For many years the only chance a fan had of speaking to Terry was to meet him at tour events or conventions.
With the establishment of this website in 2000, Terry began accepting two questions from each fan per month. On the last day of the month, five questions are randomly drawn. Terry answers these five questions and they are posted monthly for your enjoyment.
Below are the questions selected from November 2018 and Terry’s answers! Enjoy!
Note: This section may contain spoilers!
NOVEMBER 2018 ASK TERRY Q&A
Hi All,
One more time, dear friends and readers. Another Ask Terry has arrived!
Steven Ponsi writes: What is the situation with The Shannara Chronicles TV show?
Terry Brooks replies: There is some renewed interest from another source that I cannot talk about, so we keep our fingers crossed. If it arises, there will be changes that will please everyone.
Meena Khela writes: I absolutely loved Allanon and was quite upset when he died – he was without a doubt, my favorite character with Wil being a close second. I am wondering if you are (or will be) considering writing something else based on Allanon’s adventures and perhaps more about Bremen’s teaching Allanon of magic. Please please please bring Allanon back in another book (or 3)!!!! Allanon ROCKS!!!
Terry Brooks replies: Allanon will return in a pair of short stories in my collection of short fiction to be published October 2020. So there is something to tide you over until I have time to do something more with him in a piece of longer fiction. Oddly, there have been other requests for a book about his childhood involvement with magic and growing up a Druid.
John Ciocco writes: I have been a fan since I read The Sword of Shannara around the time it was first published. I have enjoyed all of your books and series and look forward to each and every book and the continuing development of your worlds. I just finished Streat Freaks and enjoyed it very much. Do you have any plans to continue Ash and Cay’s story? I would love to see them continue in print.
Terry Brooks replies: Street Freaks was a one-off taken for a test drive, but there has been considerable interest since. So I do have a sequel in mind, but will need to find time to sit down and write it. I doubt I will get to that in the next few years, but you never know about how things will work out. Stay tuned.
David Salchow writes: I really enjoyed Street Freaks. In my opinion, it is your finest, most original work since Armageddon’s Children. I noticed the entire book is from Ashton’s perspective with events occurring in order chronologically. Except for short stories, was this your first book written from the perspective of one character and what went into the decision to write it in this manner?
Terry Brooks replies: Street Freaks was first written from Ash’s perspective in first person, using ‘I’ but it felt too confining. So I shifted to third person, but mostly from Ash’s POV. I expect I would stick with this if I wrote a sequel, if for no better reason than continuity. I have not done this before, mostly because most of my work features an ensemble cast of characters and we need different perspectives. Also, that is the form I am most comfortable with. I tested a different form for Street Freaks because it was a different kind of book and very much all about Ash. Good to differentiate sometimes, one thing from another.
Annette Peikert writes: I really loved Street Freaks. I did not see anything about you continuing this as a series. Any thoughts on this? I hope so, I want to see what happens next!
Terry Brooks replies: See above. I have the idea for a sequel and a title, but I have to find the time and I have to spend more effort in fleshing out the idea for the book. So I think it will probably be a few more years before you see anything else.
Okay, gang, one more down. Still catching up, but working to finish by summer’s end on getting caught up.
Have a good one,
Ask Terry
Please completely fill in the form below and send the two questions you want to ask Terry this month.