The Wolfe & Gaiman Show
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
“The best idea in [A Walking Tour of the Shambles] we stole, happily, from what may be the only place it’s ever been done (which is Charles G. Finney’s The Circus of Dr. Lao): the list of unanswered questions. He has a list of the questions which were not answeredin the book. We actually went one step further, because we provide not only a list of unanswered questions but a list of answers, which Genedid.It’s absolutely marvelous and rather creepy. The acid bath one always gets a horrified laugh at readings: ‘What kind of man would kill a woman anddis- solve her body in acid, and how could that safely be done today?’”’ NEIL GAIMAN Gene [Rodman] Wolfe was born May 7, Award, and is a finalist on the Hugo ballot. His have an audience. With most writing, you have 1931 in Brooklyn, New York and grew up in current children’s book Coraline (2002) is a an audiencebutit’s imaginary — somebodyjust Texas, where he graduated from the University bestseller. Other works include Don’t Panic: like you wholikes the same kinds of things and of Houston in 1956 with a BS in mechanical The Official Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy likes your jokes, but isn’t you and is as smart or engineering. He served in the US Army in Korea Companion (1988), collection Smoke and smarter, and you’re writing for him or her. The from 1952-1954, was a project engineer for Mirrors (1998), and graphic children’s book joy of our project was, I had my audience.I was Procter and Gamble from 1956-72, and senior The Day I Swapped My Dadfor Two Goldfish writing for Gene. If it made Gene laugh, it editor ofPlant Engineeringfrom 1972 - 84, when (1997, with Dave McKean). Gaiman currently worked. And Gene had an audience, too. he left to write full time. His first published story lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife, “The best idea in there westole, happily, was “The Dead Man” (1965) for erotic maga- Mary McGrath, whom he married in 1985, their from what maybethe only place it’s ever been zine Sir. Most ofhis early SF work appeared in son and two daughters. done (which is Charles G. Finney’s The Circus Damon Knight's Orbit series; manycollections Wolfe and Gaimanfirst met in 1983, at the of Dr. Lao): the list of unanswered questions. of his stories have been published over the British Fantasy Convention in Birmingham. He has a list of the questions which were not years. They and their families became friends when answered in the book. Weactually wentone step Wolfe’s novels began to appear in 1970, Gaimanandhis family movedto the US in 1992. further, because we provide not only list of with Operation ARES, and include The Fifth They recently collaborated on A Walking Tour unanswered questions but a list of answers, Head of Cerberus (1972), Peace (1975), of the Shambles: Little Walks for Sightseers which Genedid. It’s absolutely marvelous and “Latro” books Soldier of the Mist (1986) and #16, published for the 2002 World Horror rather creepy. The acid bath one always gets a Soldier ofArete (1989), and Castleview (1990); Convention where they were both guests. horrified laugh at readings: ‘What kind of man he has also written books for young adults and The “interview” is a series of talks with would kill a woman and dissolve her body in poetry. His most ambitious and acclaimed works Gaiman interviewing Wolfe, overseen by acid, and how could that safely be done today?’ are the 12 books and various stories that share Charles N. Brown and Jennifer A. Hall. “The strangest thing is this Gahan Wilson the same “Urth” universe: the “Book of the New cover with a picture of me and Gene on it. How Sun” sequence (four books 1980 - 83, with a NG: “The project we just did together was cool is that?” fifth added in 1987, plus several related stories), a lovely bit of fun.” GW:“The really cool thing there is, we’re the “Book of the Long Sun” (four books 1993— GW:“J certainly enjoyed it. There’s two in association with Alice in Wonderland, which 96), and its sequel trilogy “Book of the Short versions printed out — one Neil gets top billing, is where I have always wanted to be! I’ve always Sun” (1999-2001). “New Sun” volume one, The and one / get top billing.” wanted this little upper-class English girl to Shadow of the Torturer (1980), won a World NG: “The fun of it for me was theinitial come up to me, holding a piece of cake in each Fantasy Award; volume two, The Claw of the problem-solving conversations. I phoned Gene hand, and say ‘Which one should I eat?’” Conciliator (1981), a Nebula; and volume four, up andsaid, ‘We’ve beenasked to collaborate on NG:“Gene and I resort to e-mail when we The Citadel of the Autarch (1983), the John W. a story.’ He laughed hollowly. I said, ‘The only have to, if I’m on a different continent, but most Campbell Memorial Award. Wolfe’s other wayI think we could doit is if we pick some of the time when we’re doing a story the fun of awardsinclude a Nebulafor novella “The Death kind of thing that will allow us to do what you it is posting it to each other, then phoning up and of Doctor Island” (1973), a World Fantasy did in Bibliomen, where wehaveshorter things laughing at each others’ jokes. We wouldn’t Awardfor collection Storeys from the Old Hotel that make up something bigger. We could do a have been able to do that with e-mail. It would (1988), and a World Fantasy Life Achievement tarot deck, a dictionary, a guidebook.’ And Gene have been moreefficient, but muchless fun.” Award in 1996. He has been to married said, ‘Let’s do a guidebook.’ He could have said GW:“I’m not sure it would have been more Rosemary Frances Dietsch since 1956; they yes to a dictionary, and it could have beenjustas efficient. I’m not nearly as good a writer at e- have two sons and two daughters, and live in strange and dangerous.” mail as I am on paper. I’m an old-fashioned guy. Barrington, Illinois. GW:“Butthat, to my knowledge, has been I need time to print it out and look at it and Neil [Richard] Gaiman was born done more. AmbroseBierce wasthe original guy revise, scratch my head, pencil out words and November 10, 1960 in Porchester, England. in that area, and it’s been done by a numberof pencil in words. The computer drives menuts. I After attending school in southern England, he other people. It’s very tempting to define terms, always remind people whotalk about how writ- moved to London, where he worked as a free- put your own prejudices in as Samuel Johnson ing is going to be revolutionized by the comput- lance journalist in the early 1980s and sold his did. But I didn’t know of anybody who had done er that Shakespeare wrote with a feather that he first stories to gaming and men’s magazinesin a guidebook, other than The Tough Guide to had to resharpen every pageor so, and look what 1984 and 1985. His first work in the field was Fantasy by Diana Wynne Jones (which really he did!” co-editing humorous book of SF quotations liked).” NG: “And you, you started writing in col- Ghastly Beyond Belief (1985, with Kim NG: “I think what attracted both Gene and lege?” Newman). His well-known “Sandman’”’ me to it was the incredibly dry tone. Anybody GW:“I started writing at Texas A&M,for comic/graphic series began in 1989, and who’s ever done any touristing anywhere has The Commentator, which wasthe literary maga- includes “A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1990), ended up with one of these little guidebooks: zine. I wrote three or fourlittle stories for it. I the only comic to win a World Fantasy Award. ‘You are now looking at this example of 1870s wish to God I could remember the nameof the His novels include Good Omens (1990, with whatever, and this happened here. Nowcrossthe editor, because I learned more from the student Terry Pratchett); Neverwhere (1996), a novel- road and you will see....’ It seemed one of those editor of The Commentator than I have ever ization of his dark-fantasy BBC series; Stardust things where you could take the style and then learned from any othereditor. (1998); and American Gods (2001), which won insert your own contents. “He was an upperclassman and I was a an International Horror Guild award, a Locus ‘For any collaborative work, suddenly you sophomore, and I expected to be beaten. We Continued on page 81 LOCUS September 2002 / 7 Ron Walotsky’s death was and wasn’t a surprise: two-page mimeographedissue in 1968. I don’t feel a we knew he’d been hospitalized in June and had been Editorial Matters day older. Actually, yes I do — a lot older, almost following his progress almost daily through e-mails; trum Board. ancient. I keep looking back at the staff photos and and though his condition was very serious, we had E-MAIL PROBLEMS wondering where the time has gone. Jenni collected | expected him to pull through. So to suddenly hear he Unknownto us, our ISP placed a spam filter on many of the pieces in the Locus 500 section without hadn’t made it was a sad shock.