ComicCon London quite often is able to deal with interesting writing matters in an easy-going and funny way. Ed Cox (The Relic Guild trilogy) moderated the panel, six authors divided into two “teams.” On one side, Lucy Hounsom (The World Maker trilogy), Tomi Oh (Do you dream of Terra – Two), and Stark Holborn (Nunslinger). The opponents were Chris Wooding (The Ember Blade), Gavin Smith (The Bastards Legion), and Daniel Polansky (A City Dreaming).
The hostilities – obviously figurative, there was no real enmity – started with the question on which author created the best world possible in the past. “Terry Pratchett,” without thinking twice replied Holborn. “He’s always been my favourite.” Tomi Oh went for George Martin; the author said Martin had undoubtedly elevated the level of fantasy. “Tolkien was the best in every sense,” Lucy Hounsom said without flinching. “He created a world, inhabitants populating it, and languages. He was the master of the genre.” The choice of the famous and successful British fantasy author kicked off a funny and unexpected argument between David Polansky and Stark Holborn – afterwards, the authors all backed Tolkien’s defence. Polansky claimed that Tolkien was undoubtedly an amazing writer, but he had a sort of childish resolution for his masterpiece – the Hobbits simply got back to the Shire after the incredible journey and battles they witnessed as nothing had ever happened. “There’s a moral behind their behaviour,” Holborn explained. “The battle against the Evil finished and they got back to their pure and quiet life.” The explanation was not enough to end the critique at the master Tolkien, but Cox cut them short asking as to how their favourite writers influenced them. “What I learnt from my reading is that you have to be a little bit twisted mind,” Wooding said. “I like to make the things unclear and smelly.” “Don’t waste time in creating a world populated by elves and dwarves,” Hounsom suggested. “Tolkien has already done it, and he did it in an amazing way.” Tomi Oh focused more on the realism of the writing; Martin created a world in which you would never know who wins. “It’s not only the unpredictability of the winner to appeal you,” the writer said. “The morality is incredibly distorted.” Magic is the main element of a fantasy story. The authors had similar points of view about it. “I don’t like when the magic is predictable,” Gavin Smith said. “It doesn’t have to be a gift to the main character.” “I agree,” Wooding confirmed. “I think magic has to be mysterious, and it must have a cost for the person who obtains and uses it.” “Martin’s magic has a cost, indeed,” Oh added, “and I liked this detail. Magic usually comes after a ritual or a sacrifice which cost something to the character.”. The meeting came to an end – after the last bantering between Polanski and Holborn about Tolkien – and the authors dealt with the creation of their worlds. “I’m not a planner,” Hounsom said. “I, of course, have a general idea, but I write bit by bit and slowly create what I imagined.” “I wish I could do that,” Wooding replied. “Contrarily, I’m quite a planner. I do have to have in mind the world which I want my characters to be in.” When the authors stood up, Cox quickly called them back. The winner hadn’t been nominated. The writer asked the audience to raise their hand in favour of the team they thought had performed better. Tolkien was a too big giant to oppose to, and the victory clearly went to they who defended him from the beginning.
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