Fantastic Metropolis

Gabe Chouinard: The scope of this novel is much broader than Heroes Die; there are more plotlines, more characters, more of everything. And yet, everything is fully-developed; even the villains are multi-dimensional. Is this your ultimate ideal—that everything and everyone has thousands of facets? Or is this simply your strength as a writer?

Matthew Woodring Stover: That’s exactly my ultimate ideal. One of my idols is Tolstoy—when you’ve finished War and Peace, you feel the the Rostovs and the Bezukhovs and the Bolkonskys are all people you know. You feel like you’ve known them for years, and you feel like you’ve lived through the Fall of Moscow.

I may never produce a story that true. But I don’t have any plans to stop trying.

In fact, I don’t really think of my characters as characters. I think of them as people. Even the minor characters are nodding acquaintances. They are real to me in a way that I can’t precisely describe.

Fiction, as Caine observes, is a slippery concept.

Gabe Chouinard: Obviously, you drew upon many philosphical, theological and psychological references for Blade of Tyshalle, in order to postulate the numerous philosophies underlying the novel. Did you do much research, or are you just a naturally deep thinker? (chuckle)

Matthew Woodring Stover: There’s only one philosophy underlying Blade of Tyshalle: mine. This book reflects what I believe.

All the mythologies, the epistomology, aesthetics and mystic traditions are just the bricks, the mortar and the paint on the walls.

I’ll admit to being a thinker. Whether I’m deep or not is for others to decide. The only research I did for the book was on gene-splicing for bioweapons, a little on antiviral agents, and a little on the symptomatology of rabies. All the rest of that stuff just happens to be swimming around inside my skull. I’m more like Tommie, from the book: I’m interested in things, and I pay attention. That’s all.

Gabe Chouinard: I think I saw some Philip K. Dick in there somewhere….

Matthew Woodring Stover: Sure. Along with everything else I’ve ever read, and everything I’ve ever done, everything that’s been done to me, and everything I know—or think I know—about the ways the universe works. I mix it all together, give it a squeeze and see what drips out. That’s how I write.

Readers could probably make a parlor game out of guessing from where I stole what.

Gabe Chouinard: I once asked you if you were worried about Cainism becoming a religion in reality. Your response was: “If only. That would REALLY piss some people off. But, y’know, like t’Passe says, the capacity for personal freedom is a rare talent.” I tend to agree… but you obviously hold some hope for that capacity, or you wouldn’t be returning to the idea again and again. So, tell me… how much of Caine is really you? How’s your capacity for personal freedom looking?

Matthew Woodring Stover: All of Caine is really me. So is Ma’elKoth, and Raithe, and everybody else in my books. Even Berne. Even Kollberg. If you had to pick a character who’s the most like my everyday personality, it’d probably be Kris Hansen.

My capacity for personal freedom seems pretty solid, these days. It hasn’t really been tested for a while. Ask me again after the mid-term elections.