Interview with Tais Teng
Published 2015-04-23.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Writing is one of my passions, but I am also a fanatical photographer and painter. I really like to create things so even my sleeping time is spent walking through jeweled cities and drinking honey dew.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Mostly I am looking through the backlog of writers I liked with books that are no longer in print. I am also surfing the web and if I find a story I like on one of the sci-fi and fantasy sites I look if I can get an e-book collection with her stories.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Well, yes. It was something with dinosaurs and in the end everything exploded. I no longer do that.
What is your writing process?
I am very visual. I get a picture in my mind and then I start asking questions. Why is that white rabbit throwing fishbowls with piranhas in a bottomless gorge? How did he get there? What is going to happen when he runs out of fishbowls? Things like that, but sometimes a bit more mundane.
Think of a set of movie posters and I have to tell someone about the movie while I have only seen a bit of the trailer.. If I can make her believe the movie is worth seeing, no. the best movie ever, I have won.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I remember the first horror story a friend told me. "God," he said, "lives in the sky and he can see everything you do and his house is made of barbed wire."
How do you approach cover design?
As an illustrator I mostly paint them myself. It has to be strange and intricate and you always should put one of the protagonists in the picture. I don't like mindless action and I'd rather have a thousand mile high tower than an explosion or an army of growling zombies.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
There are some novels I can reread endlessly:
The Iron Dragon's daughter by Michael Swanwick.
Anansi boys by Neil Gaiman
Strata by Terry Pratchet
Metropolitan by Walter Jon Williams
Slaves of the Klau by Jack Vance
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Sony reader
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
Sitting on fantasy and sf fairs with a stack of books in front of me, signing and drawing dragons on the first page. That is the best way to meet your fans.
Describe your desk
A big screen, my laptop, a Wacom tablet with a graphic pen and a sketchbook with a real pen, fineliner or 4B pencil. Plus two boxes because I like music while I am writing or drawing.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I am Dutch and grew up in The Hague, a city close to the sea. I love the sound of waves and the screams of wheeling gulls. There are often sailing ships with a dozen masts in my stories and illustrations and mystic seas that roll on forever or at least to the edge of the world.
When did you first start writing?
I first started story telling, even before I could write. For me the world has always been beautifully weird and every shadow a gate to even stranger lands.
What's the story behind your latest book?
My latest novel is called A Ship made of Blood and Amber. The time is the Fourteenth century and the story starts in the Dutch city of Deventer and finally ends in Novgorod. It is the time of the Hansa League and I always admired the houses and castles built in that age. I also like Russian fairy tales, which are often quite horrible and definitely strange. One of my protagonists is the great-granddaughter of Baba Yaga, the most famous witch of Russia. Another player is Koschei the Deathless, a monster whose speciality was stealing brides on their wedding-night.
Historical fantasy is very interesting to write: you have to make sure to get all the details right: things like no potatoes before Columbus, while Roman legionnaires and caliphs don't mix. There are many holes in history and the art is to fit your protagonists into one of those holes. Think of the lost years of Leonardo da Vinci, the real identity of king Arthur.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Well, I quite like this world and it is definitely one of the more interesting ones, but writing allows me to visit any place and any time. It is a bit like having a very absorbing dream but when I wake I still have the story. Also reading a book is certainly more interesting than listening to someone's dream.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
The certainty that the real world is even more interesting than my dreams.
What do you read for pleasure?
Mostly science fiction, fantasy and historical novels.
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Latest books by This Author
Hans d'Ancy 2, De Gunsteling van Sedna
by Tais Teng
De Gunsteling van Sedna mag aanspraak maken op het stralende zegel van de Zonnegod. Wie de zegel bezit, heerst over de godengeslachten. Hans d´Ancy, occult speurder uit Groot Amsterdam, heeft het in handen gekregen. Maar kan hij het houden? Er zijn kapers op de kust; en niet de minste daarvan is Usmuaq, de Walrusjager van het Witte Licht, wiens harpoen je in je dromen kan doden.
Onder parelmoeren hemels, Hans d'Ancy 4
by Tais Teng
'Maar ik ben pas dertien!' zei het meisje verontwaardigd. 'Dat is toch veel te jong om een demon te trouwen en op je huwelijksnacht verslonden te worden?’
De demonische minnaar en 47 andere korte verhalen over meesterspeurder Hans d'Ancy, in een wereld waar menhirs wandelen en zes-armige godinnen je kussen onder parelmoeren hemels.
Glazen Speren
by Tais Teng
Lang voor de mens ook maar een droom was, lag de archipel van Cotrahviné tussen muren van drijfijs. Luister: Nachtlingen fluisteren je legenden in het oor over weelderige eilanden waar pandelen dromen, over het Boek der Nachtmerries, hoe Uru de profeet van Kandared werd, over Puska en de Dood en goden gekleed in lompen.
Klauwen van ijs
by Tais Teng
De bladzijden van het toverboek zijn van geplette spinrag, elke letter een dode aasvlieg.
‘Deze geest?’ zegt Tessa en wijst een ets aan.
‘Nee!’ roept Shakti. ‘Niet Teinashu. Alleen het uitspreken van zijn naam is al dodelijk gevaarlijk!’
‘Maar dat deed je net zelf...’
Duizenden kilometers verder ontwaakt Teinashu uit zijn eeuwenlange sluimer. Een god hoort het altijd als je zijn naam gebruikt.
Aan de oevers van de nacht, Hans d'Ancy 1
by Tais Teng
Hans d’Ancy is een kind van de ellendige Onderstad. Hoog boven hem lokt Groot Amsterdam, waar alle parken op gietijzeren zuilen staan en de rijken ronddraven op gemuteerde kakkerlakken. Goden en demonen wandelen door de brede straten en alleen een schuimbekkende idioot is atheïst..
Het spinkrabbenmeisje en de dijkenfluisteraar, een ziltpunk reader
by Tais Teng
Ziltpunk: wild optimistische broeikaswereldverhalen van Tais Teng en Jaap Boekestein, vol Hollands glorie, woeste natuur, grootse technologie, humor en spanning. Hier leven de dijken en zeilt een vloot van parelmoeren schepen aan het hoofd van een leger intelligente spinkrabben. Drie verhalen uit de intussen al legendarische ziltpunkbundel; Orkaanhoeders en Dijkenfluisteraars.
Dode Ogen
by Tais Teng
De lichtflits verblindt Arno. Als hij weer kan zien, vult een reusachtig gezicht de spiegel. Een woest gelaat met zware oogleden en pikzwarte wenkbrauwen. De mond spert zich open: tussen de tanden kronkelen bleke cobra's.
Arno deinst achteruit. ‘Van mij,’ sissen de slangen. ‘Geef me je hart, je vlees, je brein.’
Armen zwiepen uit de spiegel, mager als van een skelet. 'Laat mij in je lichaam!'
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