{"id":10811,"date":"2020-06-08T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/?p=10811"},"modified":"2020-06-08T14:23:41","modified_gmt":"2020-06-08T14:23:41","slug":"entrevista-a-k-j-parker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/entrevista-a-k-j-parker\/","title":{"rendered":"Entrevista a K.J. Parker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Esta semana vamos a hablar y mucho de un autor que nos gusta especialmente en el blog. En colaboraci\u00f3n con Marcheto, de Cuentos para Algernon<\/a>, aqu\u00ed os traemos la entrevista que nos ha concedico K.J. Parker, alter ego de Tom Holt. Espero que la disfrut\u00e9is y que os ayuda a conocer a un interesant\u00edsimo escritor. Al final de la p\u00e1gina podr\u00e9is ver la entrevista en ingl\u00e9s.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bfPor qu\u00e9 escogiste usar pseud\u00f3nimo y por qu\u00e9 K.J. Parker en particular? \u00bfCu\u00e1l fue la raz\u00f3n de desvelar el secreto tan tantos a\u00f1os?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Cuando decid\u00ed escribir los libros como K.J. Parker, ya llevaba escribiendo y publicando novelas 16 a\u00f1os, bajo mi propio nombre. Estos libros eran muy distintos de lo que escribo como Parker; son comedias ligeras y fr\u00edvolas, en ocasiones descritas como “absurdas” y “alocadas”, dos adjetivos que odio particularmente, pero dej\u00e9moslo. Tem\u00eda que si publicaba mi material nuevo y menos fr\u00edvolo bajo mi propio nombre, pasar\u00edan dos cosas: a) gente que comprensiblemente se mantendr\u00eda alejado de algo definido como “absurdo” y “alocado” asumiendo que ser\u00eda m\u00e1s de lo mismo o b) mis lectores habituales comprar\u00edan los nuevos libros esperando cosas “absurdas” y “alocadas” y se llevar\u00edan un chasco. As\u00ed naci\u00f3 K.J. Parker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

K J eran las iniciales de un buen amigo m\u00edo que me ense\u00f1\u00f3 todo lo que s\u00e9 de ingenier\u00eda: era un virtuoso en su terreno y esperaba que K.J. Parker lo fuera tambi\u00e9n en lo suyo. Parker, porque Parker es un fabricante de plumas de alta calidad y otra forma de decir pseud\u00f3nimo es “pen name”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todo esto sali\u00f3 a la luz porque mis editores quer\u00edan alg\u00fan gancho publicitario para la publicaci\u00f3n serializada de Two of Swords<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. Al final result\u00f3 que no le importaba a nadie, ni mi identidad secreta y ni el propio libro. \u00bfSe podr\u00eda culpar a alguien?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bfC\u00f3mo fue tu experiencia de publicaci\u00f3n en Espa\u00f1a? \u00bfHay alguna posibilidad de volverte a leer en nuestro idioma?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A veces me molesta, aunque solo un poco, que haya m\u00e1s gente que ha le\u00eddo a K.J. Parker traducido que en ingl\u00e9s. Solo un poco, porque me encanta que cualquiera me lea. Pero tambi\u00e9n un poco porque la cualidad de la que estoy m\u00e1s orgulloso en el trabajo de K.J. Parker es el estilo (la elecci\u00f3n de palabras, el uso de la gram\u00e1tica y la sintaxis, la voz, las cadencias, ese tipo de cosas). Y todo eso se pierde cuando no son mis palabras las que el lector ve. Probablemente mis traductores producen algo igual de bueno, puede que incluso mejor, pero no son mis palabras, esas que he escogido cuidadosamente y sobre las que he sufrido. Los personajes, las tramas, las situaciones se traducen bien pero, \u00bflas propias palabras? No lo s\u00e9. Lo que me hace preguntarme, \u00bfqu\u00e9 lo que le gusta a mis lectores de mi obra traducida?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hay una novela corta, una de mis favoritas, que nunca se ha publicado en ingl\u00e9s, solo en chino. Probablemente sea mejor en chino que en ingl\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Algunas de tus obras se pueden enmarcar en mundo del “Sol Invencible”. \u00bfTienes una cronolog\u00eda de este universo para seguir contando historias relacionadas o es simplemente que te gusta el escenario?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Esta es complicada. Para responder de forma simple: muchos de mis libros y relatos est\u00e1n situados en el mismo mundo, pero a lo largo de un tiempo muy dilatado, del orden de unos dos mi a\u00f1os (m\u00e1s o menos el mismo tiempo que separa la fundaci\u00f3nde Roma de la ca\u00edda de Constantinopla). Como la tecnolog\u00eda y la vida material de la gente normal en K. J. Parkerland cambia tanto como cambiaba en la vida diaria de los romanos, es decir, muy poco, hay poca informaci\u00f3n en los propios libros y relatos para situar el periodo hist\u00f3rico en el que transcurren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La verdad es que me gusta usar varias cosas, como imperios divididos en dos mitades o ciudades-estado mar\u00edtimas, o una raza de arqueros a caballo n\u00f3madas, o un religi\u00f3n monote\u00edsta como est\u00e1ndares adecuados para mis libros, pero soy demasiado descuidado como para mantener estas referencias consistentes. Escribir un historia alternativa coherente no es lo que estoy tratando de hacer, as\u00ed que no importa. La \u00fanica excepci\u00f3n es mi personaje recurrente favorito, Saloninus. Es tan resbaladizo como una anguila, le encanta aparecer en una historia yluego en un relato situado doscientos a\u00f1os despu\u00e9s, en un momento en que lo razonable ser\u00eda pensar que ha muerto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1l es tu longitud favorita para contar una historia (novela, novela corta, relato…)?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Depende de la propia historia. Algunas necesitan mucho espacio y a otras les sienta mejor ser concisas y dulces. En t\u00e9rminos meramente econ\u00f3micos, me gustan mucho las novelas cortas porque se pagan mejor que las novelas o los relatos. Pero no me gusta restringirme a un solo formato ya sea corto o largo. Me gusta hacer cosas distintas en los tres formatos que uso. Por ejemplo, pr\u00e1cticamente no hay nada m\u00e1gico ni sobrenatural en mis novelas, pero los relatos cortos son completamente m\u00e1gicos y supernaturales. En las novelas cortas hay un poco de ambos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Algunos de tus libros muestran un trasfondo muy detallado en temas muy diversos: t\u00e1cticas de sitio en Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City<\/a><\/em>, metalurg\u00eda e ingenier\u00eda antigua en la trilog\u00eda del ingeniero, diversos tipo de hojas y t\u00e9cnicas de esgrima en Sharps<\/em>… \u00bfHaces mucha investigaci\u00f3n en estos temas o ya eran de tu inter\u00e9s con anterioridad a decidirte a escribir sobre ellos?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Un poco de ambos. Empiezo con algo que me interese, veo su potencial como material para escribir y comienzo a investigar para el libro. No escribo sobre todo lo que me interesa, pero me interesa todo aquello sobre lo que escribo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En ocasiones el libro llega antes; aprend\u00ed sobre la creaci\u00f3n de armaduras para ser capaz de escribir sobre ello y ahora es uno de mis pasatiempos favoritos. Del mismo modo, hay un par de cosas sobre las que he escrito que no he hecho, sab\u00eda que ten\u00eda que haber una caza del jabal\u00ed en la trilog\u00eda del ingeniero, pero soy demasiado mayor para hacerlo a la forma tradicional, con perros y lanzas, as\u00ed que me fie del testimonio de dos buenos amigos m\u00edos, ambos experimentados e intr\u00e9pidos cazadores, que fueron capaces de relatarme con todo detalle c\u00f3mo se hace y qu\u00e9 se siente. La mayor\u00eda de las veces, sin embargo, hago mi propia investigaci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bfTe gustan los audiolibros? \u00bfCrees que tus novelas se adaptan a este formato?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Me encantan. Es mi forma favorita de experimentar mi propio trabajo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parece que te gusta mucho la figura del narrador no confiable. \u00bfC\u00f3mo desarrollas este personaje, sabiendo que tienes que ocultarle informaci\u00f3n al lector pero seguir interes\u00e1ndole?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

La gente miente, es una parte fundamental de la naturaleza humana. La clase de gente sobre la que me gusta escribir son propensos a mentir a otra gente, al lector, a s\u00ed mismos. Juegan con la verdad incluso cuando no est\u00e1n directamente mintiendo, porque jugar con la verdad es una buen\u00edsima definici\u00f3n de la escritura de novela y relatos. Sobre todo, me gusta escribir sobre personas intersantes y complicadas, que se encuentran con problemas que ellos mismos han provocado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muchas gracias a Tom Holt por ser tan amable al contestar nuestras preguntas. Espero que os haya interesado la entrevista. A continuaci\u00f3n, la pod\u00e9is leer en ingl\u00e9s.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

K.J. Parker interview<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did you choose to use a pseudonym and why K.J. Parker in particular? Why come out after all those years?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I decided I wanted to write the K J Parker books, I\u2019d already been writing novels for about 16 years, and publishing them (under my own name, naturally). Those books were very different from the KJP stuff ; they were light-hearted, frivolous comedies \u2013 described in reviews as \u2018wacky\u2019 and \u2018zany\u2019 (two adjectives I\u2019ve always particularly hated, but never mind). I was afraid that, if I published my new, rather less frivolous stuff under my own name, (a) people who quite understandably steer clear of anything branded \u2018wacky\u2019 and \u2018zany\u2019 would assume it was just more of the same tripe, from an established tripe-peddler (b) my existing readers would buy the new books expecting wackiness and zaniness and would, understandably, be disappointed. So K J Parker was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

K J were the initials of a good friend of mine who taught me everything I know about engineering; he was a supreme craftsman in his field, and I hoped KJP would turn out to be similarly craftsmanlike in his. Parker, because Parker is (in the UK) a manufacturer of high quality pens, and another term for pseudonym is \u2018pen name\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I came out because my publishers wanted some sort of publicity hook for the publication of the serialised version of Two of Swords. In the event, it turned out that nobody was particularly interested, either in my true identity or the Two of Swords. And who can blame them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How was your experience of being published in Spain? Is there any chance that we will see again your work translated into Spanish?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It sometimes irks me, ever so slightly, that more people have read K J Parker in translation than in English. Only ever so slightly, because I\u2019m delighted and grateful that anyone reads my stuff at all. But ever so slightly nevertheless, because the thing about the K J Parker stuff I\u2019m personally the most proud of is the style \u2013 choice of words, use of grammar and syntax, the voice, the cadences, that sort of thing. All that goes by the board, of course, when it\u2019s not actually my words that the reader gets to see. Probably the people who translate my stuff produce something that\u2019s just as good, and quite possibly better; but it\u2019s not my words, the words I\u2019ve carefully chosen and agonised over. Characters, plots, situations &c translate just fine, but the words themselves? I honestly don\u2019t know. Which makes me wonder what it is about my stuff, in translation, that people like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s one novella \u2013 one of my favourites \u2013 that\u2019s never been published in English, only in Chinese. It\u2019s probably better in Chinese than English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of your works can be related to the “Invincible Sun” world. Do you have a chronology of this world to keep telling us stories about it or it is just that you like the setting?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is complicated. To try and keep it simple; a lot of my books and stories are set in the same world, but spaced out over a very long time, something in the order of 2,000 years (roughly the same timespan that separates the foundation of Rome from the fall of Constantinople). Because technology and the material life of ordinary people in K J Parkerland changes about as much as everyday life did under the Romans \u2013 ie very little \u2013 there\u2019s little in the books and stories themselves to show what time period they\u2019re set in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real truth is that I like to use various things, such as an empire divided into two halves, or a seagoing mercantile city-state, or a race of nomadic horse-archers, or a monotheistic religion, as standard fixtures and fittings in my books, but I\u2019m too careless to keep the references to them consistent. Writing a coherent consecutive alternative history isn\u2019t what I\u2019m aiming to do, so it doesn\u2019t really matter. The only exception to that is my favourite recurring character, Saloninus; who, being slippery as an eel, takes great pleasure in appearing in one story and then in another one set two hundred years later, by which time he really ought to be safely dead<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your favorite lenght to tell a story (novella, novelette, novel)? What is your favorite short story?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It all depends on the story. Some stories need a lot of space and scope, others need to be kept short and sweet. In real-life terms, I\u2019m rather fond of novellas, because (in terms of dollars per hour) they pay better than either novels or short stories. But I wouldn\u2019t want to be restricted to any one form, short, medium or long. I like to be able to do different things in the three different forms I use. For instance, there is practically no magic or supernatural stuff in the novels; the short stories are almost entirely magic and the supernatural; the novellas are a mix of both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some of your books show a very detailed background in the most various topics: siege tactics on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, metalwork and antique engineering in the Engineering Trilogy, various types of blades and fencing techniques in Sharps and so on. Do you do a lot of research for those or are these topics in which you have a keen interest and decide to write on them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bit of both. I start off with an interest in something, realise its potential for being written about, and then get into it further for the purposes of the book. I don\u2019t write about everything that interests me, but I\u2019m interested in everything I write about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Occasionally the book comes first; I learnt about making armour so as to be able to write about it, and now it\u2019s a favourite hobby of mine. Likewise, there are one or two things I\u2019ve written about that I haven\u2019t actually done myself; I knew I had to have a wild boar hunt in the Engineer trilogy, but I\u2019m far too old and timid to go hunting wild boar the old-fashioned way, with dogs and spears, so I relied on the testimony of two good friends of mine, both of them experienced and intrepid hunters, who were able to give me full and reliable accounts of how it\u2019s done and what it\u2019s like. Mostly, though, I do all my own stunts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You seem to like a lot the unreliable narrator figure. How do you develop this character, knowing that you have to conceal information from the reader and at the same time keep interesting them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

People lie; it\u2019s a fundamental part of human nature. The kind of people I like to write about are very likely to tell lies \u2013 to other people, to the reader, to themselves. They play games with the truth even when they aren\u2019t flat-out lying, and I like that, because playing games with the truth is as good a definition of writing novels and stories as you\u2019re likely to get. Above all, I like writing about interesting, complicated people who find themselves in trouble of their own making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you like audiobooks? Do you think is a format suitable for your novels?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Absolutely. It\u2019s my favourite way of experiencing my own work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ma\u00f1ana seguiremos con la semana dedicada a K.J. Parker con una rese\u00f1a de un nuevo colaborador del blog.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Esta semana vamos a hablar y mucho de un autor que nos gusta especialmente en el blog. En colaboraci\u00f3n con Marcheto, de Cuentos para Algernon, aqu\u00ed os traemos la entrevista que nos ha concedico K.J. Parker, alter ego de Tom Holt. Espero que la disfrut\u00e9is y que os ayuda a conocer a un interesant\u00edsimo escritor. … <\/p>\n

Continuar leyendo “Entrevista a K.J. Parker”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10817,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[833,5],"tags":[968,453],"class_list":["post-10811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entrevista","category-fantasia","tag-entrevista","tag-k-j-parker"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/tom-holt.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5fEpk-2On","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10811"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10889,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10811\/revisions\/10889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantasticaficcion.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}