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Star
Wars – Lightsabre Interview with Greg Bear
Welcome to
Star Wars- Lightsabre.
Our latest guest is Nebula and Hugo winning sci-fi author and writer
of the hugely successful Rogue Planet, Greg Bear. Q -Greg, welcome to Star
Wars - Lightsabre. A - Glad to be here, virtually speaking Q - What are your major
influences as a writer? A - Almost too many to list. Certainly
H.G. Wells and Verne and Burroughs... the Tom Swift Jr. books when I was
eight years old--Robert Heinlein's RED PLANET when I was nine--Ray Bradbury,
Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Poul Anderson in my early teen years...
Later, Nikos Kazantzakis and James Joyce and Joseph Conrad, Olaf Stapledon,
and on and on! Q - How did you get into
writing science fiction, and why this particular genre? A - I began writing SF and fantasy when I
was eight. I was chiefly influenced by movies and the few books I could find
(bookstores being rather rare where I was living at the time--Kodiak, Alaska,
for example.) But I think I had the bent for SF from the very beginning. It
was simply the most interesting stuff on Earth, or off. Q - Rogue Planet was the
first novel to detail the further adventures of Obi-wan and Anakin after The
Phantom Menace. Did you find this daunting, especially considering that fans
of the movie would be crying out for some kind of continuation to tide them
over until Attack of the Clones? A-. Not at all daunting. As the father of
a headstrong teenage son, I sort of knew what had to happen between Obi-Wan
and Anakin in the early stages. The tragedy comes from anticipating what will
happen in Episodes 2 and 3. Lucasfilm's Sue Rostoni and Del Rey's Shelly Shapiro
were very easy to work with, and very supportive. At no point were there any
major hitches. (And I'm hoping, of course, that my son Erik does not turn
into Darth Vader!) Q - In your opinion, what
makes for a good book? A - Wonderful or awful things happen,
sometimes in combination, and people grow. Books reflect a limited, dreamlike
view of life--even the most realistic of novels--and must be adjusted accordingly.
A STAR WARS story is propelled by strong and compelling characters engaged in
broad sweeps of action and emotion, rather like a combination of a Samurai
movie and King Arthur, with technical trappings. Q - Which other writers,
sci-fi or otherwise, inspire you the most? A - See my answer, above! I'd also add
fifty or sixty others, but it would take hours and many sweeps through my
library. Q - How large and
important a part does the Internet play in the modern day world, in relation
to books? A - It's going to play an increasingly important
part, as soon as some company or other delivers the "must-have" e-books
reader. They're right on the horizon now, maybe next year! Q - Which of the four
films stands out as your personal favourite, and why? A - I don't pick favorites. Each has its
strengths. If I'm forced to choose, it would be the original--the
first--simply because of the surprise factor, the recognition, back in 1977,
that somebody had finally done space opera in film, and done it lovingly, and
right. Q - Do you have any new
Star Wars projects lined up? A- No more media tie-ins for the time being.
I have many more books to write--including DARWIN'S CHILDREN, the sequel to
my best-selling book so far (except for ROGUE PLANET, which I have to share
credit for)--DARWIN'S RADIO. Q - What do you foresee
in the future for yourself outside of the Star Wars universe? After the Hugo
and the Nebula, what's left? A - Awards are fine, and I have my share,
but finding new audiences and giving them experiences they've never had before--in
the safety of their armchairs--is the most fun of all. Audiences are tough to
reach and to maintain, and that challenge--to surprise and entertain--is all
the world to me, creatively speaking. Q - What surprises are
you anticipating when Attack of the Clones arrives on Thursday May 16th 2002? A - I haven't the foggiest idea. By the
end of Episode III, however, we'll probably discover that Anakin Skywalker's
least favourite style of cooking is Fondue. Q - Any thoughts on Star
Wars - Lightsabre? Any advice, we guarantee, will be gratefully accepted!! A - Just keep doing what you love. Whether
you succeed or fail, you'll know you did your best. Q - And finally, the most
important question. Darth Vader, Yoda, Watto and Jar Jar Binks are on an
aeroplane. They are heading to a Sci-Fi convention in New Jersey when all of
a sudden a huge explosion rips through the fuselage - they've been hit by
lightning and the plane's about to crash! The bad news is there are only
three parachutes. Who stays behind, and why? A - Yoda and Jar-Jar link ears and save
them all. |
