Sunday, August 06, 2006

I've always had a thing for Tim Powers novels. He's a funny sort of writer, sort of a pragmatist-noir fantasy writer. His books are all about sad sacks who beat themselves up in the pursuit of magic. He sets up these eleborate, oddball cosmologies, where running water and electrical current and loose change befuddle ghosts. They're not always feel good novels, but I always enjoy them because of his Rube Goldberg magics.

I always buy his books, and slot them into my reading at my earliest convenience, because I know that, even if I like other writer's books better sometimes, his books will be different.

Many writers don't do different.

Looking around the internet for information on him recently, I ran across this old interview.

In it, he had this to say:

"I've heard writers say things like, "My characters have lives of their own! Bathsheba the Snake Woman became real to me, and I just watched and typed in amazement as she carried on." Imagine one of these writers trying to get to the airport! "I wound up in Mazatlan, the car had a will of its own!"

Which made me laugh, because I don't think I've heard many writers not say it, and it's always irritated me. It's good to hear someone concur.

I would read his blog. If he had one.