Kevin's Watch

You're about to have a wonderful dinner, drinks and three hours of conversation with 5-8 of your favorite authors in these genre. Tell us who they would be, they have to be alive, and how the conversation might go...

I've got six so far:
SRD
Walter Jon Williams
David Zindell
George R. R. Martin
Dan Simmons
and just added the brilliant Iain M. Banks

I think my writing skills might be sharpened by osmosis, just by hanging with this crew-and I bet Martin, Williams and Banks are hilarious after tipping a few.

Jeff Noon
China Mieville

George RR Martin
Steven Erikson

The latter two to discuss the art of organising a gazillion story threads. Add China to the mix to fervently put down their 'classic' form of fantasy.

I'd invite Stephen King to talk about music with.

I'm sure I'm forgetting several more interesting guests...maybe after a few more wines I'll think of some.

I've thought a little about seat placement-to my right would be SRD, of course and next to him Walter Jon Williams since they're both from NM and practice martial arts. On my left would be David Zindell (since I have so many questions to ask him) and next to him would be Dan Simmons since they both live in or near Boulder, CO, began writing at about the same time and have alot of the same overarching "themes" in their work. Martin would have to sit next to Simmons since they both have written "vampire style" books and then Banks because I'd love to see the interchange between him and Martin, and given Martin's high interest in British history. That would mean Banks would be sitting next to Williams and the high tech, galactic talk would flow (and probably alot of laughs, too-Williams is extremely funny in person).

Other prospective guests-
Gene Wolfe
China Mieville
Ursula K. Le Guin
Patricia McKillip
Steven Erikson

I've never been one to investigate authors' actual lives, so just going by the books they've written, i'd have...

China Meiville
Anne McCaffrey
Terry Pratchett
SRD
Ursula LeGuin
Julian May

SRD
GRRM
Stephen King
Christopher Paloni (sp?) So i can argue about Eragon

Cant think of anymore heh.

Christopher Paloni? Wouldn't he have to sit at the kiddie table with Tad Williams and David Brin's smugness?

Donaldson, George Martin, R. Scott Bakker.

danlo wrote:they have to be alive

Youy've just removed half of my list.

R. Scott Bakker
Chuck Palahniuk

Not Wolfe Syl? Lore we'll have to create a ressurecting your fav Sci-Fi/Fantasy author for dinner thread! Tolkien and Herbert would be interesting together...

As much as I like Wolfe, I don't think we'd have much to talk about. But I could definately see me knocking a few back with Chuck and Scott.

danlo wrote:Not Wolfe Syl? Lore we'll have to create a ressurecting your fav Sci-Fi/Fantasy author for dinner thread! Tolkien and Herbert would be interesting together...

Tolkein, Herbert, Sagan, Wells, Stapledon . . .

Donaldson is by all accounts a very personable guy, no?

Lol, interesting tread.
For me it would be :

Gene Wolfe
Guy Gavriel Kay
GRR Martin
Robin Hobb
Neil Gaiman
SRD of course
Gemmell (wish he still were with us)
Stephen King could be fun

-Donaldson
-Lloyd Alexander
-R Scott Bakker
-Robert Anton Wilson
-TH White (who says they can't be dead This is fantasy! If The Once and Future King will again awaken, why not the author of The Once and Future King?)
-Luo Guanzhong (ok, not really fantasy, but as close as I can get from China), and an interpreter.

Donaldson's something like our patron author at this site! How could any of you refuse him a meal!? Alexander's one of my favorites from childhood, so I'd be happy to reciprocate his kindness and chat with him. After them I was pretty much going for creativity. I'll probably want to add some fine ladies into the discussion, but I'll leave it at this for now.

The real question is what sorta stuff I'd be expected to serve as the presumed host. I suppose mead would be the beverage of choice for fantasy authors, and the sci-fi people would get...crappy tasting nutrient-rich astronaut meals!

EDIT-Heyo Alselm, can't help but notice you have a berserk avatar! I used to have a pic of guts in my sig, but I got rid of it because it took up too much space. Anyway, good to see a fellow fan!

Sorry to break it to you but ...supposedly, R. A. Wilson just died... (yes! I'm with you...I'd love to see the way the man's brain worked.)

danlo wrote:Sorry to break it to you but ...supposedly, R. A. Wilson just died... (yes! I'm with you...I'd love to see the way the man's brain worked.)

Well, TH White and Guanzhong are dead too. What do I care if Wilson's dead?

I figure it's all hypothetical anyway. Besides, this is sci-fi and fantasy - all i need is some necros and time machines and I can work everything out.

true... 'guess I'd have to find a way to work Neal Stephenson, William Gibson, Lucious Shepard and Tony Daniel into the mix too...)

Holsety wrote:EDIT-Heyo Alsem, can't help but notice you have a berserk avatar! I used to have a pic of guts in my sig, but I got rid of it because it took up too much space. Anyway, good to see a fellow fan!

Hi Holsety, good to meet a Berserk's fan. And for this not to be a total flood, I'll say that Kentaro Miura our Fantasy author from Japan should be an interesting guest. And I DO have many questions to ask him

Danlo wrote yesterday

Wouldn't he have to sit at the kiddie table with Tad Williams and David Brin's smugness?

LOL Danlo you're very funny.