Author Spotlight: Naomi Novik

Artists in general are people that have toiled and toiled and have never tasted any sort of monetary success. Passion fuels them and they will live on 'ends meet' for a long time (find one at your local small art gallery). Occasionally there are some that will hit the big time after a long career in something else (Rowling). 

Novik doesn't fit in either of these groups. There aren't many people who get to do things they love at such an early age and be successful. Geeks all around the world would love to be on a design team for a computer game, let alone a geek's wet dream of Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide. 

However, Novik decided that she liked writing more than game designing so she left.

Now this would be a huge risk for anyone. You have a stable well paid job and stop that to toil away at the market of writing. Not just any kind of writing, but fantasy writing. A market that is really under read if you look at what's at the top 10 box office each year and how big the comic book market is. 

It didn't take Novik long to make a splash in the pool though. In 2006 her first book was published called 'His Majesty's Dragon'. This book is the first of the Temeraire series, which is set in an alternate world during the Napoleon war. Dragons are there to mimic aerial attack (think world war 1). In the UK, the book was published as 'Temeraire'.

The book was a huge hit with readers but if that wasn't enough, Peter Jackson (Director of Lord of the Ring Trilogy, The Frightners) also acquired the option for the Temeraire books! In 2008 her fifth book called 'Victory of Eagles' was published to much acclaim and was included in Amazon's 2008 top 10 Sci-fi/Fantasy books of the year.

I personally have liked the Temeraire books, they are fun and entertaining. I would eventually like to read works from her outside of the Temeraire series but at the moment I am content.

Author Spotlight: David Gemmell

"Probably the finest living writer of heroic fantasy" - Time Out

Alas this is no longer true as David Gemmell passed away on July 28th 2006. However I still regard him as one of the best heroic fantasy writers of the last century. 

David Gemmell's first book entitled "Legend" published in 1984 is regarded his best novel, and while Gemmell stated that perhaps it is not the best written of his books, it is his favourite. "Legend" was an instant commercial success and now had to juggled between writing and his journalism job. After Waylander (1986) was published he started to write full time, but not before he was fired from his journalism job because he used colleagues names in his book. (Gemmell later said that his Managing Director had regarded it "a poisonous attack on his integrity.")1

The Drenai Saga is perhaps Gemmell's most well known series in which 'Legend and 'Waylander' fall under, however he has also written many other series, stand-alones and historical fiction.

Criticisms of David Gemmell's books are that many of his works are too similar and quotes of "read one Gemmell book, you've read them all" is widely considered true. However, just like the band AC/DC, why change from the tried and true? If people like it and are willing to buy it why not produce the same product? Perhaps evidence to support this is his 'Black Knight, White Swan' book.  On one occassion Gemmell wrote under a pseudonym Ross Harding. His book: 'Black Knight, White Swan' (1993) was a Crime Thriller and was his first book not to become a best seller. 

Because of the similarities of his books, I think that his historical fiction series: Troy, was under read because too many of Gemmell's fringe fans would not risk and delve into this series. Perhaps if there wasn't such a plethora of excellent books written these days Troy would have gotten the attention it deserved. Gemmell did step outside of his tried and true formula and gave a very well written story of Troy. Not only was it well written but kept the writer guessing at what is to many a familiar story. 

David Gemmell died of coronary heart disease before Fall of Kings was finished. 70,000 words were already written and Stella, David's wife, decided to take up the mantle and finish the book. She had to re-read what was already written and the exoskeleton of what David had etched out. Her influence in the book is noted for those that take care when reading but ultimately a very good job of it. 

What I find I will miss most are those simple stories of friendship, loyalty and redemption. Many stories published today are complex and have many dimensions (which isn't bad), but it means those up and coming David Gemmell's won't have much chance of surviving the dog eat dog world of Fantasy publishing. One day I will have read all of Gemmell's works and will miss being able to enjoy a well written book for what it is, regardless if I had read it under a different book title. 

If you have not read any of David Gemmell's works, start with "Legend". You won't be disappointed. And if you have read Gemmell before and haven't read Troy, I urge you to do so.

1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5224868.stm