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10.
AOTW: What impact, if any, have you felt or do you anticipate from the Harry Potter phenomenon? Do you think these books have attracted a new generation of fantasy readers?
Tamora Pierce: I've ended up on some of the 'beyond HP' lists, which I don't understand: all of my books are historical in setting. Maybe it's the school thing: since I write about kids, education and schooling are an integral part of the story. My sales had begun to climb just as the HP phenomenon began to unfold, and they've been climbing ever since, but there's been no sudden, pronounced leap. [As to whether I] think these books have attracted a new generation of fantasy readers, when a kids' book tops adult bestseller lists all over the world, I think you can say without the shadow of any doubt that it's attracted more than one new generation of fantasy readers.
Meredith Ann Pierce: I think the Harry Potter books have had the wonderful effect of legitimizing fantasy in the minds of people who might previously, without really thinking much about it, have been prejudiced against the genre. I think the Harry Potter books have reached readers from outside the traditional pool of fantasy fans. People who hadn't previously considered reading fantasy have become aware of the series, its popularity and all the media attention it has received. As a result, many of these have picked up the first book in the series, read and enjoy it --- perhaps even to their own surprise. And some of these have then gone on to read other works of fantasy by other authors. J. K. Rowling has done the fantasy genre the invaluable service of "converting" a good many non-fantasy readers and perhaps even subduing a fantasy detractor or two. (It's hard to carp about how "juvenile" and "unbelievable" fantasy is when all your friends are now reading it.) Well done, Ms. Rowling!/p>
Nancy Springer: Whenever any one author enjoys a great success in publishing, it's good for the rest of us. Tolkien's success formed the foundation of the fantasy genre. Stephen King led off a horror boom. The Harry Potter books? Sure, they're bound to be good for the future of fantasy, although I hope the tastes of their young readers will mature as they grow up.
Patrice Kindl: I think these books have attracted a new generation of readers, period. Oh, there are always readers, people who just can't get their kicks from movies or TV, but this rage has gotten a lot more kids, especially boys, to pick up a book. There have always been fad books in children's literature, but never this big.
Carol Hughes: I think it's marvelous. If Harry Potter had been around when I was ten I think I would have exploded with joy. Now I'm envisaging a huge surge in children's fantasy book sales and have already picked out the rustic vills I'll be buying in Minorca when the royalty checks start pouring in.
Sherwood Smith: It's hard to predict anything, with huge conglomerates taking over the big publishers, and choking experimentation. I do think that young people read far more SF and F than we realize. Exponentially many more than when I was young. They also like longer works, with more at stake, than editors of the past fifty years have been willing to believe. As for the future? I expect I will be selling my novels directly off my website, instead of having to wait years between the appearance of each one. I know the audience is there, and the works are done...there's just this bottleneck right now, that will vanish as soon as POD becomes easily viable.
Mark L. Williams: Yeah, the wee wizard has definitely helped limber things up...
Nancy Farmer: Harry Potter has made it respectable to read long books. It has also formed a bridge from children's books to an adult audience.
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