advance blurbs that I’ve seen, “A Darkness Forged In Fire” has been described as a ‘thrilling’, ‘gritty’ fantasy in the vein of Tolkien, Glen Cook, Bernard Cornwell and one person even mentioned Napoleon. How would you describe “A Darkness Forged In Fire” and what things influenced you when you were writing the book?
Chris: First and foremost, “A Darkness Forged in Fire” is a fantasy I’ve always wanted to read. I wanted to see what Tolkien’s world and tropes and races would look like 500 years on. So many authors have plumbed the depths of fantasy set in a medieval, western European setting, and done it incredibly well, that I knew that if I was to write a story I had to choose something different. At the same time I wanted to acknowledge that history and use it as springboard, which is what I’ve attempted to do. So for example, there are elves in this world, but not all of them view trees and the natural world with the same affinity as Legolas.
As I mentioned earlier, Rudyard Kipling was a huge influence, especially his poems about the British soldier and imperialism and colonialism. Bernard Cornwell’s series Sharpe’s Rifles is another wellspring I happily acknowledge. Then there are the historians – John Keegan, Len Deighton, Terry Copp, Richard Holmes and Barbara Tuchmann. It might seem odd to list historians for a fantasy that is not a historical fantasy, but they inspired me by their story telling prowess more than anything else. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is George MacDonald Fraser. His portrayal of his time in nine squad in the CBI in WWII in “Quartered Safe Out Here” is arguably (and I will argue it) the best memoir ever written of the Second World War.
Q: Well you’re not the only one who wants to see something different in today’s fantasy. In fact, there seems to be a number of authors out there who are writing grittier, darker, more realistic fantasy books or are blatantly attempting to defy traditional tropes like Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, Richard K. Morgan (The Steel Remains), David Keck, Alan Campbell, Tim Lebbon, Paul Kearney, etc. What are your thoughts on this movement, the audience’s response to such books, and fantasy tropes in general?
Chris: It's natural for any genre, discipline—whatever—to evolve or at least mutate. In fact, it's critical if it's going to remain vibrant and interesting. At the same time it serves to reintroduce the books that form the foundation of the genre to readers who might start out with something new and/or different and then wonder what is this author reacting to? I think it's a healthy trend, but it is one fraught with the potential for misunderstanding. The fact that we talk about genres at all does a great disservice to so many books and authors, yet without that construct we'd have a tough time trying to find books on the shelves. I suppose it's a necessary evil, but it doesn't need to be a self-fulfilling one. I see books described as high fantasy, traditional fantasy, epic fantasy, urban, steam, erotic etc. and I view it as so much tribalism. We like to identify ourselves as part of something then develop an elaborate set of rules by which we identify each other which includes the books we read. What, however, does any of that have to do with enjoying a story? This isn't Comparative Fantasy Lit 101. This is the big wonderful world of limitless entertainment choices and we're all trying to get a slice of that pie. I'm hoping good old fashion readers read my book. Whether they self-identify as fantasists, mainstreamers, or some other faction I've never heard of matters not a whit to me.
As for the tropes, well, that's another term that I find myself using to my chagrin. Hell, boy meets girl is a trope. Unrequited love is a trope. Who-dunnits, bodice-rippers, police procedurals and every other genre and subgenre has its tropes. Anyone reading “A Darkness Forged in Fire” will find many tropes alive and well, and others quite mangled. It's a bit like cooking really, the simplest ingredients can make the most exquisite dish if blended and cooked properly. Tropes are no different. It's all in how you use them.
Q: So when and how did the idea for the Iron Elves series first come about, how long have you been working on it, and how much has it evolved from its original conception?
Chris: Not sure when the idea hit me because the gestation period probably began in my youth. I kept reading fantasies where the castle, sword and dragon dominated and I found myself wanting something different. Again, it wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy these fantasies, I did and still do, but I just started thinking there could be other ways to play in this genre. The overall feel of the book actually stayed fairly intact from initial vision, although the plot changed many times.
Q: Speaking of the series, how many volumes are projected, how far along are you in the next book, and is there anything you can tell us about book number two?
Chris: Huge caveat! At the moment the series is projected at three books. I’ve ideas for additional books that both continue the story arc and also take it in different directions, but for the time being I see three, including the final scene. I’d love to talk to you about book two, but I’m one of those writers that needs to keep the ideas under pressure and constantly in motion until they’re written down lest I lose focus. What I can tell you is book 2 will be out next summer, and book 3 will follow in the summer of 2010. After that, who knows?
Q: For some authors it’s easier writing their second novel, while for others it’s more difficult. How are things going for you with book two and did you learn anything when writing “A Darkness Forged In Fire” that helped prepare you for the new book? On a similar note, it sounds like “Iron Elves” is going to be a trilogy so will Book Two suffer from any ‘middle volume’ tendencies?
Chris: Don't get me started about filler or bridge novels! In my rookie status as a first time novelist who has yet to write the sequel in the trilogy I just see no good excuse for books that act as place holders. I would be mortified if my second book was viewed as anything other than a complete story in and of itself. Of course it will continue the major plot arcs and will set up events for the third installment, but that's no excuse to not have an engaging story. I'm in the middle of writing it now and I'm very conscious of the need to give it its own existence. I no more want to write about characters killing time than a reader would want to read it. The second book has a purpose, an arc and a palpable need to be better than the first one.
Q: That’s good to hear :) Would you happen to be involved in any other writing projects?
Chris: I’m one of those writers that gives editors and agents fits. I have ideas the way rabbits have litters, really, really amorous rabbits. In short, there is no end to what I want to write next, but knowing, or at least accepting for the moment the finite nature of time vis-à-vis the human condition, I am working on only two or three others at any given time.
Q: In epic fantasy, some authors like to put an emphasis on characters or worldbuilding; others on storytelling. Where do you fit in this picture and what do you feel are your strengths as a writer? What about weakness or areas that you’d like to get stronger in, especially in future books?
Chris: I’m definitely about characters and narrative. If the character is compelling enough I’ll follow him/her/it to the ends of the earth and beyond. Who among us didn’t want to be part of the Fellowship of the Ring? Even the actors that played the characters all got tattoos to symbolize their bond. I think readers gravitate to characters in a similar, if less painful way. We form a relationship with these characters that often far outlasts the plot or the world or any other aspect of the story. I also like stories with pace. I’ve never been one to wallow in the luxuriousness of prose (nor lie on a beach or sit in a tub for that matter) so anyone looking for that experience might suffer a bit of whiplash reading mine.
I’d like to think that I’m a well-rounded writer equally skilled at world building, plot, narrative and the rest, but I definitely have room to grow. In fact, I look forward to improving with each book and learning new skills as I go. Any writer can no doubt give you a laundry list of where they can improve, and I’m no different in that respect, but for the moment I’ll leave that up to the helpful readers only too eager to post their review on Amazon or some other venue.
Q: Can you tell us more about the world that the Iron Elves is set in and some of the series’ major characters?
Chris: Despite my background in history this is not historical fiction. That said, India, Native American culture, the British regimental system and the Napoleonic Wars all lend some color and shape to the world. Thematically there’s definitely a focus on oaths, bonds and loyalty and how powerful and also how destructive they can be.
The main protagonist is an elf, Major Konowa Swift Dragon, but he’s an elf with a troubled past and his views on his elven heritage are conflicted to say the least. His ultimate rival is the Shadow Monarch, an elf-witch from his tribe who long ago broke with tradition and the natural world to save her one true love. The repercussions of that decision reverberate throughout time and bring the world to the brink of complete destruction, or at least transformation. Then there is Visyna Tekoy, a witch who views the natural world as sacred. She embodies many of the greenest proclivities we see in our culture today and can be fervent in her beliefs. There’s the Viceroy, a singularly driven man seeking power and blind to any and all other needs. And there is Konowa’s foil within the regiment, the Prince of Calahr. He is spoiled, entitled and utterly lost in the situation he finds himself – commanding troops in battle. It might sound clichéd, but men such as this populate history to the detriment of those that served under them. I want to explore this dilemma in more detail though I’m not sure I have a literary cure for such gross incompetence by a leader.
I chose to pair two soldiers, a raw recruit and veteran, to work with that age-old coupling of innocence and experience. Private Alwyn Renwar, the recruit, is every sergeant’s worst nightmare. Left to his own devices Renwar is probably more danger to those around him than he is to the enemy. Doing his best to keep him alive in his own, unique fashion, is Private Yimt Arkhorn, a dwarf career soldier who has been busted in rank so many times the sleeves of his uniform are tattered from having the stripes stitched on then removed.
Q: You mentioned how Visyna “embodies many of the greenest proclivities we see in our culture today”, and truthfully it sounds like many of the book’s themes & characters are a reflection of modern times. How much does “A Darkness Forged in Fire” draw from real-world issues and how important is it for you that your book can be viewed by readers as relevant?
Chris: We're all products of our environment, though that doesn't mean our environment is the sole determinant of our actions. No doubt readers will see modern issues within the plot, but these same issues are universal and not specific to today. I'm exploring PTSD with more than one of the characters in the book, and while that's clearly a huge issue with the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's hardly new. Human beings have suffered from this since they started hitting each other over the head with clubs. And stewardship of the environment is as old as the hills, too. As far as relevancy goes, that really doesn't concern me. This is not a thinly disguised treatise on the foibles of invading a Middle Eastern country or anything of the sort. My goal from the start has been to tell a story and to entertain. I want to be a novelist. Period. The way I see it, the highest compliment I can receive would be a reader telling me that they read through the book in one night, they enjoyed it, and when the heck is the next one due?
Q: In fantasy literature, cover art has been an ongoing issue, especially how important it is in selling a book, how fantasy covers are considered generic, the difference between international & stateside covers, et cetera. What are your thoughts on this subject and how do you feel about the cover for “A Darkness Forged In Fire”?
Chris: To borrow a phrase from the U.K., I was chuffed when I saw the cover for the first time. It’s strong, bold and simple, yet hints at a complexity hidden within. Cover art is important, and it’s important in every genre. Human beings are visual creatures. When you walk into a bookstore you don’t smell or taste a book…I hope. But you see it. You see that cover and for reasons you understand and some you don’t you are drawn to it. The way I view covers is that they are flashing lights designed to grab your attention. If someone is looking for art for the sake of art there are, ahem, art galleries designed for that very purpose (although even there you might find a price sticker below the painting.) Cover art, on the other hand, is designed to sell books. So if I have issues with any cover, they revolve solely around how effective that cover is in getting a reader to walk over and pick up the book. If every cover treatment is dark and serious then I might suggest light and frothy to stand out. If the trend is toward the literal then I might want to go abstract and vice versa. I just don’t think you can afford to be too precious about this stuff, at least, not if you want to be a writer that gets paid. The only real debate I see regarding cover art is does it grab eyeballs. If yes, it worked. Pretty simple.
Q: Pocket Books seems to be pretty confident in your new book, which has a strong marketing campaign behind it including advertising/publicity in both national print publications and online, and being featured in the NY and San Diego Comic-Cons. How do you feel about the support the novel is receiving and what other promotion can readers expect?
Chris: Pocket has been terrific in supporting the book. Look, no one ever really knows what a book will do when it lands on the shelves. I once had a book on D-Day by a top historian all set to take off on the 60th anniversary of the invasion with TV appearances on national networks and then Ronald Reagan goes and dies. Book promotions across the country and the world were shattered after 9/11. You just never know what will happen. That said, a first time author really couldn’t ask for more. And having said that, I was delighted when I got more and the series was bought in the UK. That was an extra vote of confidence and gives me the chance to engage with a whole different set of readers. Pocket Books have really gone above and beyond. I definitely need to single out Deputy Publisher Anthony Ziccardi who got the ball rolling and hasn’t let it stop since, and my ever energetic editor, Ed Schlesinger.
As far as additional promotion, Pocket has plan for a national print media campaign, mass mailings, ARC mailings, promotional events such as Comic Con and BEA, book store events, online outreach and much, much more. S&S Canada and S&S UK are involved as well and I am working with them on marketing efforts throughout Canada and the United Kingdom. Again, I am incredibly impressed with the level of support and enthusiasm I am receiving from my publisher.
Q: Your novel is actually going to be featured as an alternate selection for the Science Fiction Book Club in August, which is pretty exciting for a debut! How cool is that?
Chris: It is very cool. You write in isolation, and before you sell your first book you wonder, well, I did, if you ever will. So when a publisher makes you an offer you can't refuse, it's a wonderful feeling. But then there are all those other possibilities that you probably didn't think a lot about, like foreign rights, book clubs, etc. They're icing on the cake, but they're more than that, too. Each time you get a subrights sale you can't help but feel a little vindication that someone else thinks my book has potential and is prepared to put their money where their mouth is. So hearing the news that the Science Fiction Book Club had picked up my book made my day and then some.
Q: Anymore it’s pretty common to see novels adapted into different formats such as movies, comics, videogames, animation and TV. How would you like to see “A Darkness Forged In Fire” adapted?
Chris: I would be thrilled to see “A Darkness Forged in Fire” adapted. Graphic novel, computer game, movie…it’s just downright flattering. I have a very pragmatic view about all of this and take the position that if anyone wishes to adapt my writing I know and accept that they will have their own vision for their own medium. I write novels, I don’t make movies, so if a film were ever to be made my list of ‘requests’ would start and end with ‘deposit large check into this account.’
Q: Last year was tough for writers of speculative fiction. Several authors passed away including Robert Jordan, Madeline L’Engle, Lloyd Alexander, Leigh Eddings, Fred Saberhagen, Jack Williamson, Alice Borchardt, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. while Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And just recently SF legend Arthur C. Clarke passed away. Were you affected by any of this and is there anything you would like to say?
Chris: It’s always sad when a creative spark is quenched. I would add to that list George MacDonald Fraser who passed away earlier this year. On a more upbeat note, I’d also like to take the opportunity here to wish Terry Pratchett strength and hope in dealing with and even overcoming his challenge. Lest I sound too saintly, my motive is, in part, that I want to keep reading more adventures in Disc World. I’d like to see if it’s possible to actually break a rib from laughter.
Q: That’s a worthy goal :) So what books have recently impressed you the most, what are you currently reading, and what titles are you most looking forward to?
Chris: While at Comic Con (New York) I had a chance to meet Naomi Novik. She was kind enough to sign her first book for me. I plan to start reading that in the near future. Alas, I have not had the time to read much fiction of late as my job reading manuscripts absorbs much of my time. When not assessing others works I find I want to delve into my own. To be perfectly blunt, the books I’m most impressed with of late are the books my authors are writing, but that smacks of nepotism so I won’t name them here. Still, an enterprising reader should be able to find them without too much sleuthing.
Q: Who do you feel is an underrated writer that deserves more attention and why?
Chris: Karen Traviss. She’s an exceptional talent. The knock against her by some is that she writes media tie-in in addition to her own novels, as if somehow that makes her and her books unworthy of being assessed as legitimate stories as opposed to mere appendages of a great multi-media machine. Using that logic one might ask what book on sale in a store isn’t part of machine? I’m not suggesting all media tie-ins are good, they aren’t, but neither are a lot of independent, small press, special edition books. Karen’s a first class story teller and I see her getting a lot more attention in the coming years when she launches her next original series. In the meantime, I’m an unabashed fan.
Q: What other activities or hobbies do you enjoy?
Chris: I live in New York City and can be found most mornings running in Central Park. Most evenings I can be found in any one of New York’s thousands of restaurants which explains why my runner’s build looks, well, not overly runner-like. And I am, to my chagrin, becoming a pro at first dates. While Mrs. Right hasn’t come along yet, I am exploring the city by dating which might just turn into a book one day…
Q: Well hopefully your luck changes! In closing, is there anything else you’d like to say about yourself or your upcoming debut “A Darkness Forged In Fire: Book One of the Iron Elves”?
Chris: Only that I hope readers experience at least some of the joy I did while writing it. It’s now (or will be shortly) in the hands of the reader. For a writer, I can’t imagine a more ideal situation. Now, I need to get back to writing the second book.
NOTE: In further promotion of Chris Evans' "A Darkness Forged In Fire", I'll be hosting a giveaway in June and reviewing the debut novel...
Very good interview once again Robert. I will receive this title too and I will definitely read it. I like debuts and also I like elves.
ReplyDeleteHey Robert!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. I will def. pick up Evans book when it his the stores.
btw, nice May roundup. i want you to know that as a long time FBC reader i see all the hard work you put into it and really appricate it!
best
ps. dont forget to tell the fam i said hi : )
Mihai, glad you liked the interview :) When I read the Glen Cook comparison, I was sold! I love Cook's stuff...
ReplyDeleteReanimated, thanks for the compliment! The family is doing all well :)
I actually read this is three times since I had to paint ceiling and well a very nice interview. I would like to get my hands on this one as well.
ReplyDeleteYep. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on this as well.
ReplyDeleteReally good interview :) Very interesting stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'll be chuffed to get a copy of this, to borrow a phrase from my own country that I used to use an awful lot, and now use never ;)
Harry, Theresa, Chris--Simon & Schuster are pushing this book pretty hard so I think you should be able to get a review copy without any problems. Let me know if you need any help...
ReplyDeleteWhen are you doing a giveaway for this one? ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Robert. I'm off to Disneyland (yaaaaa!) for a few days so I won't be able to inquire until I get back. I may pester you to help me out if I don't hear back from them.
ReplyDeleteRedEyedGhost, the giveaway is scheduled to start in early June :)
ReplyDeleteTheresa, have fun at Disneyland!!! Definitely let me know if you don't get a response...