Talk:Mordant's Need

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Original Research in Themes?

I tagged the Themes section as possible original research. In particular, I disagree with the Gormenghast / Orison comparison, that wasn't the impression I got at all (for example, (1) Orison seems to be a large but not stupendously huge place to me; Gormenghast is at least the size of a town (2) Gormenghast is a completely isolated and insular community while much of this series is about the relations between Orison and its neighbours). Of course, that's OR of my own. If these themes are discussed in a citable source, that information should be added to the article. If not, since two people obviously interpret the books in different ways, I think the Gormenghast point should go. (Since I agree with the other themes, I don't intend to remove them, but if anyone does disagree I think they should unless citations are available.) Lessthanideal (talk) 16:56, 20 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm, found on this on Stephen Donaldson's official website (trimmed some irrelevant bits). So, I'm updating the article accordingly.

MRK: Mr. Donaldson,

I was just reading your wikipedia entry, specifically the sub-entry on "Mordant's Need" (which neglects to mention that one of the main themes of the story is gender dynamics; I keep meaning to add that). It suggests that the castle of Orison may have been inspired by Peake's Gormenghast. Having recently read "Titus Groan", I can understand this notion, if simply in terms of scale and appearance, since the two castles have different thematic meanings. Was this one of those "unconscious influences" or did you actively think of Gormenghast at the time of designing your own mammoth castle? (Revelstone also, retroactively, puts me in mind of Gormenghast, but again only in terms of scale).

thanks,

MRK

Stephen Donaldson's reply

(This is what I get for never reading wikipedia. All things considered, that's probably good.)

Yes, the castle of Gormenghast was an "unconscious influence" on both Orison and Revelstone. "What a minute," you protest. "If it's 'unconscious,' how do you know it exists at all?" Well, because I read Peake's trilogy before I ever imagined the first "Covenant" books. And by the time I wrote "Mordant's Need," I had read Peake's trilogy twice. I wasn't *thinking* of Gormenghast when I created my own Big Castles (to my mind, Gormenghast is entirely different). Nevertheless Peake's writing must have influenced me *somehow*, if for no other reason than because I liked it so much.

(06/11/2008)

Lessthanideal (talk) 21:32, 26 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

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