The Apex Digest Interview with Barry Maher
by Jason Sizemore
Published on this site: December 29th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
Barry Maher is the author of “Legend,” a
book that has attainted cult status in many science fiction
circles. “Legend” is the dark urban fantasy’s
answer to “Dune.” The novel will electrify readers,
challenging their views on such societal concepts as group-think
and religion.
After reading “Legend”, I had the opportunity to
ask Barry Maher about his novel, his work as a consultant,
and whether he’ll consider returning to the world of
speculative fiction.
Question 1: One of the most striking aspects of "Legend"
is the remarkable job you did in creating the story's universe.
The City, the "Big Eaters", and the Regent (the
poor, the privileged, and the Religious/superstitious) are
fully realized representations of the type of social fracturing
you'd expect in a dying world. Did this stem from a vision
of a post-Cold War environment, or something greater?
Answer: Absolutely, Jason, the world of "Legend"
is dying. The City is isolated and feeding on itself. What
passes for a government has become divorced from the people
it should be serving. It's entrenched, self-serving and uncaring.
Brutal. And while the area the Disciples control is vigorous
and powerful, it's a cancerous power, one that's twisted and
perverted. And even more brutal than the inept stupidity of
the government.
The world of Legend is a world of constant, unremitting fear
and danger: Everyone is in danger: Martin and Gena, the bureaurers,
the Disciples, the folkers- everyone. Ironically the danger
was generated by the society's obsession with security. The
City isolated itself only to find that it was trapped inside
that isolation with something even worse than the unknown horror
lurking outside.
Civilizations, cultures, governments, religions, individuals:
don't we all want to protect ourselves from the dangerous
of the outside world: Dangerous people, dangerous ideas, dangerous otherness? The dangerous unknown.
The vague place on the map where "Here there be monsters."
It might be an actual place, or it might be the dark areas
of stranger's mind that nurture unsettling beliefs and, quite
possibly, unpredictable and threatening behavior. Of course
it's only by exposing ourselves to that otherness that we
both test and nurture ourselves and our ideas. That's how
we adapt. That's how we grow: at least it's how we grow in a way that tries to adapt to outside
reality.
But In "Legend" there's only isolation. The isolation
of the bureaurers leads only to atrophy and ultimately death.
The isolation of the Disciples leads to the twisted, perverted,
brutal growth of a cancer, which of course ultimately devours
the life that feeds it.
Question 2: An interesting maxim you put forth and
realized by Gena is that of the power of collective thought.
Through our own superstitions and beliefs, we, ourselves, are the 'ties that bind'. Does this ideology represent
personal belief or a commentary on the sometimes one-mindedness
religion creates in large sectors of individuals?
Answer: It was intended more as commentary on the
way we all tend to think, rather than simply a commentary
on religious thinking.
To me, the more conformity in thought a society has, the
more danger it's in. That's because "What we all know
to be true" so often turns out to as wrong as many of
the commonly accepted truths of the ancient Egyptians or Roman
or Druids or Aztecs. In 2,500 B.C., the Egyptians "knew"
that the best use of their wealth and labor was to providing
their pharaohs with ludicrously massive tombs filled with huge stashes of treasure for the afterlife. Not
that long ago, we all knew the sun revolved around the Earth.
In 1939, Germany knew that Hitler was a hero. In 1966, we
knew the Viet Cong and Ho Chi Min were such an imminent threat
to American society we sacrificed 50,000 American lives to
stop them.
What terrifies me is that even the most independent of us
can easily be swept up in this kind of collective thought:
no matter how vigilant we might be. Even our dissents fall
into certain accepted channels. Individual divergences are
often pathetically slight.
Question 3: A common criticism of "Legend"
is that Martin is able to endure many horrible trials and
tasks, yet you never bestow Martin with anything more than
a regular man's persona and endurance. What do you say to
this criticism?
Answer: I say it's absolutely correct. I'm interested
in the extraordinary heroism of ordinary people rather than
the ordinary heroism of extraordinary people.
If James Bond or Superman endures and overcomes, who cares?
They're suppose to. They aren't like the rest of us mere mortals.
But if the guy across the street triumphs against overwhelming
odds, that hits home. That could even change what I believe
I can do and what I believe I can become. Hey, if that schmuck
can do it, why can't I?
In "Legend," Martin is a bit of a schmuck. And,
in that sense, maybe the book could be considered a triumph
of the schmucks. I hope it can inspire "regular men”
– and women. Superman and James Bond can look elsewhere
for inspiration.
Question 4: What is it that draws Gena to Martin?
Answer: I think it is just that: that extraordinary
strength and courage of an ordinary guy, the fact that this
most ordinary folker somehow taps into something
inside himself to become far more than he or anyone else ever
imagined he could be.
Someone asked me recently if Martin really was the Jefuson.
I said I didn't think so. But that perhaps the real Jefuson
wasn't either.
Question 5: Across the internet, "Legend"
has attained a cult status. I'm sure many would love to see
a sequel, prequel or anything that expands on the "Legend"
universe. Any hope of this happening?
Answer: Both a prequel and a sequel have possibilities.
I'd love to discover the details of how the world of "Legend"
came to be. I'd be even more interested in what happens to
Martin and Gena and this strange world from this point on.
There has been a group of dedicated "Legend" fans
who have spent a great deal of time and effort spreading the
word and promoting the book. I truly appreciate their efforts.
If it wasn't for them, this new edition would never have been
released. If there ever is a sequel or a prequel, it would
probably be due to the buzz they created as well. Because
of their efforts, by the way, I've authorized the writing
of a screenplay based on the book.
Question 6: You write one critically lauded novel,
then drop out of the literary world. What happened?
Answer: As you might know, when "Legend"
was first released, it made the UPI's "Ten Most Underrated
List" for that year along with the New York Knicks, who
never even made the playoffs, and a Meryl Streep movie about
a dingo that ate a baby. It stayed underrated for quite a
while, building up a following only gradually. As I said,
that following is wonderfully devoted but the book still isn't
that widely known, perhaps it never will be.
After "Legend" was initially released my agent
approached me with an idea for a quirky, funny, off-beat non-fiction
book. The book proposal sold immediately. The
book did well and is in fact still selling today. Other books
followed, including "Filling the Glass: The Skeptic's
Guide to Positive Thinking," a book "for anyone
with a job or anyone who knows anyone with a job." Among
other things "Filling the Glass" was cited by Today's
Librarian as "[one of] The Seven Essential Popular Business
Books." From that point on, the number requests for me
to speak to businesses and other groups exploded.
In many ways, all my books and speeches are in the same mold
as "Legend," exploring the same problems and ideas.
Too many of us today have lives that aren't what they could
be. Hell, too many of us even have jobs that aren't all that
much different from Martin's job as a bureauer.
Question 7: You've become a highly success corporate
speaker. What do people say when they learn you once wrote
a dystopic urban fantasy novel about the perceived second
coming of Christ?
Answer: I speak not only to businesses but to associations
and groups of all types. (I try to speak to at least one writer's
conference per year.) What's astonishing to me is how much
interest even the people at those business meetings have in
"Legend." They may not face the kind of adventure,
danger and excitement that Martin and Gena do, but they can
all relate to the characters in "Legend." The worlds
may be vastly different but the lives are more similar than
it might first appear. We could all use a touch of the heroic
in our "regular guy" or "regular woman"
lives.
Question 8: What are some of your favorite sci-fi
and/or horror novelists?
Answer: There are so many, I would hate to list them
and accidentally leave anyone off. But I do have to cite Frank
Herbert. "Legend" has been compared to "Dune"
which is always flattering. But it some ways the story in
"Legend" is a commentary on the story, the theme
and the action in "Dune."
Question 9: I've read rumors you might be thinking
about returning to your writing roots?
Answer: I hope that those who read my non-fiction
would say I've never really left those roots. But yes, I do
expect to return to fiction.
Question 10: As a successful business consultant,
what would your advice be to all the upstart small press fiction
publications?
Answer: My advice for them would be similar to my
advice to any small business.
- Turn out the best books you possibly can, books you're
proud to put your imprint on.
- Focus on your clientele, what they want and need and
what will satisfy those wants and needs.
- Have the best possible answer to the question "Why
should someone buy my books as opposed the thousands of
other choices they have?"
- Promote, Promote, Promote.
- Never forget that the best possible promotion is a satisfied
reader.
With "Legend," I completely ignored steps 3 and
4. But thanks to the book's readers it's still around today,
with the best edition yet just coming off the press.
Speaking of which, used book sellers are selling copies of
early editions of "Legend" as collectibles and asking
ridiculous prices. The new edition retails for $19.95 and
usually discounts online for about $13.50. If you see a price
on a website that's out of that range, click on "Other
Editions" to find the latest edition of the book at a
reasonable price.
Jason Sizemore is the editor of Apex Digest, an acclaimed
science fiction and horror magazine. Apex Online is at _www.apexdigest.com_
(http://www.apexdigest.com)
. This interview originally appeared in Apex Digest. Used by permission.
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