This is an edited transcript of the chat with Sean Williams and Shane Dix that took place on Saturday 22 April 2000, at SwanCon 2000.

<ChUcKiE> hi seanwilliams

<seanwilliams> I'm another Voyager author. Science fiction, rather than fantasy.

<SinnerStar> How old are you Sean?

<seanwilliams> I'm 32. SinnerStar (and not very good at typing. so forgive me) ...

<Butler> I've read the first Evergence book way back when, published by Aphelion. Can you tell us how the new book changes?

<seanwilliams> The Evergence books take the same story and set it in a different universe with different characters.

<SinnerStar> Sean, apart from Cons do you have much contact with other authors?

<seanwilliams> Shane and I are able now to finish the story the way we originally planned it, taking it much further than the original project.

<Butler> Further in what way?

<kntz> sean what authors do you enjoy reading

<seanwilliams> I'm in contact with a bunch of authors through Eidolist, and have quite a few writer friends.

<seanwilliams> Shane and I wanted to go down a darker, more sinister path than our original co-creators intended ... Iain Banks, JK Rowling, Greg Bear, James Morrow, Sean Stewart, Stephen Donaldson, John Irving ...

<Butler> Do you and Shane prefer your writing to be darker and more sinister, or was it just this particular story?

<seanwilliams> Shane and I take a real delight in making our characters suffer. :-) no pain, no gain - and all that.

<SinnerStar> Sean, have you got anything else in the works or is it all Evergence?

<seanwilliams> I'm working on a couple of new projects at the moment. One's a fantasy trilogy -- I've just finished the first book of that -- another is a new trilogy with Shane. Too many ideas ... too little time.

<SinnerStar> do have particular writing habits?

<seanwilliams> I like to write every day, especially in the mornings and the afternoons, but beyond that I'm flexible.

<Butler> Do you find conventions a good place to exchange ideas with other writers, or bounce ideas off them?

<seanwilliams> Cons are a great time to pat each other on the shoulders and exchange agent/editor stories. ;-)

<Butler> How many words do you average a day?

<seanwilliams> Anywhere from 0-5000 words. It depends on how things are flowing.

<Butler> Is Shane Dix with you?

<seanwilliams> I haven't seen Shane yet. No idea where he is.

<seanwilliams> Shane and I like BlaKES'7 and Babylon 5, and they're both fairly dark.

<SinnerStar> Where do you live Sean?

<seanwilliams> I live in fair Adelaide, as does Shane.But I'm in Perth at the moment. it's very nice here.

<rubygene> Hey Sean did you catch Neil Gaiman's episode of babylon 5, and was it any good?

<seanwilliams> Adelaide is very pretty, and very quiet. A nice place to write.

<SinnerStar> So just how successful are you Sean?

<seanwilliams> Not as successful as Sara, sinnerstar, but I'm making a living. The first book of Evergence is a bestseller in the States, and that is helping.

<Butler> A best seller in the US? Must be every Oz writer's dream.

<seanwilliams> For sure. Well, legal dreams, anyway/. :-)

<SinnerStar> And was that you solely or with all those other authors? ( I must admit I haven't read your stuff)

<seanwilliams> The bestseller was with Shane.

<SinnerStar> Is it hard with both of you writing together than separately?

<seanwilliams> It's not half as hard because there are two of you, that's for sure. It can be more interesting in some ways.

<Butler> So how do you two divide the labour?

<seanwilliams> Basically, I write the first pass, which Shane then fixes up. I write quickly, whereas he takes a bit more care. :-)

<Butler> Do you argue a lot about plot elements, style, etc?

<SinnerStar> How did the whole thing come about?

<seanwilliams> We nut out the plot before we start, so theoretically we don't disagree after then. We haven't come to blows, anyway. :-)

<seanwilliams> Working things out as we go along is half the fun.

<Butler> What's the most fun? Plotting out the story or writing it? I mean when you work with Shane.

<seanwilliams> We were friends years ago and were approached by a local publisher to write a novel set in a new gaming world. That was The Unknown Soldier, which has become the Prodigal Sun. We've written a couple of short stories along the way. They're very different to our longer space opera works.

<SinnerStar> Who created the evergence world?

<seanwilliams> Shane and I did. We took the aliens out of the original story and worked out a galaxy filled with all sorts of different humans. We figure there's a chance that humanity might end up like this in the future. It also clearly separates us from other space operas - -the ones with aliens.

<Butler> Have your short stories with Shane appeared anywhere?

<seanwilliams> Our shorts have appeared in fairly obscure places, like con souvenir books etc.

<ChUcKiE> hi shanedix welcome

<seanwilliams> ShaNE! Whew!

<shanedix> Hi...am I late??

<SinnerStar> I'd like to start reading your stuff, where do I begin?

<seanwilliams> Try The Prodigal Sun (aka Evergence 1). that's in the shops at the moment.

<SinnerStar> cool, normal paperback? (they're getting expensive these days)

<seanwilliams> Normal paperback, yep. relatively cheap. Get it before the GST hits. :-)

<seanwilliams> Greetings from Perth, shane

<shanedix> Thanks...having trouble with this damned thing, so apologies for delays...

<seanwilliams> We've been talking about how dark Evergence is, and how hard it is to invent names for sci-fi drinks. :-)

<Butler> You couldn't get to the Con, Shane?

<shanedix> No, time and money not close friends right now...one day, one day...

<seanwilliams> Writers are *always* poor. That's why our stories are so dark...

<Butler> You're not in it for the money, then?

<seanwilliams> I do it because I love it.

<Butler> So what made you two become SF writers?

<shanedix> lol well, I don't mind the added bonus of the $$, but no, not really...

<shanedix> I don't know...just gravitated towards it because of my love of the books I read in my early teens I guess

<Butler> Do you intend to stick with SF/fantasy/etc? or go mainstream at some point?

<seanwilliams> I'd like to write a crime novel one day ...

<shanedix> definitely mainstream at some point...:-) but will always return to SF

<SinnerStar> Do you guys have a web site?

<seanwilliams> My web site is www.eidolon.net/sean_williams

<lashes> why sci-fiction seanwilliams?

<seanwilliams> I've always read sf, lashes. I like the big stories, big scales ... I want to live long enough to see some of this stuff in real life.

<lashes> how long have you been a writer for?

<seanwilliams> I've been writing seriously for 11 years, now, but I guess I've been dabbling most of my life... it's a drug.

<SinnerStar> do guys only write or do you have "normal" jobs as well?

<shanedix> No, 'normal' job as well for me...'

<seanwilliams> i work in a CD shop to indulge my other love (music) but only day a week ...

<shanedix> wish I could get away with only 1 day a week!

<SinnerStar> sean, what music do you like?

<ChUcKiE> What Music is it you enjoy listening to seanwilliams

<seanwilliams> Ah, sinnerstar, that's a difficult question. Where to stop?

<shanedix> Oh God, don't ask him THAT!

<SinnerStar> sean, a general genre then...

<shanedix> Same problem...I love so much music...

<seanwilliams> I like a bit of everything: Underworld, Frank Zappa, MC 900ft Jesus, Devo, Yello, Tangerine Dream ...

<shanedix> But really into Kodo again at the moment

<SinnerStar> What about Jeff Buckley or NIN?

<seanwilliams> and I love Steely Dan

<seanwilliams> I love Buckley's first and only finished album ... NIN have their moments.

<shanedix> Yep... Buckley and NIN...:-)

<SinnerStar> I wish I'd seen Buckley live...

<SinnerStar> I saw NIN this year (totally Awesome)

<seanwilliams> Me too. Still kicking myself for passing on Buckley's Adelaide concert ...

<seanwilliams> The con is just great. Lots of people in capes walking around like it's perfectly normal. :-)

<shanedix> Like the man in the cape in seinfeld, eh?

<SinnerStar> So do you like meeting the fans guys? Sara Douglass seems to like us (for some bizarre reason)

<seanwilliams> Lots of friends to talk to. It's very nice. Warm, too. Kirsty is fitting in just fine.

<shanedix> I don't have any to meet...hi ho...:-)

<seanwilliams> Fans are a lot of fun. The more the merrier!

<seanwilliams> The con has a real mix of pro writers and fans, and everyone in between. It's very inclusive over here.

<SinnerStar> Have you guys seen the Lord of the Rings teaser trailer?

<seanwilliams> yes! dying to see TLOTR movie!

<shanedix> Oh wow,. forgot to download it! Must do it now while I remember...

<seanwilliams> hard to believe we have to wait until Xmas next year, though ...

<SinnerStar> Gladiator comes out soon though... What did you guys think of Mission To Mars?

<seanwilliams> haven't seen M2M, but haven't heard much good about it either. You?

<shanedix> haven't seen MTM, but have heard very bad reports...so not sure whether to spend $$ seeing it

<seanwilliams> Loved Galaxy Quest. Very fannish.

<SinnerStar> It was alright, and Galaxy Quest was very funny, but M2M had it's moments (not many tho)

<shanedix> I have been told I have to see GQ before it leaves the cinemas, so maybe this weekend...

<SinnerStar> even just to see Sigourney's cleavage...

<SinnerStar> I saw Erin Brokovich today and DAMN! I drooled the whole time over Julia roberts

<shanedix> Sean, your fave actress!! :-)

<seanwilliams> Was EB worth seeing apart from JR?

<seanwilliams> Those lips ... *shudder*

<SinnerStar> Yeah EB was actually very funny, there's just something that gets me going when beautiful women swear a lot...

<seanwilliams> You should see lake Placid, if you haven't seen it already.

<SinnerStar> Yeh seen that, I love Betty white, she's a legend... thankyou for being a friend, travelled down the road and back again...

<SinnerStar> What's the hardware like in your novels? Is it realistic?

<seanwilliams> We try to keep it as realistic as possible, given that the books are set 500000+ years in the future.

<seanwilliams> Gritty feel is what we're aiming for.

<seanwilliams> Big ships, big guns, fast things etc. All very sci-fi.

<shanedix> definitely the gritty feel...I like that description...

<SinnerStar> that far hey? You could have almost anything, how populated is the Universe? Have humans taken over everything?

<seanwilliams> Pretty much, sinnerstar. There's no-one else around.

<SinnerStar> What about Earth? Is it still there?

<shanedix> Ah well, you might just have to read it for that...:-)

<seanwilliams> half a million years is a long time. Anything can happen!

<seanwilliams> I have to go to a launch now, I'm afraid.

<seanwilliams> Will be back Sunday afternoon (Perth time).

<SinnerStar> Yeah I gotta go get some din dins, I try and get the book by then and grill you guys on it!

<shanedix> have a good one sean...:-)

<seanwilliams> it's been nice chatting. thanks for joining in.

<seanwilliams> Enjoy dinner, sinnerstar -- and the book!

<ChUcKiE> thanx for coming in sean and shane

<seanwilliams> Have a nice afternoon, Shane/ Bye, all!

<SinnerStar> Ciao!

<shanedix> Thanks for having us...:-)