Terry Brooks Interview

Fans of high fantasy don't need an introduction. Terry Brooks is the bestselling author of the Shannara series, and I was able to ask Mr. Brooks some questions about one of his newest works, Dark Wraith of Shannar, the first graphic novel set in the world of Shannara. He was also gracious enough to talk about his influences, as well as how he found himself writing sweeping fantasy epics.

I understand that Dark Wraith of Shannara has been in demand for some time. Why did you decide to move ahead with the creation of a graphic novel now?

Del Rey has been working for several years now in setting up their graphic novel and manga division. To date, they have concentrated on publishing material submitted from existing markets in Asia. But their intention was alway to do some original work from the US, as well. We began talking about the possibility of doing an original Shannara story almost two years ago. I decided that with the explosion of media interest in all things fantasy it was time to give it a try. Since Del Rey was willing to provide the writer and artist if I would supply the story, and since I was given creative control of the project, I felt pretty comfortable with the idea.

What was the creative process? How directly did you work with the scriptwriter and artist?

My job was to supply a comprehensive storyline, character descriptions with references to existing books and thoughts about how the plot should work in visual form. Once that was done, Edwin David, the artist, and Robert Napton, the writer, began sketching out the book. All stages were subject to review by me, and when I thought I needed to say something about where things were going or how they were looking, I did.

What was it like, entrusting your world to the work of other artists? Was it a benefit to the story? Would you ever collaborate again?

I had seen work by both Edwin and Robert before agreeing to the project, so I had some reason to think they were the right people for the job. Also, both already were familiar with my work. Really, working with both was very easy and enjoyable. They didn't need much help from me once they got going. I would be pleased to work with both of them again.

How difficult would it be for someone who has not followed the Shannara series to pick up this graphic novel and enjoy it? Do you find you're able to strike a balance between rewarding longtime fans while not alienating first-time readers?

You don't need to have read the books of the Shannara series to read Dark Wraith. The story is pretty much self-explanatory. I have always written the Shannara world as a generational saga, so that you can jump in at any time period and be comfortable. Fans of the series will recognize characters from Wishsong of Shannara right away, but that doesn't affect a new reader's understanding of the Dark Wraith story. I think the balance you are referring to is something I have been working hard to maintain ever since I started writing the books, so it's nothing new here.

You have other works outside of the Shannara series, but it seems like you spend a great deal of time in Shannara's world. What is it about that world that appeals to you as a writer?

Writing epic fantasy has always been my favorite form. It is appealing to me as a writer to have endless space and time in which to create stories. I have never been much interested in short form fiction or small stories. I have always preferred sweeping sagas. Shannara gives me that freedom. Because the readers enjoy it so much, it's been easy to indulge my preference. I expect I'll be writing in that world until I run out of steam. I don't see that happening any time soon.