KJA: Well, one of the problems I see in some people who have a major Point to make is that they let the point become dominant over the story.
I think the original Dune is such a good example of how to do it right because it has such a terrific story and terrific characters and an amazing exotic setting, that even if you don’t get the message—some people would call that the medicine—you still have a great experience reading it.
When I’m doing my own stuff…I think Terra Incognita is a good example: it’s a very intricate story, but I also have some fairly specific points about religious intolerance and revenge and bloodshed, and that really meant a lot to me, but if I just wrote a tract about “People shouldn’t be so intolerant” then it would be a boring story. I think it’s better to get your message across in a stealth manner, so it flows naturally from the story. You don’t want two characters standing around having what amounts to a philosophical debate where it’s rigged so that the author’s viewpoint wins.
SRM: And inevitably the character who agrees with the author is intelligent and kind, and the character who disagrees is stupid and horrible….
KJA: Right.
SRM: Given your emphasis on storytelling as the primary goal of writing, it’s interesting that you cite the late Ray Bradbury as one of your greatest influences. A lot of his stories don’t have plots as such, just vivid settings.
