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kateelliottIt seems we see certain relationships explored over and over again in our genre (I do not exempt myself from this observation), so I was intrigued when I read David B. Coe’s A Sorcerer's Plague to discover that the primary relationship explored in this book is between a man and his son-in-law. How often do you see that in sff? Pretty cool.
So I asked David:
Fantasy often seems full of the same old same old relationships: fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, lovers, comrades in arms, and so on, so much so that I think it's easy to forget how often these relationships are reprised until an unusual one comes along. What inspired you to make the central relationship in A Sorcerer's Plague the relationship between a man and his son-in-law? And to explore it and play it out in the way you did?
And David replied:
Interesting question with what I'm afraid might be a disappointing answer. When I first started planning the series and writing The Sorcerers' Plague, I thought that Besh would go off alone. But as soon as I got into the book, into the characters -- not only Besh, but also those around him -- I realized that this made no sense at all. In a way, the characters TOLD me that it made no sense. His friends and family wouldn't have allowed it. Well, at that point, Sirj became the obvious choice to be his companion, because I'd already introduced tension into their relationship, and I always enjoy throwing together characters who don't want to be together. (My characters torment me day and night with their stories, their faults, their crises -- this is one way in which I like to get my revenge.)
As to how the relationship emerged, I think in a sense it says much more about Besh as a character than it does about Sirj. Besh is wise, brave, strong, but he's also stubborn and opinionated, and he formed an opinion about Sirj early on that was off base and unfair. He is highly protective of his family -- that's really why he agrees to go on this quest (mission?) in the first place. Well, that same quality has a darker side as well, as do so many human qualities. In my opinion humans are creatures shaded in grey. Nothing is simply good or simply bad. Besh's pride and his love of his family give him strength, but they also are sources of darker sides of his personality. In a way, Sirj is an embodiment of all the personality flaws that hold Besh back. The development of their friendship is, thus, symbolic of Besh's growth as a character through the book and the series.
The other answer to all this is that I'm the father of two brilliant beautiful girls and no man they find (much, MUCH later in life -- they can start dating when they're 30) will ever be good enough for me. (Me being Besh.) But I also know that I married a brilliant, beautiful woman, and her father and I have a terrific friendship. Since my own father died, Nancy's Dad has come to fill a very special place in my emotional life. (Me being Sirj.) I have elements of both men inside me, as do, I believe, many fathers of girls. Writing the relationship between these two men was very much an internal dialog for me.
I didn't find this answer disappointing in the least, so you may *whap* David as you wish.
Meanwhile, what unusual relationships have you read or written? Why?
So I asked David:
Fantasy often seems full of the same old same old relationships: fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, lovers, comrades in arms, and so on, so much so that I think it's easy to forget how often these relationships are reprised until an unusual one comes along. What inspired you to make the central relationship in A Sorcerer's Plague the relationship between a man and his son-in-law? And to explore it and play it out in the way you did?
And David replied:
Interesting question with what I'm afraid might be a disappointing answer. When I first started planning the series and writing The Sorcerers' Plague, I thought that Besh would go off alone. But as soon as I got into the book, into the characters -- not only Besh, but also those around him -- I realized that this made no sense at all. In a way, the characters TOLD me that it made no sense. His friends and family wouldn't have allowed it. Well, at that point, Sirj became the obvious choice to be his companion, because I'd already introduced tension into their relationship, and I always enjoy throwing together characters who don't want to be together. (My characters torment me day and night with their stories, their faults, their crises -- this is one way in which I like to get my revenge.)
As to how the relationship emerged, I think in a sense it says much more about Besh as a character than it does about Sirj. Besh is wise, brave, strong, but he's also stubborn and opinionated, and he formed an opinion about Sirj early on that was off base and unfair. He is highly protective of his family -- that's really why he agrees to go on this quest (mission?) in the first place. Well, that same quality has a darker side as well, as do so many human qualities. In my opinion humans are creatures shaded in grey. Nothing is simply good or simply bad. Besh's pride and his love of his family give him strength, but they also are sources of darker sides of his personality. In a way, Sirj is an embodiment of all the personality flaws that hold Besh back. The development of their friendship is, thus, symbolic of Besh's growth as a character through the book and the series.
The other answer to all this is that I'm the father of two brilliant beautiful girls and no man they find (much, MUCH later in life -- they can start dating when they're 30) will ever be good enough for me. (Me being Besh.) But I also know that I married a brilliant, beautiful woman, and her father and I have a terrific friendship. Since my own father died, Nancy's Dad has come to fill a very special place in my emotional life. (Me being Sirj.) I have elements of both men inside me, as do, I believe, many fathers of girls. Writing the relationship between these two men was very much an internal dialog for me.
I didn't find this answer disappointing in the least, so you may *whap* David as you wish.
Meanwhile, what unusual relationships have you read or written? Why?