Tad Williams Chats with Xenite.Org about Everything
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Tad Williams knows a thing or two about publishing. He has been writing and publishing for over 20 years. One of the more well-known and respected authors from science fiction and fantasy, Williams is also noted for being one of the most innovative. In 2001 he launched an online serial called Shadowmarh, testing the online world to see if it was ready to pay for subscription genre fiction.
The test ran for several years and finally ended when Williams decided to move Shadowmarch and its sequels back into mainstream publishing. In March 2010 he published the third volume in what so far promises to be a four-book series. As part of the promotional campaign for Shadowrise, Williams has been giving interviews to commercial and fan-run science fiction and fantasy Websites. The latest interview comes from Xenite.Org.
Established in 1997 by another writer, Michael Martinez (whose books on Tolkien’s Middle-earth have received wide acclaim), Xenite.Org offers fan fiction, forums, interviews, news, and FAQ (frequently asked question) documents for dozens of writers’ and television shows’ fandoms. Xenite.Org is probably best known for its legendary directory of Hercules and Xena fansites (indexing more than 1500 at its height) but the site also launched the Web’s first fan forums for J.R.R. Tolkien, Andre Norton, Farscape, and Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda.
Tad Williams opens up to Xenite on issues ranging from the Obama administration’s spcae policy to the challenges facing writers on the Internet. The article gives some insight into a few of Williams’ books, going all the way back to his first one (Tailchaser’s Song) and his ventures into the world of comic book publishing. Williams is a canny innovator who has earned a reputation for spotting trends before their times.
The article probes Williams’ thoughts on many topics and gently nudges him into speculating on how the Internet and new technologies might impact the literary field. The interview provides a fascinating read that goes well beyond Williams’ books and deep into the furthest regions of his imagination.