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 February 2019 and Terry’s answers! Enjoy!
Note: This section may contain spoilers!
FEBRUARY 2019 ASK TERRY Q&A
Hi Everyone,
Annnnnd here we go again! Now moving faster towards the present. Let’s take a look at February’s batch of Ask Terry . . .
Chris Cruver writes: If Strabo is the last of the dragons, it seems to me he would become lonely. Could yet another new world where Dragons exist anew become something Ben Holiday finds out about before Strabo be a possible adventure for the king to help a faltering or weakening Strabo from his lonesomeness as something he would want, especially if Strabo is to become a guardian of sorts for himself?
Terry Brooks replies: Well, we could do that. But Strabo’s character is largely defined by the fact that he is the last of his kind and likes to both brag and complain about it. As yet, I haven’t decided I want to improve his disposition. But I will give this some thought. As yet, no other Magic Kingdom novel is planned for the foreseeable future. Could change, though.
Art Safarian writes: If you could only share three stories/books that each by itself taught you an important life lesson, what three stories/books would you share?
Terry Brooks replies: The Bear by William Faulkner. All sorts of lessons in this long short story. Much of it centers about how sometimes what you want isn’t really what you want at all and accomplishment of a deed does not always bring you satisfaction. Metaphorically, like Moby Dick, it is about the inevitability of the world to rise above your efforts. Love this story
Billy Lynn’s Long Half-Time Walk by Ben Fountain. A story about an Iraq army squad sent home to be feted as heroes because they (mostly) survived a vicious firefight. It all takes place during halftime at the Thanksgiving Day football game in Dallas, and it addressed heroes and how they are perceived, expectations that will never happen, the loyalty of soldiers as comrades-in-arms and the terrible cost of war.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Not because it introduced me to epic fantasy but because it inspired me to explore a larger version of the world than the one I knew and to never be afraid to immerse myself in what I found there.
Kiltron writes: You have mentioned that you are writing a new epic fantasy book/series. Could you tell us a little about it or a title?
Terry Brooks replies: No. Not just yet.
Chris K. writes: Hi Terry, big Landover fan here. I am very interested to learn the pronunciation, as you intended, of the creature, Ardsheal. Is it Ard-sheal or Ards-heal.
Terry Brooks replies: It is the latter.
David Salchow writes: Game of Thrones will be wrapping up on HBO in May. It seems like George RR Martin has turned over writing the conclusion of his series to others. As an author, how would you feel about turning your world over to another? Is there any dollar amount where you’d turn the End of Shannara over to another?
Terry Brooks replies: Hmmmm. Sounds like you are asking me if I can be bought. Probably. But too late for someone else to write the End of Shannara, since I have already written it and the last book in that series will publish next June. But I can foresee a time when either I or (if I am not here) my publisher turn the series over to another writer to take off in a different direction or to fill in the gaps.
Anyway, turning my work over to anyone is not something I can see happening any time soon. You are all stuck with me for as long as my fingers and my brain work in concert and with some semblance of coherence.
See you next month or whenever with a new edition of Ask Terry.
Ask Terry
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