More Questions from an L.E. Modesitt Fan

Echus Cthulhu Mythos · Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:15 pm

...And I suppose if you write too much on one character, they end up achieving more than someone is actually capable of achieving in a lifetime; thus making it seem unrealistic (which is the biggest story turn-off for me).

Post by **Kvetch** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:51 pm

And you run out of things for them to do.

I mean What more could Lerris or Creslin or Nylan do? I suppose Cerryl, Lorn or Dorrin could do some empire building, but I don't think that would be too interesting from a plot point of view.

Mantyluoto · Post by **Mantyluoto** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 5:24 pm

well Cerryl and Lorn are out as each has had a pair of books already. I was thinking about this the other day that all of the heroes i really liked had 2 books about them and the ones i thought were ok only had 1.

it would be nice to see another hero from the white side appear. Any plans Mr Modesitt, that you'd care to divulge?

Kenneth · Post by **Kenneth** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 6:04 pm

Yes I would also like to see another Chaos Mage/Gray Mage hero. Or maybe a book showing how the guild and the city were created.

Are signatures accepted? Or should I remove mine because of its desturbance in the webpage?

Post by **Ghost** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 6:17 pm

As long as we are wishing:

What I would like to see (and I know no one cares) is a novel about when the RATS first arrived on planet, their colonization effort. Did they crash as did the Ryba, Nylan, etcâ€¦? How did they discover the power of Choas? Did they have to fight to survive? Did women have more rights at first (when in the space fleet)? The women in Lornâ€™s time seem to have more rights than women later.

*********************************************************

Kenneth wrote: Are signatures accepted? Or should I remove mine because of its desturbance in the webpage?

I don't like pictures / banners in sigs (but then some people don't like (appreciate) my sigs).

lmodesitt · Post by **lmodesitt** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:41 pm

I can see the interest in a number of areas, and, in response, all that I can say is that I haven't had the time to think about what comes next in the Saga of Recluce. There are certainly plenty of possibilities, but what will make a good novel is another question.

I appreciate the interest... and once I actually have something in progress [which is at least three books away], I'll be pleased to let everyone know.

L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

Kenneth · Post by **Kenneth** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 9:08 pm

Thanks you Ghost for your response, and thank you Mr. Modesitt for taking in the thought of another recluce book.

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:19 am

Maybe this question has been asked already, and I just haven't found the answer but I'll ask it anyway.

Who do you base your characters from? Atleast in the Recluce series.

lmodesitt · Post by **lmodesitt** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:31 pm

I don't "pull" my characters directly from "real" life, but I do pull their characteristics. Lerris's being bored, for example, came from one of my own offspring who was terminally bored at that age [like Lerris, said offspring recovered -- and then went on to become an all-American diver, graduated first from med school, and is a professor and surgeon in gynecological oncology at a medical school]. Dorrin's fascination with machines came from an engineer I knew. Other characteristics come from others, who I will not name, even indirectly.

The only character in all my books who comes close to being drawn from one person is Anna, in The Spellsong Cycle, who has a great number of similarities to my wife, who is also a professor of voice and a singer.

L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

Mantyluoto · Post by **Mantyluoto** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:42 am

Mr Modesitt i am reading the books in chronological order and ive just finished Colours of Chaos. I like the way you changed the direction of Technology. In Magi'i the Whites had fireships, firewagons etc then in The Magic Engineer we see Dorrin a black building engines. Is it possible that the old books that Dorrin got his ideas from are from the Magi'i years?

lmodesitt · Post by **lmodesitt** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:27 am

Indirectly, the ideas could have come from Cyador, since there are some texts and remnants, but it's unlikely that the powers of Recluce would have allowed many "pure" white books onto the isle.

L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

Mantyluoto · Post by **Mantyluoto** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 1:47 pm

Is there any chance of a novel about Eldiren from the Order War? He seems like a sensible type to write a story about!!

just wondered?

lmodesitt · Post by **lmodesitt** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 3:02 pm

I'm still working on the next Corean Chronicles book, with a science fiction novel to follow. So I have no idea what will be next in the fantasy writing universe, and probably won't think about that for several months.

I do better working on one book project at a time.

L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

fortyseven · Post by **fortyseven** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 2:55 pm

Refresh my memory. Who was Eldiren? A Druid?

Mantyluoto · Post by **Mantyluoto** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:24 pm

No he was a white mage. He was sent to capture Justin after the white forces smashed the army of Sarronnyn and Firbek defected to the Whites. Instead he chased Justin to the stone hills so as not to have to take part in dangerous town takings

Mantyluoto · Post by **Mantyluoto** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:32 pm

In The Magic of Recluce page 33 it says "Nylan is a fortress that has never been taken, and tested but once"

when was that? what book? because i've nearly finished reading the books in chronological order (yes i know i shouldn't

) and i don't remember that. or is it a hint for another book.........

)

Post by **gollum** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 7:36 pm

Mantyluoto wrote:No he was a white mage. He was sent to capture Justin...

Perhaps Eldiren was the face [haunted, thin, almost like that of an angel] Justin saw when locking the wizards behind their own shield.

Mantyluoto wrote:Nylan is a fortress...tested but once

Didn't the whites make an attempt at taking Nylan in The Magic Engineer/Colors of Chaos

Aunflin · Post by **Aunflin** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 7:34 pm

Perhaps the time was in Fall of Angels when the forces of Lornth tried to take Nylan's Tower...and were defeated at great cost...

Mantyluoto · Post by **Mantyluoto** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 8:50 am

no it was definately about the city Nylan

Demonsword314 · Post by **Demonsword314** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:04 pm

One of the things that I have wonedered about is if there are any druids that are more bound to chaos than order? I think that it is posible, but I don't know of any such druids.

lmodesitt · Post by **lmodesitt** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:59 pm

No... you won't find druids bound to chaos, nor are they bound exclusively to order. They're bound to a balance between the two. It is precisely the binding of such a balance that makes a druid.

L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 11:07 am

I have a question, I'm not sure whether this has been done before or not, but I was wondering, can you briefly explain your military break down, in terms of officers ranks, and how many men fit into each unit?

lmodesitt · Post by **lmodesitt** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 11:55 am

Because I've varied the structures in different fantasy novels, what follows is a general outline.

The smallest unit is a squad, led by a squad leader -- effectively a non-com. Squads have from as few as eight [in the Matrite forces in Legacies] to as many as 25 members, and the number of squads in a company varies as well from as few as four [Myrmidons] to as many as ten in the Matrites. The number of companies in a battalion is four or five.

The senior non-com is usually a senior squad leader. Companies are commanded by either an undercaptain or a captain. The ranks above captain are overcaptain, majer, and colonel. Staff officers are marshals.

In some cases, the senior marshal also holds the title of Arms Commander.

L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

Mantyluoto · Post by **Mantyluoto** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 2:38 pm

Cassius said that Lerris nearly created an Order-Chaos portal when he despatched Sammel. Do you have any speculation of what would have come through?

lmodesitt · Post by **lmodesitt** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 2:55 pm

Anyone who had a strong affinity for order or chaos close to the other side of the order-chaos portal.

L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

The Internet Book Database of Fiction

More Questions from an L.E. Modesitt Fan

Recluce "Wishes"

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Dorrin and ideas

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"Chaotic" Druids

Military Breakdown