Dragonsteel Nexus

Christopher has just confirmed via his socials that he will be at Dragonsteel Nexus this year.

> Looking forward to Dragonsteel Nexux [sic] 2026 for a rematch! (source)

> Looking forward to Dragonsteel Nexus 2026! (source)

Panels

All TBA, but based on Christopher's tweet, he's expected to share a panel with Ryan Cahill again.

Grimoire

He's also added that he has already submitted stories, and so may be included in the Grimoire convention anthology again.

> Will you contribute to Grimoire this year?
> Possibly. Shawn has two of my stories sitting on his desk at the moment. (source)

Shawn Speakman posted the list of contributors two weeks ago, but has said that more names can still be added.

(Christopher contributed to the anthology last year. Last year's version is still available for purchase, though there seems to only be five copies left in stock.)

Badges

Badges for the convention have long since sold out, but there is a waitlist.

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Other announced events

Christopher will return to Utah in May 2027, headlining the Storymakers Conference. (source)

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This post will be updated as more news becomes available.

In April 2023, Christopher did an AMA on /r/books, coinciding with the release of a new paperback Inheritance Cycle set, a few weeks after Murtagh was announced, and a few weeks before Fractal Noise came out. During this AMA Christopher answered roughly 215 questions from around 100 users.

The resulting AMA can be tricky to read, so here it's been cleaned up and arranged more linearly, with each answer immediately following its question, and all sorted by category for easier reading.

Due to length, this has been be two reddit posts. This first post covered questions related to The World of Eragon. This second post covers questions related to the Fractalverse, in addition to some other miscellaneous non-Eragon topics.

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Fractalverse In-Universe Questions

> Are there any queer main characters?
> In the Fractalverse? Definitely.

> If you were to ask your 10-years-in-the-future self "Are Alagaësia and the Fractalverse along the same time period? Or are they different timelines? Assuming that they are the same universe." What would your future self say?
> My future self would say exactly what my present self would ... because I already know the answer. :D

> Do you currently have plans to explain the connections between three Fractalverse and they world of the Inheritance cycle (i.e. Angela and Solembum in TSIASOS)?
> Of course. But very, very slowly.

Writing

Writing Process

> What is your writing style ? Are you a plotter, a pantser or something in the middle?
> Plotter all the way. I hate having to figure things out on the page. Much easier to do it beforehand. Especially when it comes to character and plot (which are intricately linked).

> What kind of writer are you? Are you more of an architect, planning everything? Or like a gardener, planting seeds and seeing how it grows?
> I plan a LOT. Discoveries always happen during the writing process, but I prefer to have an extensive and in-depth plan before writing.

> What’s your writing process like? Do you prefer handwriting or typing drafts?
> I handwrite all of my plotting/worldbuilding to start with. I find it activates a different (and much more creative) part of my brain compared with typing.

> Do you listen to music to find inspiration for your fantasy setting and writing your books?
> Yup! Lots of movie/game soundtracks. Anthem is a great soundtrack. Also Prospect (for sci-fi). For fantasy, hard to beat Lord of the Rings or the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Sales

> What are the sales figures for the Inheritance Cycle and To Sleep in a Sea of Stars currently?
> The IC is over 40 million books sold. The Fractalverse is nowhere near that, but it's also sold very well (no complaints here!). Huge thanks from me to everyone who has bought and read the books.

Writing the Fractalverse

> The physics described in the appendix to the first Fractalverse book—where did you come up with that?
> I spent a lot of time reading and researching, which included talking to actual physicists and engineers. It was a lot of fun, tbh, although I tried not to dump everything I learned onto the reader during the main part of the story. The atomic rockets website is a fantastically good resource.
> Would you ever consider writing a story where you do dump all of that into the main story?
> Maybe, but I was able to share a bunch of it in the appendices for To Sleep, which helped scratch that itch.

> Hypothetically, if you could imagine yourself looking back a few years down the line when FN isn't currently "the new book being marketed", would you recommend people read FN first or To Sleep first?
> Probably To Sleep. It's more the sort of story I'm known for writing, and I think it has more to offer the general reader. Fractal Noise is a bit of an oddity for me, and I'm not sure I'd want it to be someone's introduction to the Fractalverse (which is why I didn't publish it before To Sleep).

> The epigraph "'Tis a fearful thing | to love what death can touch" in Fractal Noise is attributed to "anonymous", but on the copyright page it's attributed to "Rabbi Chaim Stern". Which is it, and if it wasn't anonymous, why present it as such?
> The sneak peek of FN (as well as the ARC) was released before copyediting was finished. The poem now has proper attribution in the book.

> Was "Allies" written in the end of 2017?
> No, "Allies" was written 2020/21 (can't remember which, but it was after To Sleep).

Future Works - Fractalverse

YA Steampunk

> Can you give us a hint to the next Fractalverse novel beyond Fractal Noise?
> I want to write a YA steampunky novel set on Earth (in the Fractalverse) around the late 1800s/early 1900s. However, I also have a couple of novels planned that directly follow To Sleep and/or are set parallel to it. Those are big space operas more like To Sleep.

> Fractal Noise has the same chapter/subchapter structure as To Sleep. Will all Fractalverse books be this way?
> I don't know if I'll keep using this chapter structure. I used something similar in Murtagh as well, but that's because it made sense for the story. The next book I plan on writing (which IS in the Fractalverse) probably won't have the subchapters. As a reader, I find that the chapter/subchapter structure really pulls me through a book, which is why I started using it in the first place. Blame it on Stephen King and the Dark Tower.

> You hinted on twitter about a YA steampunk prequel. Is this a different book [than the To Sleep sequel]?
> YA book is different.

> What are you planning for your series, both the IC and Fractalverse, and are you planning anything new entirely?
> I'm planning everything! As always, the limiting factors are time and energy. Once I'm done touring for Fractal Noise, I hope to write another book before I have to go on the road for Murtagh. Probably another Fractalverse novel and then back to Alagaësia for some fun stuff.

To Sleep 2

> You've mentioned a "Tom Clancy thriller style direct sequel" to To Sleep, as well as more book(s) about Kira and her journey to defeat the replicas. Are these all referring to the same book?
> Yes, same book.

> Are we going to learn more about Trig and the Staff of Green?
> Yup! Trig will play a role in the sequel to To Sleep.

City of Shining Shadows

> In a 2014 video you briefly showed a short story on camera with a title that seems to say "The City of Shining Shadows", in what I assume was an intentional tease. Has anything happened with this short story?
> Nope, not yet. It would need a heavy rewrite before being published.

Horror Anthology

> End of 2017 (I think), I wrote a number of short stories before diving into the massive rewrite of To Sleep. They all need work, but I might go back and polish them off. I have an anthology of adult stories in mind.

Standalone Books

> Do you have plans write books that are not Fractalverse or Inheritance related?
> Only a few of my many story ideas won't fit into either the Fractalverse or the World of Eragon.

Out of Universe Questions

> Hope you're doing well.
> I'm AWESOME, thanks!

> Fun fact I have one dragon eye as I’m only color blind in one eye
> That's actually pretty cool. I didn't know that was possible.

Fatherhood

> Hope parenthood is going smoothly
> Now, if I can just get a bit more sleep, lol.

> Did becoming a father change the way you write or how you perceived a character?
> Hmm. I'd say that becoming a father has made me a LOT more focused and purposeful (I've always been driven, but even moreso now). And yeah, some things hit a lot harder now. I couldn't get through the pilot for House of the Dragon. (If you know, you know.)

Food and Drink

> Do you have a favourite Italian meal?
> Does panna cotta count? Lol. If not, then squid-ink risotto.

> What is the best Little Debbie/Hostess style snack cake/cookie and why is it the Star Crunch?
> I, uh, have never eaten any of those. (Homeschooled, remember?)

> Have you remembered to drink water? Hydration is important.
> Hydration is incredibly important! Gotta get that high-quality H2O.

> What’s your go to writing snack/drink?
> Preferred drink is coffee (hand ground, French press, black). I don't snack, so usually just a big meal of protein, veggies, fruit, some sort of tuber (potato/sweet potato/parsnip/etc.).

> When you sit down to write, what is your beverage of choice? Tea? Coffee? Hot or cold?
> Coffee. Hot. Black. Hand ground. French press. Two leaded cups to start the day. Decaf after that. Cinnamon tea (Market Spice) if I'm feeling like something different.

> What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
> Coffee ice cream. Failing that, vanilla.

> What’s your favorite species of fungus?
> White truffle.

Reading and Writing

> How does it feel to be responsible for an entire generation of people similar to your own age and younger finding their love of reading fantasy?
> Pretty surreal! I still remember the books that got me interested in fantasy (and I've been lucky enough to meet a few of those authors), so it's strange to be in that position myself. However, I'm enormously grateful that folks feel that way. As an author, couldn't ask for anything better.

> Any tips for aspiring writers?
> Too many to write out here, but ... Read "Style" by F. L. Lucas, "Story" by McKee, "Shakespeare's Metrical Art" by I can't remember, and watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSX-DROZuzY You'll have a great starting point after all that.

> Unlike similar books in the same genre, the Inheritance Cycle touches upon atheism and veganism. Are you a vegan and/or atheist?
> Ha! Nice try, but I prefer not to say. Still, it always puzzles me when folks create imaginary worlds and the people there DON'T think of those sorts of questions (when we know they very well would).

> When I was in 5th grade we had a project to send letters to authors. I sent one to you and unlike most authors I sent them to, you actually responded. Did you really write fan letters and send them back to people?
> Yup! I try to answer all of the letters I get. I'm glad I was able to answer yours!

> What are your favorite novels and authors?
> Too many to list! However, I have some recommendations on paolini.net.

> Favourite book, film & TV show?
> Too many to list (although the original Prisoner TV show would probably be my favorite show).

Games and Sports

> Are you a soccer fan?
> Alas, I don't watch soccer. No real time to do so, and I also don't have a TV subscription (cancelled it years and years go).

> Don't know if you've played dnd, but what's your favorite class you would go?
> I haven't, but if there's a berserker class, that's me. Smashing things is more fun than casting spells.

> Are you still playing that same Minecraft world from before with all the farms or are you taking a break with so many things going on?
> Had to take a break in order to finish Murtagh, but I'm looking forward to getting back into it. Gotta finish revamping my storage system.

Italian

> Considering your ancestry, are you fluid in Italian? And did you participate in the Italian translation of the Inheritance Cycle?
> Not fluid, but I can swear a bit, and I understand a lot more than I can speak. I've consulted a few times with my Italian translator, but aside from that, I leave the translation to her. She's the expert!

In April 2023, Christopher did an AMA on /r/books, coinciding with the release of a new paperback Inheritance Cycle set, a few weeks after Murtagh was announced, and a few weeks before Fractal Noise came out. During this AMA Christopher answered roughly 215 questions from around 100 users.

The resulting AMA can be tricky to read, so here it's been cleaned up and arranged more linearly, with each answer immediately following its question, and all sorted by category for easier reading.

Due to length, this will be two reddit posts. This first post covers The World of Eragon. (As this AMA was over three years ago, questions since made obsolete will be relegated to the comments.)

The second post will be on the /r/Fractalverse and cover questions not related to The World of Eragon.

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Future Works

Tales 2

> Have any of the stories for Tales from Alagaësia Volume 2 been written yet?
> No. I'm hoping to get to them this year. With the TV show on pause because of the impending writer's strike, I actually have time to write another book(s) this year.

> Will there be another future Book showing Saphira and Eragon at the Head of the new Rider Order? If so, will we see them train the next generation of Riders?
> Yes and yes.

> Murtagh is not in Eragon's POV. However, I do plan on writing more from Eragon's POV in the future.

> Will you expand on Eragon and how he has progressed since his departure from Alagaësia?
> Yes.

> Will you give us a cooler mysterious Eragon, sorta like Dumbledore?
> Heh. I can try!

> Will Arya get her own chapter or POV in Tales of Alagaësia or another book?
> Maybe. I'm rather daunted by the prospect, tbh. Maybe that's a sign that I need to write it.

> Arya’s pov? If yes, when?
> Arya's POV: perhaps in the next Tales from Alagaësia.

TTRPG

> Would you ever consider working with someone to create a TTRPG based on the inheritance cycle?
> Not only have I considered it ... I HAVE already collaborated with someone to create an entirely new TTRPG system based off the Inheritance Cycle. My agent and I are currently looking for a publisher for the handbook/rulebook. I hope we can find one, because I think the system is really awesome.

New Trilogy

> Are you looking on really going back to Alagaësia and starting a second story-arch? Because that would be truly amazing!
> Oh yeah. HUGE story arc. Big plans. :D

Brom

> Would you ever think about writing about the old order and Brom's life or Galbatorix's fall from grace from their (or another's) perspective?
> Yup. It's something I've thought of more than once.

> Has there been thoughts of a prequel for the riders of old and to talk about Anurin?
> Yup. Maybe one of these days.

Book VI

> Will Roran return for Tales or Book V?
> Yes.

> You've said that what the Menoa Tree took from Eragon will be covered in a future story. Is there any chance that might be covered in Murtagh, or will it more likely be a Book 5 thing?
> Book 5 is now Book 6. Lol. And yes, it's more a Book 6 topic than a Murtagh topic.

> Any plans yet regarding the cover of the eventual Book V (or… would it be VI?), in terms of the design? Any chance of it being the old-school flat color frame around the dragon to match the originals as a set? Or would it be more in the style of Murtagh?
> Book VI would have a cover in the same style as the IC. And I've known for over ten years what color of dragon we would see. (It's not one we've seen so far.)

> You've said you're still planning on writing an actual Book 5. Will Eragon be the main protagonist in that book?
> Nope! Different main character for Book VI, although Eragon plays a crucial role.

Eragon/Arya

> If Eragon ever ends up having sex, you pls better NOT be stingy with the details and pls for Christ sake make it loong… good and satisfied… I actually said this and I’m not taking it back.
> Ahahaha! I'm sending your comment to my editor and agent. I'll tell them: "It's what the fans want. SEE!"

Oromis and Glaedr

> I loved Oromis and Glaedr and was wondering if there are any future ideas for them?
> Maybe a short story. :D

Grey Folk Story

> Would you ever consider writing more about the Grey Folk?
> Yup! I have a short story planned specifically about them.

> Do you have any new snippets of info regarding the Grey Folk and the Original Eragon that you could impart with us?
> I do, but then I'd have to lock you in my basement for a few years.

Ancient Language Dictionary

> Will there be a comprehensive dictionary and grammar guide to languages?
> Probably not.

Adaptations

The Movie

> How did YOU feel about the Eragon film adaptation? Did it feel good at least to see actors like Jeremy Irons and John Malkovich agree to join the project?
> The actors were great, if slightly miscast (Malkovich would have been great as the Twins; Irons would have been great as Durza). The issue wasn't the actors. It was the script and the overall presentation of the characters and world. If you just watch the film, you wouldn't even know there were supposed to be elves or dwarves in the world. But the biggest issue is that the film failed to capture the heart of the story: Eragon and Saphira growing up together and going on this massive adventure.

> How involved in the making of the Eragon movie were you?
> I had two conversations over the phone with the original screenwriter ... and that was it. That was my involvement.

> Did you like the Eragon main theme that Patrick Doyle composed for the film?
> I did, but it was too short. Because of how the film was edited, Doyle didn't have the time to really develop his themes.

The Disney+ Show

> Have you ever considered seeking out a new studio to do a film/TV adaptation of the Inheritance cycle?
> I'm actually working with Disney+ to do a big-budget TV adaptation of the Inheritance Cycle! However, it's stalled out at the moment as the writers in Hollywood are about to strike (the strike will probably happen May 2nd).

> When will the sequel or the rest of the movies be made?
> I'm currently working with Disney+ on remaking Eragon as a big-budget TV show.

> Are you as excited as us about the new TV series coming in Disney +?
> I think so! I'm very, very excited about the potential show.

> Is an animated series in the style of Arcane something you think would work well for the story or does a live action adaptation more suit what you’re aiming for?
> The Disney+ show will be live action. So not animated.

> Is this going to be animated or live action? English is not my main language.
> Live action with normal actors and special effects.

> A lot of the audience that grew up on your books are now adults and perhaps enjoy some more darker tones and themes that are absolutely present in your books but maybe could be expanded on some more. Is this something you’re interested in portraying on the screen?
> They've said they want something more mature and serious (without tipping over into Game of Thrones territory).

> I think what would make the Eragon TV show stand out against Game of Thrones is if it brings up the same philosophical questions that apply to our modern contemporary world like different tribes or groups of people having different religions and even explicitly atheist elves, and even the elves' vegan lifestyle. Do you think those will be brought up in the TV show?
> I would hope so! Those questions are a large part of the books, so I would love to see the TV show address them. And agreed, it would help make Eragon stand out from GoT and RoP.

> What are you most excited to see from the Inheritance series come to life on the live action Netflix series?
> Eragon and Saphira's friendship. And Saphira breaking the Star Sapphire.

> Would you like to do a cameo in the TV series? If so, which minor character would you like to be?
> A cameo would be so much fun. Need to have Eragon behead me on screen.

> Will material from Murtagh and future stories in the World of Eragon be included in the show?
> I think there's a lot of material in Murtagh that would be useful to incorporate in a TV show. Can't say more without spoilers, though.

> For the upcoming TV adaptation are you planning to expand or revise some portions of the novels?
> Absolutely. Conversely, other parts will be cut.

Video Games and Merch

> Have you thought about expanding The Inheritance Cycle to other media like video games?
> I'd love to, but the video game rights are owned by Disney, so they would have be the ones to do something on that front.

> Can we ever get a copy or replica of Aren made for fans?
> I'd LOVE to produce a copy of Aren. However, Disney now owns all of the merch rights for the Inheritance Cycle, so I'm severely limited in what I can do. If the TV show gets off the ground, I'm sure Disney will make a replica, though.

> If/when World of Eragon show gets greenlit and airs, will there be metal replicas of riders swords available for purchase?
> I would imagine so.

In Universe

Dragons

> You say dragons do not have lips, but [Saphira's lips are mentioned a few times in the books and] she's also described as snarling, an action that requires lips to do. So do they have lips, yes or no?
> No, they don't. I suppose it depends on how you visualize a snarl. I tend to think of it as the muzzle atop the snout wrinkling. Which is something that I've seen certain lizards do (can't remember if crocs or gators can). Even if dragons have a little bit of scaly covering over the bottoms of their teeth, it wouldn't be anything like our fleshy lips.

> Eragon is leaning down and laying on Saphira's neck while he flys. How does that work logistically with the fact that she has sharp spikes across her neck? Ditto for the saddle, do the spikes stop somewhere on her middle back?
> He lies down to one side of the spikes. Awkward, I know, but technically possible.

> Is evolution a thing in the world of Eragon?
> Of course! That's why we have variants of the dragons, like the Fanghur.

> Are different color eyes from scales common in dragons? (e.g. a dragon with blue scales and green eyes). Additionally, are multicolored dragons rare?
> Not supper common, but it does happen.

Eldunarí

> How chatty are the sane Eldunarí? If you were to go in and speak with them would they be like, yeah come on let's have a chat.
> As much as any other dragon. Some like to talk a lot. Some don't.

> Why are the Eldunarí being left out in the open? I always hoped that the Eldunarí will be kept in this really cool underground cave or tunnel sort of mix of Hogwarts and How to Train your Dragon.
> If you read The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm, you can find a description of the chamber where the Eldunarí are now kept. It's not so different from what you have in mind. Now that Galbatorix is defeated, the Eldunarí won't be kept a secret. There's no need; few things are a danger to them.

> How do Eldunarí get their energy?
> Eldunarí start with a huge amount of energy implanted from the dragon's own body. After that, they absorb energy from heat and sunlight.

Riders

> Can you go into detail a little more on what the dragons got from bond spell? I think you wrote, they got the trappings or captures of civilization. Does that mean their ability to communicate improved with words and symbols vs just memories as before?
> Yes. They got structured language, which changed them as much as it changed humans in the real world. The creation of the Riders also meant they got to live and not be killed by the elves, so that's another boon.

> I was always curious about how many Riders there were before Galbatorix started his campaign, do you have a rough number in your mind?
> A couple of hundred. No more. And sometimes quite a few less.
> Does this mean there were roughly 200 riders alive at the start of the fall?
> My mother gets annoyed with me because I don't always use "couple" to mean only "two" or a "pair". Sometimes I use it more to mean three or four. Don't take any of these numbers as canon. Until I sit down and actually write a story about the Riders before the fall, I'm not going to commit to an actual number. That said, my sense has always been that Riders were rather rare in the grand scheme of things.

> Did any Rider ever choose to wield a weapon other than a sword? Did Rhunon make these weapons?
> Some Riders did, but it was rather frowned upon, as swords were seen as a more sophisticated/elegant choice than, say, an ax or a spear. Rhunon could make any weapon she wanted out of Brightsteel.

> Can someone be too old or young to have a dragon hatch for them?
> Too young -- probably. I doubt a dragon would hatch for anyone whose personality wasn't already firmly formed. Too old? Maybe. The Riders of old, including the original Eragon, would have wanted Riders to mature with their dragons, in order to strengthen the bond between them. So there could be very strong, shall we say, encouragements in the magic that limits the age range. But of course, we're talking about dragons. Even when they have yet to hatch, you can never fully rule out anything.

> Will the eggs be only presented to children?
> Likely.

> What would happen if a Rider and their dragon do not want to join Eragon or the elves for training, for whatever reason?
> Hard to see how that would happen during the current time period, as all the eggs are controlled by Eragon and the elves. However, it could happen, and it would be a massive problem/rift.

> Will there be any reluctance on the human side about women becoming riders?
> Maybe in some quarters. Who cares? What are they going to do? Argue with her dragon? Lol.

> A dragon has hatched for a dwarf and another one hatched for an Urgal. What colors are they?
> Depends. Could be any color.

> Has Eragon and the dragons thought of fail safes or things to do were another Galbatorix to show up?
> Yes.

Saphira

> Will Saphira ever become a mother?
> No comment. :D

Thorn

> Does Thorn ever get the end of his tail back? I recall it being bitten off by Glaedr when they fought.
> Nope! Gets his tail magically healed and extended, but the end remains stumped.

The Forsworn

> If you were ever to write something taking place before the banishing of names would you use the names of the Forsworn's dragons or not?
> I definitely would use their names. I would just have to come up with them. Lol.

> Galbatorix seems to regret the loss of the Forsworn, but the books say he played them against each other. Was he afraid they would turn on him or just being shortsighted when he played them off against each other?
> He didn't want them to die. Neither did he want them to join forces and turn against him (which would have been difficult given all the oaths he bound them with).

> Were Morzan and Galbatorix friends? Was Galbatorix capable of having friends?
> Not really friends. Allies and teacher/mentor.

> What was Durza's relationship with Morzan and the other Forsworn like?
> Strained at best.

Elves

> Are politics involved in who elves choose as partners? Specially for higher rank elves like nobility or members of the royal family.
> Most definitely. Although elves like to think they're free and independent, most of them are DEEPLY wound up in the centuries-long game of politics that most of them are playing. And they really like their politics.

> You once said an elf shade would be a worse threat than Galbatorix. Would you mind elaborating on that?
> Elves tend to be better at magic than humans. They also have more natural strength and stamina. And they know a LOT more of the ancient language. That would lead to an extremely powerful and dangerous Shade.

Arya

> There was a picture on Arya’s table when Eragon went to talk to her in Ellesmera in Eldest. Whose picture was that - Faolin or Arya’s father Evander?
> Without going to check, I think it was Faolin.

> Why didn’t Eragon ever point out to Arya that the flower Faolin gave to her (black morning glory) which is black in colour is actually a terrible omen to give to anybody especially a lover and that it symbolises death?
> Because the meaning of flowers changes from culture to culture. Plus, Eragon had never seen a flower like that (it wouldn't have grown anywhere near Carvahall as the climate is too harsh).

Islanzadí

> How did Evandar and Islanzadí meet?
> In a forest glade, on a moonlit night, while nightjars swept past overhead and made soft cries.

> Did Islanzadí and other members of court know/approve of Arya’s relationship with Fäolin?
> I'm sure quite a few elves knew, including Islanzadí. And the queen did NOT approve.

Oromis

> I've always wondered just how old Oromis and Glaedr are. Did you ever have an exact age in mind?
> I don't have my notes in front of me, so I can't tell you their exact age, but I vaguely remember thinking they were about three hundred years old. I'd have to look that up to be sure, though.
> If the wiki is accurate then Oromis was 800 and Glaedr 780 years old at the time of their deaths.
> Ah, that sounds more like it.

Humans

Eragon

> What could Eragon or any other character’s classpect be?
> No idea. I don't play DnD. :D

> Secrecy isn’t really valued at all especially by Eragon. The Eldunarí to be revealed to Roran, Orrin and even Orik was downright crazily annoying. Nothing seems sacred.
> As for whether Eragon [is] too trusting ... Maybe. But he has no reason not to trust Roran and the others.

> In FWW, it is mentioned that Eragon is trying to learn other languages such as dwarvish. Is it coming along? I know it took me a few years just to learn English!
> He's making better progress than you might think. He's a smart monkey, and getting to actually look inside the heads of native speakers is a MAJOR help.

> Was/is there any magic or area of magic Eragon finds annoying to learn or do? He's like, ugh this is annoying.
> Grammar. Eragon never enjoys grammar.

> Eragon being a dad for baby dragons when?
> Right now! An egg hatched at the end of FWW. :D

> Will Eragon and Arya ever meet again?
> Yes.

> What's your favourite fan theory, that you've seen out here? Doesn't matter if they're correct or incorrect.
> I love the ridiculous theories. Like the one I once saw that said the Menoa Tree made Eragon pregnant. (No, it didn't. Lol.)

> Also, I know you never answer that, but honestly, what did the Menoa Tree take from Eragon?
> No comment. Ahahaha.

Carvahall, Roran, Katrina, Horst

> Does anyone survive in Carvahall?
> A few folks. Mostly those who ran for the hills.

> What happens to Roran and Katrina? Did they make it to Carvahall and start rebuilding?
> They did and they are.

> What happens to Horst? He's barely ever seen again.
> He gets to return home and take up smithing again, which is to his liking.

Brom

> Did Brom ever meet Murtagh when they were both at Morzan's estate?
> He might very well have met him, although Murtagh probably wouldn't remember. You're the first person to ask that!

> Is there anything else you can tell us about the relationship between Selena, Brom and Morzan?
> Fraught. Very fraught.

Selena

> If Selena could say one thing to each of her sons, what would it be? Except I love you, of course :)
> Difficult question. To Eragon: "I'm so proud of you." To Murtagh: "I'm so sorry I couldn't help you."

Murtagh

> If Murtagh was given the choice to give up all the luxuries of the court and grow up as a poor farmer with Eragon and Roran, would he do it?
> As for where Murtagh would have preferred to grow up ... that's a question he ponders himself in the new book. I'll let you read it and find out what he ends up deciding. As with all things in Murtagh's life ...it's complicated.

> Murtagh claims that he is stronger than his father, but Galbatorix dismisses him as a “shadow of a shadow”. Who was actually stronger between Murtagh and Morzan?
> Depends where in the story we are. Morzan had both Eldunarí and a big dragon at his disposal. He also fought alongside Galbatorix against the rest of the Riders. Basically, he was no slouch. Neither is Murtagh, but he's still a lot younger than Morzan, and though he has the Name of Names at his disposal, that experience is a major issue. Still, after the events of the newest book, MURTAGH, I think Murtagh would hold his own well against his father.

The Twins

> Do the twins have true names? Why don’t they have common names? What is their backstory?
> They do. As for their common names, they never really used them, so ... folks around them got used to calling them the Twins. As for their backstory ... a story for another time.

Elva

> Does Elva's ability allow her to understand things she normally wouldn't? Let's say a modern person appears before her and, for some reason, they are spooked of a modern day cell phone. Would her ability let her know, o yes a cell phone is a electronic device that allows people to talk with each other through radio waves?
> Yes, to a degree. There are limits.

> Angela appears to have many doors she can go through that lead to many places, including places that aren't on the world of Alagaësia. Has Elva ever gone to one of these places?
> Yes.

Angela

> Was the portal Angela opens in FWW an actual Torque Gate? And if so is there anything about this that you can elaborate on?
> Yes, it's a torque gate, although generated in a non-standard way.

> You've said that "Inarë is who you think she is." Can you answer the more direct question of "Is she Angela the Herbalist?"
> Inarë = Angela the Herbalist. They're one and the same.

> Is Gûntera an Inarë? And if this is not something you can answer, is at least the right type of question that we should be asking?
> Yes, it's the right sort of question. No I'm not going to answer it. :D

> Is it possible that Angela could be aware of the existence of the Inheritance Cycle, and therefore know when and where the major events of the plot take place? If so, could she be wanting to be remembered by readers, and showing up in major events to ensure it?
> Entirely possible.

Tenga

> If you could have Tenga pursue an answer for one question of yours, what would you ask?
> Why is there something instead of nothing. (What is nothing?)

Urgals, Dwarves, and Werecats

> What kind of effect does the Ra'zac/Lethrblaka breath/screams have on an Urgal?
> Not much. Urgals don't like it, but they can still function. As I recall, there might be a mention of this in the Worm story in Fork, Witch, Worm.

> Is there any evolutionary significance to Urgals and Dwarves having the same number of toes?
> Of course. They're related.

> Which Inheritance Cycle character is most similar to Cristiano Ronaldo?
> Afraid I can't answer your question, although I'm guessing the answer isn't a dwarf.

> What is the origin of the werecats?
> Werecats came about when an ordinary cat (if cats are ever ordinary) decided that they really wanted to change shape. And so they did. Wild magic.

Spirits and Shades

> Do spirits have a hierarchy system? It seems there are ones more powerful than others.
> They do, but it's pretty flat. The spirits are fairly egalitarian. You'll be learning a lot more about them in the future.

> How many Shades would you say live at the point Eragon bonded with Saphira?
> There are far more spirits in Alagaësia that anyone suspects.

> What is the upper limited to the number of spirits that can inhabit a Shade and does that impact their power and abilities?
> No real upper limit, but practically, a magician would only be able to summon and trap so many. The magician's own strength would limit how many spirits could be trapped. And yes, number of spirits is proportional to strength of Shade.

> Could Shades ever work together?
> Unlikely that Shades would ever cooperate, but not strictly impossible.

> Do Shades work normally biologically? You’ve mentioned that dragons could become Shades - would a Shade dragon continue to grow/be able to reproduce?
> Shades don't age normally. A dragon Shade would only be able to reproduce if they were of reproductive age when they became possessed.

> Will any Shades feature in later books?
> Possibly.

> Durza speaks with singular pronouns but Varaug speaks with plural. Is their a reason for that?
> Varaug was newly-forged. Given time he would have integrated spirits and human into a singular personality.

> Varaug seemed so much more unrestrained than Durza. How long does it take for a shade to adjust to their new condition? Was Varaug stronger than Durza?
> Varaug might have been stronger than Durza. Had he survived, it would have taken him at least several weeks and probably a month or two to adjust.

The Unnamed Shadow

> Has the Shadow affected any events in the Inheritance cycle or the Rise of Galbatorix?
> Yes.

Magic

> Which gems have the greater capacity to hold energy for Eragon, the Belt of Beloth the Wise or Aren? Because in the books it seems like Aren holds a lot more energy than the Belt and there's an old Q&A that suggest that too.
> The belt of Beloth the Wise has greater capacity, although there was more energy actually stored in Aren during the fourth book.

> The spell Arya used to transport Saphira’s egg across a large distance, could a similar spell be used to transport a person across a large distance?
> Yes.

> If a human magic user had enough power/knowledge could he gain immortality?
> Theoretically, yes.

> Is there a limit to the ancient language? Since the grey folk can't add new things and it's shown only those with the name of names can do it does that mean that there might be spells you can think of but not the words to form them?
> Technically, yes, but there's probably always a way to phrase a spell the way you want. It might take a lot more words than you would use in, say, English, but probably always possible.

> Will you continue to develop the Liduen Kvaedhí? Perhaps releasing more pins?
> Yes.

> Among all the advice Brom gave Eragon, he once said "never try to unmake anything." Is this because unmaking things always results in a destructive blast of energy? In other words, is "waíse néiat", or "be not" actually an example of an unmaking spell, and it just so happens that the thing Galbatorix was trying to unmake was himself?
> Yup. Unmaking = BOOM.

> Is the capital likely to have the same radiation issues that Vroengard had?
> No, as the blast was contained by the mass of the citadel, the cliff above it, and the wards woven throughout the citadel. Also, Eragon and the elves helped clean it up afterward.

> Are the energies left behind from Galbatorix's final spell when he said "Be not" nuclear radiation as we know it on earth, or some kind of magical radiation?
> There would be radiation, but the wards set within the citadel at Ilirea would contain/nullify a lot of them. Also Eragon and the elves did quite a bit of magical cleanup after Galbatorix's death.
> To make it clear, is it physics radiation or magical radiation?
> physics

> Was the radiation responsible for the Snalglí becoming immune/resistant to magic?
> Physical radiation wasn't responsible. It's the knock-on effects of all the crazy magic that went on during the battle.

Technology

> Would internal combustion ever make it to Alagaësia?
> Of course! It's as possible in Alagaësia as in the real world.

Society

> Is there a 'caste' or 'class' system in Alagaësia? If so, is it possible to move up/down the ranks?
> To a degree. There are nobility, for example, but it's definitely possible to rise in rank either through wealth, martial prowess, or magical skill. Also possible to fall in rank through bad fortune.

> Eragon barely stays long enough to loosen Galbatorix's rules. Who is left to lead in his stead, and do they free all of Galbatorix's servants and corporate slaves?
> Nasuada and Arya are left in his stead, and mostly Nasuada.

> Are there any queer main characters?
> In Alagaësia, yes, but it's never been relevant to the story so hasn't come up.

Timeline

> When, relative to Inheritance, does Murtagh take place?
> About one year later.

Writing the World of Eragon

Writing and Publishing Eragon

> Way back when while you were writing the original Inheritance Cycle, how much of the worldbuilding came before you started writing versus while you were writing the cycle?
> A LOT. I spent months figuring out what races I wanted, their general histories, the plot of the series, etc. I really like to have a pretty firm grasp on setting before I devote months, and sometimes years, writing a book. Of course, a lot of worldbuilding happened as I worked my way through the IC, but all the big pieces were in place when I started.

> Did you know from the beginning that you were going to have the Eldunarí be the source of Galbatorix’s power, or did you work out what was going to be at the Rock of Kuthian as you went along?
> I knew from the beginning. That's why the prophesy re: the Rock of Kuthian was in the first book.

> How did you publish your first book?
> Self-published. It was a ton of work, but totally worth it. You have to be willing to promote the heck out of the book, though, which may mean doing things that make you uncomfortable ... like talking in public.

> The 2002 self published edition contains a line in the about the author blurb referencing you already spending your time promoting the book, and Alagesia.com said that you "self-published the book in 2001". Was there an earlier 2001 state of the self-published edition?
> Honestly, I'm getting fuzzy on the timing of things back then. It's possible that I wrote the bio knowing that I was going to be spending a lot of time promoting the book. However, I seem to recall we did print some early copies of Eragon late 2001, which we later had to burn as the printer cut them wrong. Actually, I KNOW we did, because The Fellowship of the Ring came out that year, and I remember being shocked by how similar Eragon/Aragorn sounded. Lol. Also, in those very, very early versions, the Urgals were Orcs, so there's that.
> I've also seen one or two references to listings that claim to be earlier copies such as this picture, but without further details.
> I don't think that picture is an actual self-published book. Or if it is, the cover has been replaced. The eye always covered the top two thirds of the book. Plus, the one pictured has pixelation, which ours never did. Maybe it's a library copy with a new cover printed out. You can also date editions of Eragon based off the spacing of the title. Later editions have tighter kerning.

Inspirations

> What was the inspiration for Eragon's name?
> It's "dragon" with the first letter changed from "d" to "e". Plus, it sorta means an "era-gone-by". Hey, I was fifteen. It seemed clever to me then.

> I've read that the mountains around Paradise Valley inspired the geography of Alagaësia. What other notable inspirations from the real world became part of your works?
> Absolutely! Emigrant MT was the direct inspiration for Tronjheim. As for other sources of inspiration: Shiprock inspired Helgrind. Arches National Park inspired the sandstone hills where Brom died. Carlsbad Caverns influenced my descriptions of the dwarven caverns. And so on and so forth.

> Was the red eyed rabbit a monty Python reference?
> Yup, Monty Python reference!

> What was your inspiration to become a fantasy writer?
> Boredom. I wanted adventure, and I loved reading fantasy. It made the choice to write pretty easy.

> I can't help but read Shruikan's name as shurikan.
> Shruikan's name is derived from "shurikan", so ... you got me. :D
> Do you possibly mean "shuriken"? As in throwing star?
> Yes, a throwing star. There are different spellings used, depending on the translation.

Writing Brisingr

> The title page of Brisingr says: "Brisingr: Or The Seven Promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular". Are there seven significant promises in the book?
> There are, but I don't have the exact list in front of me. I counted quite carefully, though.

> A lot of your writing is obviously very poetic in nature. Do you have any favorite lines from the Inheritance Cycle of which you are especially fond because of the style, sound, or word choice?
> Thanks! I try. There are a number of lines I'm proud of in Murtagh, but, alas, spoilers. As for the Inheritance Cycle ... perhaps the description of the bumblebee after Eragon lowers himself off Helgrind in Brisingr. ["The bumblebee’s mane glowed in the morning light—each hair sharp and distinct to Eragon—and its blurred wings generated a gentle bombilation, like a tattoo played on a drum."]

Writing Inheritance

> Were there some other endings for Inheritance that almost made it to the final draft but you chose not to go with? What were the main details?
> Yes. There were a few things I considered but didn't execute. Such as killing Murtagh and Thorn. Having Arya leave with Eragon at the end. Not killing Islanzadí. Having Roran become king. You know, small things like that. Lol. However, none of them felt right, so into the dustbin they went.

> The fever dream Eragon had early on where he was on a boat was very similar to the ending of Inheritance. Was this an omen or a prophetic dream? Or am I overthinking it?
> Nope, you're not overthinking it. I put the dream in Book I just so I could point to it and tell everyone "See, see, I DID plot out the whole series before I wrote it!" Lol. Of course, that was back when I still thought Arya was going to leave Alagaësia with Eragon, so . . .

> I expected Roran to become king and for them to find out he actually had royal blood anyways.
> Well, my original plan was for Roran to become king.

> Was it ever on the table that Shruikan would turn on Galbatorix?
> I considered it, but in the end, I thought he was just too far gone. Also, since we never experience the world through his eyes, it would have been very, very difficult to convincingly portray a change of character that late in the game. Heck, I think I even had some difficulty adequately conveying what happened when Murtagh's true name changed, and he was one of the main characters.

Colors

> In the case of dragons, colors have characteristic meanings (green - hope, red - blood, blue- love) but I noticed in Nasuada's perspective, I perceived red (a lot!), and yellow and white in her surroundings (her skirts, flowers, etc.). Meanwhile in Roran's chapters we can see only one colour (the copper of Katrina's hair). Have you used colours to hint at something or is that usually just be a random choice?
> Nope not random; I was very conscious with my color choices. It makes for an easy bit of symbology.

Favorites

> Which character in the Inheritance Cycle is your favorite to write?
> Saphira. Saphira is my favorite. She's the reason I wrote the series in the first place. (Although, Elva is awfully fun as well, and I really enjoyed writing from Murtagh's POV.)

> What color would your dragon be?
> A gorgeous purple, I think. However, I would see it as the most amazing shade of blue, as I'm partially colorblind.

> If you had to be a race in Alagaësia which one would you be?
> Dwarf. I already have the beard.

Growth as an Author

> Is there anything in the series that you have written and published and afterwards sort of regretted it or wished you'd done it differently?
> Of course! I know that I could do a much better job of writing Eragon were I write it today. For one, I would have spent a bit more time exploring the time when Saphira was small in Palancar Valley. Still, I'm proud of what I was able to write back then, and I do my best to apply the lessons I've learned to future projects.

> Do you enjoy going back and reading your old writing and seeing how far you’ve came/improved or does it make you cringe seeing the younger yous writing?
> It's nice to see improvements, but seeing where I came up short always makes me cringe. Still, so much time has passed between Eragon and now, there are whole pages I don't even remember writing.

> Do you feel like the whole Eragon series was rushed?
> It took ten years to write, so ... no.

> Are you keeping a strict timeline of things now that the story is progressing in different directions?
> I'm doing my best to keep the timeline as accurate as possible. It got a bit fuzzy at a few points during the Inheritance Cycle, and I want to avoid that moving forward.

> How do you approach writing a book now compared to back when you wrote Eragon?
> I do a LOT more planning these days. Especially when it comes to character. Worldbuilding isn't especially difficult for me, but character is what makes or breaks a meaningful story. And who the characters are determines a lot of what happens and -- more importantly -- how they will react.

FWW and Murtagh

> In FWW, Eragon trains Elva for a while, but we do not get to see it. Was this cut, or did you not have any interest in writing it?
> Didn't want to show the training. Was trying to keep the size of FWW down. There were severe deadline constraints with FWW, so the whole book had to be done yesterday (so to speak).

> How is your impression about writing the continuation of the series after a long time without the impatient gaze of publishers? I felt reading FWW you had new fresh energy without this pressure.
> Heh. Well, both FWW and Murtagh had some tough deadlines (I'm still facing some with regard to copyediting Murtagh). However, I never had any doubts that I could produce the books in time for publication. And yes, you're right -- having some time away from the series gave me renewed appreciation and enthusiasm for it.

> How does it feel to get back to writing a major story in the Inheritance universe again after such a long time?
> AWESOME! It feels so good to be back in Alagaësia. Makes me wonder why I ever stepped away.

> When did Murtagh (the book) idea come about and from? Was it an offshoot of working on FWW or when you were plotting out Book Five?
> An offshoot of FWW. Although I really got interested in the idea while working out certain details of Book V.

> What did you like the most in leading the story from Murtagh's POV which was not ever included in other characters' perspectives?
> It was definitely different than writing Eragon's POV. Murtagh is tougher, more cynical, and a lot more damaged. He has a darker tone than Eragon, which makes for some interesting drama.

This post continues my previous post about the Eragon show in showcasing Christopher's comments about adaptations. While the previous post focused on creative decisions, this post covers the practical realities of bringing the series to life: production decisions, logistics, and the behind-the-scenes elements that shape how the show is made. That said, the distinction isn’t always clear-cut, so some information you’re looking for may appear in either section.

Of course, keep in mind that while Christopher is both a producer and writer, his input on the show is one of many creative voices, and that many decisions, especially higher-level decisions, will be made by other people. These posts exist merely to document what Christopher has said, not to inform what will happen in the show.

As usual, more quotes can be found in the pinned thread under the stickied comment.

---

Title of the Series

> I would be shocked if [the show] was called anything other than "Eragon". (23)

Length of the Series

> The idea is that we would hopefully adapt the entire series, all the books, but of course that will depend on the success of the first season. (15)

> If Eragon is successfully adapted on Disney+, then we will move on to Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance, and all of those will get adapted as part of the television show. (9d)

> We're so early in the process that it's hard to know exactly how things are going to shake out. My instinct is that the first season would be the first book and possibly the second season would be Eldest, and then after that it's anyone's guess, because the last two books are so long, you could probably get two seasons out of both of them. But I think we can say with some certainty that season one will probably be book one. (8)

> When I say a television show, I would imagine it more as a limited series, think Chernobyl or True Detective: six to eight episodes, focused, and that's one book. Or half a book as we get into the later ones. (2c)

> Given that most of the Disney+ shows have about 10 episodes per season, I'm guessing that's where we would end up. (18)

> I think that the story would be better done in a limited show. Something with a 24 episode season would just be too episodic. The only way you can really pull off that many episodes is by being more standalone. Trying to tell a cohesive story over 24 episodes is really hard. (2n)

> [The scripts we're writing are] 50-60 pgs, but they're less dense than novels. (20)

> Episodes for a premiere show are probably between 47 to 60 minutes long. Each one of those is a short film, almost a movie. If you do eight of those you [have] a lot more time and space than you are if you're just doing one film. (2h)

Age Rating

> The tricky bit is the tone. Trying to strike the balance with Eragon is going to be a balancing act. We have younger readers and audiences and then we also have fans who read the book when it came out and now they're in their mid-30s or they're 40-something like me. But that's exactly what Disney wants, a four quadrant property that appeals to a wide audience. (22b)

> I will tell you a little bit of gossip from behind the scenes. They don't want something as young as Percy Jackson. Because they want the next step up, or the next two steps up, in terms of maturity, 15, 16. So I think we would be looking at a solid PG-13, which feels appropriate, quite right. Which means we will have to tone down a few things from the books, which is okay, but I think we will still be keeping some of the scary aspects. The Ra'zac are going to feel scary and the combat itself, as an example, the Witcher was PG-13 combat but it still felt fairly crunchy and realistic in places. And this is all conversations we're still having now. I will say, this is not Game of Thrones, it shouldn't be Game of Thrones. ... But it is a delicate balance and we're working on figuring that out at the moment. (17)

> I think Eragon will probably work best at about a PG-13 rating, for the intended audience, for adults, teenagers, and even younger people to watch the show. You can do an awful lot at PG-13. Andor is PG-13 and I don't think anyone has any complaints with that as far as telling a more mature Star Wars story. (17)

> To do this properly Eragon himself and the story needs to be treated seriously, but at the same time it's very important to keep a sense of innocence with Eragon, a sense of earnestness, a sense of sincerity. I wrote the books in a sincere fashion and I hope this show and series will also feel sincere and not cynical. (6b)

> [Yazuac:] I think that it is easier to write about certain things versus showing them. A great example would be the first book when Eragon gets to the village of Yazuac, where he's first attacked by the Urgals and there's a pile of bodies with a very small body on a spear. You can write that and handle it in a way that seeing it would be too much, especially for this type of show. (17)

> [Trial of the Long Knives:] I've seen lots of cheesy action movies and fantasy movies where folks would cut the palm of their hand for whatever reason. Harry Potter is a great example, you can have the hand cutting and all of that and it works just fine. I think we could do it. You can show it discreetly without getting gratuitous. There's a difference between showing a quick little slice or even just Nasuada's expression on her face, versus Tarantino or a horror film where you're going to see something incredibly gory and gruesome. There are a lot of ways. And people's imagination makes things worse than you could ever show. (2i)

Visuals and Concept Art

> I've been collecting concept art for Alagaësia and any potential properties within it for almost 20 years now. Everything from the music, to the look of it, the textiles, the races. I have this visual bible ready to go if I'm able to participate in some sort of remake. (2e)

> I've got about 1,800 pieces of fan art saved at the moment. Almost 200 tattoo pictures. I've got one and a quarter gigabytes of concept art, and that's separate from the fan art. (2o)

> I have a lot of images that I've saved for reference, a lot of classical paintings. There's one called Death of Elaine, which is a King Arthur themed painting. It really catches a lot of the feel of Tronjheim and the dwarves and all that. (2l)

> There was actually some great concept art done for the Eragon video game. I've saved all of it because they had Urgals with horns, Kull, [and] Isidar Mithrim, the Star Sapphira. (2p)

> I really liked the art from the Ukrainian Eragon. I've actually shared it with some of the producers and stuff. This is different than the usual Hollywood stuff. (19)

> I still like the frill behind the head [of my 2005 dragon painting]. Maybe I’ll show it to Disney. (19)

> Some of the Bollywood films are epic and really have some amazing cinematography. Now color has come back into Hollywood films a lot more, but for a long time Hollywood big budget films were just basically blue and green or blue and orange. I like color. I like bejeweled tones, and I think it would be very suited for the dragons. (2j)

> I have this almost nebulous idea in my head of how I want an Eragon film to feel. That it would feel rich and textured. A lived-in world with beautiful colors, vast history, and it wouldn't feel simply put together from pieces. You train the actors in an accent for Alagaësia. You come up with a musical style that feels of this world. You really try to make it special. (2k)

> There are a lot of moments I think are visually stunning and that was one of my frustrations with the film. They have this big budget and they jettisoned a lot of the imagery that made the story unique, and yet at the same time they were afraid of being too similar to Lord of the Rings, which is why the dwarves and elves in the movie don't look like dwarves or elves. That was very frustrating to me. (12)

> Yes, Eragon is the archetypical hero story, but there are so many unique elements to the world, even in the first book. Visual stuff that we've just never seen in a show or a film. Everything from the way the dragons look to the ten mile high mountains. We've seen elves and dwarves before of course, but I think there are ways to portray them that we haven't seen before, or ways that will make them more interesting. And then as you go into the rest of the series, there's just more and more stuff. Everything from the Boar's Eye giant whirlpool to Ellesméra. I think that a proper faithful adaptation would distinguish itself among the fantasy that's been out there. (2d)

Location

> [I want Eragon to be filmed in Montana]. Because then I don't have to leave home. And it looks appropriate. Unfortunately, the way the budgets and the tax breaks work for filming that probably won't happen. But they're filming Yellowstone and all the related shows around here. So maybe that's changed. ... I would love to see some stuff filmed here. Or British Columbia. They did film in British Columbia for the film adaptation, but I think it was just for some of the shots of them traveling and the mountains and that sort of thing. (9b)

Budget Concerns with Television

> I think the main problem [with a show], even more than creative control, would be the budget. [Today in 2012,] HBO is doing a fantastic job with Game of Thrones, but in Eragon the scale of the battles and the constant use of dragons could be a problem. In my opinion, special effects on this scale are still the prerogative of cinema. But who knows, maybe in the future! We'll see! (1)

> You can't just push [Saphira] off to the side and not show her. She needs to be a proper character. We need to see her as much as we see Eragon and other characters, and that's without even going into the Dwarves and the Elves and the Urgals and the Ra'zac. (2b)

> Is it even possible to do what needs to be done on a television budget? 10-20 years ago the answer would have been no–absolutely not. But times have changed, the technology has changed, and it's changing very rapidly. With a lot of the stuff they've been able to do for the Star Wars shows and of course now for the Percy Jackson show, they seem confident that they can do this. (6a)

> For a television show, once you build the cgi assets and everything, it actually become more affordable and more economic than for a film as you go through the series. Because you don't have to rebuild the dragon. You're able to disperse the cost over the various episodes, over a lot more time and space than if you're just doing one film. That said, you have to be willing to that upfront investment. (2g)

> By the time you do all the costumes and sets [for a pilot episode], you're already invested so much that the only way to break even is to just do a whole season. (19)

Visual Effects

> Dragons scales are glittery and gleaming and gem-like and have a bit of iridescence to them. We've never had dragons like that on screen. We have the computing power now to really pull that off as far as CGI. There are no dragons that look like my dragons on any film or any TV show, so I think that would be something that would really make it stand out. (2a)

> Eragon, even on a very large television budget, will require probably the use of what they call the volume, which is the technology they used with the Mandalorian and a bunch of other shows, where it's a giant bubble of screens that they project CG imagery on, and then they can just film it like you're actually there. I think that's going to be the only way to do everything we need to do for Eragon. (9c)

> [I prefer] prosthetics [for the Urgals]. But it would also depend if we're talking about a regular Urgal or a Kull. Because Nar Garzhvog is eight and a half feet tall. You can't do that with prosthetics, and that's difficult to do with forced perspective. CG these days is so good that I would lean toward probably just doing CG for the larger Urgals and then the more reasonably sized ones, you could probably do prosthetics, but maybe prosthetics with some CG enhancement would be the way to go. (9e)

Music

> Is there a composer that I would like to do the music for Eragon? If you pick up the audiobook for Murtagh, there is music in it made by an awesome fan of mine, Malte Wegmann, who has also done music for Fractal Noise and To Sleep in a Sea of Stars audiobooks. He is a potential candidate as a composer. (14)

> Of course, the studio and the showrunner will have their own opinions about who they would like to work on the show. But if I could resurrect someone, I'd love to get Basil Poledouris, who did the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack. Failing that, Sarah Schachner, she did the soundtrack for Anthem as well as Assassins Creed Valhalla. She does beautiful soundtracks. Bear McCreary, of course, he just won for God of War: Ragnarök. I've always liked his work ever since Battlestar Galactica. I think there are a lot of good composers out there, and I would love to get one who feels like the music's actually coming from the world it's in and feels a little different, while still feeling epic and awesome. (9a)

> The music of [the 13th Warrior] is really interesting. I think that was Jerry Goldsmith and it doesn't feel like any one historical period, but it really elicited a very evocative experience. (2m)

Languages

> If [Disney] want to have full conversations in Ellesméra, then they better just hire a linguist. I'll oversee it, but I don't have time. And quite honestly I don't necessarily have the expertise. (16)

> I will let Disney spend the money and effort to figure out [the ancient language]. Because if I do that it's time not spent writing the next book. (15)

> I doubt we would have any scenes like that without subtitles, unless the point of the scene is that Eragon or whoever we're following can't understand what's being said. Which is true when Eragon first starts hearing the ancient language, so that might be an approach: Eragon hears this, we don't subtitle it because he doesn't understand it. It depends how tightly we would be on Eragon's point of view in those scenes. The movie The 13th Warrior does a wonderful job of showing the main character learning Old Norse and it gradually transitions into English as the main character learns the language. We probably wouldn't do that with the ancient language because we want it to continue to sound different and foreign and magical, but there are ways to show Eragon's understanding. Even with scenes where it would make sense to have dialogue in the ancient language you don't want to overdo it and make people read. You run the risk of losing your audience. (3)

Casting and Auditioning

> Casting has not yet begun, and I will not be directly involved in the process. Once we reach the phase in development when casting begins, Disney will hire a casting director to find the actors who will best fit the roles. When the time comes, actors interested in auditioning for a part should monitor industry casting calls for information on how to submit. I will not open or view any audition videos sent to me or my team. (24)

> Once auditions are in progress, they'll be announced in all the usual trade places that Disney would announce any other casting information for any of their shows. So that's where you would be looking, and if you have an agent, I'm sure they can help you with that as well. (11a)

> The best way to participate will be to pay attention to casting call websites. There will be a casting director for the show and just in general everything's going to need to go through official channels. So don't send your audition tapes to me, send them to the casting director or the website. Find the way to actually submit. Disney+ and Disney in general is a large company, they have a very certain way of doing things and you kind of have to play in the rules with that. (7a)

Cameos

> I’m far too old to play Eragon, Roran or Murtagh (nor do I have the acting skill). It would be fun to have a cameo as a dwarf. Or an Urgal. Although I’d be the shortest Urgal ever. (13)

> I'll hopefully die in some horribly gory way. Or at least as gory as Disney allows. (4)

> In Battle of Farthen Dûr, I'm gonna get dressed up as an Urgal and have my head chopped off by Eragon on screen. (12)

> To be killed by one's own character seems like a great goal for an author. In fact, maybe I can get killed by all the different characters in different ways. You can look for the random character who keeps getting his head chopped off. (15)

> Wouldn't that be fun? Every season you can see me get killed. "Oh, did you see that guy get speared in the back? That was Christopher. I recognize the beard." (17)

> [Jennifer Hale needs a cameo] Oh yeah, absolutely. (10)

> [Bradley Trevor Greive: I'd better prep for my Kull cameo!] Ha! Don't think I've forgotten! (21)

Timing and Nostalgia

> One of my concerns is that if Disney waits too long to remake this, that we're going to miss the window of nostalgia, because the folks that grew up reading the books are all in our mid-twenties to mid-thirties which is the perfect range for nostalgia and for a remake, and if they wait another 10 years it's gonna be too late. You really don't want to wait another 10 years. (2f)

> We're on the nostalgia cycle. Harry Potter's getting rebooted. Golden Compass already got remade. Narnia is getting remade. Eragon is right in there. A few more years and we're going to probably reboot Twilight and Hunger Games. The 20 year cycle is when things get remade. I'm really hoping this adaptation goes well and people like it because if it doesn't, I think that's probably it as far as adaptations of the franchise go in any reasonable period of time. So fingers crossed. (22a)

> I think we have a good chance of getting a lot of people onto this project who really care about the subject material, because folks who grew up reading the series are now working in Hollywood on all of these huge projects. And they're huge fans of Eragon. There are people in the industry who love this property, and I'm hoping that we'll be able to collect them, get some big names and then see what happens. (5)

Merch and Rights

> Disney / Fox owns the rights to all characters and names that appear in the first book. So I can't do anything with Eragon without their permission. I can't do anything with Angela. I can do a story in Alagaësia, but any sort of adaptation was covered under the contract. They have general boilerplate language that covers any new media that might emerge like VR. "The Worm of Kulkaras" could be adapted into its own thing because it doesn't mention Eragon, it doesn't mention Ra'zac. I even called the Lethrblaka a different name in that story. But what company is going to come in and make an adaptation of that when the main property hasn't been properly adapted? Now I could do whatever I want with the other books of the series, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance, but again since the first book is tied up that makes it difficult. There is a provision in the contract for buybacks of the rights, but it would be extremely expensive, and would really need another film studio to back that to make that feasible. (2q)

> What prevents [the rights from expiring] is the fact that they actually made the film. When a studio actually makes a property that essentially means they've actually invested in it, so they own the rights because they they paid all the money for it. (2r)

> If there's one thing Disney is good at, it's scooping up merch rights. If the Eragon television show happens, we're going to get like crazy Eragon merch, I'm sure. It'll be everywhere. ... I want Saphira horns. (11b)

> I would love to see some more video games set in the world of Eragon. I wouldn't be surprised if Disney pursued that. They do that with their successful projects and if we have a successful television show I can't think of any reason that there wouldn't be some video games in one form or another. And perhaps other forms of games also. (7b)

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Additional quotes from Christopher can be found here.