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Author Essay
Upending the Truths That Aren't
What does my latest book, The Shadow Sorceress, have to do with upended truths? If I've told a good story, does it matter? Actually, it matters a lot, because fiction, strange as it might appear, is all about truth. Books that feel "true" are the ones that we all go back and read again and again. We look for characters who seek truth to make sense of their lives and the relationships in them. That's one critical element of heroes -- or heroines, in the case of Secca, the main character of The Shadow Sorceress.
Everyone likes truths, but few people in our world or in Secca's world of Erde ever question the underlying "truths" on which their lives are based. Secca has been raised by Anna, the sorceress of the first three Spellsong Cycle books, to look into such questions, but quietly. Even so, Secca has no idea how dangerous such questions can be when the entire continent of Liedwahr is threatened by the Sturinnese.
Alfred North Whitehead, the British mathematician and philosopher, stated that, when analyzing any age, one should examine the basic assumptions underlying that society -- assumptions so basic that no one ever seriously questioned them. I'll take it one step further. Generally, those basic assumptions are regarded as "truths." They're things everyone takes for granted. For example, white is good, and black is bad.
In The Shadow Sorceress, to come to terms with herself, Secca must explore and fight against similar beliefs as much as she must fight
the Sturinnese invaders. One "truth" is that hand-to-hand combat is more honorable than using longer-distance weapons, such as magic. This is a "truth" accepted by many, not only by the people of the man Secca loves, but in our world as well.
Other "truths" Secca must confront are the belief that a woman must choose between respect and love; the idea that hidden actions, such as shadow sorcery, are less honorable than open actions, such as war, which may kill thousands upon thousands; and the idea that there is a single "right" way to govern society. None of these "truths" are unknown, even in our world, and they all tie into a greater "truth." That greater truth is the basic assumption that, if people can just find the perfect system, all will be well.
We all know it doesn't work that way. So do the people of Erde. So does Secca, as she struggles against rebel lords, against the Sturinnese invaders and their massed drum-sorcery, against the assassinations of the Ladies of the Shadows, and against the hereditary nobles who would prefer all sorceresses to be mere brood mares. Secca must also confront another question: Is there too great a cost to upending the "truths" of her world?
A good look at history would suggest that the greatest conflicts have not been created by wars over who controls which trade route or river delta, or by palace intrigues, but by conflict over what "truth" is and whose truths will prevail. Likewise, most lasting relationships hinge far more on whether those involved share the same "truths" than upon romance or sexual appeal.
The Shadow Sorceress is far more than a fantasy about a sorceress and the man she loves, far more than a story about who will triumph. It is a book that raises fundamental questions for Secca (and for us) about the very nature of both power and "truth" and how they affect all those around her, especially those who are closest to her. (L. E. Modesitt Jr.)
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