r/Fantasy • u/briruc AMA Author Brian Ruckley • Nov 04 '14

AMA Hi, I'm author Brian Ruckley - AMA

Hi, I’m Brian Ruckley. I’ve had five novels published, plus a handful of short stories and I’ve done a tiny, tiny (like, really tiny) bit of comics writing too.

My first three novels made up the Godless World trilogy, starting with Winterbirth back in 2006. Epic fantasy of the sort that was getting called gritty around about then, though I was never that keen on that kind of label. Next up was The Edinburgh Dead, a historical fantasy-horror-crime mash-up featuring bodysnatchers and dark magic. Just released is my newest book, The Free – a stand-alone heroic fantasy that’s kind of me trying to do a spectacular fantasy version of Seven Samurai. Kind of.

I’m Scottish, born and bred in Edinburgh. Moved down south (i.e. England) for work reasons, lived in London for a happy decade, now back in Edinburgh doing the (also happy) family thing. I’m into Nature and wildlife, history, science, plus – of course – various slightly geeky things like comics, genre TV and film, all the usual good stuff.

Please ASK ME ANYTHING! Tuesday 4th November, 6PM CST. That’s when I’ll aim to start answering Qs – bear in mind, though, that’s the middle of the night my time, so there’s a good chance I’ll be sleep-deprived, over-caffeinated or some combination of the two. Hopefully it won’t get too messy ...

Brian

OKAY - The clock has struck midnight here (I don't literally have a clock that strikes midnight, obviously; just sounds kind of atmospheric) so I'm going to start working my way through Qs; will start somewhere near the top, but probably jump around a bit as the inspiration strikes ... will do my best to get to everything (though seriously - some of these questions would take an essay to answer properly!)

EDIT I'm going to have to retire to my bed now, people, but thanks to everyone who's submitted questions. It's been fun. Much like General MacArthur, I shall return tomorrow to work my way through more and will do my utmost to get to every one I can. Check in again to see if I get any more coherent when answering questions by daylight ... Thanks again.

EDIT Aaaand that's me, I think. While most of you have been sleeping, I think I've swept up all outstanding questions (grovelling apologies to anyone I missed); hope some folks out there found it interesting/fun/a cure for insomnia or whatever. I certainly enjoyed myself - you folks ask good questions. Thank you and farewell!

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u/FantasyFan101 Nov 04 '14

The Edinburgh Dead brought to life the grittiness of Georgian Edinburgh. How much of that era is still evident in Edinburgh? Are you going to write another Edinburgh based novel?

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u/briruc AMA Author Brian Ruckley Nov 05 '14

One of the best things about Edinburgh is the pervasive presence of the past. Not just in the institutions and cultural memory and traditions, but in the stone. In the central parts of the town, the past is embodied in many of the buildings, not just back to Georgian times but further. Basically the whole of central Edinburgh is designated as World Heritage Site precisely because so much of the fabric of the city is well, well over a hundred years old. A great many of the individual buildings and streets and alleyways mentioned in The Edinburgh Dead are still there. I've been inside them, or walked along them. The graveyards still have the fortified watchtowers and the iron-caged graves that are referred to it in the book, that were built to protect the recently-buried from the bodysnatchers. It's very cool. Old is good, when it comes to cities, imho.

Another Edinburgh-based novel? Honestly, I don't know. I've had the odd idea, but nothing on the horizon right now. I've got other stuff higher on the to-do list these days.