Welcome back to the Boskone 56 Mini Interview series! Today we are sitting down with Laurence Raphael to talk about the influence of Roger Zelazny; Kate Elliot to talk about which character in her Spiritwalker Trilogy she relates most to; and Shannon Chakraborty to talk about a special moment during the release part for her debut novel!

Laurence Raphael Brothers

Laurence Raphael Brothers is a writer and technologist with five patents and a background in high-tech R&D, including work in AI, Telecom and Internet applications, and on-line gaming. He has published stories in such magazines as Nature, PodCastle, the New Haven Review, and Galaxy’s Edge. He is seeking representation for a WWI-era historical fantasy novel and a near-future military-aviation alien-invasion AI romance. Visit his webpage at https://laurencebrothers.com/ for links to more stories that can be read or listened to online, and follow him on twitter: @lbrothers.

Visit Laurence Raphael on his Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

The mix of fun and serious program material is just about ideal. The opportunity to rendezvous with friends and to meet so many distinguished colleagues has a very strong appeal. And then there’s the history of the thing and the professionalism of execution…

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

The books I read around age 12-13 have had the most impact on me. And that’s when I discovered Roger Zelazny. Lord of Light. Creatures of Light and Darkness. Nine Princes in Amber. Such a powerful, distinctive, and lyrical voice, and such a great storyteller, too. For me his work broke new ground I hadn’t expected in science fiction and fantasy and opened new vistas of possibility, grandeur, and adventure. And there’s something about his style that just worked perfectly for me.

I could just as well have cited Ursula K Le Guin’s Earthsea books, however. Awesome depths of wonder and feeling, superb prose and profound, sympathetic understanding of humanity.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

I have a number of short stories scheduled for publication, but what I’m really hoping for is some long-form sales. These are the three works I’m most hoping to sell in 2019:

* The Demons of Wall Street – a hardboiled-noir contemporary urban fantasy novella with a strong romantic thread, perhaps a bit like The Thin Man in that respect.

* City of Magic and Desire – a sexy-gothic historical fantasy novella set in a 17th century Prague. Excellent prose style, if I say so myself. Features an incubus/succubus main character (one of two) with an indecent love of liquorice.

* Evolutionary Intelligence Enkidu – a near-future military-aviation alien-invasion AI romance novel. I want the aerial scenes to convey the promise of the power and freedom of flight that I feel when I watch an anime like Yukikaze or a live-action movie like R2B.

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

Ugh! So many choices! I guess I have to go with Aubrey and Maturin from Patrick O’Brian’s great historical series. First appearance in “Master and Commander”. I choose them over many cherished SF and fantasy characters because those two from O’Brian feel more real and present to me than any others in all of literature. Their voices sound in my ears without effort, their attitudes, qualities, and flaws come so clear I hardly have to think about them. If I happen to drift into a daydreamed “imaginary conversation” it’s more likely to be with one of those two than anyone else.

Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott has been writing science fiction and fantasy fiction and non fiction for thirty years. Her twenty-seven books include her recent YA trilogy Court of Fives, the Afro-Celtic post-Roman alt-history fantasy adventure with lawyer dinosaurs the Spiritwalker trilogy (Cold Magic), the sf Novels of the Jaran, the Crossroads trilogy (Spirit Gate) & Black Wolves, and the massive AND complete seven volume epic fantasy Crown of Stars (King’s Dragon). Expect gender-bent Alexander the Great as space opera in 2019. Her work has been nominated for the Nebula, World Fantasy, RT, Norton, and Locus Awards. Kate was born in Iowa, raised in Oregon, and now lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes and spoils her schnauzer, Fingolfin, High King of the Schnoldor (Finn for short).

Visit Kate on her Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

I’ve heard of the joys of Boskone for many years but never yet had a chance to attend. When YA Guest of Honor Cindy Pon asked me to be her plus one, I leaped at the chance. Cindy and I both live in year-round warm climates (San Diego and Hawaii, respectively), and we are particularly thrilled to be visiting Boston in the throes of winter. We hear it will be cold.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I thought about this question for a long time, and considered several possibilities. But in the end I’m satisfied to set my gaze forward and be excited about the first time readings and viewings I have ahead of me. With every book and film (& tv show) I start I’m always hoping for a well crafted narrative that works for me. A good book is a treasure. The exceptional experience that means the narrative has fully captured me on every level and/or has brought me a powerful lens of insight is rare but it’s still out there. What I hope and want to experience is the gift of creative imagination and craftsmanship shared with the world.

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

Cat Barahal’s love of food and eating. She’s the protagonist of the Spiritwalker Trilogy (Cold Magic and sequels), and she spends a lot of the trilogy thinking about food, eating food, and appreciating the food she eats.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

I’m currently working on genderbent Alexander the Great in space, forthcoming from Tor Books.

Shannon Chakraborty

S. A. Chakraborty is a speculative fiction writer from New York City. Her debut, The City of Brass, was the first book in the Daevabad trilogy and has been short-listed for the Locus, British Fantasy and World Fantasy awards. When not buried in books about Mughal miniatures and Abbasid political intrigue, she enjoys hiking, knitting, and recreating unnecessarily complicated medieval meals for her family. You can find her online at www.sachakraborty.com or on Twitter at @SChakrabooks where she likes to talk about history, politics, and Islamic art.

Visit Shannon on her Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

This is my first time attending Boskone. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things from fellow writers so I’m really looking forward to it!

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It was my first Trek and remains my favorite; I also binge-watched it on DVD with my husband when we were newly married and it was a great bonding experience. There’s a lot to love about DS9–the characters have fantastic arcs and relationships with each other, exploring friendship, family, and love in a depth I’m not sure we got to see in the earlier incarnations of the show. It also looked at colonialism, war, religion, and the very underpinnings of the Federation’s ethos in ways I thought were incredible and ground-breaking for the era in which it originally aired.

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

This photo was taken from the launch party for my debut novel, The City of Brass. It was the first time I received fan art, and it was just such a cool experience. To see a character I created–a character I never really imagined being able to share with the world–brought to life by someone who loved the book has to be one of the highs of a writer’s career and I was so honored and delighted by this.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

The second book in The Daevabad Trilogy, The Kingdom of Copper is out now

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