Modern interpretations often cast Lancelot in the role of betrayer in his relationship with Arthur, but many miss just how much he was influenced by the cultural attitudes of his time.
Guinevere's one friend outside of marriage becomes something else, because that was the expectation of male-female relationships in that cultural setting. Others, like Guinevere, are trapped in a marriage that is not of their own choosing, and they too are isolated without friends. None of them makes out very well except for Vivien. A few, like Morgan le Fay, hold power, but they are isolated and ultimately consumed by their attempts to flaunt the rules of their culture. In the Arthurian cycle, women have a limited role. Until fathers take over rearing children from the cradle up-the teaching of basic attitudes, the subtle hints through body language of approval and disapproval-it all comes from the female side. If you want to change a culture, you need to transform the role of women. In our rather less structured society nowadays defining these relationships can sometimes be difficult. The Arthurian cycle involves numerous kinds of relationships, not only between men but also between men and women.
What drew you to it?ĬC: There are certain myths that have persisted throughout the ages, and this one has remained very potent in modern culture. RT: Arthurian legend is rarely paid much attention in science fiction. Authors understand better than most how a project can be set aside in order to tackle others with more pressing deadlines. When I finally contacted her to apologize for my tardiness and to ask if she would still be willing to check over the edited version, she good-humouredly agreed, however. When we sat down together, in May 1996, I did warn her that it might be a while before I got round to editing the results, but I little suspected that it would not be until December 2010! In terms of Arthurian tradition, fourteen years is but the blink of an eye of course, but science fiction is a relatively young genre and moves at a faster pace (warp speed?). When I heard she was coming I contacted her, and she kindly agreed to give me an interview on her use of Arthurian tradition in her novel Port Eternity (New York: DAW, 1982).
Cherryh was invited to be Guest of Honour at a science fiction convention held near my home in Nova Scotia. To conduct interviews with authors, I almost invariably had to travel a considerable distance, but that distance was shortened to a mere ten-minute drive when C.
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