Jim C. Hines is the author of 20 published SF/F novels, including the Goblin Quest trilogy, the Magic ex Libris series, the Princess series of fairy tale retellings, the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse trilogy, and the Fable Legends tie-in Blood of Heroes, He also won the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. He lives in mid-Michigan with his family. His latest novel is Slayers of Old and he recently talked about it with Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.
What was your inspiration for Slayers of Old?
I'm not usually very good at the elevator pitch thing, but this one really did start with a one-sentence pitch line: Buffy crossed with The Golden Girls. I'm sure my own increasing age played a part in inspiring the book, too. Entering my 50s has been a trip. I'm not to the cane-shaking, yelling-at-clouds stage yet, but I did have to ask my step-kids for help with the "young person slang" while writing the book.
Are Alex, Annette, Jenny, Temple, Ronnie, or any of the other characters in the novel inspired by or based on specific individuals?
None of them are inspired by real-world individuals, no. But they very much pay tribute to three significant and popular urban fantasy characters.
How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters, scenes, or stories that were lost in the process that you wish had made it to the published version?
The original outline and draft were very different. There was a long-lost father, a bunker of ancient weaponry, and in one chapter, the protagonists got captured by an evil billionaire, at which point they reminisced about all the times they got captured when they were younger.
I think the cuts and changes over the various drafts were for the best, so there's nothing I'd want to squeeze back into the book. Though I was rather fond of my wife's earlier suggested title: Demons and Doilies. But I think Slayers of Old (also her suggestion) works better.
There are some elements of Slayers of Old that are reminiscent of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and you seem to be having a lot of fun poking at the show while winking at/nudging readers who may be familiar). Are you a fan of Buffy? If so, what are some of your favorite episodes?
I got into the show a couple of years after it first hit the air, and I quickly became a fan. I loved the writing, especially the humor. I was especially fond of Giles, the long-suffering mentor/librarian. Looking back, the show had its flaws, but it also had a powerful cultural impact. Conventions would have panels discussing the pros and cons of the Buffy-style Strong Female Character™ or exploring the feminist and not-so-feminist elements of the show.
There are things I learned as a writer, too—particularly about dialogue and balancing humor and darkness.
Favorite episodes include "Hush," "Once More With Feeling" (the musical episode—I have the soundtrack), and "The Body."
Any least favorites? (I realize that you may not want to address this one, and if that is the case, please don't. But I also realize you may find them so bad that it could be fun to answer.
Not a specific episode, but I was disappointed and angry to learn about some of the creator's behaviors. Multiple actors spoke out describing Joss Whedon's cruel, misogynistic, and otherwise problematic actions. The late actor Michelle Trachtenberg said there was a rule on set that Whedon wasn't allowed to be alone in a room with her. She was 15 years old when she started working on the show.
So that's certainly tarnished my enjoyment of the show and Whedon's other work. I don't have a particular least-favorite episode, but the storyline that led to Spike attempting to rape Buffy was a low point, and not something I'd choose to watch again.
If/when Slayers of Old is adapted to a film or series, who would your dream cast be?
I don't think about those what-ifs too much, but I could see Charlize Theron doing an amazing job as Annette. Or for the metahumor, maybe we could get Sarah Michelle Gellar. For Jenny, Michelle Yeoh would be great to watch. As for Temple, as long as we're dreaming, let's bring in Harrison Ford. Ooh, or maybe Sir Ian McKellen. McKellen has lots of experience playing a wizard, after all.
Have you ever visited Salem, Massachusetts? If so, do you have any favorite places from your visit(s)?
I have, yes! I got to visit the Satanic Temple, a pirate museum, some of the graves, and a delightful little ice cream shop. That was several years before I started writing Slayers of Old. If I'd known, I would have taken a lot more pictures and notes.
Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had an encounter with something paranormal?
My wife gives me a hard time that I write all this science fiction and fantasy—fairies and ghosts and magic and aliens and so on—but for the most part, I don't believe in any of it in a literal sense. That said, I'm open to being wrong. I don't actually know what happens after death, for example. I'd love it if there were something more.
I should probably clarify about the aliens. Given the size of the universe, I absolutely believe there's other life out there. With so many billions or trillions of galaxies, how could there not be? But I've seen nothing that makes me believe aliens have come to Earth and built our pyramids or abducted people or probed our cows or whatever else.
Are you a fan of the television show My Mother the Car?
I had never heard of the show until you asked this question.
They say that every idea has been done before. I don't entirely agree that every idea has been done, but as with this example, it certainly seems to be true more often than not. What's more important is what you do with the idea. I'm happy to say that my take on it should be very different from a 1965 sitcom.
In 2012, you started a conversation in the Speculative Fiction community about the portrayal of women in the covers of genre fiction titles. It resulted in a series of photos where you attempted to strike the often physically impossible to recreate poses women were portrayed in on book covers. You were also given a Hugo Award that year for your writing on the topic. Have you noticed any changes in the portrayal of women on the covers of Speculative Fiction novels in the intervening decade? Are things better, the same, or worse?
Sometimes the poses were impossible. Other times, they were possible but designed to sexualize and objectify the women in ways that made no sense for the books or characters. We get so used to the objectification of women that sometimes we don't even see it. But when a then-almost-forty-year-old man contorts himself into those same poses, suddenly it becomes a lot more obvious.
Have things improved since then? I haven't done any broad scientific survey, but from what I've observed, there's been some movement away from the sexy-contorted-women stereotype in cover art. In part, that may be because cover art trends in general have gone more abstract in recent years. But I'd like to believe there's been progress, yes.
What's currently on your nightstand?
My pill case and my CPAP machine, along with a charger for my phone and watch. A small reading lamp. And a copy of The Z-Word, by Lindsay King-Miller.
Can you name your top five favorite or most influential authors?
I love Ursula K. Le Guin’s brilliance, especially in her nonfiction. Her essays about writing and creativity were both powerful and inspiring to me. Terry Pratchett is incredible for how he blends humor and social commentary. Janet Kagan wrote with warmth and heart, and she was kind enough to offer me advice when I was starting out. I've got to include Charles M. Schulz, because I've been a Snoopy fan for as long as I can remember. For number five, let's go with Tanya Huff. I've enjoyed her stuff for years, and I still get a thrill about the fact that she and I now share both an agent and a publisher.
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
I don't think there was ever a time when I only had one favorite book. Maybe when I was really, really young? My mom tells me I made her read The Berenstains' B book so many times she had it memorized. Something about that big brown bear and blue bull and beautiful baboon blowing bubbles just appealed to my toddler brain.
Was there a book you felt you needed to hide from your parents?
Not hide, no. My parents were pretty good about encouraging my brother and me to read whatever we wanted, as long as we read something. There were a few books where I hoped they didn't look too closely at the cover art, though. Mute by Piers Anthony was one. Heinlein’s Friday was another.
Is there a book you've faked reading?
I'm happy to say I've never faked it. I've gotten more liberal about setting a book aside unfinished if it's not working for me, though. There are too many books and too few years to waste time forcing your way through a book you're not getting anything out of.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Lots of them, I'm sure. One would be a book I read back in 1999 or 2000 or so. It was a fantasy adventure from the monsters' point of view. I loved the idea and was super excited to read it, but the book itself just didn't work for me. I was so disappointed, I sat down and spent six weeks writing what I wanted that book to be.
The result was Goblin Quest, which became my first published SF/F novel.
Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?
I wouldn't say everyone, because I don't think any book is going to be a match for everybody. But I’ve been known to push Hellspark, by Janet Kagan, on people. I love the warmth of her writing. Reading her stuff just makes me feel good about life. That particular book explored the cultural, linguistic, and sociological aspects of science fiction in ways I hadn't seen before. In addition to having cool aliens and robots and a whole lot of creative worldbuilding.
What is the last piece of art (music, movies, TV, more traditional art forms) that you've experienced or that has impacted you?
I saw Superman with my younger daughter shortly after it came out. It wasn't a perfect movie. There were some plot issues that felt a little ridiculous to me. But I loved what they did with the character. Clark Kent's line that maybe kindness is the real punk rock was wonderful. I feel like we need that right now, the idea that power can be kind and compassionate and vulnerable and human. Whatever problems I had with the plot, I came out of that movie feeling happy.
What is your idea of THE perfect day (where you could go anywhere/meet with anyone)?
Getting to sleep in until at least 8. Petting the dog and the cats. Getting some fun time with my family. Traveling somewhere I've never been and exploring stuff I've never seen. (With my camera, of course!) Eating wonderful food and having my insulin pump and sensor work perfectly so that nothing gets interrupted by the diabetes. Then, catching something spectacular at night, like the northern lights or a nice meteor shower.
What is the question that you're always hoping you'll be asked, but never have been?
"Hey, Jim, I’m Steven Spielberg / Hayao Miyazaki / Peter Jackson / Greta Gerwig / Etc. Can I please buy the rights to turn your books into a series of blockbusters?"
What is your answer?
"Yes. Yes, you can."
What are you working on now?
I'm about halfway through the first draft of a standalone fantasy called Unchosen Ones, for DAW.
