Steven Erikson LIVE on Google Hangouts on Air

[The Bluestocking]

Hi Steven Erikson and MALAZAN fans!

Just a quick public service announcement here that Mr Erikson will be a guest on a live Google Hangout hosted by my anti-Violence Against Women charity at 6pm PST (Los Angeles Time), Friday 23 September 2016.

Mr Erikson will be doing a reading and then discussing women and girls in his books and pop culture and what writers and men can do to help stop violence against women.

This will be streamed via YouTube and you can watch it and ask Mr Erikson questions in the chatbox next to the video screen during the Hangout. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4vinTtsfC0
If your time zone doesn't jive with the start time (i.e. you're in the UK or Europe and fast asleep at that time):

1. The Hangout will be automatically recorded and archived for you to view later on.

2. You can leave your questions here and I'll gather them up and get them organised for Mr Erikson to answer. Mind you - he can't answer every single fan question within the 1 - 1.5 hours that he's on but he'll try.

 

[nixie]

Well I'm going to ask the obvious, does he have any plans to re-visit the Malazan empire, exploring the events after the crippled god?

 

[Mikis_Stopwatch]

@nixie : I believe he had a plan to revisit the world with a trilogy centered on Karsa after he finishes the Kharkanas Trilogy.

My questions for him are as follows:
1) I have noticed that the Paran children all in some way are centered on a branch of Hellenistic Philosophy (Cynicism, Stoicism, and Epicureanism): Was this deliberate and what effect do you think this had on your story? I have some concerns to this reading, in particular with regards to Felisin on Otataral Island in Deadhouse Gates (one of the single most brutal sections you've written in my opinion, only second to Hetan), but do you think it's justified in context?

2) Will we ever see a symposium of Malazan's most brilliant minds? Something like Kruppe, Tehol, Iskaral, Flicker and Gothos all in the same room at the same time, maybe in the upcoming Karsa Orlong Trilogy. The scene with Kruppe and Iskaral was such fun that I just want to read about any meeting that would occur between the first two, and any of the others would just be a bonus.

3) Will we ever see you write anything with the voice of Avas Didion Flicker again? Crack'd Pot Trail is one of my favorite tales within the Malazan World and I would love to revisit the flickering metaphorical knife of the poet assassin.

4) Finally, a question about Wrath of Betty: How did you decide upon the episodic nature of Willful Child? Did it just occur naturally as a part of the parallels to Star Trek: TOS? Will we see a return to that structure with Wrath of Betty or will it follow a more traditional structure as a novel.

5) Do you feel that Hadrian's voice in wrath of Betty went a little far in lambasting the chauvinism and misogyny of Captain Kirk?

 

[The Bluestocking]

Anyone else have questions for Steven Erikson? I am compiling them now - Steven has agreed to do a TWO-HOUR Google Hangout with us (as opposed to the usual hour-long Hangout) in order to answer as many questions as he can. This is a golden opportunity to ask him any burning questions.

@Brian Turner @Vaz @HareBrain @Juliana @REBerg @ratsy @Cathbad @Wruter @Droflet @Ensign Shah @millymollymo @Phyrebrat ? Anybody? I'm collecting questions right up to 11pm UK Time today as the Hangout begins at 6pm PST (2am UK Time tomorrow) and I need to get all the questions organised and ready for the moderator to read out to Steven.

 

[Brian G Turner]

We hear a lot about restrictive and arguably unfair contract terms becoming the norm in publishing. As an established writer, does Steven feel that he (or his agent) are able to ensure that contractual terms remain reasonably favourable to him? Additionally, is he tempted to hybrid publish - ie, agree paperback/hardback printing with his publishing company while he self-publishes the ebook version to increase his earnings?

Simply curious.

 

[HareBrain]

Does it have to be on this topic:

Mr Erikson will be doing a reading and then discussing women and girls in his books and pop culture and what writers and men can do to help stop violence against women.

If not, was he at all influenced by Glorantha? (Runequest world.) If yes (or even if not) what research did he do into Felisin's portrayal after her sexual abuse in Deadhouse Gates, or did he write her from a "gut feel", and was he at all nervous of how any aspect of her portrayal would be received? (And how did he find it was received?) Also, his women soldiers seem to have as much physical strength on average as his male ones (there are even quite a few heavy infantry among them). How would he answer a hypothetical accusation that this is unrealistic?

 

[Vaz]

Who was his favourite character to write in the Malazan series?

 

[ratsy]

Cool, have fun with this! I have only read Gardens of the Moon, so I don't have any questions per se.

 

[The Bluestocking]

What research did he do into Felisin's portrayal after her sexual abuse in Deadhouse Gates, or did he write her from a "gut feel", and was he at all nervous of how any aspect of her portrayal would be received? (And how did he find it was received?) Also, his women soldiers seem to have as much physical strength on average as his male ones (there are even quite a few heavy infantry among them). How would he answer a hypothetical accusation that this is unrealistic?

Your first Q is a MUST-ASK! We'll incorporate it into the main discussion (instead of the fan question part of the Hangout) methinks!

The second Q is interesting - if there's time, we'll add it to the fan question part of the session.

Oh man! Steven is going to be answering questions for AGES!

(But seriously - he is a very kind and soft-spoken man. Very awesome!)

 

[The Bluestocking]

Who was his favourite character to write in the Malazan series?

Got it! I think another fan also asked this question so into the queue it goes! Hopefully we'll get there!

 

[The Bluestocking]

@nixie : I believe he had a plan to revisit the world with a trilogy centered on Karsa after he finishes the Kharkanas Trilogy.

My questions for him are as follows:
1) I have noticed that the Paran children all in some way are centered on a branch of Hellenistic Philosophy (Cynicism, Stoicism, and Epicureanism): Was this deliberate and what effect do you think this had on your story? I have some concerns to this reading, in particular with regards to Felisin on Otataral Island in Deadhouse Gates (one of the single most brutal sections you've written in my opinion, only second to Hetan), but do you think it's justified in context?

2) Will we ever see a symposium of Malazan's most brilliant minds? Something like Kruppe, Tehol, Iskaral, Flicker and Gothos all in the same room at the same time, maybe in the upcoming Karsa Orlong Trilogy. The scene with Kruppe and Iskaral was such fun that I just want to read about any meeting that would occur between the first two, and any of the others would just be a bonus.

3) Will we ever see you write anything with the voice of Avas Didion Flicker again? Crack'd Pot Trail is one of my favorite tales within the Malazan World and I would love to revisit the flickering metaphorical knife of the poet assassin.

4) Finally, a question about Wrath of Betty: How did you decide upon the episodic nature of Willful Child? Did it just occur naturally as a part of the parallels to Star Trek: TOS? Will we see a return to that structure with Wrath of Betty or will it follow a more traditional structure as a novel.

5) Do you feel that Hadrian's voice in wrath of Betty went a little far in lambasting the chauvinism and misogyny of Captain Kirk?

Thanks! We've got a HUGE queue of questions and will probably only ask one of your Qs.

 

[The Bluestocking]

We hear a lot about restrictive and arguably unfair contract terms becoming the norm in publishing. As an established writer, does Steven feel that he (or his agent) are able to ensure that contractual terms remain reasonably favourable to him? Additionally, is he tempted to hybrid publish - ie, agree paperback/hardback printing with his publishing company while he self-publishes the ebook version to increase his earnings?

Simply curious.

Got it! Fingers crossed there is time for him to answer this. The queue of questions is long but yes - this is a change from all the Malazan questions! @ratsy would probably also want to know about this LOL! Right... into the question queue it goes!

 

[The Bluestocking]

Okay - WE DID IT! Epic 2-hour Google Hangout with Steven, run by a 3-person team no less!

Most of the Chrons folks' questions have been answered (yours is towards the end, @Brian Turner and yours is incorporated at the beginning @HareBrain and everyone else's is tucked in here and there). Check it out:

 

[Vaz]

This is fantastic! Great work.


v

 

[Mikis_Stopwatch]

Great job. I think I just got a lesson in phrasing and prefacing interview questions properly.

 

[The Bluestocking]

Great job. I think I just got a lesson in phrasing and prefacing interview questions properly.

Anushia (the mod) is a journalist when she's not volunteering with my little charity

 

[Mikis_Stopwatch]

Anushia (the mod) is a journalist when she's not volunteering with my little charity

I was referring to Steven's response to my first question (or fifth in my list above), but I do agree with you, she did a fantastic job moderating the Q&A.

 

[The Bluestocking]

I was referring to Steven's response to my first question (or fifth in my list above), but I do agree with you, she did a fantastic job moderating the Q&A.

Oh, Steven is *very* thorough. He's one of the most thorough authors we've ever interviewed. Another one like him would be Joe Hill.