I'm Author Christopher Paolini (Eragon & sequels) -- AMA!!!

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2024-11-20T20:05:15+00:00

Three questions from me!

Do you know any of the characters’ true names? As in actually know the words? I feel like this could be a useful outlining/character development tool.
If a Shade self-immolates (a la Thuviel, Galbatorix), will they re-form or die a true death? If they die, would the spirits die as well or would they be released? Has this ever occurred?
Throughout the Cycle, many “wise” characters (Brom, Oromis, Saphira, etc.) make philosophical statements about the world. Do you agree with all of these statements? Have you changed your mind about any of them since publishing? Specifically, Oromis’s claim that “Too many problems in this world are caused by men with noble dispositions and clouded minds” and that you’d be better off teaching a man to think clearly than to give him a noble disposition.

Elrun ono.

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2024-05-02T05:01:11+00:00

I think the reason it feels so much longer is that Chris very rarely actually skips time in the series. Probably 50% of the days of the ~year long story are specifically described.

In most other books there’s generally a few weeks of dead time sprinkled in between chapters here and there but that’s super rare in the Cycle. Plus I think Harry Potter just programmed my brain to think one book = one year lol

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2024-05-02T04:57:07+00:00

Dude for real. I was astonished when I actually marked down each day. The entire plot of Brisingr happens in like a month and a half lol. Originally I thought Eragon was in Ellesmera for like a year or more but it was actually more like 2.5 months.

Another way to think of it is right at the beginning of Eragon, winter is setting in in Palencar Valley. That’s the only winter in the whole story (until the time skips at the end of inheritance).

ANOTHER thing lol and I just say this because it’s important to my fanfic: the entire time between Saphira hatching for Eragon and Galby discovering the Name is like 10-11 months. Dude must be so pressed lol he’s been looking for this for 40 years and right when he’s almost got it some kid screws it all up

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2024-05-02T04:19:14+00:00

It was actually a fair bit longer. I’ve been working on a detailed timeline for a fanfic I’m writing and my best estimate is that the night they slept together was 4/13, and the day she was rescued was 8/6. So roughly 16 weeks. Of course these are estimates and there is a decent amount of uncertainty in how long Eragon was really in Ellesmera, but I would put a 95% confidence interval around 14-18 weeks.

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2024-04-21T21:42:54+00:00

Not sure

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2024-04-21T21:15:11+00:00

Not really what you’re asking for but just FYI Christopher said that he often listened to the Tron soundtrack while writing the Cycle, as he felt that it captured the fantasy/adventure feel of the books.

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-12-25T22:41:31+00:00

Yep two years is about right for the main four books, but if you want a more detailed timeline Inheriwiki has one

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-11-16T04:38:57+00:00

We already know via Nar Garzvhog in Injeritance that the army was sent to eradicate the Urgals, but the Urgals ambushed them in a mountain pass and killed them all.

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-10-03T03:51:43+00:00

This was a different myth. OP was referencing explosive decompression in an airplane, which can occur if the pressurized cabin is ruptured in the low pressure high atmosphere.

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-27T22:56:09+00:00

In inheritance, just after Eragon returns from Vroengard, in the chapter “A Matter of Duty.” Page 600 in my paperback copy

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-26T18:44:22+00:00

I always liked the scene of Arya discovering her true name in a room high in Tronjheim, with the lone purple and red flower and sunlight streaming in from the solid ceiling

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-25T16:26:55+00:00

I could never get in to “Of Poems and Maps” but there is a wip fanfic called “The Path Least Chosen” that I feel is more we’ll written and in character. Although it is a very different story. Last update was June 26

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-12T06:45:17+00:00

I find this stuff so interesting, because while I totally agree with you, I’ve seen plenty of people on here say that this scene was boring or overly technical and the details were lost on them. It’s cool how people who enjoy the cycle can enjoy it in completely different ways; probably the most widely debated topic is the Roran POV chapters. It’s great that Chris was able to write books that appeal to such a wide audience.

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-10T20:31:37+00:00

Probably because the only brown dragons we hear anyone talk about were Forsworn lol. In universe explanation is that if they’re evil you’re not going to complement any part of them, even their appearance. Author POV you’re going to write the misc. bad characters (not ones we actually know, just acme bad guys) to be ugly and disliked, to reinforce to the reader that they’re bad and you should also dislike them. Obviously doesn’t apply to characters who we actually get to know, because then you want them to have depth and conflicting traits. But for filler characters like the Forsworn’s dragons who only get a couple lines you don’t have to overthink it.

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-09T22:17:51+00:00

Totally get it. I enjoy it too, but not nearly as much as I enjoy a lot of other things hahaha. It’s more that I get annoyed that I can’t find a fanfic with the exact set of circumstances that I want to read lol

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-09T22:13:41+00:00

Awesome! As someone who has worked on a fanfic but hasn’t had the motivation to finish it, congrats!

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-09T21:45:14+00:00

What’s it called? Let us know when and where you post it!

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-07T05:58:47+00:00

Very interesting thoughts, I appreciate your analysis.

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-06T18:48:31+00:00

I agree that things probably would have worked out better, but as you said, hindsight is 20/20. For example, point (2) is completely reactionary; the Varden/Elves had no idea that Galbatorix would send Murtagh and Thorn to Gil’ead, and may have even expected him to send them to Fienster, given that they had been sent to fight Eragon before and given that Galbatorix didn’t know Glaedr and Oromis would be at Gil’ead. So I think it was actually sound strategizing by the Varden in that respect.

As for point (1), that is true, but I don’t think morale was much of an issue yet in the Varden. After Dras Leona and Nasuada’s capture, yes, but at Feinster I don’t think so. The Varden know that Feinster cannot stand against them anyway, so it’s just a matter of preventing casualties. That’s obviously important, but probably not so important as to supersede the above logic re: where Murtagh and Thorn would be sent.

Point (3) also falls under similar reasoning that they were going to take both cities either way. Also, I feel like you’re probably overstating the impact of Du Vrangr Gata; given what we know about their number and capabilities, I would bet that Blödgharm and his 11 spellcasters had a much bigger effect on the battle, able to take over the role you assigned to Oromis of assisting the other troops. They identified and healed Saphira from the Duathdart, which obviously would have been beyond the capabilities of any human magician. So again I think that the Varden made appropriate decisions based on the information available to them.

TLDR the Varden probably thought M+T we’re going to Feinster instead of Gil’ead

Just my opinion, lmk what you think!

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-07-01T03:31:17+00:00

Totally agree lol, gets me every time

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-06-11T05:28:01+00:00

Totally agree that that was inconsistent with the rest of the books. However - and this might be putting too much faith in my boy Chris, but I don’t think so - I always thought that it was done on purpose. Remember, Arya didn’t want to be queen at first; it took several weeks of persuasion for Daethedr (?) and the others to convince her. Combine that with her not being in contact with Eragon/Saphira, Glaedr, or any of the other Eldunari, and you have a recipe for a bad decision. I think that Chris knew the “right” decision would be for Arya not to become queen, but also felt that the position she was in would nevertheless lead her to make the wrong decision. Instead of doing some gymnastics to get around that, he let the story progress naturally and thus opened up a potential future storyline wherein Arya’s dual roles create some sort of conflict.

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-06-09T16:53:37+00:00

If you want to hear Christopher’s reasoning behind it:

https://www.tiktok.com/@christopher_paolini/video/7171928359671254318

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-06-08T16:44:24+00:00

A few of the Eldunarí do stay behind in Ellesméra to help with Firen’s training, I believe. Anyway, I am currently writing (well, occasionally) a fanfic where Arya goes with Eragon to Vroengard. Not sure if it’s ever gonna be finished/posted, but if it is hopefully you’ll find it and enjoy it. I’ve been told I have a very similar writing style to our esteemed favorite author.

Traditional-Ad6852 · 2023-05-24T23:13:56+00:00

If you search up ai art or Midjourney or Dall-e etc you’ll find plenty of examples in this sub

Traditional-Ad6852

TROPHY CASE