An Interview about The Stone!

Luthando Coeur interview with Bryen O'Riley, author of The Chronicles of Quat: The Stone

LC: The Stone offers us a glimpse of a world in which science and faith interweave. How did you come to feel the force of such an opposition?

BrO:... I think that it is science’s fault really. Regardless of your faith--whether Christian, ancient Norse, Muslim, Wiccan, Jewish, Mormon, whatever--science is adamantly telling you that something of what you believe is wrong. That it didn’t or doesn’t happen. Science has the audacity to claim to have knowledge about those non-quantifiable, unobservable phenomena that your belief claims. Yet, science is only able to deal in quantifiable, observable events! I say, “Science keep your nose out of others' business! Stick to what you know, like photosynthesis, and leave the rest alone!”

To me, that very real element of our world – in which science and faith collide – is a great basis for a fantasy world where both sides can be beefed up a little bit with fantastical elements and made to compete for power. Who will win? You’ll just have to read The Chronicles of Quat series to find out!

LC: You and I have talked about the novel, obviously. I am quick to point out some of its Steampunk elements. The more I think of it, though, it is actually this clash between science and faith which is at the basis. Science's encounter with faith, and vice versa, was a feature of periods subsequent to the 1890s (the Steampunk 'Era.')


BrO: The Chronicles of Quat: The Stone does have a Steampunk feel in a few ways. The Island of Quat is much more advanced technologically than the rest of the world and they keep their discoveries and inventions secret from the commoners that they rule. They have the equivalent of trolleys and electricity in a world where most people use carriages and candles. So, on Quat at least, there is a similar feel to the excitement of quickly advancing technology that takes place in Steampunk and in the real world between the American Civil War and World War I.

However, the world of Quat is not a parallel to ours, it is a completely different world altogether and, yes, I would agree that the conflict between science and the belief in unseen things is central to the story.

LC: Aside from the thematic elements of science and faith, what do you hope strikes readers about The Stone? What do you think they will enjoy most about it?

BrO: I really like the aspect of the main characters’ family being torn apart by powerful forces and then all set at odds with each other. The two main characters are brothers, one goes down the road of science and the other down the road of faith in unseen things, so their viewpoints and their loyalties are tested against their blood. Their mother and father are enemies of each other with one a scientist and one a priestess – and one bent on killing the other. A bit dysfunctional, I suppose!

I hope that readers enjoy the journey that Tad makes from a naïve young man from a small town to a world traveler with the fate of a people riding on his shoulders. I hope they enjoy the struggle Etan has as he discerns who is good and who is bad and what his part in the conflict should be. I hope they enjoy learning about the Stone – which is at the center of it all!

BrO: I love the character of Rynn. Rynn is the mother of the two main characters, brothers Tad and Etan. I do hope we see more of Rynn in the coming volumes!

Rynn is one of my favorite characters too. I think, for me at least, it is because I can relate so well to her. As I wrote a story focusing on two young men I wanted to include a strong woman who would do anything to protect her children from the powerful men who were determined to kill them both. That is something, as a mother, that I can relate to! I also like that Rynn is a powerful priestess in her own right who basically had to put herself and her abilities on hold for decades to, not only protect her children, but to ensure the continuation of her people and the fulfillment of a pivotal prophecy. I think she’s pretty cool.

Will you get to see more of her? Hmmm… I am writing the second book right now – maybe I should re-write page 2 where I killed her off… I don’t know… {;0)

LC: How did you come to writing in this genre? The reader will be struck at once by your deep familiarity with fantasy fiction.

BrO: I grew up reading historical fiction. I liked most of the classics -- even if, I'm sorry, I will never like The Grapes of Wrath! I especially liked romance and mystery. I remember devouring Gone with the Wind in fifth grade. It only took me four days! Who has a life in fifth grade?

But when I was fourteen I went to the bookstore with my older brother and he told me there was a book that I had to read. He handed me The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan; and, while he was browsing, I read the prologue. I was utterly and completely hooked on fantasy from then on.

I do still read other genres upon occasion but fantasy just feels like home to me. As a writer I love the depth and breadth you can give your world. I love the utter lack of rules as you are building your world. I am reminded of C.S. Lewis’ space trilogy, Perelandra, where he has beings that appear to be tilted, standing and walking at an odd angle to the plane of the planet. But soon the characters sense/feel/realize it is their planet that is tilted and not the beings they are observing. Whatever ‘up’ and ‘down’ are, the beings are more aligned with it than the characters. Because he could create any beings he wanted, something as simple as how they walked told the readers an important thing of the world they were reading about. Fantastic!

But most of all, I like to write fantasy because I think that in our hearts we know that we are supposed to be doing heroic and brave things. We are supposed to be slaying dragons and thwarting evil plans but, instead, we are stuck behind desks and waiting in lines and charging batteries. So I write fantasy fiction for the same reason I read it: I want to live in a fantastic world for a while and get to do what I should be doing!

LC: I am sure that I agree. The editors of Luthando Coeur, no less than the readers out there, are waiting with rapt anticipation for Book Two.

BrO: Thanks! I am working hard on it now and enjoying it quite a bit myself! Please visit

www.chroniclesofquat.com

for short stories, back-stories, and history on the world of Quat.

LC: This we will do! Thanks again