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Shannara creator Terry Brooks explains why he's not writing any more books in the series - and the new role he's stepping into for the series with Delilah S. Dawson
Terry Brooks isn't writing any more Shannara books on his own, but he's not done with the series
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"The sun was already sinking in the deep green of the hills to the west of the valley, the red and gray-pink of its shadows touching the corners of the land, when Flick Ohmsford began his descent."
That's the first line in the opening book in the epic Shannara fantasy prose series that has been published continuously since 1977 by its author and creator Terry Brooks. But for Brooks, who began writing the series nine years prior while studying to be a lawyer, he sees himself as that sun sinking below the horizon and it's we who see these shadows touching all corners of the land.
On Sunday, March 9, Brooks announced his retirement as author of the Shannara series - the eve of the publication Galaphile: The FIrst Druids of Shannara, what is the 32nd book in his Shannara series (not counting additional short stories and one graphic novel) in a surprise announcement during his spotlight panel at Emerald City Comic Con, which we reported from live. In that, he announced he was stepping down as Shannara author, and he and his publisher Del Rey have tapped Delilah S. Dawson to continue the series. Now, following that news, Brooks has come out to give context to his decision - and explaining how he's not leaving the Shannara series behind completely.
"Let’s start with a few life facts that I have come to accept and just recently decided to address. I am now 81 years old. I have been writing in the Shannara series since 1968 – which is more than fifty years," Brooks writes on his Facebook page. "I have written steadily with no breaks save for vacations and illnesses. I have a total count of just under fifty books to my name as of today. In all that time, I have been writing at least one book or often two at the same time."
Brooks says that while he is still able to write regularly, he admits that his "physical and mental abilities have diminished" - specifically in regards to his "endurance, concentration, attention span and memory..." The author says he knew it would be coming eventually, but spent the past year "coming to terms with its presence."
"Whatever happens, I do not want to be one of those writers who is remembered for going on a bit too long than his or her faculties could tolerate and thereby produce books that are less than my best work."
In 2007, BBC cited Brooks as the second biggest-selling fantasy author among the living - second only to Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling. Like Rowling, his work has been adapted to various formats including an MTV live-action series and comics. Following the success of Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings adaptations, the studio optioned Brooks' Shannara in 2007 with the hopes of it being its third pillar of magical fantasy franchises. Still, it couldn't get the story figured out.
At 81, Brooks is segueing into what he calls as "a form of semi-retirement" - one in which Delilah S. Dawson will take over as the author of future Shannara stories. But unlike how he framed it on Sunday in Seattle, Brooks isn't done with the series - he describes himself as "co-author" with Dawson, describing her work as "help" as he remains involved in "the proper direction of the series."
"I will no longer be doing the primary writing. My new co-author will take on that task," Brooks writes, referring to Dawson. "Instead, I will offer what help I can with providing storyline ideas, revisionary plot suggestions and a thorough overview that will help my co-author to continue to give you the kind of book you would expect of me."
Brooks' ability to cogently know his limitations as he advances in years is admirable, and something we should all aspire to do.What he is doing here is something attempted by numerous fantasy authors over time with various results, from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series passing to Christopher Tolkien, Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time passing to Brandon Sanderson, and even Frank L. Baum's Oz books passing to Ruth Plumly Thompson.
"I love what I do, and I doubt that I will ever back away from writing entirely and be happy doing so," Brooks says. "But I also know that it is time for me to begin easing into my elderly years. I have had a great run as a professional writer of fantasy/adventure books, and I am hopeful that it is not entirely over. I have reason to believe that I have a few good years left in which to contribute to the writing community. I want to put that time to the best use I can."
Brooks ends the letter with the sign-off "Magic Always" which is something we can also aspire to.
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