New L. E. Modesitt, jr. interview

Overcaptain, the 24th installment in L. E. Modesitt, jr.'s Recluce Saga and the second volume in Alyiakal's story arc, will be published in a few short weeks. To help promote the book, I've recently done an interview with the author. It had been a while since we last spoke, so this new interview covers a lot of ground.

Here's the blurb:

L. E. Modesitt, Jr. continues the Saga of Recluce, the long-running, best-selling epic fantasy series. Overcaptain, the sequel to From the Forest, continues to follow the early life of a man known by many names depending on who you ask—hero, tyrant, emperor.

Alyiakal, overcaptain in the Mirror Lancers of Cyador, has completed his tour of duty as officer-in-charge of a small, remote post. He just wants to finish and see his best friend consorted and assume his next post assignment. If only it were that easy.

He discovers corruption in the Merchanter Clans of Cyador, but investigating Mirror Lancer officers end up dead. Before he can go on leave, he has to replace one of these officers, close a post, dodge an attempt on his life, and an investigation from Magi-i.

At Lhaarat, Alyiakal is assigned as a deputy commander to a post that never had one, and the commander doesn't want one—and that's just the beginning of Alyiakal’s problems.

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

You can read an extract from the novel here.

Enjoy!

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- Without giving too much away, can you give us a taste of the tale that is OVERCAPTAIN?

At the beginning of Overcaptain, Alyiakal is winding up his tour of duty as officer-in-charge of Oldroad Post. He expects to receive orders to become deputy post commander at Lhaarat, another post along the northern border of Cyadar, the type of assignment he has anticipated. Except he’s first given a temporary assignment as interim post commander at Luuval, with orders to close the post as expeditiously as possible, a posting one other officer refused and retired rather than accept. The next post commander died mysteriously. The post is located next to what’s left of a town after more than half of the town fell into and was swallowed by the ocean. The post is also understrength, under-supplied with the chaos needed for firelances, and the powerful Merchanters of Cyador and even powerful Magi’i are firmly opposed to its closure, for reasons Alyiakal cannot fathom.

Even if he succeeds in closing Luuvall, he’s being sent as deputy commander to a post where the commander doesn’t have and doesn’t want a deputy commander… and where raids from beyond the northern border are increasing and where the raiders are using weapons they shouldn’t have and can’t afford.

- How well-received has FROM THE FOREST been thus far?

From the Forest has received good reviews and good reader reviews and appears to be selling well, but it’s too early to tell how it might compare to other Recluce titles.

- Will you be touring during the course of the fall/winter to promote OVERCAPTAIN? If so, are there any specific dates that have been confirmed as of yet?

I don’t have any tour plans for travel to promote Overcaptain. It’s unlikely that I will because tours have become more and more difficult to arrange… and frankly, at my age, it’s become more of a physical strain.

- What can fans expect from the last two installments, SUB-MAJER'S CHALLENGE and LAST OF THE FIRST?

The remainder of Alyiakal’s story and how his actions – and those of Saelora – reshape the power structure of Cyad and Cyador to the degree necessary for it to survive, while creating the tensions that underlie Magi’i of Cyador and Scion of Cyador (which, although chronologically later, are already published).

- SUB-MAJER'S CHALLENGE is scheduled to be released next spring. Can we expect LAST OF THE FIRST to come out in the fall of 2025?

Sub-Majer’s Challenge is scheduled for an August 26, 2025, release, and I anticipate the release of Last of the First in late spring or early summer of 2026.

- When you wrote the short story "The Forest Girl" first seen in the collection of short fiction RECLUCE TALES, were you already aware that Alyiakal's story would be the next major Recluce arc that you'd be exploring?

I knew that I wanted to tell Alyiakal’s story, but I wasn’t quite ready to embark on that, partly because there was also another unresolved thread in the Recluce Saga, and that was the founding of Fairhaven, which is covered in The Mongrel Mage, Outcasts of Order, The Mage-Fire War, and Fairhaven Rising.

- From bits found in MAGI'I OF CYADOR, we already knew that Alyiakal will somehow make his way up and become Emperor of the Land of Eternal Light. And yet, though his accomplishments and memory should be revered, he has become the "One Never to be Mentioned" among the Magi'i and Mirror Lancers of Cyad. That novel was published in 2000. In a previous interview, you mentioned that you have an outline of the history of the world of Recluce. Back then, did you already have all the important plot points regarding Alyiakal's rise to power in mind, or did it take more than two decades to see the light due to the fact that you needed to let the tale unfold and grow into the books that we are reading now?

I have to admit that it took me a while to get around to fleshing out Alyiakal’s story, partly because I was writing books in three series at the time, not only Recluce, but The Corean Chronicles, and The Imager Portfolio, as well as several SF books, including Quantum Shadows, which took something like six years, on the side, so to speak.

- Alyiakal's story was initially meant to be told in three books. On your website, you explained that that it was split into four volumes because Tor wouldn’t have been all that happy with three 750-page books. This wasn't always the case, especially with Tor Books. In this economy, with inflation hurting everyone in a variety of ways, none of them good, what prompted the decision to nevertheless split Alyiakal's arc into 4 installments given the fact that people have less and less money to purchase books these days?

The short answer is publishing costs. The greater the sales volume, the more that volume will support longer books. My sales currently support books roughly around 200,000-220,000 words, and I’m pushing the cost envelope. I don’t write short or simple tales, and that requires more books. Publishing Alyiakal in three volumes would have cost more and wouldn’t have sold more books and possibly less if the price had covered the publishing costs.

- FROM THE FOREST is the earliest installment in the Recluce timeline. The action takes place in the year 92 after the founding of Cyad. That's more than three centuries before MAGI'I OF CYADOR and SCION OF CYADOR, and more than seven centuries before FALL OF ANGELS. Both FROM THE FOREST and OVERCAPTAIN feature glimpses from the past of the First and the Dissidents. Can readers expect that the full tale of their arrival from the Rational Stars will be the next major Recluce story arc you will tackle, or will we have to settle for those tantalizing hints for the near future?

As far as I’m concerned, at least right now, there won’t be any books set earlier than the four involving Alyiakal. Years ago, the late and great David Hartwell, my editor for more than thirty years and until his death, implored me NOT to write about the founding of Cyad. I came close with the story “The Vice-Marshal’s Trial” (from Recluce Tales), but that’s likely as close as I’ll get.

- Speaking of the timeline, how detailed was it early on? À la Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin, did you have countless pages of notes on events and characters, or was it more of a broad strokes sort of outline?

I can’t say that I even had an outline. It was more like a mental mosaic with specific isolated events that I had to fill out and connect.

- LAST OF THE FIRST will be the 26th installment in the Recluce saga. If someone had told you that there would be 25 other volumes published over the span of 30-something years the day THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE was released, what would you have said?

When I wrote The Magic of Recluce, I did so with the intention that it would be a stand-alone novel. I wrote it that way just to prove that I could write and sell a fantasy novel. After it was published, David Hartwell asked when I was going to do a sequel. I hadn’t even imagined a sequel, and what came to mind was a book about how Recluce came to be. I never really imagined writing so many Recluce books, but here and there I’d come up with another piece of the mosaic and worked to fit it in.

- Given that the saga of Recluce now covers more than 2000 years of history, what is your recommended reading order? Published order or chronological order?

I recommend the published order for most people, but there are some people for whom the chronological order is an absolute must. They have trouble with non-sequential novels. That’s also why I finally put a Recluce chronology on my website (www.lemodesittjr.com).

- Other than the arrival of LAST OF THE FIRST, are there other specific eras or events you wish to explore in future Recluce works?

There are certainly areas I could explore, but at present, I’m finished with the key historic story areas that I felt I had to absolutely address.

- Is the Recluce universe vaster than the island continents we see on the map? If so, will we ever discover what lies beyond?

The world of Recluce is what is on the maps. There aren’t any more continents or large islands.

- Is there any chance that we'll ever get an updated map of Candar? I'm aware that someone has done it online, but it would be nice to have a map that is in sync will the timeline of each book.

I tried hard to get Tor to include a map of Candar in the time of Alyiakal. I’d even roughed one out, but, again, it was ruled out for cost reasons, and I’m not a sufficiently good draftsman or cartographer to produce one I’d be happy with.

- Have the plotlines diverged much since you began writing the series, or did you have the entire plot more or less figured out from the very beginning? Were any characters added or further fleshed out beyond your original intention? Have you made any changes to your initial plans during the course of the writing of the Recluce series?

I definitely did not have everything figured out from the beginning, except for the basic world and the magic system. I put pieces of past history in every book, though, and worked to knit it altogether with each subsequent book, so that the saga has become a fictional history of the world of Recluce.

- In a previous interview, you told me that you do have a common plot theme in all of the Recluce books, in that your main characters do learn a few things as matters develop, but what’s the point of writing about protagonists who don’t? This has become a staple of the Recluce saga. Fans obviously see nothing wrong with that approach, but other readers find that off-putting. Given that it has become a fundamental aspect of every Recluce story arc, have you ever given any thought to changing the recipe in order to try to please those naysayers, or was there too much of a risk of alienating fans in doing so?

The way I structure my writing and plots has more to do with the way I see life. Some people learn; some don’t. Very few of those who don’t learn ever succeed in life. But life isn’t always fair, and some of those who learn don’t always succeed, often because of events beyond their control. I’ve never been interested in writing about immoral geniuses, brilliant villains, or people who succeed through dumb luck (few as these people are, they do exist). All my protagonists make mistakes, often large ones, but they learn from them and keep trying.

In the end I write the kind of books I like to read.

- Were there any perceived conventions of the fantasy genre which you wanted to twist or break when you set out to write THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE and its sequel/prequels?

In The Magic of Recluce, I definitely set out to write a fantasy with a practical and workable economic system, a logically based magic system, and appropriate technology. When I began to write it in 1989, almost no fantasies had any of those. At that time, the majority of fantasy novels were either based on offshoots of myth and folklore, takeoffs on medieval Europe, or hand-wavium wish fulfillment. Every character in my books has a real job or is preparing for one. While fantasies have changed since the late eighties, at that time few authors paid much attention to economics or realistic politics. This has changed since then, if not as much as I would have thought.

- Cover art has always been a very hot topic. Darrell K. Sweet's cover art provided a very distinctive visual signature to the Recluce saga, giving each book some sort of artistic continuity. What are your thoughts pertaining to that facet of a novel, and what do you think of the covers that grace your books? The Recluce saga, The Corean Chronicles, The Imager Portfolio, and the Grand Illusion all have very different visual signatures.

I was extremely fortunate that Tor chose Darrell K. Sweet to illustrate the Recluce books (through Mage-Guard of Hamor) until he was no longer available, and I’m grateful that he allowed me to buy the cover art for Towers of the Sunset at a price that I could afford. I’ve always loved that cover. Subsequently, Tor has worked to find artists who could largely maintain the “feel” of the Sweet covers. I’d note that Darrell illustrated all the covers for the Spellsong Cycle as well.

Tor has also been successful, at least in my opinion, in choosing cover artists who established a definite different feel for each of my fantasy series. Possibly the most successful in doing that, beside Darrell Sweet, has been Donato Giancola, who did all the covers for the Imager Portfolio.

- Are there any plans to compile and publish another collection of short stories like RECLUCE TALES?

Another Recluce short story collection is unlikely, at least in the near future, given that I’m not nearly as prolific a short story writer. After more than fifty years of professional fiction publication, I’ve only managed to publish slightly more than fifty stories.

- Longevity is probably the hardest hurdle to overcome for an author. It's been more than 33 years since THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE was published and the series seems to continue to do well. How special is it to see those stories and characters remain as popular as ever more than three decades down the line?

I’m both stunned and gratified to see that the series still draws new readers (and listeners). Part of that lies in the fact that The Magic of Recluce continues to entice new readers and that Tor remains willing to publish new Recluce novels that expand the scope of the history of the world of Recluce.

- Characters often take a life of their own. Which of your characters did you find the most unpredictable to write about?

The Recluce character I found the most unpredictable to write about was Rahl, from Natural Ordermage and Mage-Guard of Hamor.

- You've recently turned in LEGALIST, a new Grand Illusion title, to your editor. This will be your 86th published novel. After what can only be called a prolific career, what motivates you to keep on writing?

Writing is what I do, although I don’t write quite as swiftly as before, largely because as I’ve gotten older, I can’t do as well without sleep.

- What comes first for you when it comes time to consider your next novel: themes you wish to explore, a setting you're interested in, or characters you want to write about?

Generally, it’s a mix of themes, setting, and characters, because what makes characters likeable, memorable, or intriguing (preferably all three) is how they deal with the problems of the setting and cultural/societal framework.

- What has changed the most about the fantasy genre since THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE hit shelves more than 30 years ago? What about science fiction?

There’s been a great deal of change. The Magic of Recluce was among the first fantasies that offered a totally different societal structure and one where beliefs and government weren’t based on folklore or western European archetypes of some sort. The magic system was unique. It was among the first to depict entire lands and governments ruled well by women. It also remains one of the few series that presents a range of different types of functional governments.

That said, the range of ethnic backgrounds and cultures portrayed in fantasy has exploded, especially over the last decade or so, and there’s been incredible growth in the number of female protagonists, something long overdue. There’s also been an improvement in the depth of character portrayed in both fantasy and science fiction, although at times that can be overdone, just as it was underdone so often prior to 1990.

From what I’ve read and also observed, these days the majority of fantasy authors appear to be women, and certainly most of the current fantasy novels I enjoy are written by women.

The changes in science fiction are there, if not quite as pronounced, but that may be because technology has to be practical (or at least seem so). Also, human beings have run into some rather daunting discoveries, such as the technical impracticality of FTL travel and the energy limitations of technology, so that space opera is almost a form of fantasy. The last pure SF book I wrote was Solar Express, and dealing with real science there took quite a bit of doing, even though I’d been a naval aviator. So, SF (except space opera) has to balance reality with storytelling, always having to look over one’s shoulder, because the reading public knows far more about space than did the reading public even in 1980. Even so, there are far more women writing SF – and doing it well.

- What advice would you give to a younger L. E. Modesitt, Jr. at the beginning of his writing career?

I wouldn’t even try. I like where I am, but getting here was so unplanned that any advice given to me at that age likely would have ruined me or made the journey seem so impossible that I might not have even tried.

- As far as I know, you've spent your entire career under contract with Tor Books. You once claimed that Tom Doherty is one of the most underappreciated men in fantasy. Is this why you never felt the desire to sign a book deal with another publisher?

Actually, Tor was my third publisher. Timescape Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, published The Fires of Paratime, later re-released in an expanded version by Tor as The Timegod, and Avon published The Hammer of Darkness, also later re-released by Tor.

I sent the manuscript of The Fires of Paratime to every editor I could locate, and only one even looked at it, and that was Jim Baen, then an editor at Ace Books. He kept it for a year, but eventually rejected it. He did say it was good enough to publish, but it just wasn’t his kind of book. When Simon and Schuster started Timescape, I sent the manuscript to David Hartwell, the editor there, and he accepted and published it. Simon and Schuster shuttered Timescape before I finished my second novel, and David recommended I send it to John Douglas, then an editor at Avon. Avon published The Hammer of Darkness, but John couldn’t buy my third novel because Avon had frozen all acquisitions. In turn, John told me that David had just become an acquiring editor at new start-up publishing firm. That firm was Tor.

All of that told me that editors and publishers who liked my work were few and far between. In addition, very few editors liked my work, or thought it was that publishable. Tom Doherty and David did. So, I stayed, and I believe we’ve done very well together.

- According to George R. R. Martin, most authors are either architects, who write novels based on detailed outlines, or gardeners, who have a general idea of where the storylines are going but prefer to watch things grow as they go along. Which type of writer are you and why do you prefer that approach?

In those terms, I’m an architectural gardener. My storylines have to grow along the parameters of the universe, magic system, and societies they involve. I’ve tried other approaches, but they don’t seem to work for me.

- Speaking of GRRM, I used to make fun of the fact that he sometimes described the meals his characters were having down to what salad dressing was used. I'm not sure if you are what can be called a foodie, but in recent years you've taken this even further. Is there a reason why every single meal is described in such great detail, be it a lavish affair or military fare?

I don’t describe every meal that way, but I do it more than many authors. Part of that is that the food also describes the culture and those who sit around the table. Part is because in most societies, meals are one of the few places for extended conversations that reveal characters, motives, and often plans. It’s always seemed to me that, in such conversations, food should me mentioned.

- One thing that used to characterize the earlier Recluce books was your reliance on onomatopoeia. You don't seem to use them as much in recent years, so I'm wondering if there was a reason behind that change?

Yes. Too many readers protested loudly.

- Subterranean Press produced a signed limited edition of THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Are there any plans to release limited editions of the rest of the series?

I don’t know of any. It took a great deal of effort and time to set up the signed and limited 20th anniversary hardcover, and I suspect it would be even harder today.

- The fact that there is a website dedicated to your work is an indication that interaction with your readers is important to you as an author. How special is it to have the chance to interact directly with them?

There are two Facebook sites devoted to my work, as I understand it, and one other website besides my own. I don’t do Facebook or social media, not because I’m antisocial, but because it takes too much time. On my own website I answer every question posed, and I answer virtually all the emails I receive. So… I do interact with readers in a way that allows me to do so without unduly hampering my ability to write.

- How has your interaction with fans and critics colored your choices in terms of characterization and plot? Has there ever been anything that you've changed due to such interaction in any of your novels?

I don’t think that much in the way of outside criticisms or suggestions have influenced characterization or plot, except for the reaction to onomatopoeia. I do take into account facts or errors that readers have brought up.

- You’ve often joked that you're the most anonymous, best-selling author in the field. You'll soon have 86 novels under your belt, the majority of them still available and still selling, a couple of New York Times bestsellers, titles in both the fantasy and science fiction genres, how can you explain that you essentially remain the genre's best-kept secret?

Part of that has to lie in who reads my books. Over the years, it’s become clear that I have quite a number of readers who aren’t terribly active in the SFF field, as well as a great many librarians. Even in the 1990s and early 2000s, when I spent between two and three months a year doing tours, signings, conventions, and the like, I only drew very modest numbers of people at a signing. I once did a signing at a bookstore where no one showed up (although I did sign all the stock of my books in the store), but the follow-up with the store showed that the actual sales for that week were among the best on that tour.

I think I just have a lot of quiet readers who like my books.

- Are there any plans to revisit the worlds of The Corean Chronicles, The Imager Portfolio, The Spellsong Cycle, or any of your science fiction series in either novel-length or short fiction projects?

Not at the present, although I reserve the right to do so if I get the right idea or story.

- Anything else you wish to share with your fans?

Please just keep reading, both me and others you like. None of us authors can afford to keep writing if you aren’t reading and buying our books.