Why write?

For as long as I can remember there have been stories bustling around inside my head. I shared them with my siblings growing up and, as a teenager, with my friends over a game of Dungeons & Dragons. If I tried to stop now, I don’t think I could! Fantasy, in particular, has always appealed. I guess it represents an escape from the rigmarole of modern life, but also allows us to explore ideas that are every bit as ‘real’ as those presented in any other type of writing.

If you didn’t write, what would you do?

My other great love is teaching. I currently split my time between writing and teaching English. I can’t say that I would ever want to give up either.

If you could hunt any speculative fiction creature ever imagined (except one of your own), would you?

I have always wanted to go on safari, and a trek across endless plains in pursuit of an enigmatic beast sounds fantastic.

Which one?

I guess dragons hold the most allure for me: they are tied up in so many legends, old and new.

Why?

In many ways, they are fantasy. Of course, if I crossed those plains and found such a creature, I’d simply want to watch it – and maybe have a chat. There’s no way I would want to kill it – or any ‘endangered species’ for that matter.

If you could have any speculative fiction creature ever imagined (except one of your own) as a pet, would you? Which one? Why?

Whatever creature I chose, it would have to get on with my cat! And, to be honest, she’s not really the sharing type. Let them run free, I say.

You are on a holodeck: You’re sitting in an intergalactic bar, sipping your favorite beverage, waiting expectantly for someone to take a seat at your table. Which author from any era does?

David Gemmell, without a doubt.

Why?

The man renews my love of reading every time I vanish inside one of his books. That he passed away so young was a tragedy. In fact, I can’t bring myself to read his last novel – I want to know it’s there waiting, like a pearl in an oyster that I haven’t opened.

What do you talk about or do?

If I met him at this bar, though, I’d ask him to read the book to me. Then we could talk about the other stories he never had a chance to write, and I’d wish him well for his last great adventure.

More importantly, which chair does he sit in?

Sadly, Carl chose to skip the most anticipated part of the question.

Why Fenn? What initiated his story and made you complete this particular tale?

We all wrestle with our past. Whether it is memories of school or family, or the choices we’ve made, every incident leads to us to each and every moment that we find ourselves in. Fenn’s journey is about coming full circle and returning to face his demons.

What appealed to you about being included in Rage of the Behemoth?

I loved the idea of presenting this struggle on a sweeping canvas – which RotB really seemed to encourage. With fiction you don’t have to worry about budget so I just went to town with the large set-pieces. I wanted to make magic seem as awesome as possible.

Do you write/read aloud to/with anyone (family member or friend)?

My wife is treated/subjected to readings of most of what I write. She’s an English teacher too, and has just about the best grammar of anyone I know. She therefore doubles up as my proof-reader. That really seems to keep the editors happy!

Quick: For each of the below, what’s your first thought in regards to the future of genre fiction:

Publishing: Dying, dead, on life support – or just going through a change? If it’s any of the first three, will it be euthanized or revitalized?

There’s no way genre fiction is dying. At school, most of what my students are reading is some form of speculative fiction. Admittedly there’s a hell of a lot of angst-riddled teenage vampires in there, but dragons, elves and other staples still get a look-in. I think that a lot of what would have been called genre fiction twenty years ago has become more mainstream – certainly in the movies.

Reading Formats: Print, electronic, audio, or interactive?

I need a sheet of paper in my hand before I read – even if we’re talking a screen grab and print. Books look, smell and feel nice. Hell, they probably even taste nice.

Books: Hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, other?

Paperbacks, every time – it’s simply a question of space. Having a few bookshelves at home looks nice. Having a few dozen means that you have to sell your couch!

Thanks for the thoughtful answers, Carl!

Carl Walmsley’s “Serpents beneath the Ice” is featured within the ‘Frozen Wastes’ theme in Rage of the Behemoth. Carl spends as much time as he can writing things that prove men don’t grow up, they just go grey – even when he ought to be marking homework or feeding the cat. Unfortunately we may never discover which chair Mr. Gemmell would be seated in, as Carl’s website is currently under construction.

An opening excerpt

Like a whetted blade, the ice-cutter cleaved through the frozen sea. Behind its iron-shod hull, a path of shattered ice trailed all the way back to the warmer northern waters. Southern sailors, well-used to the frozen straights, attacked the ice before the prow, hammering spikes deep into the crust. To each spike was cloven a chain, and winches – a dozen strong upon the foredeck – hauled these up, forcing the ship ever onwards towards the south.

Though the sails were furled and the oars stowed, those aboard The Ice Maiden still had much to do. Tireless crews cut ice from the hull and used it to cool the smoking winches. Others kept watch on the spikesmen below as they struggled to stay ahead of the fracturing ice and the hollows of black sea that appeared around the hull. Only five figures seemed removed from the struggles around them. Their clothing and manner marked them as passengers, as did their probing gaze which was fixed beyond the vast, snowy wastes on some unseen destination.

Above the tumult of splintering ice rose a grinding squeal, and greasy black smoke streamed from one of the winches. The deck crew poured ice hastily across the overworked machinery, but too late: wood and metal twisted and buckled, and in a cascade of riven gears and belching flame, the machine tore itself apart. The great ship slowed and stopped.

“What’s the damage?” asked Fenn…

Watch for review praise for “Serpents beneath the Ice” and Rage of the Behemoth!

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