Greg Bear Interview | Author of Blood Music & Eon

[@upscaleavenue]

I discovered Darwin's Radio and Darwin's Children when I was 14, and he became my favorite author. His prose style is controversial; I find it technical and respectable, as well as emotionally resonant. A rare combination amongst sci fi writers, in my experience. Rest in peace, Greg Bear!

[@tbritz13]

Greg Bear was the 80's and 90's version of Alistair Reynolds. He was a master of the genre and one of the writers that I'd buy as soon as a new book appeared. Thank you for this interview.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks...and I think that's a good comparison

[@ashley-r-pollard]

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say thank you, but if only you could've talked for longer. But, hindsight is not foresight, and I'm grateful to have watched this interview. A momento mori of the best kind.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks Ashley. Oddly enough, I hadn't started out planning to interview these authors this year, I had reached out simply to ask for them to do cameo videos for my top 210. Some authors asked to instead do interviews. The first few I did were Steven Barnes, Greg Bear, and Ian McDonald. I wish I'd had more experience as an interviewer beforehand, there's so much I wish I had asked. Later interviews felt much more natural

[@stephensmith8474]

Thanks for posting this. As he was mentioning whose books he read as a kid and how they impacted his love for science fiction it reminded me of when I discovered him for myself as a young adult in my early twenties when I read Eon and Blood Music for the first time. Eon in particular with the sense of wonder it gave was something I found so enjoyable. So glad you got the opportunity to chat with him this year.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Yes Eon is the type of scifi right up my alley. My first experience with him was his Foundation novel.

[@ethanfuture]

Rest in Peace Greg Bear. Thank you Michael for sharing this.

[@marvinflores8796]

Blood Music is classic! Thanks for this interview Michael, Greg Bear will be sorely missed!

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks Marvin

[@ireneuszpyc6684]

Blood Music has too much fantasy: the ending is like "Alice in Wonderland" or "Chronicles of Narnia"

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks Marvin. Happy new year buddy

[@meesalikeu]

great questions for him -- and what a pleasure -- good work!

[@shellymarstersdon6268]

RIP Greg Bear. This was a very respectful way to share the interview. I enjoyed all of the Foundation books he and Brin and Benford did.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks Shelly

[@chrisconnors7418]

That was good, Michael! Thank you for doing this. What a giant that man was. He was a young 71 and I bet he had some more good novels in him. I never met him, but am feeling saddened. I just counted my Greg Bear books and I have 23. I'm going to add some more now.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Wow that's quite a collection. Thanks Chris

[@hasimirfenring7680]

I've loved so many of his sci-fi titles, but did know about his fantasy books until Songs of Earth and Power which I thought was a revelation. A writer who exercised his talents to the limit. What a legacy. RIP.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks for the comment Hasimir. I didn't know much about his fantasy work

[@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd]

Didn't even know he'd passed until a few days ago. Would have thought it'd be more widely reported. If I had to name one favorite it would be The Forge of God and its sequel considered as one book. Absolutely thrilling story of cosmic crime and retribution on a planetary scale, plus a chilling possible explanation for the Fermi Paradox. Sail on Bright Eternity Greg!

[@FIT2BREAD]

Yeah it was a real surprise and yeah I'm sort of surprised it wasn't more widely reported

[@TheRemarkableN]

RIP Greg Bear. I grew up reading his novels and stories. I’ve reread Blood Music in particular multiple times over the years. He will be missed.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Truly

[@DaisyXMachina]

Thank you for this great interview. It gives me so many memories when he talks about the early authors and the science fiction book club which I remember getting many of those omnibus editions.

[@JaredJohnsonRocketMan]

GB is my favorite author with Eon/Eternity being my favorite novel of all time! An underrated author. He had a unique style of taking scifi tropes and taking them to the next level, making the story epic. This was so in a lot of his novels. It seems Arthur C. Clarke was his biggest influence. Just like Gibson's Neuromancer has become the quintessential novel for Cyberpunk, GB's Blood Music has become the quintessential novel for the "Biopunk" subgenre. My favorites are Eon/Eternity (its one story arc so I recommend reading Eternity as well), Moving Mars, Forge of God, Anvil of Stars, and Blood Music. The following are good too: Slant, War Dogs, Darwin's Radio, Legacy, and Hull Zero Three. RIP GB!! I look forward to converging at the Final Mind!!

[@lofilazy.]

Just started reading this year so I've never read a Greg Bear book, but just from this interview I feel an impact at the loss. Thanks for posting this in the respectful way you did.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thank Lofi. Ps always love seeing that neuromancer avatar

[@hughjasse4047]

Shit, I was just looking for a review and had no idea that he had just recently passed. RIP to my fave Sci-fi author.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Do u have a favorite Bear novel, Hugh?

[@onurcaksu3145]

❤️

[@jscottphillips503]

This is great. Asimov had Campbell. I wonder if Greg Bear had any editors that helped or influenced him like that?

[@FIT2BREAD]

That's a great question. I know he thought of Bradbury as an influence, but it would have been interesting to dive deeper into that question.

[@iwuvu5940]

Greg wrote a halo book. I liked the guy