Kevin's Watch

This is from scifi weekly

www.scifi.com/sfw/current/news.html


Runes Author Muscles Onward
Stephen R. Donaldson's most recent book, The Runes of the Earth, has been nominated for a World Fantasy Award, but the author told SCI FI Wire that he is actually more proud of his martial-arts awards than his literary ones.

"The results of literary awards [are] so subjective, they can be determined by the digestion of the judges on a particular day," Donaldson said in an interview. "My progress in the martial arts is tangible, and I can, if I have to, demonstrate it to other people. In that sense, it's much more verifiable."

Donaldson, a third-degree black belt in Shotokan karate, credits his recent success to martial arts. "It has improved my focus, my ability to center and discipline myself." He added: "I've had the ideas in my head since 1980, but writing the second Chronicles persuaded me that I wasn't a good enough writer to write the last Chronicles: an extraordinarily complex and difficult story. Twenty years [later], now, finally, I am."

Donaldson returns to his best-selling series of books, centering on the antihero Thomas Covenant, in what he calls his last series. "However," Donaldson said, "I'm not simply announcing that I don't intend to write more Covenant books. The word 'last' is also relevant to the themes in the story." In this first book, Dr. Linden Avery finds herself back in the Land, the world of wild magic, which has radically changed since her last visit.

Donaldson is currently at work on the next book in the series, Fatal Revenant. The two words are a bit of a riddle: "fatal" means causing death, and "revenant" means one that returns from the dead. Donaldson chose his title carefully. "Both words are critical," he said. "Each has a double meaning, depending upon where you are in the story. "

The book should be finished next year. "I write slowly," Donaldson said. He also said he reads slowly. "I can't read a book without studying it. If I read a book a month, I'm flying." The Runes of the Earth was recently released in paperback.

"However," Donaldson said, "I'm not simply announcing that I don't intend to write more Covenant books. The word 'last' is also relevant to the themes in the story."

Interesting....

I found that most intriguing as well.

Here's what really stuck out at me:

Donaldson is currently at work on the next book in the series, Fatal Revenant. The two words are a bit of a riddle: "fatal" means causing death, and "revenant" means one that returns from the dead. Donaldson chose his title carefully. "Both words are critical," he said. "Each has a double meaning, depending upon where you are in the story. "

Emphasis mine.

I f I wasn't eager for FR before (I am! I am!), I certainly am now!

"Both words are critical," he said. "Each has a double meaning, depending upon where you are in the story. "

And what does that mean?

Does it mean that two definitions of the words apply at the same time?

Or does it mean that the words refer to different characters, perhaps in different ways, at different times. (More of this "halfhand" business.)

Or a combination of both?

I took it to mean the middle of your three questions, Wayfriend.
That there will be different Revenants at different times, and different character choices will be fatal at different times.

One thing I keep reminding myself: "Remember that I am dead"

It's almost like a... paradox!

Wayfriend wrote:

"Both words are critical," he said. "Each has a double meaning, depending upon where you are in the story. "

And what does that mean?

Does it mean that two definitions of the words apply at the same time?

Or does it mean that the words refer to different characters, perhaps in different ways, at different times. (More of this "halfhand" business.)

Or a combination of both?

Donadlson had to say that didn't he. What a punk :p

I'm predicting a death of some major character in FR, or a rebirth and second death of a Character from the previous Chrons.

Do you think it means Donaldson will write books about the Land preceding his two trilogies? Like in the days of Lord Kevin? That would be interesting to read.

He has said that he will not write prequels.

If it's a cyclical time line then how do we define prequel? Ok Dlb, I am being a bit obtuse, but the fact that SRD has emphasized "last" and also insisted upon looking deeper into the various meanings of words does suggest that the last chronicles may not be the final chronicles.

Last also means to endure, could we read it as the "lasting" chronicles...or maybe 'last' could refer to the small anvil used by cobblers to make and repair shoes.

Also warmarks comment is interesting in that I think I've been sort of expecting to see TC coming back into the world of the living to re-unite with Linden, when perhaps I should have seen that it would be easier for Linden to join TC by dying!