George R.R. Martin and Christopher Paolini are two of fantasy fiction’s hottest names, but you wouldn’t know it by speaking with them. While the screaming fans and constant requests for autographs leave no doubt to this status, the authors themselves are affable, humble sorts; seemingly immune to the malignant narcissism that extreme success cultivates among some. You know when you admire the talents of a performer or artist and wonder whether he or she is a nice person, too? After interviewing both Martin and Paolini at San Diego Comic Con, I can answer that with a definitive “Yes.”
I interviewed both Martin and Paolini together for the podcast embedded in this post. I’d be tempted to say that I moderated this interview, but frankly, neither man needed any real guidance from me. Some writers need a little prompting or guidance from their interviewers. Such was not the case with Martin and Paolini. They took my questions and ran with them, often taking their deeper implications to places that I had not even considered.
In many ways, Martin and Paolini are different. One is a grizzled veteran, the other relatively new. One writes “low fantasy”, the other “high”. All things considered, though, they’re more alike than different. Both are compulsively creative. They don’t want to write: they have to. They’re passionate about their work, and love talking about it. My job was relatively easy: I just asked a question and stepped back. They did the rest.
I hope that you enjoy listening to this short discussion as much as I did conducting it.
Trouble viewing the player? Click here for the mp3 of this interview
Photo of George R.R. Martin and Christopher Paolini on Suvudu.com by Paul Giacomotto
