From: alex henderson
Location: Montreal
Date: 02/01/2010
I have ended up with an odd tradition. Every time I travel to China, I am reading one of your books. I have taken QoA, Slant, and The Collected Stories with me on different trips. I will never forget sitting in a coffee shop in Beijing airport laughing at the amusing prequel connections between Moving Mars and Heads, which I read in that order.
It was with some joy that I planned a recent trip, as by chance it lined up with the release of Mariposa, albeit only in hardcover. It is extremely rare for me to buy a hardcover of anything these days, but some traditions die hard.
Anyway, my question is this: Will there be a gap filler book that paints in the space between Mariposa and Queen of Angels? We have seen the moment of the rise of Raphkind, and we know in theory how it ends, but the how and the why are always interesting. DO you have an intentions to fill in this blank space?
From: Greg Bear
Date: 02/01/2010
Indeed, I'm thinking it over right now. Thanks for the support and interest, Alex!
From: kurt
Location: Portland, Oregon
Date: 02/24/2010
I just read "Mariposa" and enjoyed it very much. I noticed that you are using characters and institutions that appear in the QoA/Heads/MM trilogy. I assume when you first wrote QoA that you created Raphkind as a 2040's version of Richard Nixon. Is this correct?
From: Greg Bear
Date: 03/04/2010
Much more complex, perhaps much worse. Working on his character now!
From: kurt
Location: Portland, Oregon
Date: 04/07/2010
Maybe Raphkind is more like Bush II. I noticed that Mary Choi, who is 28 in QofA, is 2 years old in Mariposa, which makes the time of the story 2021. If Raphkind became president in 2021, then the Raphkind you have in QofA, having committed suicide one year prior to the story, would have to be his son.
Perhaps Raphkind Jr. is a amalgamation of Nixon and Bush II (with a little JFK and LBJ thrown it), with daddy issues to boot! I'm sure you are having fun working on his character. He ought to be quite the piece of work.
From: Greg Bear
Date: 04/10/2010
Novelists reserve the right to tinker with time a little bit!
From: alex henderson
Location: Montreal
Date: 04/10/2010
Actually, considering all of the interesting things that may have happened in the Raphkind years, it wouldn't be unusual to see the two term limit revoked or at least suspended. I can imagine him as a near dictator, President of the RSA (Remaining States Of America) for 20 + years.
I could picture many changes coming after Mariposa that would dramatically shift the rules of the game going forward.
From: Greg Bear
Date: 05/07/2010
Interesting! All will be revealed in due time... but keep on throwing the ideas at me. They're very helpful zeroing in on this future history.
From: alex henderson
Location: montreal
Date: 05/20/2010
honestly, I would love to give you some ideas, but it might be plenty too long for this sort of forum. if you are so inclined, drop me a line or let me know where I might send you something a little longer, I would really enjoy that.
From: Greg Bear
Date: 05/28/2010
Not necessary to write my story for me, but happy to have you continue to post commentary, Alex. And keep me on my toes as far as continuity goes!
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