The Nightbound Land is full of family. Margaret is my wife’s middle name, the Roslyn Dawn is named after my mother. Reading these books you’re reading a history, my history, and the books are filled with people I care about. Do the people reflect those they’re named after? No. Are all the names those of close family and friends? Certainly not.
Mr Tope is named after the Verger in Dicken’s the Mystery of Edwin Drood, Cadell is named after Francis Cadell the explorer. The Twelve Metropolises are named after the original founders of Shale – some of them happen to be writers I admire, Carver and *Mirrlees in particular.
The Nightbound Land is one of the most personal things I have ever written, even if it is set on a distant world, in the distant future. Not even fantasy writers can escape themselves in their prose.
*that’s Hope Mirrlees author of the wonderful novel Lud-in-the-Mist.
I only got the Nahrung reference.