This is the first of a series of interviews that the Solaris editors will be conducting with their beloved writers.
Keep an eye out for forthcoming discussions. To kick us off, here’s a chat with Gail Z. Martin, author of The Summoner.
We’re at the bar at a convention buying you a drink - what’s it to be?
Depends on my mood. White wine, a Black Russian straight up or a Diet Coke.
Why should we buy your book over all the other books out there?
I might be a little biased here… but I think The Summoner gives you very human characters you can care about in a suspenseful, action-packed adventure with a hint of grown-up romance. Some of my favorite books have always been books that were strong on all three of those points - multi-dimensional, flawed but likeable characters I could identify with, a rollicking good adventure story, and poignant romance thrown in between the action. A lot of books deliver two out of the three, but not all three. So I wrote the kind of book I like to read.
Which of the characters are you most like and why?
Well, there is a little bit of me in all my main characters. I think I most identify with Tris and Jonmarc. Tris because he overcomes a dysfunctional family and must figure out what to do with a powerful gift that has a history of destroying its bearers. Jonmarc because he has his whole world turned upside down and had to consciously choose what to make of himself and what to believe about people, himself and the deity.
What would you like people to get from your novels?
First off, I hope they have a good time and come back for more. I used to hate literature teachers who tried to make allegory out of everything. (I once turned in a completely fictitious term paper on “the theological implications of fifteenth century nursery rhymes” to one of my more pretentious English teachers at parochial school who insisted that everything had to stand for something else.) So the books are supposed to be fun. On a deeper level - I believe in all those unfashionable things like honour, compassion, loyalty and faithfulness, and I think the world would be a better place if we acted on them. I also believe that even those of us who have always felt out of place in the space where we’re supposed to belong can find our true home and our tribe of the heart.
Was there a specific message you were trying to convey in your novel?
I didn’t set out to write a message book, so maybe readers are the best judges of whether or not the book has a message. I’m probably too close. I just wanted to tell Tris’s story, and I hope it’s a good roller coaster ride of an adventure.
How did you get your start?
I decided that I wanted to find a job where I could still write while I worked on my books and that made me enough money that I wouldn’t starve waiting to get published. Marketing met both of those criteria.
How much preparation goes into each story as far as research?
I have a pretty big library on medieval warfare, lifestyle, customs etc., as well as folklore, vampires, magic and myth, and I draw on them whenever I need inspiration or to fact check.
Do you ever draw inspiration from current events?
Not directly. I tend to see current events in a fairly mythic, cyclical view - in essence, that we’ve been this way before and unless we wise up and learn from our mistakes, we are going to repeat similar scenarios over and over again. I keep hoping to be proven wrong, but so far, that view holds up experientially.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Define “unusual.” At various times in my career, I’ve written on a manual Smith-Corona circa 1945, electric typewriters and computers. I had a period in my 20s when I would start writing around midnight in a dark room with one light and have the same music on repeat for 3-4 hours. Now I write on a laptop wherever the mood strikes - including by the pool - and I’m usually accompanied by my golden retriever.
Do you have any writing superstitions?
For the last umpteen years, I’ve been walking into bookstores, finding the alphabetic place on the shelf where my name would be, putting my hand there and visualizing my book in that spot. Yesterday I finally got to walk into Borders and see my book right there. So I guess it worked!
What or who inspires you to write?
You imply I have a choice.
What non-literary influences can be seen in your work?
I draw on a lot of my history background and the research I’ve done. I read pretty widely in philosophy, theology, myth and archetypes, thanatology, spirituality and psychology, and at one time or another, I’ve drawn on all of them. I’m especially fond of folklore and ghost stories that are reportedly true.
Who would you most aspire to write like and why?
I love Mercedes Lackey’s characterizations, David Drake’s action scenes, Isaac Bashevis Singer’s sparse and evocative prose, Anne Rice’s descriptions and Anne Lamott’s humor. But I could probably go on all day with more authors whose work I admire for specific strengths.
What made you choose SF/F over any other form?
Well, it’s what I mostly prefer to read, so that wasn’t hard. I also write non-fiction articles and business-oriented material in the course of my day job. But my first love has always been SF/F - I enjoy the way it opens up the whole universe to explore and makes you think and question what you took for granted. And the whole “stranger in a strange land” archetype that is so much a part of SF/F really resonates with me. I identify with characters who are strangers in the places where they’re supposed to belong, and who eventually learn how to create a home and a tribe of their own making. That sense of being “out of place” has significantly shaped my life, my writing and my perspective.
Five minutes with an author of your choice - who would it be and what would you ask?
Joseph Campbell. I would love to ask him questions about myth and archetype.
What is your opinion on the state of publishing today?
I think that some technologies, such as e-books and print-on-demand, are going to evolve and have the potential to make changes in the production and delivery structure of traditional publishing, the way downloadable music has changed the record industry. I don’t think books are going to go away, but I think that multimedia and Internet tie-ins and enhancements are going to eventually help create greater immersion into the story and worlds created by fiction writers.
If you weren’t a writer what would you be doing?
Probably managing a nonprofit that helps people put their lives back together after trauma or domestic violence.
When was the last time you didn’t finish a book and why?
Writing one or reading one? I’ve never skipped finishing one I’m writing - sometimes the result just wasn’t ready for prime time. I haven’t skipped reading the end of one in a long time - probably more the result of being distracted or it not being the right time in my life for me to identify than any flaw in the writing itself.
What books have had an effect on you—for better or worse?
Destination Universe by A.E. Van Vogt - the first SF book I ever read. It blew me away and opened my eyes to a whole new universe of books. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - although I have some serious issues with some of her philosophical assumptions, it was the first book that told me it was OK to be smart, and to be a smart woman. I read it when I was 18. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok - I thought I was the only one who was misled to believe I had to sacrifice who I was to satisfy other people’s views of God. The Magic’s Pawn series by Mercedes Lackey - unforgettable characters that make a searing statement against bigotry.
Do you think there’s anything truly original left to say in the genre?
They say there are really only two stories - someone goes on a trip or a stranger comes to town. And we’ve been telling great variations on those two themes since there’s been language. So I think the originality is in the telling, and the way the story is filtered through the author’s perception and experience.
What are your most favourite or unusual non-writing jobs you’ve had?
The only non-writing job I’ve held was an all-night DJ at a radio station. And even there, I wrote radio commercials.
What do you do when you’re not working?
I have three kids and a husband - so I’m doing mom-stuff, chauffeuring kids to lessons or cleaning up. And whenever possible, hanging out at the pool.
What are some of your hobbies?
Reading, amusement parks, visiting historic sites and Renaissance Festivals, hanging out with my husband and kids. Lately, I’m trying to learn more about anime.
Tell us your most embarrassing moment.
I went to a black tie event a few years ago and wore a slinky raspberry sequined dress. I thought I looked really good - until I realized that I had a “Hello - My Name Is” nametag stuck to my bottom. It had fallen off onto my chair and I sat on it. Ruined the whole effect - but at least people knew who I was!
What are some of your favourite song lyrics?
I’ve always thought that the song Question by The Moody Blues had the quintessential line for Tris: “But in the grey of the morning, my mind becomes confused, between the dead and the sleeping the road that I must choose.” Personally, my favorite song is The Rose by Bette Midler. She’s dead-on about what happens when you give in to fear.
What are you listening to now?
My husband and my teenage daughters keep our iPods updated with the latest hits. I especially like Rob Thomas, Marc Antony, Evanescence, and Springsteen (I suspect Jonmarc Vahanian would be a Springsteen fan). My Ya Hi is probably the bounciest thing lately (I like the original version in Romanian).
Do you have any pets?
A golden retriever who is usually underfoot when I’m writing, and a Himalayan cat with delusions of godhead and aspirations of global domination (in other words, a typical cat).
Do you prefer happy or depressing endings, and why?
Both, depending on what the story requires. I prefer hopeful endings even if there is sadness. You have to have a dose of hardship and reality or the happiness or happy ending is hollow and it doesn’t feel real. I do believe in the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity, and the ability for good - in the big picture and long run - to overcome evil (although there are a lot of casualties along the way and it takes too damn long). I think in the end, we choose what we believe.
