![]() ![]() That’s because there are people out there who know Osten Ard better than I do - at least the first set of books - because they kept reading and re-reading them while I was working on other stuff since the 1980s. I think the main difference is that I’ve become a little more casual about first drafts, because I’ve had to let people see them earlier in the process than in the past. As soon as one of the forbidden lengths became alluring because I liked the idea, I’d turn my back on my own promise. So even if I swore off either long or short stories, I’m pretty certain I wouldn’t be able to stick to it. Some story ideas are clearly short-form when they occur to me, others I’m not certain about at first, and a few are “Oh my God another long one” from their inception. Sometimes working shorter forms also allows me to be "purer" too, in the sense of a more clear-cut approach to a story or a character. That said, wrestling such huge beasts can also be exhausting, and it’s nice to work in shorter forms, too. ![]() But I also enjoy the byproducts of making long works, namely the emergent order, the things that surface from the complexity of really huge tales, the characters that appear unexpectedly and then become crucial, and the way that the fictional reality develops its own resonances. Mostly the length is compelled by the amount of stuff there is in the nascent story when it first occurs to me. As Williams continues to thrill readers with his remarkable storytelling, The Portalist reached out to chat about his own inspirations and process. The Navigator’s Children, the final book in the Last King of Osten Ard series, is set to release November 7th, 2023, followed by an Osten Ard prequel, The Splintered Sun, coming Fall 2024. The rich worldbuilding of Osten Ard inspired many writers, from Patrick Rothfuss to George R.R. Kitchen boy Simon, unwittingly apprenticed to a League member, is sent off on a perilous quest that will decide the very fate of the kingdom. Fearing the ramifications of this deal, the king’s younger brother teams up with the League of the Scroll, a collection of scholars, to protect Osten Ard from the coming danger. When he passes, the undead Storm King and his elf-like Sithi jump on the opportunity to make a deal with the new king to reclaim their lost realm. In this tale, the tranquil land of Osten Ard is under threat as the High King, Prester John, inches closer to death, ushering in a war driven by dark sorcery. Part of the expansive Osten Ard universe, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn begins with the 1988 novel The Dragonbone Chair. Though he has several impressive series and standalone books in his catalogue, Williams is best known for the beloved Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series. Since his debut novel, Tailchaser’s Song, was first published in 1985, Williams’ work has cumulatively sold more than 17 million copies worldwide. Author Tad Williams is a titan in the fantasy and science fiction genres. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |