~ News Interview with Robert Stanek on the creation of Ruin Mist
Tribune:
I learned about your books from [a recent magazine article] talking about Ruin Mist, the fantasy world you created. What
do you say to those who are calling you the Tolkien for the new millennium?
Stanek: I'm not a Tolkien Scholar.
I don't know enough about Tolkien the man to answer that. The epic story and history written into his books changed
my life. That's what I've said for the record. I don't know what others are saying [about my writing].
Tribune:
Okay, for the record. I see from your resume that you worked in Intelligence in the military. You were a linguist. Tolkien
was a linguist. You are a combat veteran, a very distinguished one. Tolkien's writing was shaped by his love of language
and his experiences during World War II. How did those things influence your writing?
Stanek: First, clarification.
Tribune:
Okay.
Stanek: Tolkien knew Middle English, Latin, Finnish and a half dozen other languages. I've studied, "studied",
Spanish, German, Japanese, Korean and Russian.
Tribune: You lived in Germany and Japan.
Stanek: Passable
speaker when I lived there, but that was years ago.
Tribune: [Smiles] Okay, I'm rooted back to earth now. It's refreshing
that you are so down to earth about all this. Can we get back to how language and war influenced your writing?
Stanek:
Well, I started writing about Ruin Mist in '86. I was stationed in Japan then. I learned a lot about eastern cultures
and philosophies. I studied the language. Having just come from the Defense Language Institute's intensive Russian
Language course, I had an easier time learning Japanese and then Korean. Eastern culture and philosophy is so fascinating.
A lot of the language and culture spilled over into my writing, especially the history of Ruin Mist. Ruin Mist has three
realms: Over-Earth, Under-Earth and Middle-Earth. A lot of Under-Earth's feudal history comes from ancient Japanese
and Korean history.
Tribune: I'm Polish. I see a lot of Slavic influence as well.
Stanek: Definitely. Many philosophies
from the Slavs. I am a Slav. My father is Polish-Hungarian. I've borrowed words and word bases, like Kapital and Zashchita.
Many others. Ancient Elvish in Ruin Mist has a Slavic base. Hence "Eh tera mir dolzh formus tan!" are the words of power
Xith speaks to activate one of the Gates of Uver. Loosely translated, it means "From the earth the gate must form." Contrast
that to Tolkien, who might have thought this language too harsh for his romantic notion of elves.
Tribune:
You mentioned Tolkien, I didn't.
Stanek: Fair, I did. [Smiles]
Tribune: Have you worked on Ruin Mist steadily
since '86?
Stanek: No, on and off. I wrote the first part of the history and several of the books in the 80's while
stationed in Japan. After that I went to Combat Air School, then to Germany. Things changed after that.
Tribune:
The Gulf War?
Stanek: Yeah, that changed a lot of priorities for me. I saw things so differently afterward. The
experiences changed my view of everything.
Tribune: You started college. '91 to '96. Earned a bachelor's and a master's
degree, both with distinction, while still in the military.
Stanek: You did your homework.
Tribune: [Smiles]
Stanek:
You could say I became a little bit obsessed with work. After the Gulf, working practically 24x7 for all those months,
it was hard to shift gears. If I wasn't doing something, I'd go stir crazy. I still can't just sit down and relax
without making myself do it.
Tribune: Where was Ruin Mist during this time?
Stanek: On my mind frequently, but
I didn't have time to write that often. My wife and I had our first child in '92. That changed a lot of things as
well. I did manage to complete the realm maps and more of the history.
Tribune: Do you plan on publishing the history
as well as the books?
Stanek: I've written a companion volume called Ruin Mist Heroes, Legends and Beyond. That
has some of the history, but I don't think I'll ever publish the whole history. Who'd want to see it anyway?
Tribune:
About a billion Tolkien fans for starters.
Stanek: You said Tolkien? [Smiles]
Tribune: I did? [Looks at his
watch] We've run over. You said you had to finish by 3.
Stanek: Yeah, I really do need to. Is that okay?
Tribune:
Next time, then?
Stanek: Sure. I think it'd be fun.
[End]
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