Gradual Interview
(answers from April 2009, as of Apr 30 2026, 2:44:10 AM)
www.StephenRDonaldson.com
© 2004 by Stephen R.Donaldson

Joe Higgins

Dear Stephen,

I just yesterday evening finished reading Fatal Revenant. I hate to have to wait a year for the final book but that's life. I do have one question. As inquisitive as Linden is I wondered why she hasn't yet asked Stave why he chose Liand to answer her questions in Mithil Stonedown. Does she do so in the final book?

She won't be asking because she has no reason to be curious about it.  Liand himself answers those questions when they first meet.  And Stave (at least at that point in the story) has no complex or ulterior motives.

(04/04/2009)

Ray Lattanzio

Steve -

In your time in academia, did you ever teach a writing-intensive class?  If so, did you have any strategies (successful or otherwise) to improve the quality of the papers that you received from students (i.e.: paying attention to formatting, proper references & citations, even a minimal of proof-reading).   

I teach a couple of undergraduate psychology and research classes.  Though many students comply with the minimum basic requirements for a college paper, more than a few do not.  Since you are infinitely more creative than I could ever hope to be, I was wondering if you have found a creative way to engage those who do not seem to "get it" - regardless of how much time or effort is spent.

If you have any insights, I'd welcome them.  If not, I would still like to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing your creative genius with the world.  I have always been a fan of science fiction and fantasy literature, but the "Covenant" books have always been my favorites.  The stories are rivoting and your incredible command of the written word makes your books so engrossing it is though one ceases to read, but rather watches a movie in one's own head!  Thanks!   

Ray

I taught Freshman English at Kent State for one full year.  During that time, I came up with a number of teaching strategies, some more imaginative than others.  I can't honestly say that any of them were *successful*, but I'm proud of a couple of them.  Of course, I tried to use texts which might be accessible to the students *at their level*.  And for homework I had my students identify passages they didn't understand so that we could discuss those parts of the text openly.  But what I consider my best....

From time to time, I would take a paragraph from our current text, scramble the sentences out of order, and give them to my students to put back in sequence as pop quizzes.  Very educational for *me*, if not for them.  <sigh>

And I placed a heavy emphasis on formal logic (although I didn't call it that), explaining over and over again what it is and why it matters.  Toward that end, I used the most dramatic example I could find:  an editorial written by a Christian fundamentalist MD denouncing The Poor based on Biblical "authority".  Virtually every sentence was a howling violation of the rules of logic--and since the rules of logic are, at their core, a practical guide to common sense, I thought my students would benefit from the exercise.  (Silly me.)

I hope your experience isn't like mine.  For years afterward, I thought of teaching Freshman English as The Abyss.

(04/04/2009)

Alexander J. Wei

The last thing I want to do is to take up Steve's time.  But I'm struck by the "part titles": "my heart has rooms", "chosen for this desecration", etc.  They are all from the Covenant corpus, but from where?  The first is from Pitchwife's song.  If it wouldn't take too much time, where are they from?

You're right about Pitchwife's song.  As for the rest:

"Chosen for this desecration" comes from TWL, the Raver's speech to Linden in Revelstone.  "The only form of innocence":  also TWL, Dr Berenford speaking to Linden.  "Lest you prove unable to serve me":  TROTE, Lord Foul to Linden during her escape from Mithil Stonedown.  "Victims and enactors of Despite":  WGW, Kevin to Linden in Andelain.

(04/15/2009)

Ossie

No more wallowing in your own flaws!  The recent run of "what did you mean when you said you wish you were a better author here?" or "isn't this a technical mistake?" questions in the GI would be enough to drive anyone to diamondraught.  So my question is:  of which parts of your work are you especially proud, where you feel you nailed it either from a technical aspect, connection with the audience ("they're gonna love this"), or you feel your work as the author did allow your intentions to come through on the page?  Personally, I love both Earthblood scenes, and the cleansing of the Banefire - in fact, the entire section in Revelstone from one single word:  "Nom".  Awesome.

Thank you.  For everything.

As I've suggested in other contexts, I'm proud of different things for different reasons.  There are scenes in the Axbrewder/Fistoulari novels, especially "The Man Who Fought Alone," that still make me ache.  Long sections of "The Power that Preserves," "The One Tree," and "White Gold Wielder" seem impossibly well-written.  But from my perspective, "Mordant's Need" was my first truly successful attempt to organize a large narrative canvas.  In that regard, nothing that I've done so far can compare with the GAP books.  I'm perhaps maliciously pleased that "The Runes of the Earth" may be the only fantasy novel ever written that climaxes in an argument (AND it has a five-chapter prologue!).  And I'm still in love with some of my short stories ("The Killing Stroke," anyone?).

Of course, I always aspire to do better....

(04/15/2009)

robert

Hi Mr. Donaldson
             I hope this finds you doing very well.  I have just started reading "Reave the Just and other tales"--- your introduction was both sad and funny in the dry sarcastic humor I so appreciate you having.  I had a few questions I wanted to ask you... since they may be too personal (in which case I completely understand your reluctance to answer at all) and are of a religious nature (which always seems to bring the nuts out of the woodwork) so again if you don't answer at all I will neither be disappointed or upset. You have and will always be one of my favorite writers.
1) Based on what you have shared concerning your upbringing, I was wondering if your family had a leaning toward calvinism... I have been reading Jonathan Edward's "Freedom of the Will" and both his and your ideology on the nature &  determination of the will, the meaning of necessity and distinction between natural/moral necessity, as well as moral agency and liberty. (your writings on being a free moral agent or powerlessness still intrigues me)
2) I know (or at least I think) all good authors are well read on a variety of subjects.. I was wondering how much -- if any -- The "Rede" of the clave was influenced by the "rede" used by pagans.
 --- please take no offence at what I have asked you, I really value your insights (especially on freedom of choice and its necessity). If you choose to answer privately only I will not only be thankful that you answered, I will also commend you on "good call" as I would hate to see the gradual interview sullied by narrow minded religious nuts of all creeds.
                              All my best, robert 

This seems safe enough.  1) My parents were Presbyterian, which is an off-shoot of Calvinism.  On that basis, Jonathan Edwards can hardly be irrelevant.  2) I've encountered the concept of "the rede" in a variety of contexts, but I know nothing about the "rede" of the pagans.

In fairness, I should probably observe that "narrow minded religious nuts" occur in ALL creeds, pretty much without exception.  As do good and honorable people of the highest quality.

(04/15/2009)

Robert Murnick

Dear Sir,

	I've previously asked you about Foul as a character, and I may have discovered my problem.  Please bear with me here.

	I asked whether there was a chance we might read about Foul's origin.  You answered that that would require you to truncate your intentions.  I think I can see how that could do that.  I don't need to read about how Foul's father beat him or how Earthpower destroyed the only "Dark Female Archetype" he ever loved, I just need to feel confident that he DOES have a backstory.

	We have the idea that Foul is trapped in the World of the Land and that his goal is to break free.  What he would do if he were able to accomplish this or if there even was a time when he was not trapped may not be relevant to the story you wish to tell.  But isn't it relevant to to integrity of Foul as a character?

	I'm emotionally attached to your story and characters; I expect to read them in any event.  You raised the comparison with Tolkien's Sauron - "Even a character as simple and black as Sauron still makes choices in how he pursues his aims."  But Sauron was kept at a great distance from the reader.  There isn't much in the LOTR about his origins, although Elrond does say “Nothing is evil in the beginning. Even Sauron was not so.”  That was enough to confirm for me Sauron's reality.  Is there anything you can say to help me feel that Foul is more than just a (please forgive me for suggesting this Steve, please?) d-e-v-i-c-e?  <hangs head, grovels, crawls away backwards with face to the ground>

Well, of course Lord Foul is "just a device".  Archetypal stories are like that:  they use devices.  (Don't get me started.  I'm perfectly capable of arguing that every one of my characters is just a device.)  Nevertheless I do aspire to something more.

Where Lord Foul is concerned, however, my aspirations don't involve making him seem "real" in the same sense that, say, Esmer (or even Kasreyn) is "real".  I'm trying to do something much more complex:  I'm trying to make him seem "real" as a being who transcends ordinary definitions of reality.  This, unfortunately, is rather like bringing God Himself on stage and engaging Him in argument.  The mere act of doing so is inherently reductive:  it makes Him less, well, God-like.  (Which at least in part explains my dislike for "Creator" questions.)  So how, I keep asking myself, do I make an eternal concept believable "as a character" without simultaneously making him too small to be himself?  Ow!  Just thinking about it makes my brain hurt.

In any case, the question of Lord Foul's "integrity...as a character" is one that simply doesn't conform to the ordinary requirements of storytelling.  <sigh>  Maybe when I'm a God-like being myself, I'll be able to explain all this better.

(04/15/2009)

John

Steve,

Now that you have finished the first draft of "Against All Things Ending" - and I know you have a handful of revisions on this particular book, let alone the last one to write - how do you feel about it? Not asking for spoilers here. Has anything about it surprised you? And I know you have said something to the effect that you don't sit back and think about your books/series as you write them (my words here, can't remember yours and I'm too lazy to look it up). But you must feel something, right? I mean, only one more book - a short 4 or so years out of your life - and Covenant is over; over for good. 

One other thing... do you still have the "apartment" you write in, and if so do you ever invite anyone there? Family, friends, agent, readers, etc... (not that I am looking for an invite if you still have the place!). 

Oh, and thanks for answering all of our questions, mine in particular! 

In the very short time that I spent between finishing the first draft and starting the second, I had two reactions, neither exactly typical.  The first was that I spent 2-3 weeks wondering where I had misplaced my millstone.  Even though I was already rewriting, I felt like Sisyphus on an inconceivable holiday.  The second was/is mind-numbing terror.  "Against All Things Ending" was by a considerable margin the most difficult writing I've ever done--and "The Last Dark" will be FAR MORE difficult.  In retrospect, I feel like I've spent the past 25+ years trying desperately *not* to arrive where I am now.

Fortunately rewriting AATE turns out to be an extraordinary challenge.  Thanks to that distraction, I don't have to start actual gibbering about TLD yet.

I do still have an extremely private apartment/studio where I work.  It's something of a "sacred" space:  no one else ever comes in here, expect people doing repairs--and I try to do as many of those as I possibly can myself.

(04/27/2009)