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 June 2020 and Terry’s answers! Enjoy!
Note: This section may contain spoilers!
JUNE 2020 ASK TERRY Q&A
Dear Readers,
Hi All! Here I am, back from a life of virtual reality to one of email reality. Is there a significant difference? Got me. I am still not talking to much of anyone either way – or at least not to an audience I can see.
Scott Slinde writes: I know you have other projects you want to write. Could you possibly write a fantasy book based on a Dragon being a strong character in a new series of fantasy book series?
Terry Brooks replies: Wow, you’ve been spying on me, you little devil. That is exactly what I am writing at this very moment. Later this year – along about October – Del Rey will bring out Child of Light. The sequel (name withheld intentionally) is being written now and, yes, there are dragons and they do talk. Of course, not everyone can understand what they are saying. They tend to slur a lot.
Nate Weinand writes: Street Freaks gives me a Ready Player One vibe (at least in terms of the world). Was that book a major influence or what it something else?
Terry Brooks replies: Well, Ready Player One gives me nightmares. If I had been paying better attention, I would have written it first! But no, Street Freaks was mostly influenced by how prejudiced we are as a nation and peoples and how ready we are to dismiss those for whom we have preconceived dislikes. Also to look at what I see as the possible future of this country.
Debba Sniderman writes: I have loved all your books for many years, but I think the Landover series is my favorite. There have been little news bites about the books becoming movies from time to time over the years, but it never seems to actually happen. Any movement forward on that? What with the success of CGI, they could be very nicely realized for the big screen! Hope to see that happen someday. Until then, thanks so much for your wonderful stories, greatly appreciated!
Terry Brooks replies: As you know, I am forbidden to discuss MOVIES or ACTORS or DIRECTORS and the like. Deep secrets all of them. Do love that series. Just wish it would find the right home. You know, in case.
Andrew writes: Being a reader since the 1980’s, I have always wondered if you and David Eddings ever crossed paths as you were both pivotal writers with Del Rey and fantasy was such an up and coming genre at the time. There has been so little written about Eddings and I wondered if you might have an interesting perspective on him as an author or as a man?
Terry Brooks replies: David, Stephen Donaldson and I all came into the Del Rey camp at about the same time, so we did know one another. I didn’t know David well. He and Lee didn’t come out to events as much as I was used to, and you have to remember that things were more button downed and closed-mouth back then. We weren’t doing the big cons yet (this was the late 1970s and early 1980s, and I wasn’t communicating with any other authors on a regular basis except for Ben Bova. I do know from others that David was a pretty nice guy and a hard worker.
Patrick Burnside writes: Thanks for being my favorite author. I met you a few years ago in Montreal across the street from McGill University. Enjoyed the small gathering very much. My question is do you have any files or paperwork that you use to keep track of whom is related to whom, who died, etc etc?
Terry Brooks replies: Not as much these days, but I started off with pretty copious notes. When THE WORLD OF SHANNARA companion book was published, I ceded all my research over to Teresa Patterson. Now and again someone would work up a chronology or chart, but most of that is stored safely away where I can’t find it. Also, since I’ve moved on to other projects, I have stopped thinking about Shannara altogether for the time being.
Hey, not bad for a first start. Great and timely questions for this author and I can add to this that my writing is just flying along and I am so excited to be doing something so entirely new and so far so wonderful. See you with July Q&A soon.
Be safe, be well,
Ask Terry
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