цитата

sergei24

   I was thrilled to read your short story collections. It was like partaking of some arcane knowledge. Could you please publish more collections like Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things?


As soon as I finish enough new short stories
Как только напишу достаточно новых рассказов.

   necrotigr

   In your latest novel, The Graveyard book, almost every citizen of the graveyard has their own epitaph. What epitaph would you write for the novel itself?


It was Better Than Expected
Вышло лучше, чем ожидалось


   Oswald

   1. What is it that modern SF&F is lacking compared to the times of the New Wave?


J.G. Ballard — and a feeling of wild experimentation
Не хватает Дж.Балларда — и духа безудержного экспериментаторства.


   2. Are there any tendencies in contemporary SF&F that you strongly disapprove of, and why?


I wish that there were more fiction that took chances. But I feel that about all forms of fiction, not just SF. Don't be safe.
Маловато литературы, которая рискует. Но у меня возникает такое чувство по поводу всех жанров, не только НФ. Не избегайте риска.


   3. Are you the protagonist of One Life Furnished with Early Moorcock? Were you really so fond of Elric stories?


Yes, pretty much. And yes.
Да, пожалуй. И -- да.


   ravil

   1. Have you ever read any Russian SF&F? If yes, what is your general impression of it?


Growing up, there was not a lot of Russian SF in the UK. But there were the Strugatskys and I loved what they wrote. But that was an impression of authors, not of what a country produced.
В Великобритании во время моего детства было не так много русской фантастики. Правда, были Стругацкие, и они мне очень понравились. Но это было впечатление от авторов, а не от литературы всей страны.


   2. Do you think contemporary SF&F writers find it harder to describe their own worlds, since so much has been written during the last 30 or 40 years?


Not really. But I think it's harder now to figure out what SF is for.
Нет, вряд ли. Но, думаю, теперь сложнее понять, зачем нужна фантастика.


   glupec

   1. Has anyone told you that your works (especially short stories) have much in common with Roger Zelazny’s?


When they do it makes me happy.
Когда мне такое говорят, меня это радует.


   If it is true,

   a. Can you call Zelazny your spiritual teacher?

   b. What do you think about his writings?


a) Yes, I suppose you could. and
Да, наверное, можно.

b) I think he was an important and brilliant writer who created works that resonated.
Я думаю, что он был важным и прекрасным писателем, книги которого были созвучны многим.


   arcanum

   1. A publishing house in Russia promoted you as “the king of black gothic”. Your books do mention goths sometimes, and the Death’s image from the Sandman comics is a classic goth girl. What is your attitude to this subculture? Do you like its aesthetics, its music? Did it by any chance inspire you in the 1980s?


I'm afraid not. I think if anything, it was the other way around.
Боюсь, что нет. Если и есть какая-то связь, то в обратном направлении.


   2. You are British, yet your books feel as if you are enchanted by America, its myths and history. Is this really so? If yes, can you explain why? The effect of a newcomer in a strange land or some other factors?


I don't think that Neverwhere or Stardust are about America. American Gods is — but then, that's what it's about.
Не думаю, что "Никогде" или "Звездная пыль" про Америку. "Американские боги" -- да, но ведь книга именно про то и написана.


   Oswald

   1. Have you ever disliked, even hated, books by any widely recognized classical author (not necessarily SF&F)?


Thomas Hardy. Oddly, I quite like his poetry.
Томас Харди. Что странно, его стихи мне нравятся.


   2. You grew up in the heyday of punk subculture. Maybe you were fond of punk music at that time?


Very much so, yes. And the punk attitude as well.
Да, даже очень. И панковское мировоззрение мне было тоже близко.

   Kiplas

   What does the troll in Troll Bridge symbolize? I could hypothesise, but it would be great to know the author’s intention.


Authors don't tell you their intentions, or they shouldn't. Because then the story can only be about one thing.
Писатели не рассказывают о своих намерениях -- во всяком случае, не должны. Потому что тогда получится, что история только об этом.


   Petro Gulak

   Once you said that there might be new books written about London Below and the Wall. You even published Wall: A Prologue. Do you have any plans to revisit these worlds in the near future?


Yes.
Да.


   dia.sheridan

   Can we expect new installments in the Sandman series in the nearest future? Any news about Sandman on the big screen?


I think so.
Думаю, да.


   aldanare

   1. Your texts have been translated into other arts: illustrated, filmed, sung, etc. Which of these incarnations do you consider the most successful? Why is this ‘translation’ necessary?


It's never necessary. It's mostly really fun.
Необходимости нет. Просто обычно это очень интересно.


   2. You have three children. Do you think you are a good father? What does ‘being a good father’ mean to you?


You would have to ask them. I've done my best. Being a good father means inspiring and listening and more than anything, it means giving them a safe space to grow up in.
Нужно спросить их самих. Я стараюсь. Быть хорошим отцом -- значит вдохновлять, слушать и в первую очередь создавать безопасное пространство, где они могут вырасти.


   3. You have been writing a lot for kids and young adults lately. Does this mean that your next book will be ‘adult’? How different is writing for kids and for grownups?


I don't think there's a lot of difference, in truth...
Если честно, я не вижу большой разницы...


   zub-delete

   Shipwreck. An uninhabited island. You are marooned with your own books. My questions: which of these will be used for feeding the fire, and which for feeding your thoughts in the long evenings?


If they were my books, they could all feed the fire. The same thoughts are inside my head as are outside, and reading my books would probably only depress me.
Если книги мои, могут все отправляться в костер. В моей голове такие же мысли, что и вне головы, и от чтения собственных книг у меня, скорее всего, просто начнется депрессия.


   ааа иии

   Is there a book you would describe as “well-written, but I will never read it again”?


Many. I was a book-reviewer for years, after all...
Таких много. Я ведь много лет писал книжные рецензии...


   Jackson911

   Please tell us about how you began, i.e. your creative work. Could you share some advice with beginning writers?

   P.S. I’m sorry if the question is not new. I would really love to know the answer, because you are my ideal among all the contemporary writers, and my creative “guiding light”.


The best advice I can share is just this: you have to write. And you have to finish what you write. And you have to start the next thing...
Лучший совет, которым я могу поделиться, прост: надо писать. И надо заканчивать то, что пишешь. А потом начинать следующее...


   Davros

   1. After The Sandman you decided to concentrate on writing fiction, and your subsequent comics were less impressive. Are you planning to write something as great as The Sandman?


Well, 1602 and Eternals were what Marvel wanted -- I don't think that Marvel would have known what to do with Sandman.
Ну, "1602" и Eternals были заказаны Marvel'ом. Не думаю, что в Marvel'е бы знали, что делать с "Сэндменом".


   2. Do you think your next novel will be like American Gods – as large, harsh and aimed strictly at adult readers?


I don't know. Perhaps. The next book is non-fiction, so that gives me a break...
Не знаю. Возможно. Следующая книга -- нехудожественная, так что у меня есть время...


   3. You are also a film director, with two short films under your belt. Do you think it possible to direct a full-length adaptation of any of your works?


I do, although we shall see what and when.
Думаю, да, хотя еще не знаю, что и когда.

   4. Is Dave MacKean planning to make a film (or two) with your script? MirrorMask was fantastic!


He's just made his own film, LUNA. I hope it comes out soon.
Он только что снял собственный фильм, LUNA. Надеюсь, скоро выйдет.

   5. Some famous people in the Western pop culture – e.g. Stan Lee, Warren Ellis- have been cooperating with the Japanese. Are you planning to follow their example? It would be also very interesting to know what you like about Asian pop culture, apart from films by Hayao Miyazaki and books by Hiromi Goto.


I worked with Miyazaki on the English version of Princess Mononoke in 1997, and with Yoshitaka Amano on Sandman: Dream Hunters in 1998...
Я работал с Миядзаки над английской версией "Принцессы Мононоке" в 1997 г. и с Ёситака Амано -- над "Сэндмен: ловцы снов" в 1998 г.


   GerD

   1. Are there any criteria for evaluating the quality of literature? How do you personally tell good books from rotten ones?


It's not objective, or rarely, and that's a good thing, or we would all like the same books, films, songs and food.
Это необъективно — почти всегда. И хорошо, иначе нам всем бы нравились одни и те же книги, фильмы, песни и еда.


   2. How do you know when a phrase, image or plot twist is good? Are there any writing rules you live by, or you guess at the successful moves intuitively? When writing a book, do you have to put aside many ideas because they do not fit the text? If so, what happens to the “odd” ideas afterwards?


You can't know. You do your best, and sometimes you fail.

And ideas that don't fit sometimes find homes in other places.
Знать это заранее невозможно. Делаешь что можешь, иногда неудачно.
А идеи, которые не пригодились, иногда находят дом в другом месте.


   3. You have written a wonderful fairy tale, Coraline. Is there a big demand for magical tales nowadays, what do you think? Does modern audience need any new tales, with the enormous fairy tale baggage of the past? What books were you read to when you were young, what books do you read to your kids?

   4. You have won many awards: Locus, Nebula, Hugo, etc. Which of them do you value the most and why?


For 3 years now the honey from my beehives has won the Blue Ribbon as best honey at the county fair.
Мед из моих ульев уже три года подряд получает приз "Синяя лента" за лучший мед на ярмарке округа.


   Vladimir Puziy

   When and why do you suddenly get the feeling that the world you have described in one of your books demands that you return and write something else about it (even though the story was brought to a logical conclusion)?


Because I always know more than I say...?
Потому что я всегда знаю больше, чем говорю?..


   E.g., are you planning to revisit the world of the Graveyard Book? The themes of Jacks-of-all-Trades and the Honour Guard are barely touched upon, they look quite sketchy compared with very detailed (though not always explained, the readers will do their job) graveyard, the world behind the ghoul gate, etc.


Yes. The Honour Guard need their own book.
Да. Почетной гвардии нужна своя книга.


   vvladimirsky

   Why do you try to put all your writings into collections, even signed postcards?


I don't understand this question.
Вопрос непонятен.

   glupec

   Do you share the common view that the Star Dust movie adaptation was quite successful? Is there anything about the movie you personally dislike?


I thought it was a terrific film. It wasn't the book, but I loved it for what it was.
Я подумал, что это замечательный фильм. Он не такой, как книга, но понравился мне сам по себе.


   ilsvetlan

   Dear Neil, you have written a wonderful fairy tale about Coraline. Have you read any Russian fairy tales?


I have. I have many volumes of Russian myths and fairy tales.
Читал. У меня много сборников русских мифов и сказок.

   azatsh (Azat Shakurov)

   1) Does the story The Goldfish Pool reflect your own impression of L.A.?


Yes.
Да.

   2) How did you meet Terry Pratchett? Can you describe the process of writing Good Omens together?


I was a young journalist and I interviewed him.
Я был молодым журналистом, который должен был взять у него интервью.

   3) Do you often get letters asking you to reveal the secret of your literary skill? What is your advice to aspiring authors?

   4) What is your reaction to criticism? After reading something negative, are you calm or do you feel depressed for hours?


It depends what it is. I get more upset for evil reviews or articles about people I love or care for than I do when they are rude about me.
Зависит от критики. Я больше расстраиваюсь из-за плохих рецензий или статей о любимых или близких мне людях, чем когда пишут грубости обо мне самом.

   5) What will you feel if one day you read somebody else’s book set in the world you have created?


I don't know.
Не знаю.

   6) Who would you like to co-write a book with?

   7) What would be your first thought if you went outside and saw characters from your own books running around?


Oh good.
Ого.

   8) Have you got a hobby?

   9) What books would you recommend to read?

   10) Have you read anything by the Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski?


Yes -- a short story. I hear that the novels are now being translated into English...
Да, один рассказ. Говорят, его романы сейчас переводятся на английский...


   I respectfully wish you luck and lots of inspiration.

   Kon28

   What can surprise or astonish Neil Gaiman these days?


Love.
Любовь.

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