What authors have inspired you?
Probably the writers in the Bible, Shakespeare, James Joyce, William Blake, Lord Dunsany, Edgar Allen Poe, English and Irish poets, classical Chinese poets. Also old folktales and writers of folklore. I was a poet for a long time, and Wind Follower definitely has a poetic folklore feel.
I don't recognize any fantasy authors in your list.
Lord Dunsany is a very famous English fantasy writer. Shakespeare wrote fantasy. The Tempest, for instance. One could also argue that Hamlet is a story about fantasy and the ability to discern between reality and the fantastical. Edgar Allen Poe also wrote many fantastical stories.
Who are the two main characters in Wind Follower, and why do you think readers will love them?
Satha is the main female character. She’s a poor girl who finds herself suddenly betrothed one day to a rich kid. Very upsetting for her. But she does it. She’s practical and kind-hearted. Loic is the boy who suddenly decides he wants to marry her. He’s kind also, and he’s a typical petulant teenager who grows into manhood. Loic is not the regular hero. He’s got an illness. He’s been under the care of women who dote on him. He reads poetry, for heaven’s sake. Not epic poetry, love poetry. When Loic first sees Satha, what he likes about her is that she is caring and brave. Yes, she's beautiful - but he what matters is that she is kind.
They’re both good people. And lots of amazingly fantastic, triumphant, and heart-breaking things happen to them. What more can you ask for? The stories share a common plot but when the main characters are parted, Satha’s part becomes something like a slave narrative and Loic’s becomes a quest. Yes, Every African-American writer should write a slave narrative, don’t you think? It’s epic, and romance, and slave narrative. The reader should like it.
Where do you think speculative fiction is heading?
I really don’t know. Humans have always liked stories of the supernatural and the fantastic. As long as we’re fascinated with how the world works and with how different cultures work, we’ll love those stories. And, let’s face it, many stories are rooted in human sorrow. For instance, if we live in regret we think “what if I had done something differently?” Bingo, a time travel story is created. Writers who don’t like modern society might write a book in which history veered along a different path. Voila, an alternate history novel! A writer grieving for the loss of her dead child might do a novel on cloning. Science Fiction and Fantasy will always exist as long as writers and readers keep pondering the great “what if” of life. I think, though, that in the United States and Canada speculative fiction will become more multicultural. At least I hope so.
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Thanks for a fascinating review.
2 - Wanza Leftwich
This is an informative interview. I do not know much about speculative fiction. I'm intrigued...I just may have to read a few selections in this genre.