Prime Time Replay:
Tad Williams on Otherland
MsgId: *emedia(6)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:03:00 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
Welcome to the E-Media Christmas show--(all right, bad tie-in). Tonight's guest is Tad Williams, NYTimes best-selling author of fantasy titles. Williams' latest, "Otherland," deals with virtual reality, African tribes, and a deadly group of VR residents who are draining the Earth of some of its most vital resources. Hi, Tad! How's the Christmas shopping going?
MsgId: *emedia(7)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:03:30 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
Shopping is just as miserable as you'd expect. I should have done it all online...
MsgId: *emedia(10)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:06:05 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
Yes. But it's just as bad online, if you're an AOL user. But now the book, "Otherland," which is the first of how many volumes to come?
MsgId: *emedia(11)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:07:15 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
Frighteningly, it's the first of four. But I have to point out that I don't really write "series" books. Instead, I write (sometimes) very, very LONG books that have to be broken up into more than one volume. This is one of those.
MsgId: *emedia(12)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:09:22 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
Well, the first volume is interesting so far. But it doesn't do much to quell the queasy parent's stomach about computers and children--that is, the 'net, virtual reality, and what kids may be getting into when they use either services.
MsgId: *emedia(15)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:11:20 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
I don't know that it's going to do much to quell parental nervousness, no. But I get very mixed reactions on whether it's a pessimistic view of the net, or optimistic. Personally, I think it's more just a fairly realistic extrapolation. And I've avoided some of the real hot topics, like PTSS.
MsgId: *emedia(16)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:12:52 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
Would you describe "Otherland" as a multicultural fantasy? The inclusion of Bushmen, as well as of a soldier from WWI, makes the book's heroes more interesting to me than those from many other sci-fi/fantasy books. What gave you the idea of using Bushmen in "Otherland?" (Sorry, explain PTSS?)
MsgId: *emedia(17)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:15:00 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
Okay, I'll post two parts to that answer.1) PTSS is Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome -- what we currently associate with Vietnam vets and hijacking survivors. I haven't dealt with it much in OTHERLAND because I figure that two generations from now, it will be pretty old news. That is, the effect of VERY real simulations on the brains of the people using them will have already been thrashed to death in public forums.
2) It's very, very definitely a more multicultural approach than many science fiction novels. SF tends to be about the period when it's written more than the future it describes, and for decades we've had White Military Males Explore The Universe fiction. I think the future is going to be a whole lot more complicated than that.
Also, I think the world is going to be a whole lot less monolithic than that, in terms of technology, spirituality, etc. So I tried to make that a major texture in OTHERLAND.
MsgId: *emedia(19)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:19:48 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
And you've also managed to incorporate the "primitive" (is there a better word out there?) with the futuristic, as in the case with !Xabbu and the children's songs he sings in the early part of the book. In fact, it seems to me that much of the ancient in this book seems tied in with the children, while the adults seem to control the future--a definite reverse of the "Children are our future" cliche. Was this something intentional?
MsgId: *emedia(20)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:20:56 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
You're a very sharp reader.A lot of fantasy novels tend to be about reaching maturity -- the epic journey recapitulates the journey toward adulthood. My epic fantasy Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn was that way, and the main character was a young man.
OTHERLAND is a book about mortality -- not surprising for a man about to turn 40, about to become a parent for the first time, etc. But the childhood angle is more than that. It's part of the central mystery of the book, and also thematic, in that the "primitive" and the childlike in human beings is often times a different (and perhaps wiser? who knows) way of looking at things that we "civilized" and adult people have lost.
MsgId: *emedia(22)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:25:40 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
Thanks! I think it's because I'm a big fan of children's literature, and I recognized many scenes from books like "Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking-Glass", and from African and Asiatic folktales--which, unfortunately, are treated more as children's literature than as something which adults can enjoy, too. Did you find yourself going back to read these stories, or are you reading them now in preparation for your first child? (Congratulations, by the way!)
MsgId: *emedia(23)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:27:36 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
Thank you.I've always been fascinated with folklore and myth. These things run through all my books. I haven't gone into them any more with parenthood in sight, since I sort of live in them, like fish live in water.
However, I've definitely immersed myself in them very deeply to write these books. And the Bushman folklore has been the most engaging, because I know NOTHING about it before I began this project.
MsgId: *emedia(24)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:32:23 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
Why a WWI soldier (Paul), as opposed to one from a more recent war? Does this have something to do with PTSS, as you'd mentioned before? I found myself most interested in his story--I think because of the strong "death" scene at the very beginning involving him.
MsgId: *emedia(25)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:34:20 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
Ah. Well, there are some things I can't explain without giving away the plot. Suffice it to say, the World War One setting has little to do with the soldier himself, and more to do with the interests of others (other characters in the plot, that is.)As for why *I* chose WWI as a setting for that section of the book, it has a lot to do with the theme of frail humanity surrounded by its own increasingly sophisticated machinery. WWI was significant in that it brought old-fashioned, 19th century military thinking squarely into conflict with the hideous war technologies of the (then new) 20th century. Which was why literally hundreds of thousands of men were ground to death in the space of a few miles in battle after battle on the Western Front.
So in a book where the theme of Ancient Humanity vs. Modern Machinery is strong, that was an obvious setting.
MsgId: *emedia(27)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:42:46 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
Yes, and Paul also seems to be experiencing a shock going into maturity. However, whenever he returns to his dreams/the VR state described in "Otherland," he winds up in a wicked twist on "Jack and the Beanstalk," or "Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking-Glass," or, as with one of the other characters, in an odd "Wizard of Oz" setting. You know, I have a feeling this is going to be in the second book...so instead I'll ask you questions about other projects you're working on. You're described as holding "more jobs than any sane person should admit to"--but it seems that your jobs have given you a lot of fodder for your stories. How much did you enjoy teaching?
MsgId: *emedia(31)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:48:01 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
If I hadn't become a writer, I'm sure that I would have wound up a full-time teacher. I really enjoy it.One of the best days I *ever* had was teaching "Macbeth" to a group of high-school kids who were supposedly on the "difficult" end of the teaching spectrum. I just found a way to explain what it was about -- the simple moral conundrum of doing something you know is wrong to win a prize you truly desire -- and they found a way into it. Then we had a great time.
I think teaching is wonderful. I just talked to a couple of high school classes day before yesterday.
MsgId: *emedia(32)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:50:30 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
What were you doing in the high schools? Do you offer writing courses or programs for students (I assume this is in San Francisco, one of the places you're living currently)?
MsgId: *emedia(33)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:51:15 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
(Before I go on, let me say that if you or anyone else would like to ask a question, send a criticism, or whatever, I can be reached at my official OTHERLAND email address of "penguin2@interport.net")Now back to our regularly scheduled program: This was actually at the high school I attended myself, twenty years ago. But I've done either real teaching or drop-in sessions at lots of schools, colleges, whatever. If I'm in the area, or it's close to me, I'm happy to do it.
(I'm currently living a little bit south of San Francisco, although we spend some time in London as well.)
MsgId: *emedia(35)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:53:52 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
Yes--tell people where they can reach you (I always forget to ask that :-)) There's also the syndicated radio show you'd worked on for ten years. What did that involve? Why did you give that up--or do you still work in radio, too? I might as well just ask what other projects are you working on outside of novels.
MsgId: *emedia(36)
Date: Mon Dec 23 21:57:16 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
I haven't done radio for a while, except interviews. I spent about ten years or so doing a politically-oriented journalism-and-talk show, called One Step Beyond (under the unlikely nom-du-microphone of "Nip Tuck".) We did a lot of research and exposition about behind-the-scenes government stuff, intelligence agencies, international terrorism, etc.We did Iran-Contra before it was called that, and covered the "Does the CIA sell drugs?" story a long time before the recent media flurry.
I'm also working on a comic book called MIRRORWORLD, which is out in the next few weeks, and doing some short stories, some film scripts (none sold, so nothing to look for yet) and various other projects.
Maybe an interactive television show, but that's at least another year away.
MsgId: *emedia(37)
Date: Mon Dec 23 22:01:22 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
These are the last two questions for tonight. What can you tell us about Part II of "Otherland"? And, are you making any plans to travel to Africa and become more acquainted with the Basarwa (Bushmen)?
MsgId: *emedia(38)
Date: Mon Dec 23 22:03:29 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
Part Two of OTHERLAND is just going to get wider and stranger. We will see more of the Otherland itself, a vast and incredibly realistic VR network where literally *anything* can happen. And there will be more odd characters and storylines introduced. This is a *big* book, which is why it has to be four volumes.I'd love to do some traveling in Africa, although I think the Bushmen in particular can do better at this point without people like me dropping by to observe them, when they really need to live their lives on their own.
MsgId: *emedia(39)
Date: Mon Dec 23 22:05:27 EST 1996
From: Paulette At: 152.163.233.33
Thank you for coming on tonight, Tad Williams--especially with Christmas right around the corner. Everyone have a great holiday--and see you next week with another "E-Media" chat.
MsgId: *emedia(40)
Date: Mon Dec 23 22:06:01 EST 1996
From: tad_williams At: 206.184.240.159
Thank you for having me as your virtual guest. It was a real pleasure.
Home || Prime Time || Live Science || Machine Dreams || Project Open Book || SF-Fantasy-Horror
Continuum || Antimatter || Mind-Brain Lab || Interactive IQ || Gallery || OMNI ToonsQuestions, comments and suggestions can be mailed to the webmaster.
Copyright (C) 1997 by Omni Publications International, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.