Yep, Druss is descended from Oshikai and Angel.

I take friends out to dinner to celebrate. Then I take a week or so break before beginning a new story. I love to write. It is a joy beyond description to find a new character and watch him breathe and grow.

5) With each novel having different artwork, what options do you get with the selection of the pieces and does the company present you with a number to choose from?

I get to choose the artist, but then I leave the artist alone to do the work. John Bolton has produced my latest covers. I think the man is a genius. The Midnight Falcon cover is a wonderful piece, full of light and movement. The Stormrider artwork is exceptional.

6) Raven Armoury has two versions of Druss'es Axe Snaga, were you approached by the company and have they presented you with one? Also are their any plans for any more Gemmell weaponry such as Connavar's sword or Waylanders Crossbow?

Many years ago Raven armoury approached me and asked if they could make Snaga. They gave me the first - and I allowed them to recreate it for sale. There is no business deal between us. I liked the work, and I liked the passion they put into their craft. I would love to see Waylander's crossbow produced - but so far no-one has had the skill to do it.

7) You've had a foray outside fantasy with White Knight Black Swan under the pseudonym Ross Harding, are there any plans to re-release it or are there plans for some others?

No plans yet. White Knight Black Swan was a work of love for me. I'd like to do another thriller, but now is not the time. When I do it will be under yet another pseudonym.

8) With a number of fans disappointed with the disappearance of Gaise Macon a third of the way into Ravenheart, (whom many thought was being built up into one of the main characters) do you as an author feel that with hindsight it would have been better to have delayed release until Stormrider was closer to completion or would you have prefered to release the two more as a compendium and why your answer?

The original idea for Ravenheart would have incorporated the story of Stormrider. It just got too long. In the end I had a choice. Write a 900 page single novel, or do two at around 400 pages. I thought long about the former, and then realised that the flow would be all wrong. The first novel centred around Jaim Grymauch. He was a very charismatic figure, and the climax of his story worked beautifully as a natural ending. To have merely continued the novel after that would have created a huge sense of anti climax. So I split the story. Unfortunately this did necessitate a somewhat abrupt departure for young Gaise Macon.

9) Your editor says that your next title is called "White Wolf." Is it either a prequel/follow up to Winter Warriors in which there is a character named as such? What hints can you give about the novel?

No, the novel is a Drenai novel set in the years after the Battle of Skeln, but before the siege of Dros Delnoch. The hero is a man named Skilgannon, who carried the demon possessed Swords of Night and Day. Druss the Legend will feature in the story, but not as the lead. [Having said that Druss tends to be a man who creates his own agendas, so it will be hard to hold him back]

Interview (29/10/02)

1)Recently you had a quote appear on the debut novel of Ian Graham (Monument) How were you persuaded to review Ian's work and why did you give this quote?

I first met Ian at a writer's workshop in Norfolk. Having seen samples of his work I realised immediately he had a rare talent and I urged him to write a novel. The first draft of Monument had some magnificent sections, but was like a bag of pearls without a string. He reworked it. Some years later I was able to introduce him to Tim Holman, the sf/fantasy editor at Orbit. Tim also saw Ian's potential and commissioned him to write Monument. When it was finished I asked for a copy of the galley proofs to be sent to me, so that I could offer an author quote.

2)What do you do to relax?

I write. I play computer games. I watch movies.

3)How have your hobbies assisted you in your work?

I'm not sure they have. But then its difficult to assess. There is no output without input, so I guess watching movies gives me a feel for what kind of storytelling appeals to modern audiences.

4)You've mentioned previously how you hate being interviewed by people who don't know anything about your work, when you consider the wide range of things possible in the Science-Fiction/Fantasy genre. How would you personally define your work against other authors?

I don't try to define it. My style was influenced by Louis Lamour, Tolkien, Henry Kuttner, Fritz Leiber and Robert E Howard. I like the spartan style of story telling, keeping descriptive prose to a minimum, and making the reader work a little. I rarely read now - though I've just started Dawnthief by James Barclay, which I'm enjoying immensely.

5)When you're in a book shop do you ever have a peak to see who's browsing your work and if so how often are you recognised?

The short answer is no. Occasionally I see someone pick up a book of mine. If they walk with it to the cash desk I usually ask them if they want me to sign it. I love the looks of surprise on their faces.

6)If someone was to enter a shop where you were, how would you persuade them to consider one of your novels over someone else (not assuming that the Doorman in you comes out) and how would you persuade them that your work is different to other authors?

I wouldn't. Most authors work bloody hard to finish a novel. They deserve an even playing field when it comes to the shelves.

7)With White Wolf being rumoured to contain the first published map of the Drenai world did you initially have a rough design for your world or just make it up as you went along? In addition to this is there any truth in the rumour and have you based it upon any fan's map that's available?

I made it up as I went along. And yes, the map we are using for White Wolf was created by Dale Rippke, an American reader.

8)Out of the characters that appear in your work do you have a singular favourite and please explain your answer?

Druss the Legend. He was the first of my super heroes, if you like. I love the old man to pieces. Actually, having just written that, I now realise that Druss at his oldest is only five years older than me. Damn! When I created him I was just 27. He seemed ancient then. Before much longer he's going to seem young and carefree. Where the Hell does the time go?

9)Upon completion of your debut novel what did you do, if anything, to celebrate?

Damned if I can remember. Probably got drunk on vodka. I did a lot of vodka back in the Eighties.

10)What, if anything, do you do to put yourself in the mood to write?

I switch on the computer. I am always in the mood to write.

11)How do you feel that people have responded to your work?

It's a good feeling. I have always believed that story tellers have a duty to inspire people to be the best they can be. One of my fans wrote to me once telling me that he'd just finished a book of mine and was out walking his dog when he saw two men attacking a woman. Instinctively he charged in and the men ran away. He said he didn't think he would have reacted in quite that way if he hadnt just finished reading a book about heroes.

12)How do you view feedback to your work and how do you react to negative input?

There's always going to be negative input. There will always be people who think an author's work is crap, or juvenile, or right/left wing. You just have to shrug and ignore it. People take great delight in knocking Jeffrey Archer's work. I thought Kane and Abel was a great piece of story telling, fast paced, well characterised and utterly compelling. When Wuthering Heights was first published reviewers slammed it. In the end the only judgement worth a damn is whether a book appeals on a wide level. Because if it doesn't it goes out of print. Then nobody reads it.

13)You mentioned in your last book tour (Stormrider) about being knocked back a few times with your work but kept plugging away until you finally made it. How did you go about dealing with not only the criticism but also go about getting yourself published in the first place?

Louis Lamour once said writing was like gold mining. You have to dig through a million tons of dirt before you hit the yellow stuff. That's true. I quit quite a few times back in the early days. I wrote my first novel when I was 21. I didn't publish until I was 35. Which shows the amount of dirt I had to dig through.

14)What advice would you give to debut novelists to encourage them?

Anyone who needs constant encouragement just isnt going to make it. You need stamina, self belief, and a dogged obstinacy. It also helps to have a thick skin and an ego that makes Everest look like a pimple on a sheep's bum.

Interview (13/03/03)

1) At times all authors have trouble coming up with with new ideas how do you combat this problem?

The only time I suffer from lack of ideas is when I quit smoking. It is more than irritating. Recently I quit for a month, and not only could I not write I didnt even know how to write. I would sit and look at the screen, reading what I had written before quitting, and think: 'Coo, that's clever. Wonder how he did that.' By the time I went - reluctantly - back to the Bensons they tasted like shit and stank the house out. But I was writing again.

2) After an unsuccesful book or a book that many fans thought was a let down such as Ironhands Daughter how do you bounce back?

Stories are living things, like people. Some you like, some you dont. I figure that if I do my fans the courtesy of giving a novel every ounce of energy, passion and belief that I possess then they'll forgive me if an individual tale doesnt appeal to them. In my experience readers tend to go off authors when the writers start churning out poorly written, cliche ridden novels. As long as the author cares enough about his readers to give them the best he can they'll stick by him/her.

3) White Wolf is sited as Book One of the Damned, how is the next part of novel going to keep the reader enthralled and how many books will there be?

I havent a clue. I am 20,000 words into White Wolf 2 - provisionally titled The Swords of Night and Day - and I am having big fun. How the story will pan out, and whether there will be another Skilgannon I just dont know. That's part of the joy of this job.

4) With the successful completion of White Wolf whats the next project that your working on?

After White Wolf 2 I am intending to write a big story loosely based on the Siege of Troy.

5) If you were given the funding to make one of your books into a film, with total control in your hands, which would it be?

Legend. It will always be my favourite and it has great cinematic qualities, in that the plot is centred on a giant fortress and a handful of heroes. However I wouldnt want total control. Giving an author total control would probably spell disaster at the box office. Hells Bells, does anyone remember what happened when Stephen King was given total control?

6) When you've spent hard months working on a novel have you ever gone back and read your work and have you ever been able to enjoy it?

I dont go back and re-read. I once had to proof read the US version of Legend. All I wanted to do was edit and re-write. There are so many klunky moments and clumsy sentences. It holds its place in people's hearts because of the sheer energy, passion and love that went into it. But as a piece of writing it appals me.

7) Over the years youve written tales in the Drenai world centred around the Drenai as the key people, White Wolf appears to be based entirely in another culture with a couple of Drenai as the featuring characters, are there going to be any based on some of the other peoples such as the Chiatze or the Sathuli? If so, Who and when will we see it?

Beats me! I never know too far ahead what I am going to write. I only wrote White Wolf because I had an email from someone in marketing at Transworld with the address S.Kilgannon. I looked at it and thought: Skilgannon - that's a cool name for a hero.

8) Pagan/Kataskicana is a memerable character, have you ever thought about writing a novel based around Pagan or even just around the Opal Coast?

I originally wrote Pagan as a character after a young fan of Legend said to me: 'I love your books, mate. You know where its at.' I asked him what he meant. He looked at me and smiled and said: 'No spades in Legend.' That was a watershed for me. Not until then did I realise what a responsibility an author has. As well as entertaining readers we need to raise awareness and battle the idiocies and evils of prejudice in all its forms.

9) In talks that youve previously given you've mentioned that all your books are based in the same world at different times, using the biblical phrase of not one stone shall be left upon another as a quote (Shannow Books) how do you keep track on the timelines and also which order do they appear in ie Drenai, Rigante, Ghost King, Shannow)?

With enormous difficulty. Happily I have a team of great test readers and fans, and my partner, Stella, keeps track of such things.

10) From whats been released about white wolf, to many it would appear that Skilgannon would have been worthy of a note in the annals of Drenai History and mentioned in other novels, what drew you to creating a whole new character, previously unmentioned in any book and then not only add him to the Druss chronology but make Druss a part of the novel?

I think there's a flaw in this argument. Most British readers would know about Richard the Lionheart and Robin Hood, but how many British readers could name, say, five heroes from French history? Or Spanish history. Skilgannon made his name in the east, in the wars surrounding Naashan and the lands of the Angostin, far north near Kydor. Chroniclers of Drenai history would probably never have heard his name.

11) In the Rigante tales there is a very large portion of history missing, such as Banes return and the fall of Stone, in-between Midnight Falcon and Ravenheart. Why did you jump forward so far in the series history and do you think you will ever fill in these gaps with another book?

Maybe. I have a soft spot for Bane and it might be that in some future time I will get an idea for a story.

12) If you could re-write someone else's novel in the same genre as your's, who's would it be and why?

Oh yeah, does a free mine detector come with that question? You realise if I answered it it would come back to haunt me every time I attended a convention. However, I recently came across a section in a novel that I would love to have edited. I was re-reading Lord of the Rings - my all time favourite book as a child - and I came across the scene where Boromir is killed and Pippin and Merry are taken by the Orcs. With time of the essence and the Orcs disappearing over the horizon Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas take out a little quality time to prepare Boromir for burial. They then compose songs about him which they sing in a canoe. Only then do they take off to rescue their friends. Happily Peter Jackson cut this for the movie.

13) Where did you get your inspiration from for Legend?

Fear of death. I was being tested for cancer, and wrote the story to take my mind off the wait for tests.

14) When writing a book, do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you?

I just go with the flow. Sometimes it works beautifully, sometimes it has me tearing my hair out. I have no plan of action, no story boards. I jusy invent as I go until the story ends. Its more fun that way.

15) Does the theology in the novels represent your own views?

I believe in heroes, and the need for people to stand against evil. I dont evangelise. I dont want people saying: 'Oh yeah, he's coming from a Christian angle, or a Judaic angle. To use a line, though, from the Bible, I write for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. Everyone needs to find their own route to spiritual enlightenment.

Interview (30/01/04)

1) After the completion of The Swords of Night and Day you mentioned in a previous interview that your next project was to be to "write a big story loosely based on the Siege of Troy." How is this progressing and is it going to be something similar to the Lion of Macedon and Dark Prince?

No, this is a straight historical looking at the kind of events that might have led to a major war in the Myceanean period. I'm having a lot of fun with it, though the research does slow down the writing speed. In a fantasy, if you want, say, a storm at sea and a ship riding it, you just invent it as you go along. In the first major action scene for the new Troy book I wanted a storm at sea, during a journey from Cyprus to the coast of Lycia. I needed to know the prevailing winds in the area, the approximate journey times and the reason any ship would be sailing those waters in those times, ie what kind of trade goods did they carry? Its hard work, but, as I said earlier, a lot of fun.

2) What hints would you like to drop about what we can expect from the project?

I'm only 20,000 words into the first book, and working on a second draft following reports from test readers. Too early to give hints - except perhaps to say that I'm looking to tie in some famous 'historical' characters into the story.

3) How important would you say fan feed back it to you as an author?

It depends. Its always nice if someone tells you they enjoy your work. Its also good sometimes when people tell you they dont, and then supply a reason. Not enough atmosphere, for example, or too much violence and not enough detail about everyday lives. At other times it can be mildly dispiriting. 'Dont like your work. Read half a chapter of one of your books and it was crap.' The British, particularly, have made knocking fame a kind of art form. The more succesful you are commercially the more sniping and back biting you receive. Then there are the well meaning fans whose comments can cause a sinking of the spirits. Most authors pour blood into their work, struggling constantly to find a story that will engage, inspire, uplift and entertain. For a year or more they will sit in bleak offices staring at computer screens honing sentences, cutting, expanding, re-working, editing, until, emotionally exhausted, they finally finish the work. Then someone will say brightly: 'So, how long does it take you to knock out a book then?' Or...'Loved the latest, David. Read it in an afternoon. When's the next one due.' Mostly I enjoy fan feedback. I used to be able to respond to all the letters I received. Now there are too many. But I do read them all.

4) What is your view is on fan fiction? Is it something that you rather people didnt do or is it more a case of theyre welcome to it as long as you dont see it?

If by fan fiction you mean people taking an author's characters and writing their own tales I dont like it at all. I understand why people do it, but in this compensation culture age we live in it does create nightmare scenarios. Someone writes a story about - say - Druss the Legend and a dragon. Some time later I write a tale of Druss and a dragon. The next thing that happens is a letter from a lawyer accusing me of stealing someone else's idea and demanding a sum that would refloat Albania.

5) In previous interviews it has been mentioned that every so often offers are made to you to produce a film based upon one of your creations and you also mention that due to the loss of rights you could never allow this unless the right director came along. Has there been any recent developments along this line, if so which novel and why do you think that that novel was selected?

Following the immense success of Lord of the Rings I dont doubt there are fantasy authors all over the world listening to Hollywood offers. The two books of mine that receive the most are Legend and Wolf in Shadow.

6) Amongst your hobbies you also mentioned that you like playing computer games, what is your favourite type and has anyone approached you to create games using your characters or world ie Dynasty Warriors with the Drenai Heroes, Real Time Battle Strategy using Armies from your worlds, Stealth games using Waylander or perhaps even a first person shoot them up using Shannow? If so who and what, if not what would be your opinnion on these and would you play them yourself or what would you like to see?

There was some interest a few years back, but the problem is that the American market is the key to success in computer games and - though I sell well in the States - there are a large number of US authors whose work in computer game form would outsell me. A secondary problem is that I dont like the idea of one of my characters being used in the kind of kill-frenzy games currently in vogue. This is a savage enough world without geek arsholes designing and marketing 'have fun as a serial killer' games.

As to my own taste I am completely in love with Medieval Total War. It is the best strategy game I have ever seen, and I relax for an hour a day playing it. So far I have won as the Byzantines, using the Varangian Guard, the Egyptians, by bribing opposing armies, and the Spanish, using Crusades. I have lost as the Italians, the Sicilians, and - horror of horrors - the English. I also lost as the Germans, but that was because the Emperor was gay and had no heirs. Bit cheeky that, I thought.

7) With a number of fans enjoying the graphic novels of Legend and Wolf in Shadow are there likely to be any more graphic novels of any of your books, if so which ones and if not which would you like to see a graphic adaptation of?

I would only go for a another graphic novel if John Bolton was the artist. He does my UK covers and I think he's just about the best in the business. Which one? Waylander.

8) More authors are starting to see the power of the internet and are creating, or have official sites, what is your opinnion of this and are we likely to see an official David Gemmell site?

There are a number of great sites dealing with my work. I dont have the time to keep a site up to speed, and my work/life motto is that old saw: 'If you cant do it well, dont bloody do it.'

9) With a growing number of oversea readers are you likely to do a tour of places like the US or Australia in the near future or is it a case of your waiting to be invited by the publishers in those locations?

I get a lot of invites and I would love to do more touring. Last year I turned down all expenses paid trips to Spain, Holland, Portugal and several other fascinating countries. It is a question of time. One of my claims to fame is that I have never missed a publisher's deadline. If I say a book will be in by October 10 next year then it will be in. In order to do this my work becomes time critical. I have to tour in the UK every April, and I attend one or two major conventions in the US. [I sneak a holiday in while there and chill out for two weeks] Apart from that I write almost every day. One of these days I will slow down to a book every two years. Then I'll relax and have fun touring.

10) How does it feel to be hitting the 20th Anniversay of the publication of Legend and what are your views on a special print of this novel (which as far as I know is still being debated at Orbit so it is still unknown whether they will be printing this edition or not)?

It feels like I'm getting old. Which is kind of apt because I am getting old. As to the special edition, I think the publishers of my backlist have decided against the idea. Originally I was scheduled to write a new foreword for an anniversary hardback, but I havent heard anything about it for months now, and the 20th anniversary is only a couple of months away. I think I'll open a bottle of champagne on April 13 2004 and toast Druss and the battle crew. Funny old chap, Johnny Life. When I wrote Legend I saw myself as Rek the Earl of Bronze. Now I am four years younger than Druss, and he just doesnt seem old to me any more.

11) Its also been mentioned previously that "Skilgannon made his name in the east, in the wars surrounding Naashan and the lands of the Angostin, far north near Kydor. Chroniclers of Drenai history would probably never have heard his name." How did Skilgannons name manage to end up in Drenai Myth (or is this explained in the next novel)?

I'll take a rain check on that one.

12) A number of your books make use of military rank and weaponry from certain time periods ie medievel for the Drenai for example and guns for Ravenheart and Shannow, did you research time lines for the availability of each weapon and military rankings or was it more a case of you added what felt right to you at the time? Please explain your answer.

One of the first tips I ever had when I went into management was 'Never explain.' I always write what feels good at the time. Ravenheart was my homage to my Scottish ancestors and was an alternate universe version of the horrors following the rebellion of '45. It was also my tribute to my stepfather Bill, who died while I was writing it.

13) When can we expect the follow up to Quest for lost heroes and what cataclysmic events the twins caused?

The answer may be never. I am committed to the Troy series for the next four years, which will bring me to my sixtieth birthday, God willing. As a heavy smoker with high blood pressure and an appetite for vodka and chocolate there may not be too many years left to discover the secrets of the twins.

14) With a couple of forums having had a battle of the Gemmell heroes, who do you think out of all your characters would triumph and who do you think would be the definitive Gemmell Swordsmaster?

Impossible for me to say. Its like asking a father which one of his children does he like best. In a streetfight I'd want Druss standing alongside me. On a battlefield Tenaka Khan. Being hunted in a forest I'd opt for Waylander. Stuck in East LA I'd want to be walking alongside Jon Shannow.

15) How do you come up with the names for characters?

Damned if I know. It is so important, though. When I began Midnight Falcon I had an entirely different name for the main character. The book wasnt working, and the character was bland. So I changed it. Still didnt work. One day I got really pissed off and said to a friend. 'This character's the bane of my life at the moment.' Then it hit me. What a name. Bane. From that moment the character came alive and the book flowed.

16) Its been commented on that when some people have read Stormrider there seems to be a similarity between Gaise Macon and General Custer. The similarities are quite numerous, are these similarities coincedence? If intended please explain your answer?

No, it is coincidence. He was actually a fantasy version of the Earl of Montrose. I gave a clue by having him use a line of poetry that Montrose wrote about being willing to risk it all.

Interview (24/08/04)

1) Youve mentioned that when you wrote Legend originally you forsaw yourself more as Regnak The Wander, Earl of Bronze, now your coming close to Drusses age, how has the perception changed and are you worried about the portent surrounding the death of Druss (The one where he knew that he would die in his 60th year)?

Portents dont worry me. Everybody dies sometimes, and death doest scare me. I did think about all this recently when I bought my new house, and named it Dros Delnoch. It is a beauiful place, overlooking a valley, and has four oast towers and a central converted barn. It looks like a fortress, which is why I gave it the name. I said to my wife, Stella, that it might be tempting fate to call it Dros Delnoch, since I am closing on 60 at a rapid rate. She said: 'Just stay away from the gates around your birthday.' Good advice, I think.

2) Legend is often sited, by many fans, as thier favourite Gemmell novel, why do you think that this is?

Hard to say. It is my favourite. It is certainly the most romantic of all my novels, both in central love story, and the high heroism of the contenders. I guess it was written by a young man, full of ideals and beliefs, who approached the craft of story telling with a wild, barbaric gusto. I look back on that young man with great fondness.

3) Youve mentioned previously that youve wanted to see Waylander done as a Graphic novel, John Bolton has said that he is interested in the project so are we likely to see it happen (or am I going to have to adapt the novel first, lol), if so do you have a project date yet and why was this your particular choice?

No news yet on the graphic novel front. John is very busy, and he is the only British artist I would want to work with. 4) With some authors buying objects as a reminder of thier novels (such as Stan Nichols) have you done that and what are you looking forward to getting for the first Troy novel?

Already got it. I bought a Bill Radford sculpted bronze helm. It is the most beautiful piece I ever saw, shaped from a single sheet of bronze. Just looking at it fills me with the need to complete the story.

5) What attracted you to the story of Troy seeing as its been recreated so many times in so many different formats?

I have always nursed a secret yen to write a novel about Troy. I loved the stories when my mother read them to me as a child. Troy was a natural for me when I decided to take a break from pure fantasy and immerse myself in a historical period. Sure it has been done a lot. Some of the tales have been magnificent, some tawdry. I have enjoyed them all. I wanted to find Hektor and Achilles for myself, and to sail the Great Green with Odysseus. I wanted to see a story unfold that offered me the chance to renew my love affair with ancient greece.

7) With Troy being glossed over in Ghost King and the mention of the Feragh's interaction, how are you going to be able to avoid the pitfalls such as Culain's slaying of Achilles and how much tampering can we expect from them? Also with the Feragh possibly making an appearance can we expect the Sipstrassi (those magic gold stones) to also appear or are you trying to steer clear of them?

I am just finished the fifth draft of the first novel, so I dont have to worry yet about whether Culain will make an appearance. I have always said that all of my novels were linked. That remains true of all the fantasies. Troy is not a fantasy. I may use Culain, or I may try something different. That's the beauty of this job. It depends on what my creative instincts tell me as I move along.

8) Why write a trilogy around Troy and what are you doing to prevent a rework of a tale that already exists?

The story is way too big for a single novel. The first book deals with only a few of the heroes who will come together in the War at Troy. I wanted the story to have an epic feel, and for the readers to be able to identify with the people on all sides of the conflict. As to a reworking...I cant completely get away from that, since I am using characters created by Homer, and existant only in Homeric legend. There is no other source for Achilles, Odysseus, Priam, Paris and Helen. My version of it, though, will be very different. I hope that my story will talk to readers in the modern day. The attitudes and views expressed by my heroes are not intended to reflect bronze age life, but the problems we face here and now.

9) With so much history for you to delve into in not only the Drenai world but also the Rigante can we hope to see perhaps another Bane novel arrive such as crushing the might of Stone (mentioned in Ravenheart/Stormrider) to make an appearance or are thier tales just "whispering" at the moment?

Bane was a favourite, and I may return to him one day. I loved the Rigante and all they stood for. One of the annoying aspects of constant editing and revision is that with Stormrider I lost a really important section, dealing with the nature of being Rigante. I had to cut it at the end and it broke my heart. Some time I'd like to write a story that reinstates it.

10) How have you approached writing Troy, did you approach it in the same way as you did with Lion of Macedon and Dark Prince basing a certain amount on facts or has that hatred of research made an appearance just making it easier to write a fantasy based on some truth?

Nope. All research. Times, places, distances, currents, weather patterns, methods of boatbuilding.... you name it. Despite the fact that I am writing a book about current attitudes I still wanted the basic research to be right. Therefore I needed to know about bronze weapons and armour, methods of transactions in the absence of coinage, and the geographical setups of the ancient kingdoms. The editing has been harder this time, knowing what to cut and what to expand to create a sense of narrative drive and pace.

12) With so many covers for Legend over the years, do you have a favourite and why is it?

My favourite is the black cover with the guy standing in front of a line of skulls. I love it because it replaced a truly dreadful cover with a giant armoured hamster, with an axe stuck in his leg, kneeling before two trick circus horses who could only stand up by leaning against one another.

13) A large number of authors are now exploring the Graphic novel world, (such as GRR Martin) youve already ventured into this with the Legend and Wolf in Shadow both appearing, have you had any other offers to serialise other novels, if so which ones and what do you think about the prospect of having a large number of characters making an appearance? Does this also through into the mix that dreaded standard contract clause that states the characters become the property of another "owner"?

No problems with copyright. Just time really. I want to work with John Bolton, who I think is the best around, and he is - as you would expect from the best around - up to his ears in work. I'd like to do either Waylander or Echoes of the Great Song.

14) With Raven Armoury currently designing the Swords of Night and Day, what influenced you to agree to the concept of this and why the change of them from katana's (as protrayed by John Bolton) to Scimitars?

I agreed to the concept because I love Raven's work. The original swords of Night and Day were not katanas, but that was the simplest way to portray them on the covers. If they are completed by Raven I think they will be exquisite.

Interview (14/03/05)

1) What novel or timeline (from your novels) would you most like to live in and why?

When I was young, and used to imagine myself in another time, I would tend towards those periods of history with great and tragic heroes. I wanted to stand beside Leonidas at Thermopylae, or at Harold's side on the hills of Battle. Or on the walls of the Alamo. These are the dreams of a young man, full of thoughts of nobility, glory and fame. I still held to those in my twenties when I worked on the first draft of Legend. Now my thoughts are more prosaic. High blood pressure, thickening arteries, a couple of mini strokes, and a love of air conditioning in the summer and central heating in the winter, leave me feeling THIS time is the best for me. Quality cars, electronic gates, high speed air travel. Ah, what boring old farts we turn into....

2) What did you think of the Alexander/Troy/King Arthur films, and has anything that you've seen effected your decision on a film? And if a film is being considered would you have a prefered format ie Animation in the Manga style or straight celuloid?

Alexander I havent seen, though friends tell me it is pants. Troy I would like to see, but dont want my thoughts coloured while I'm working on the trilogy. King Arthur I have seen, and cannot describe how sorry I felt for Keira Knightley and Clive Owen. I cannot imagine a worse case of mis-casting. Perhaps Julian Clary as Druss the Legend would come close. Or Kermit the Frog as Waylander. Clive Owen is a fine actor in modern roles, but his laid back, low key flat voice was completely out of place as the charismatic Arthur, and Keira Knightley's cut glass vowels were laughable, compared with the guttural speech of the other Picts. The fight scenes were splendid. It is a movie which would be brilliant if seen dubbed into French with English subtitles.

3) Anne McCaffrey has recently handed her Pern novels onto her son to continue, have you ever envisaged handing the mantle of your worlds onto someone else ie to sanction an official successor or is it something that you've ever thought about? Why do you think your answer to this?

Difficult question. I could, for example, be cut down by a stroke and be unable to write. There could be a point where the money ran out and a publisher came to my wife and said: 'Hey, we'll give you pots of cash to help with the medical bills.' I would hope she would rip it out of their hands in an instant.

4) With the option of writing a novel on troy was there a concious desicion to go with a less 'classic fantasy' style cover of Lord of the Silver Bow or was this to help sell the concept as a historical fantasy? In addition to that What finally decided you to sidestep genres to write a Historical Epic rather than a straight Fantasy take on the Troy tale?

The cover design is by John Bolton, who also does my fantasy covers. The thinking is that mainstream readers are put off by fantasy art, and so Silver Bow would have more chance in the main market if the cover looked 'classy'. In fact I love it. As to the historical tag... well, you have to laugh, dont you? Gemmell the fantasy writer moves into historicals. Really? By writing about a city that probably never existed - at least in the manner it was described by Homer -, and using characters from the greatest fantasy story ever written. There is almost no historical evidence about the customs, mores, thoughts and feelings of people in that period of the Bronze Age. We dont even know what currencies they used, or what languages they spoke. So to call Lord of the Silver Bow a historical is stretching it a bit. But many publishers find the 'fantasy' tag a turn off. Look at Harry Potter. Is this marketed as fantasy? Is it Hell! Young adult is what they call it. Magic, wizards, spells, but not fantasy. Yeah, right!

5) Why retell the tale of Troy when so many have tackled it before?

Simply because no-one has told it this way. And because it is enormous fun to write. The publishers have really gotten behind it. They just had a conference in Barcelona, where they had notices on the hotel doors saying: Do Not Disturb - in bed with David Gemmell. Wish I'd been there!!!

6) Would you ever consider writing a story or two on the Chiatze people perhaps on focus on the rajnee order. For the Chiazte, did you use any information from specific eastern culture to help inspire the way you portrayed the culture, ie perhaps japanese or chinese myths etc.?

The character Kysumu in Hero in the Shadows was based entirely on a chacter in one of my favourite films. No-one has ever spotted this, but his name and description exactly match the Kysumu in the Seven Samurai. So only I knew [well, until now] that Kysumu passes through a gateway in time, and appears at the right time to defend that little village from the bandit hordes.

7) With the Troy tale taking up the next few years of your writing, have you had any idea's for the following project or do you tend to ignore this sort of thing so that your current work isn't effected, if so what can you tell us about this or are you worried about someone else stealing the idea for their own use?

I only ever concentrate on the project in hand. I have no idea whatever what I'll do after Troy. Much depends on how the public reacts to the books. If, for example, the Troy novels sell enormously there will be a lot of pressure to produce another 'historical'. If they flop then the pressure will be the opposite. It will be: 'For Heavens sake, DG, turn out another Waylander as soon as you can.'

8) On your last tour you seemed a bit surprised at the sheer volume of fans that wanted to meet you, why was that, and has the success of the last tour made you consider adding additional dates for the next one?

That was scary. As you know my style is intimate and chatty at talks. I like to involve the audience and take questions. The ideal number for this is around fifty in the audience. On the last tour we had over 200 in places. This causes logistical problems. How much time can we allow for the Q&A, how much for the signing afterwards, and how much for the stock signings after everyone has gone. Before last year it was quite easy to manage. An hour for the chat, an hour for the signing and half an hour for the stock. Start at 6.30, finish at 9. Last year the signing queues alone were running at just under two hours, the stock signing at 90 minutes. This meant that the staff couldnt leave the store until after 10pm, and many of the people in the queue ended up worrying about buses and such like.

9) Its been supposed that Druss is related to Oshikai, with quotes like Shadak saying that these gifts are passed from Father to son, and with the two characters weilding the same weaponry with the same skill, as well as having other similarities such as the Poet, it all seems a bit too coincidental. Other factors for the assumption include that Druss is descended from Angel and Miriel son who married a Nadir Maiden from the Wolfshead, so can you confirm or deny this and did the thought ever occured to you when you wrote the novel?

Yep, Druss is descended from Oshikai and Angel.

10) How do you relate the gaps in your timeline to fans that say that they should be filled in ie the war of the twins or how bane came back to lead the Rigante against Stone? or do you feel that the gaps add a greater dimension to the reality of the worlds?

It just comes down to what interests me. For example the Crimean War, Charge of the Light Brigade et al, is fascinating. The Second World War is also right up there for excitement, derring do, and charismatic generals like Patton, Montgomery, Alexander and Rommel. The First Wolrd War is mind numbingly vile from start to finish. Stupid generals, ludicrous tactics, and colossal waste of human life. Now, if these were part of the Gemmell universe I would write about the Light Brigade, and about Patton and Rommel, but only allude to the First World War. In short I'd skip a generation.

11) Fan fiction can be a writers bane especially in a law court, have you ever come across any that you thought has been half decent and was a great idea that you couldn't tackle due to the legal implications?

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