Knowing the point in which you have been influenced by a person, book, or place and how it goes on to shape your life may be one of the greatest gifts any of us could hope for. In this post, Secrets of the Rainbow Bridge (SOTRB) co-authors and family-as-fantasy-writers discuss what has been influential to them.
Douglas Rosestone: When fantasy crosses over into mythology, it truly becomes interesting to me. When fantasy is not only for entertainment, but also contains instruction for what Joseph Campbell called “the capacity to live a human lifetime under any circumstance, fantasy then becomes Mythology. I hope that SOTRB becomes a classic beloved by great numbers of people. I think its scope is grand, the characters are exceptionally well realized, and the interplay of faery and elven cultures is quite unique. Additionally, I hope the mythic tone creates a feeling that will be well received. Fantasy is a vehicle like no other, for not only does it allow you to create characters but also a world where, as Tolkien says, “I felt deep joy, a child’s sense of homecoming, and my adult apprehension utterly suspended. He also said, “If you are present at a Faërian drama you yourself are, or think that you are, bodily inside its Secondary world. The experience may be very similar to dreaming…but in Faërian drama you are in a dream that some other mind is weaving, and the knowledge of that alarming fact may slip from your grasp” (Flieger 126). This is very much what we are trying to create in SOTRB.
Olivia Rosestone: I like mythic fantasy, stories with a rich, spiritual dimension for want of a better word, stories that make us face into the darker parts of ourselves, others, and our lives, so that parts of us fall apart and regroup at a higher level. When this happens, we feel stronger and more connected, not only to ourselves, but to something that is greater than ourselves, as well as more bonded to our fellow humans, inspired, uplifted and whole. Marion Zimmer Bradley, author of The Mists of Avalon, wrote a retelling of the Arthurian legend from the point of view of women. Our book is actually going to be a ‘faery romance.’
Jonah Rosestone: Probably JRR Tolkien has been one of the greatest influences. I think readers find it amazing in so many ways. It’s easy to get into. The premise is simple: Throw the ring into the volcano. The characters are interesting and varied. The world is rich and deep. He [Tolkien] was the first to do what he did so well. Nothing else from that period is as highly regarded. His story is also personally instructive, and has a lot of lessons about virtue. He was also trying to heal a wound in the psyche of the British who had their land conquered by the Romans, and their druids killed. He wrote a true myth. Most other fantasy stories don’t have the same mythic resonance. In fifty years he will still be remembered.
What or who has influenced your interest in writing and/or reading fantasy?
