Tim Lebbon
on his novel DUSK
Steven Shrewsbury: Since I was familiar
with your horror novels, I was thrilled to see you take on a dark
edged fantasy novel. Could you tell us a little about Dusk?
Tim
Lebbon: Dusk is a fantasy novel. Alternate world,
different flora and fauna, unusual landscapes … but it’s
very, very dark. It’s been called a horror writer’s
fantasy novel, and in a way I suppose it is. But I’m not just
a horror writer. Dusk explores a world going to ruin after
the removal of magic, and what happens when magic seeds itself once
again. Obviously, there’ll be lots of people who want it.
Some good, some bad … some plain evil.
Steven: What prompted you to write a fantasy novel?
Tim: It was an idea I’d had for a while, and I fancied
trying it. That’s about it. I haven’t read much traditional
fantasy, but I wanted to try writing something in a totally new
world, where I could make up all the rules, religions, societies
… everything. It was very liberating, and I think it turned
out pretty well.
Steven: I see Dawn will be released next year.
Will you take another journey into fantasy novels in the future?
Tim: Yes, there’ll be more novels set in the world
of Noreela. They’ll probably be stand-alone novels –
no trilogies, or decologies. I’ve got loads of ideas, and
I believe it’s a very rich world that I hope to visit again
and again.
Steven: Who are some of your favorite fantasy or S&S
authors of the past? Did any of them inspire you to want to tell
such a tale?
Tim: See above … I really haven’t read that
much traditional fantasy or sword & sorcery. Lord of the Rings,
Kane, Mark Chadbourn, some David Gemmell, Erikson, a few short stories
and novellas. I hope that the fact I haven’t read much shines
through in the novel. It’s certainly provoking differing and
extreme reactions: some readers say it’s reinvented the genre,
while others slam it for being clichéd.
Steven: Do you read any new S&S or fantasy?
Tim. Not much.
Steven: You certainly pulled no punches in style or content
in Dusk. I really enjoyed the brutal realism. Do you agree
it's important to tell a good story rather than try and stifle oneself
to sensitivities in a different genre?
Tim: Oh, absolutely. I’ve had a few readers praising
the book but complaining about the bad language and sex. As if people
don’t swear or fuck in a fantasy world! For me a story has
to be realistic, and if I’m gathering a few people together
to face tremendously trying circumstances, they are going to swear.
And as swear words should have an effect on the reader, using made-up
words just won’t work. It’s real life in a fantasy world.
Steven: Did you approach this project any differently than
your horror novels?
Tim: Only in that I had much more freedom to create. I
went a bit wild, had a great time, creating creatures and races
of people, places and things, histories and religions and civilisations.
It was wonderful! But in the end, I set out to tell a good story
in an engaging manner, which I think is how I approach pretty much
everything I write.
Steven: Well, thank you for answering these questions,
Feel free to plug away and upcoming projects or appearances.
Tim: Thank you. Best way to plug future books is to reference
my websites. My main website is www.timlebbon.net,
and a website devoted to Dusk and Dawn is at www.noreela.com
TIM LEBBON THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
2006
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Tim Lebbon
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