Ken Scholes Answers Questions Five

Ken Scholes is an author I expect to hear a lot about. He’s become well-regarded for his short fiction, but it’s the release of his debut novel, Lamentation (US, UK, Canada, my review), that has everyone buzzing. The language used is bold – Jay Lake proclaims that Scholes is poised to “step into the shoes of the late [Robert Jordan]”and Booklist hails Scholes for his “rare gift for inventive storytelling that invites comparisons with the genre’s leading practitioners.” Whatever you think of the buzz, I strongly recommend that you give Lamentation a try – for the record, I really liked it.

Thanks again to Ken for stopping by to answer Questions Five. So, without further ramblings…


In your opinion, should the Pacific Northwest be best known for better beer, better wine, or better coffee?
KS: Well, I like all three but I'd have to go with coffee. I wake up every morning, grind the beans and drink most of a pot while I'm writing.

If Lamentation were a fortune cookie, what would its fortune be?

KS: Change is the path life takes.

How would you interpret this fortune if it were your own?

KS: I'd be prepared for change and embrace it as a part of what moves us forwards.

Please describe one reason why Lamentation would inspire a reader to strip naked and run screaming into the forest?

KS: I can't think of a reason. Apart from the possibility of a swarm of angry bees being drawn to the ink that the book is printed with. Or just some random fetish that causes such behavior.

Why should Lamentation be the next book that everyone reads?

KS: To see if it's the sort of book they like to read; to see if it's the next series they'd like to swim in for four more volumes. Oh, and because we have twins on the way who've already told us (via morse code) that they expect a college education if they're going to cure cancer and bring about world peace.

Related Posts: Long Interview with Ken Scholes, Review of Canticle, Review of Antiphon