DW:  In both of your novels, you certainly demonstrate that you have a solid grasp on, and deep understanding of, many (what could be called) “Biblical” concepts – far more so than many “Christian” authors I know of/have read.

I don’t believe it is necessary to study religion to find understanding; all you need is within yourself. If I display a grasp of ‘Biblical’ concepts that is coincidental as I don’t claim any knowledge of the contents of your Bible, which I tried to read but found the writing style obscured my inner sight. All I have done is to reflect on the world I see through the eyes of my soul.  I have allowed ideas to come through me rather than from me.

DW: One of my favorites was the idea of the wildfire revealing who you are on the inside, transforming you so that your inward nature is directly reflected by your outward appearance. You addressed this in part in your web post “The Lifesong and the Search for Truth”.

I suspect that would be a horror for most people, as would the presence of a telepath nearby. I doubt any of us would look very beautiful with our inner nature and thoughts on display. But a beautiful soul is something worth striving for, isn’t it? The state of our soul is our own special secret creation. That makes life a journey, rather than an achievement.

I am wary of people who claim to have ‘found’ the way to enlightenment. People are clever enough to puzzle out their own path. But we can all do with some inspiration to get us moving in the right direction, so if you are a singer, sing! If you are a writer: write!

DW: Please know that I absolutely am not going to try to engage you in a religious discussion, and will by no means attempt to foist my own set of beliefs upon you… I was only curious if your Atheism has been from your youth, or do you come from a religious background, which you subsequently left? I’m only curious because of your remarkable grasp on many underlying concepts that I feel have been obfuscated/hidden and are sorely needed among those that claim to follow Christ.

I appreciate your considerate approach. You are the kind of Christian I get on very well with. My wife is Roman Catholic, my best friend at school became a pastor; both understand religion is a personal path. To me, the sensation of spirit doesn’t imply worship is appropriate. I choose to walk alone. And my atheism is definitely not spelled with a capital A; I don’t use it to classify or limit myself.

I have been an atheist since about thirteen, when I worked out for myself that going to church wasn’t right and proper for me, it was a one-sided dialogue and simply traditional. Before that I wasn’t Christian, I was too young to know what Christian was. After that, I was the kid at school who refused to sing the hymns. I guess I’ve finally found a way to change the words

In the Tale of the Lifesong, I present a world that has entranced my inner eye. That you find deep concepts in it is due to the fact that you are able to see them in any world, I don’t believe it’s due to any special ability on my behalf of being able to express them, but thanks for the compliment.

I aim to be ‘true’ in my telling of the story; I am guided by my sense of ‘off-key’ notes, which I try to reshape into a harmony. I believe the less we explain in our stories and the more that it is up to the interpretation of the reader, the more powerful those interpretations can become because they are moments of discovered truth, entirely personal and (hopefully) therefore genuinely enlightening, rather than just dazzling displays of intellectual wizardry.

In the Lifesong, I seek to understand the magic I sense whispering under the surface of life, the essence of a beautiful song. That some people enjoy sharing my journey of discovery is a bonus. Maybe we are not that different, after all.

DW:  Ametheus is a terrific character, and it is probably impossible to recall exactly how he evolved in your mind, while you were developing him, but I’d love to know how you came up with the three facets, and assigning one to focus on the past, one the present and the third on the future. I’d love to know if you felt that type of dichotomy (trichotomy?) was merely a byproduct of pure chaos, or at its heart.

This trichotomy is at the heart of existence. We were, we are, we will be. It’s easy to understand Ametheus because we have may have some similar qualities ourselves: the part that lives in the past, holds grudges and is easy to anger, the part that lives in the future and maybe overestimates the amazing talents we have yet to reveal, and the humble part that lives in the Now and is maybe not quite what we want to be.

I really don’t develop these characters in the sense you are thinking of. I sink deeper into them. I try to understand who they are, and reveal it, rather than saying to myself ‘here’s Mr X, he’s going to be a placeholder representing un-love, despair and wrath’. I get flashes of inspiration, then work to understand the gift of vision I have been given.

DW:  Why did you decide to bring back Kirjath for Second Sight? He was such a terrific villain in the first volume, was it just hard to let him go? Ametheus doesn’t really factor in until they leave Oldenworld — did you feel the beginning of the book lacked enough tension without a true villain?

No, I closed my eyes, and there I was, floating above the grave thinking ‘how dare they bury me?’ And so I ventured forth, and tried to survive, with my failing essence, and my bitter need. You cannot kill me, you cretins.

DW:  Would King Mellar have gone mad anyway if Kirjath’s spirit had not ‘possessed’ him?

Yes, it comes from taking away the crutch he has used all his adult life. If you become familiar with projecting stability and order through such a powerful talisman, when it is removed from you the contrast would surely induce paranoia and madness. It is the fatal flaw of relying on Order (or becoming too powerful or famous — you never want to give it up). But without Kirjath, Mellar’s madness would not be so very dangerous. We’ll see how that plays out in a new tale of the Lifesong, perhaps?

DW:  Ashley’s “power” seems to be presented in a much more subtle way than Tabitha’s, yet it seemed (to me, anyway) to be every bit as unique/powerful. Did you plan on making Ashley a new Wizard from the outset, or was that a happy development along the way?

You might remember a slip of the tongue by the Riddler very early on that might begin the change in Eyri. The Darkmaster, Ashley, and Tabitha are touched by the flux. Take it from there… I didn’t intend for them to become wizards, but someone else did.

DW: Loved what you did with Ashley and Sassraline. It was fascinating to watch you deal with the issues of lying in order to save one’s skin, using flattery as a tool of manipulation, and also the nature of worship to begin with.

Flattering dragons is what you’re supposed to do, according to legend. The spin here is that he really has to make it believable, because he’s communicating with thoughts not words, so he can’t really lie, he has to find a truth that creates the desired effect.

DW: Ashley’s ability to project ideas/illusions into the minds of others, did you know he’d be able to do that from the outset (and saved that for the right time) or did that present itself as you wrote the scene of Sassraline’s humbling?

Sit in a cave with a hungry dragon long enough and you’ll come up with a solution. Or get eaten. You have to realize I’m sitting there with him, for days, and the only way I can escape from that scene is to escape from that scene. That’s where I find the genuine plot, the path with heart. I know he’s in the cave (because I’ve seen it); I don’t know how he escapes (because I’m blinded to this part of the story) – so I have to work it out. I usually get flashes of vision, not understanding or plot or motivations. I’m constantly trying to work out ‘how do I get there, from here’?

DW: Did you have the basic arc for the whole tale (From Riddler’s through Second Sight) in mind from the outset, or did you finish Riddler’s Gift first, and then regroup and wonder where you could go from there, for a second book?

Holding onto a master plan when the story is about developing wizards?

This is impossible, because they have the power to change things as they develop, in ways you cannot plan. I wanted to follow their journey, rather than dictate it, and so I had to give them freedom.

If I shoe-horned them into a pre-defined pattern, what would I learn? The only way to retain the integrity of the story was to imagine myself in their position, given their powers, and see what they would do.

So the plot is entirely organic.

This makes my writing process very slow. My coffee generally goes cold. After some time, I am suddenly blind-sided by vision. Occasionally, for fun, I’d finish a chapter and then Zarost would propose ‘How can it possibly get harder? What’s the worst thing that could happen?’ Then I’d write that bit, find myself even deeper and ask ‘how the hell do we get out of here?’ That could take a few days to solve, while Zarost chuckled to himself. Sometimes, I followed my curiosity, as in ‘What’s happening with Ashley?’ If I was really lucky, I’d hear voices, and take dictation – those scenes came out with special resonance and explosive speed.

It got progressively harder to write, until by the fourth movement of Second Sight, I was really beginning to understand Ametheus and was searching for a way to find peace through annihilation. For the record, I didn’t do anything to the chicken, but I enjoy peri-peri.

DW: On the over-arching theme of Chaos vs Order. Did you start with that theme and contemplate which genre would make sense, as far as how best to express your thoughts on it? Or did you decide to write a fantasy novel, and the theme evolved out of the process of fleshing out the characters and the world?

The first question presumes that I planned to express a certain theme. I didn’t; I witnessed it.

You might say it grew out of the world as I explored it, although the three axis magic system was an early concept that comes from being fascinated with three-dimensional mathematics. So Dark and Light were pitted against each other on the first axis in the simplified environment of Eyri, and Chaos and Order were natural adversaries on the third axis in Oldenworld.

I wanted to express the idea of different organizations of the same power, and the freedom of escaping the confines of indoctrination along a certain axis. So far, the second axis is largely unexplored (that of Matter/Energy), and the Lifesong defies classification within the science of the times. But these were very far in the background of my thoughts as I wrote the Lifesong series.

You will find many themes in the Lifesong, depending on what you bring to it as a reader, precisely because I wrote it without the intention to prove a point or present a particular view. I aim for revelation (for myself) rather than trying to disguise some kind of religion (for others).

The inspiring video you posted of Thijme Termaat (I Paint) expresses this perfectly.

You might be able to find themes in his collection. Likewise, the Lifesong fantasy series is a collection of mental paintings. I express what comes through me. The theme is not intended, it is experienced.

So although things like theme, subtext, context and conceptual analysis might make sense in an English literature class, it makes no sense to me as a writer. I deliberately walked a different path for the Lifesong. It has no literary aspirations. It means only what it means to you. It is a creation, rather than a construction.

My life has been a continual search to raise my consciousness, to become, somehow, more. Writing is the best path I have found, given my nature. I suppose I could write in any genre, but I find my muse tends to lead me down pathways that involve magic, music and freedom.

DW: Did you ever consider ending Second Sight with a “Cleansing of the Shire” type of epilogue, where we could return to Eyri to pick up some of the loose ends?
I believe in ending a story when it is done. Epilogues are what come after the story, and I think it’s best to avoid them. A little lingering mystery is good. There are threads that continue beyond Second Sight, and some things I chose not to conclude because once the story gets going they would slow things down and unravel the intensity of what was happening Oldenworld. They can be woven into a sequel, when Tabitha returns to Eyri and finds that things are … altered. So I’ve left these threads to use if they add something to the conflict of the next book, rather than weakening the climax of Second Sight by ‘tying off loose ends’.

I’m an atheist, and yet, The Tale of the Lifesong is deeply spiritual. How can I write it? Because atheism (or any ism or ity) is a point of view, and when I write, I lose myself. I am inspired.

In that state, I cannot instruct or preach. I am an instrument and the Lifesong is the music. I am not trying to offer you the Truth; I am dancing and invite you to join me. Isn’t being alive beautiful?

As to the truths that might lie within the Lifesong, I don’t think life has truths and laws, it is an organic and fluid situation … we are always required to engage the present moment, to evolve; to be alive. Truths and laws are, in a way, laziness, the natural tendency of the mind to simplify things and to find patterns in recurring events. In this respect, ‘truth’ is what we need to guard against. It can lead to narrow-mindedness, arrogance and fundamentalism.

The wisest path I can see is to reflect on one’s situation and try to consider all the consequences before acting. We are always learning, and never ‘know’ the truth of how to live. Intuition can be helpful, but when we believe our intuition guides us to Truth, we end up ‘knowing’ that the earth is flat, that witches must be burned, and that the charming conman really can save us from the impending disaster of our own spiritual annihilation.

What I suspect is that spiritual knowledge is too individual to be taught, but some people have a magic about them, acquired through the choices and actions that form their character. They’ve got it, but they can’t pass it on very easily. That’s why the wizards (the learned) are not nearly as powerful as the sorcerers (the self-taught) in the Tale of the Lifesong. And the Lifesinger simply enlivens, not claiming any knowledge for her own, but willing to share the joy with everyone.

To me, that power is worth more than all of them put together.

If you’re studying for something like the LAMDA Speaking Verse and Prose examinations, this would be a very useful analysis of this fantasy novel. The review outlines the magic system, characters, setting and themes in The Riddler’s Gift very well, as well as making some detailed comments about the story:

“The magical system was one part science, one part high mathematics (those parts had me scratching my head a bit), one part spiritual, and one part philosophical.”

“… each person fights an intimate battle against evil [...] It might not be easy, but we can choose to do what’s right. We might fall, and fail ourselves and others, but that doesn’t mean the war is over. We pick ourselves up again to fight the next battle. So there is always hope, in the end.”

“… a story that had a shining heart, which was what stood out to me from the beginning, despite some of the very dark elements.”

Nip over to Daneille’s blog to study the review further.

The Slowest Bookworm mostly reads Young Adult fiction; occasionally adult romance, historical fiction, fantasy or thrillers. She’s not accustomed to tackling epic fantasy, which makes her reviews more interesting because she can form an opinion untainted by familiarity with the genre. She finally braved the mountain of words and disappeared into Eyri.

sounds of munching. a page moved. an i became an o, then a capital O, and suddenly, there was the bookworm emerging from the page, blinking, wondering where all the sprites had gone.

Now Zarost will tell you, it isn’t easy to get a worm on a hook, and this worm is crafty. Although she pretends to be idle she eats up words faster than the Wranglewrithe, so all that’s left of my copy of the review is: “… Main … Amazing … Great … In … Characters … And … Lifesong” but you can read the rest of The Riddler’s Gift review on the Slowest Bookworm’s site.

The verdict on The Riddler’s Gift? “Magical! I was hooked …”

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The Happy Booker reviews mainly epic, urban, and dark fantasy and most recently, Second Sight. Well it’s no fun being a parrot (just ask Zaul) and Zarost taught me that leaving out bits can make you holy, so I’ll recommend that you read the review of Second Sight on The Happy Booker’s book review site.

“I would recommend this to anyone that wants to be utterly swept away into a story of epic proportions. I was quite honestly blown away by this book …”

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Finally, Fantasy Book Review is on a mission to find the Top 100 Fantasy Books Of All Time. I would respond ‘I haven’t written them yet!’ but I’d better step quietly away from the whistling precipice. I’m glad to have impressed the reviewer enough for Second Sight to be selected to stand beside The Riddler’s Gift in their hall of fame and jostle merrily for position with the great names of fantasy.

You’ll find the review of Second Sight and other spellbinding fantasy novels on their website.

They made an interesting comment on similarities. “If you are a fan of Stephen R Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant books then you will find much within that pleases you, especially if you wished they were slightly more light-hearted!” I found much to admire in Donaldson’s writing. It’s not a conscious decision to ‘write like him’ but I do try to take the best of what I’ve read and infuse my writing with the themes that excite me. Thanks to Donaldson, Hobb and Pratchett (and many others) I have a rich world of fantasy literature to draw upon for inspiration … but the Tale of the Lifesong is my own.

“An epic tale of justice, forgiveness, beauty and temptation.”

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It joins The Riddler’s Gift (the first novel in the Tale of the Lifesong fantasy series) which has doubled its ebook sales since the release of the Kindle in the UK. Small sales figures when compared to the printed version, but this is the new wave. From a fantasy author’s perspective, ebooks are a shining light in a treacherous forest of dead trees, logistics monsters and bookstore dungeon masters.

Science fiction and fantasy are terrible genres to print: they are traditionally longer books and so they require bigger print runs to bring the unit costs down, they cost more to move around, they take up more shelf space, yet they sell for the standard fiction price. So the market pressure is to produce shorter fantasy; exactly what fantasy readers don’t want.I love epic fantasy and I want my fantasy novels to be big. I intend to continue writing that way.

A story is a world: if it’s worth telling, it’s worth telling in full, so you can get totally lost in its ideas. Ebooks enable fantasy authors to write to any length, and by cutting out so much of the publishing cost, they can be priced cheaper than printed books. With Amazon’s 70% royalty option, more of the money can get back to the authors, which means they can begin to make a living out of writing great fiction … and fantasy will flourish.

For that to happen, more people need to buy ereaders, many more. Amazon needs to reduce the cost of the Kindle even further to open the floodgates of demand. Publishers must drop the price of their ebook versions to stimulate buying and to prevent piracy. Yes there are development costs, but the potential market at a lower price point is massive.

Will Kindle (Amazon) beat the iPad (Apple)? Quick answer: yes, in the fiction market, because many many people already buy books on Amazon, and Apple has to build its own market against a brand that is established as being the cheapest and most convenient. Overall, I think the market will be divided: the iPad is great for textbooks, comics, newspapers, graphics, and exciting apps like virtual-reality overlays, mapping, astronomy, whatever. It’s got the cool factor. But the idea of a basic book, something you carry around everywhere for a quick read remains a special treat. The Kindle is lightweight, easy to read and has a one month battery life. It’s simple.

It’s the future of the fantasy novel.

Writing fantasy? It would be more fun to simply read the latest sparkling fantasy novel from Trudi Canavan, Patrick Rothfuss or Joe Abercrombie. But instead, I wrestle with words, because I believe I am crafting something different, something inspiring; something that must be written.

When it is done, I can’t judge if my book is good, because I wrote it: I stand inside the sculpture; I am the music. So I rely on my readers to evaluate the work and spread the Lifesong by word of mouth.

I sent a review copy of Second Sight to SFbook a while ago and I was really looking forward to Ant’s review, because I knew from his excellent review of The Riddler’s Gift that he could appreciate the deeper visions of the Lifesong. Even so, I was blown away by his five star rave review:

“Greg Hamerton is truly one of those rare breed of storytellers, where you forget the words written on a page and simply find yourself within the story and the characters around you – your friends and enemies.”
“… this is high fantasy at its very best. Quite simply breath-taking …”

He analyses the twisted paths that Ametheus takes, the darker nature of the story and the parallels with Tolkien within fantasy fiction.

Read the full review here >

“There are moments in this novel that are sheer magic … ”
“A very unique and individual style, I am at times reminded of Robert Jordan’s work alongside JRR Tolkien’s but only really in passing, The Riddler’s Gift is very much on its own …”

Read the full review here

Read the full interview on their website:
Enter South African fantasy author’s world of music and magic.