The Origins of the Word

This is what happens to John Ross in my latest book, the sequel to Running with the Demon. Chosen to become a knight of the Word, he has engaged in battle for fifteen-odd years against the dark forces of the Void, who seek to destroy Mankind through its own susceptibility to the attractions and enticements of evil. We are flawed creatures and cannot always see how we ought to be. The result is an encroachment of dark thinking and harmful acts that erode the civilized life we aspire to. Ross has embraced the way of the Word, but in this latest book he discovers that it is not always so easy to separate out what is right and wrong when the consequences of both can appear so similar and the results of acts performed in faith are not always immediately seen as beneficial.

Those of you who are familiar with the Shannara series might remember that the Word appears in those books, too. In each series the Word is synonymous with Creator of Life and, while having an important presence in the storylines, does not make a physical appearance. In the Demon series, we discover the Word through the voices of the Lady and those who serve her. In Shannara, we discover the Word through the thoughts of his oldest and most trusted servant, the King of the Silver River.

I have been asked if this reference is meant to suggest that the world of Shannara is a direct result of what happens in the Demon series. In other words, if John Ross and his fellow Knights of the Word and their allies fail to overcome the machinations of the Void and his dark servants in the present, will the holocaust and anarchy which immediately precedes the world of the Ohmsfords and their friends be the consequence?

As usual, when asked this sort of question, I'll ask you, as astute and able readers, what do you think?

Part of what makes writing fantasy so intriguing is the extent to which you can involve the reader in the process. A writer walks a fine line in story development between describing too much and too little. The best result is achieved when the writer reveals just enough of what is needed and leaves the rest for the reader to work out alone. Because fantasy frequently takes place in alien worlds and times and involves imaginary creatures, all of which are in some way metaphorical for what we know to be true about our own world, readers have an unusual opportunity to make connections and draw conclusions in ways not normally offered in other forms of fiction. Well-developed fantasy offers challenges to our thinking that make the reading experience both personal and universal.

I like that about the Demon series. It poses a contemporary problem--that we are in the process of destroying ourselves through poor life choices and callous disregard for others--while at the same time looking at the consequences of not adequately addressing that problem--that we will end up in a living hell. The landscape of both present and future is meant to mirror closely what we already see happening in our own lives. What are we going to do about it?

If you believe there is a connection between the Demon and Shannara  series, that's your prerogative. Each reader should make that choice on his or her own. An author shouldn't tell you how to think. An author should simply make certain that you do.

It is a lesson John Ross will learn in A Knight of the Word. He wasn't selected for his position to be told what he must do with his life. He was selected because it was believed that even in the face of terrible revelations and grave disappointments, he would be able to go on, to make choices, and to survive.

And isn't that pretty much how it is in life for all of us, when you come right down to it?

--copyright 1998 by Terry Brooks