Dan Abnett's Blog, page 7
March 21, 2011
Exclusive Embedded signing at Forbidden Planet
This Saturday, the 26th of March, I'll be at Forbidden Planet's London Megastore signing an exclusive Forbidden Planet Limited Edition of my new Angry Robot novel Embedded. Details here! This is in advance of general publication, so don't miss out! See you there, between 1 and 2 pm!
March 16, 2011
Demoncon
Advance warning! It's going to be compact, local and perfectly formed!
March 7, 2011
Embedded (a taster!)
I got the first printed copy of Embedded in my hands this weekend, and very gorgeous it is too. Now the lovely.... uh... robots at Angry Robot have posted up some sample chapters to really whet your appetite.
Make my robot angry!
Make my robot angry!
March 2, 2011
The Arvus has landed
My new paperweight/desk reference. I needed one to look at "hands on" for Salvation's Reach. I don't want to give the plot away, but you need to imagine three of them, battered and stripped out for a disposable ram-raid, and painted up like the Minis in the Italian Job. Okay, not literally...
God, this book is so much fun.
Anyway, I wanted it spruced up with a paint job so it wasn't bare resin, so I turned to my friend and model-maker Richard Dugher (remember his Titan?). Just a basic assemble and paint job, I said. Of course, with Rich, even his basic makes most people cry. And yes, just for fun, there is a joke colour scheme reference in the pilot's kit. He appears to have switched off his targeting computer. If you're suitably impressed, check out Rich's link (Custom Fish) opposite and tell him I sent you.
Back to work. This book is putting several pieces of Forge World kit through the wringer. And several beloved characters. Don't hate me.
See you at Black Library Live! on Saturday or Waterstone's Nottingham on Thursday night.
February 26, 2011
Getting out and about
Time to remind you that Nik and I will be out and about this week, meeting and greeting, and generally having fun with people. So, if you're in Nottingham... so are we. Come and find us here on Thursday and, of course, it's Black Library Live on Saturday. The house sitter is booked, the kids and cats have been reassured, and Nik has been persuaded to put down her paintbrush for a couple of days. Frankly, I can't wait. See you there!
February 18, 2011
Time Well Spent
I didn't set out to think; it happened all by itself.
Some of you might know that Dan and I just bought a house. In fact, we bought the tiny little house next door to ours in the row of terraced houses where we've been living for more than a decade. We've been waiting for the chance for a while, and it happened, and here we are.
I love messing about in houses. I love decorating. I love stripping out rooms, and I'm not hugely keen on paying some kid eight quid an hour to labour at half the speed I can manage. I know, I know, an honest day's work is worth an honest day's pay, and I agree, but I do like to do it myself.
I have been doing it myself for exactly three weeks. Every day that I work on the house, I put on my overalls, cap, gloves and mask, and I toddle off next door with my keys in one pocket and my phone in the other, and I set to work. I set to work stripping out laminate floors and lifting carpets; I set to work dismantling a kitchen, taking tiles off walls and stripping dodgy plaster. I set to work with the strength of my back and the dexterity of my hands, and with the sweat of my brow. It is very satisfying.
As satisfying as this work is, though, it isn't terribly cerebral. You do have to keep an eye on your thumbs when wielding a hammer, and you do have to turn the electrics off at the fuse box before uncoupling cookers and whatnot, but, on the whole, the work is vastly more physical than it is mental.
I did not set out to think.
When I say that I take my keys in one pocket and my phone in the other, that is precisely what I mean. I haven't taken anything else into the house: no television, no radio, no mp3 player, nothing. I close the door of this empty house, I shut out the world, and I set to work.
I had not given a moment's thought to what I might do with my mind while my body was working on the house, and I cannot begin to tell you what an extraordinary experience this has been.
My everyday life consists of reading and writing, researching, watching, listening and talking. My life revolves around communication and ideas, and, when I escape from work and do something for pleasure it invariably involves the same elements. I read a book, watch the television, chat with family and friends, and when I have to hoover, dust, cook or iron a pile of clean clothes, I invariably turn on a radio or choose a podcast to listen to, or switch on the television or watch a dvd. Like most people, I surround myself with noise, with distractions, with company.
I don't know why I decided to work alone in the house, in the quiet; what I do know is that I will make it my practice to complete mundane, physical tasks in this manner in the future.
I didn't have any earth-shattering ideas about the meaning of life, or the universe, or everything (we all know the answer to that particular conundrum); I didn't come up with an amazing idea for a novel or a painting; I didn't come to some sudden, inexplicable understanding of some problem or issue. I did not have a "Eureka" moment.
I did not direct my thoughts. I did not think about them. I did not channel my intellectual energies.
In the beginning, my thoughts were very like background noise. I'm not at all sure I was terribly conscious of them, and I don't remember them, but I believe they were like shopping lists written on scraps of paper to be pulled out of pockets in some moment of exasperation. They were mundane, fleeting and even a little bit cross. They were the very essence of the every-day. I don't know how long it took for this stuff to clear, and for the chatter that, after all, I wasn't even heeding, to peter away to nothing; it might have been days.
I also spent some time wondering. I wondered what Dan was doing and how he was getting on; I wondered whether he was on-track, and when he'd want me to look at a piece of work. I wondered whether Lily would be in for tea, and what we'd have for tea, and whether I could get away with using lamb in the chilli, even though I know someone doesn't like lamb, and how long I could leave it before popping next door to put the tea on. Then I wondered when I'd last made a cup of tea, and whether Dan would pop in with a cup for me if I just kept going for another half an hour. I wondered how far I'd get with the job I'd undertaken, and whether that rash on my face would come back if I stopped wearing the mask, and whether I'd get the first bath, and how grey my bath water would be, and how much I'd ache. I wondered whether Jess would be home for the weekend and whether she'd notice what I'd done, and if she did whether she'd be impressed, and whether Lily would need a lift to that thing on Saturday night, and where Dan and I would eat supper if I didn't move the stuff that was delivered for Lily's new room. I wondered whether panelling the door myself was a good idea, and whether Lily would like it, and just how many coats of paint I'd need to get the colour to look clean on the new bedroom's walls, and how long it would be before Lily could move in, and just how much space her clothes would need in the new dressing room. And, Oh My God, we have a DRESSING ROOM! I wondered whether anyone had fed the cats, as I didn't remember doing it myself, and where I'd find the energy to empty the cat tray, even though I knew I'd do it, because, let's face it, you can't leave a litter tray too long before sorting it out. I wondered why I was the only one who ever did the cat tray, and whether the cats actually cared as much as I did, and why the girls didn't seem to care at all.
Eventually, within the last few days, I began to realise that I was contemplating things in new ways. I found myself enjoying thoughts and remembrances of my family, of my brothers and sisters, and of my parents. I wasn't suddenly overwhelmed with nostalgia or gripped by filial love, but, somehow, my thoughts led me to an unusual level of contentment. The people and their circumstances are not different; I clearly understood them in the same way prior to this odd bout of thinking. But now? Now I find that I'm entirely at ease, completely comfortable with any feelings I have relating to them and their various woes. Old things, long forgotten, come easily, almost unbidden, to mind. I thought about favourite teachers for the first time in a long time, of the things they did and said that made a difference to me, but now I cast my mentors in the light of equals, and see them more easily as people. I thought about the things I have done or seen, or thought about doing or seeing, but with less trepidation, with fewer provisos. I thought about politics and religion, and sex and death without feeling like I had to explain or justify my thoughts, or stand my corner or blaze any sort of trail. I changed my mind about things, and then changed it back again, and found that I was content with either possibility.
I did not set out to think, but when it happened, all on its own, I enjoyed it so very much that I plan to allow it to happen again... probably when I get back to work on the house tomorrow.
Some of you might know that Dan and I just bought a house. In fact, we bought the tiny little house next door to ours in the row of terraced houses where we've been living for more than a decade. We've been waiting for the chance for a while, and it happened, and here we are.
I love messing about in houses. I love decorating. I love stripping out rooms, and I'm not hugely keen on paying some kid eight quid an hour to labour at half the speed I can manage. I know, I know, an honest day's work is worth an honest day's pay, and I agree, but I do like to do it myself.
I have been doing it myself for exactly three weeks. Every day that I work on the house, I put on my overalls, cap, gloves and mask, and I toddle off next door with my keys in one pocket and my phone in the other, and I set to work. I set to work stripping out laminate floors and lifting carpets; I set to work dismantling a kitchen, taking tiles off walls and stripping dodgy plaster. I set to work with the strength of my back and the dexterity of my hands, and with the sweat of my brow. It is very satisfying.
As satisfying as this work is, though, it isn't terribly cerebral. You do have to keep an eye on your thumbs when wielding a hammer, and you do have to turn the electrics off at the fuse box before uncoupling cookers and whatnot, but, on the whole, the work is vastly more physical than it is mental.
I did not set out to think.
When I say that I take my keys in one pocket and my phone in the other, that is precisely what I mean. I haven't taken anything else into the house: no television, no radio, no mp3 player, nothing. I close the door of this empty house, I shut out the world, and I set to work.
I had not given a moment's thought to what I might do with my mind while my body was working on the house, and I cannot begin to tell you what an extraordinary experience this has been.
My everyday life consists of reading and writing, researching, watching, listening and talking. My life revolves around communication and ideas, and, when I escape from work and do something for pleasure it invariably involves the same elements. I read a book, watch the television, chat with family and friends, and when I have to hoover, dust, cook or iron a pile of clean clothes, I invariably turn on a radio or choose a podcast to listen to, or switch on the television or watch a dvd. Like most people, I surround myself with noise, with distractions, with company.
I don't know why I decided to work alone in the house, in the quiet; what I do know is that I will make it my practice to complete mundane, physical tasks in this manner in the future.
I didn't have any earth-shattering ideas about the meaning of life, or the universe, or everything (we all know the answer to that particular conundrum); I didn't come up with an amazing idea for a novel or a painting; I didn't come to some sudden, inexplicable understanding of some problem or issue. I did not have a "Eureka" moment.
I did not direct my thoughts. I did not think about them. I did not channel my intellectual energies.
In the beginning, my thoughts were very like background noise. I'm not at all sure I was terribly conscious of them, and I don't remember them, but I believe they were like shopping lists written on scraps of paper to be pulled out of pockets in some moment of exasperation. They were mundane, fleeting and even a little bit cross. They were the very essence of the every-day. I don't know how long it took for this stuff to clear, and for the chatter that, after all, I wasn't even heeding, to peter away to nothing; it might have been days.
I also spent some time wondering. I wondered what Dan was doing and how he was getting on; I wondered whether he was on-track, and when he'd want me to look at a piece of work. I wondered whether Lily would be in for tea, and what we'd have for tea, and whether I could get away with using lamb in the chilli, even though I know someone doesn't like lamb, and how long I could leave it before popping next door to put the tea on. Then I wondered when I'd last made a cup of tea, and whether Dan would pop in with a cup for me if I just kept going for another half an hour. I wondered how far I'd get with the job I'd undertaken, and whether that rash on my face would come back if I stopped wearing the mask, and whether I'd get the first bath, and how grey my bath water would be, and how much I'd ache. I wondered whether Jess would be home for the weekend and whether she'd notice what I'd done, and if she did whether she'd be impressed, and whether Lily would need a lift to that thing on Saturday night, and where Dan and I would eat supper if I didn't move the stuff that was delivered for Lily's new room. I wondered whether panelling the door myself was a good idea, and whether Lily would like it, and just how many coats of paint I'd need to get the colour to look clean on the new bedroom's walls, and how long it would be before Lily could move in, and just how much space her clothes would need in the new dressing room. And, Oh My God, we have a DRESSING ROOM! I wondered whether anyone had fed the cats, as I didn't remember doing it myself, and where I'd find the energy to empty the cat tray, even though I knew I'd do it, because, let's face it, you can't leave a litter tray too long before sorting it out. I wondered why I was the only one who ever did the cat tray, and whether the cats actually cared as much as I did, and why the girls didn't seem to care at all.
Eventually, within the last few days, I began to realise that I was contemplating things in new ways. I found myself enjoying thoughts and remembrances of my family, of my brothers and sisters, and of my parents. I wasn't suddenly overwhelmed with nostalgia or gripped by filial love, but, somehow, my thoughts led me to an unusual level of contentment. The people and their circumstances are not different; I clearly understood them in the same way prior to this odd bout of thinking. But now? Now I find that I'm entirely at ease, completely comfortable with any feelings I have relating to them and their various woes. Old things, long forgotten, come easily, almost unbidden, to mind. I thought about favourite teachers for the first time in a long time, of the things they did and said that made a difference to me, but now I cast my mentors in the light of equals, and see them more easily as people. I thought about the things I have done or seen, or thought about doing or seeing, but with less trepidation, with fewer provisos. I thought about politics and religion, and sex and death without feeling like I had to explain or justify my thoughts, or stand my corner or blaze any sort of trail. I changed my mind about things, and then changed it back again, and found that I was content with either possibility.
I did not set out to think, but when it happened, all on its own, I enjoyed it so very much that I plan to allow it to happen again... probably when I get back to work on the house tomorrow.
February 11, 2011
If it's Saturday, it must be the Oxford Street Plaza...
Together again, for one night only, because you demanded it, those towering giants of 40K... Magnus and Russ.
Okay, not actually, but Graham and I will be at the GW Oxford Street Plaza tomorrow (February 12), between 11 and 2, to jointly damage your copies of Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns (amongst others, I'm sure). A unique opportunity to get the head-to-head books in a head-to-head signing. If you don't believe me, check out this link.
It's probably also a good time to remind you about two good friends of this page. First, Nic Giacondino, who has supplied us with many great images of Eisenhorn and his merry band. Let me just point you again in the direction of his Free Mars webcomic.
Second, Richard Dugher, or "Custom Fish", as we shall now call him. It is one of my great regrets that I simply don't have enough time to build and paint (I'd never get any novels written). When I get hold of a figure or a vehicle, I turn to Richard, and commission him to do the honours for me. The quality of his work speaks for itself. Rich did a particularly fine job on my Reaver, which is spectacular in every way, but the smaller, character pieces like Eisenhorn are also superb. I recommend him without reservation. Find him here or over in the links list.
I've been asked by a number of people if I have a snail mail address that they can send things to. The answer is yes: Dan Abnett, PO Box 1293, Maidstone, Kent ME14 9PN
Finally, here's Aaron, blogging on the lure of 40K.
Okay, not actually, but Graham and I will be at the GW Oxford Street Plaza tomorrow (February 12), between 11 and 2, to jointly damage your copies of Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns (amongst others, I'm sure). A unique opportunity to get the head-to-head books in a head-to-head signing. If you don't believe me, check out this link.
It's probably also a good time to remind you about two good friends of this page. First, Nic Giacondino, who has supplied us with many great images of Eisenhorn and his merry band. Let me just point you again in the direction of his Free Mars webcomic.
Second, Richard Dugher, or "Custom Fish", as we shall now call him. It is one of my great regrets that I simply don't have enough time to build and paint (I'd never get any novels written). When I get hold of a figure or a vehicle, I turn to Richard, and commission him to do the honours for me. The quality of his work speaks for itself. Rich did a particularly fine job on my Reaver, which is spectacular in every way, but the smaller, character pieces like Eisenhorn are also superb. I recommend him without reservation. Find him here or over in the links list.
I've been asked by a number of people if I have a snail mail address that they can send things to. The answer is yes: Dan Abnett, PO Box 1293, Maidstone, Kent ME14 9PN
Finally, here's Aaron, blogging on the lure of 40K.
February 5, 2011
Ultramarines movie news
Hot off the press release, the following info...
ULTRAMARINES™: A WARHAMMER® 40,000® MOVIE
Special free fan screenings in US theaters
Starring the voices of Terence Stamp, John Hurt, and Sean Pertwee
London, UK, February 4, 2011. ULTRAMARINES: A WARHAMMER 40,000 MOVIE, produced by Codex Pictures, will be screened in select theaters in the U.S. on Saturday and Sunday, February 26th and 27th 2011 especially for the huge following of dedicated Warhammer 40,000 fans. The limited series of free screenings of ULTRAMARINES will take place in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Baltimore, Dallas and Chicago, with a special press event hosted by Tribeca Flashpoint Academy in Chicago.
ULTRAMARINES will show in the following theatres:
Chicago - 11 AM, Saturday February 26 at the Classic Cinemas Charlestowne 18 - 3740 East Main Street, St Charles, Illinois 60174 (followed by a Q&A with producer Bob Thompson)
Dallas, TX - 11 AM, Saturday February 26 at the Lewisville Cinemark Movies 8 - 1600 S Stemmons Freeway @ Corp Drive, Lewisville, Texas 75067
Seattle, WA - 11 AM, Saturday February 26 at the Metro Cinemas - 4500 9th Avenue, N.E., Seattle, Washington 98105
New York, NY - 11 AM, Sunday February 27 at the Village East Cinema - 181-189 Second Avenue, New York 10012 (followed by a Q&A with producer Bob Thompson)
Los Angeles, CA - 11 AM, Sunday February 27 at the Mann 10 Glendale Exchange - 128 North Maryland Avenue, Glendale, California 91206
Baltimore, MD – 11AM, Sunday February 27 at the Landmark's Harbor East Cinema - 645 S President St, Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Go to http://ultramarinesthemovie.com/ for more details and to reserve the free passes.
Saturn Award winning producer, Bob Thompson will attend a series of Chicago area events, including a special presentation and press event at the Tribeca Flashpoint Academy on February 25th, as well as Q&A session after the Saturday, February 26th screening at the Classic Cinemas Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles, IL and after the New York City screening at the Village East Cinema.
ULTRAMARINES™: A WARHAMMER® 40,000® MOVIE
Special free fan screenings in US theaters
Starring the voices of Terence Stamp, John Hurt, and Sean Pertwee
London, UK, February 4, 2011. ULTRAMARINES: A WARHAMMER 40,000 MOVIE, produced by Codex Pictures, will be screened in select theaters in the U.S. on Saturday and Sunday, February 26th and 27th 2011 especially for the huge following of dedicated Warhammer 40,000 fans. The limited series of free screenings of ULTRAMARINES will take place in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Baltimore, Dallas and Chicago, with a special press event hosted by Tribeca Flashpoint Academy in Chicago.
ULTRAMARINES will show in the following theatres:
Chicago - 11 AM, Saturday February 26 at the Classic Cinemas Charlestowne 18 - 3740 East Main Street, St Charles, Illinois 60174 (followed by a Q&A with producer Bob Thompson)
Dallas, TX - 11 AM, Saturday February 26 at the Lewisville Cinemark Movies 8 - 1600 S Stemmons Freeway @ Corp Drive, Lewisville, Texas 75067
Seattle, WA - 11 AM, Saturday February 26 at the Metro Cinemas - 4500 9th Avenue, N.E., Seattle, Washington 98105
New York, NY - 11 AM, Sunday February 27 at the Village East Cinema - 181-189 Second Avenue, New York 10012 (followed by a Q&A with producer Bob Thompson)
Los Angeles, CA - 11 AM, Sunday February 27 at the Mann 10 Glendale Exchange - 128 North Maryland Avenue, Glendale, California 91206
Baltimore, MD – 11AM, Sunday February 27 at the Landmark's Harbor East Cinema - 645 S President St, Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Go to http://ultramarinesthemovie.com/ for more details and to reserve the free passes.
Saturn Award winning producer, Bob Thompson will attend a series of Chicago area events, including a special presentation and press event at the Tribeca Flashpoint Academy on February 25th, as well as Q&A session after the Saturday, February 26th screening at the Classic Cinemas Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles, IL and after the New York City screening at the Village East Cinema.
January 24, 2011
In the post bag
Please keep going with the fascinating and often surprising casting suggestions. I just wanted to pop in for a moment and share some correspondence wherein people bring up various interesting points.
First of all, this, which came directly to the site here:
"So after a semester's when-I-could-snatch-the-time grinding through
the Ravenor omnibus, I've finally plowed through the thing. Love it,
course. That's pry a given. Do people bother emailing you to tell you
you suck? But--and forgive me if you hear this one on a weekly basis,
cause I wouldn't be surprised--I was one hundred percent firework
display birthday breakfast in bed gratified at the couple of nods to
non-straight behaviour in the books. I think it amounted to a grand total of two
or three casual mentions across all three novels, depending on how you
interpret some of Thonius' comments, but it's hard to express how much
even that affected me. It takes an awful lot of balls to mention
anything remotely non-straight in the, uh, slightly Asperger's context
of mass market science fiction, specially when it's t'do with male
characters, and even the simple head-nod of having Kys ask if a mark
is hetero and the mention of a pair of young men on a roof together in
Basteen was deeply meaningful for me.
"Warhammer's hardly tryina be gender lit, of course, and I'm real glad
that's the case. It's probably for the best that sex and sexuality are
mostly absent from its storytelling. But it does ache a little
sometimes, being even a sidelines participant in a great creative work
like 40K and feeling unacknowledged to the point of deliberate
alienation. In a conceit that already feels at times laughably
over-the-top and unconcerned with anything remotely relevant to real
human experience, it can be a vague but real detractor from suspension
of disbelief and love of franchise. But even pawing oilily through
Eisenhorn back in high school, I felt like it was the wild variety and
complexity of the Abnettverse that really glowed in a sea of samey
space marines. Without Eisenhorn and Ravenor, 40K would probably
always have stayed an indifferent fantasy universe lurking in the back
of my head. "That one where they made up that cool word for psychics
and wire dead godmen to chairs," probably. It's the reality you've
managed to instill in the components of the setting, the sense of
place and purpose and individuality in the face of the teeming
faceless billions and the ONLY WAR, that have drawn me in and kept me
there. I'm not concerned with complex ideas, social messages,
progress, all that dead air. I just love the knowledge that an author
and a publisher were brave enough to say, "Yeah. This is a world we're
crafting here. And you and yours, well, you're part of it, too."
"So yeah. I felt like some kind of an acknowledgment was in order, on
the slim chance nobody'd ever said it before. Thanks, Mista D. If a
vote's ever called, I'll be sure to put you down as one of the good
guys. "
Over at this link, you can find a review of Prospero Burns that touches on something I take quite a lot of time pondering. When you're working up and developing a strand of 40K culture - such as the pseudo "Viking" lives of the Fenrisians - is there a danger that in making it sound convincing to English-speaking readers (by the use of researched Scandanavian and Icelandic words), you end up with something corny and far too on the nose for readers from those parts of the world? This is a positive and encouraging view of such efforts.
Finally, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who came out to see me at GW Lakeside and GW Bluewater this weekend, and direct you to this opportunity to win a signed copy of Prospero Burns.
First of all, this, which came directly to the site here:
"So after a semester's when-I-could-snatch-the-time grinding through
the Ravenor omnibus, I've finally plowed through the thing. Love it,
course. That's pry a given. Do people bother emailing you to tell you
you suck? But--and forgive me if you hear this one on a weekly basis,
cause I wouldn't be surprised--I was one hundred percent firework
display birthday breakfast in bed gratified at the couple of nods to
non-straight behaviour in the books. I think it amounted to a grand total of two
or three casual mentions across all three novels, depending on how you
interpret some of Thonius' comments, but it's hard to express how much
even that affected me. It takes an awful lot of balls to mention
anything remotely non-straight in the, uh, slightly Asperger's context
of mass market science fiction, specially when it's t'do with male
characters, and even the simple head-nod of having Kys ask if a mark
is hetero and the mention of a pair of young men on a roof together in
Basteen was deeply meaningful for me.
"Warhammer's hardly tryina be gender lit, of course, and I'm real glad
that's the case. It's probably for the best that sex and sexuality are
mostly absent from its storytelling. But it does ache a little
sometimes, being even a sidelines participant in a great creative work
like 40K and feeling unacknowledged to the point of deliberate
alienation. In a conceit that already feels at times laughably
over-the-top and unconcerned with anything remotely relevant to real
human experience, it can be a vague but real detractor from suspension
of disbelief and love of franchise. But even pawing oilily through
Eisenhorn back in high school, I felt like it was the wild variety and
complexity of the Abnettverse that really glowed in a sea of samey
space marines. Without Eisenhorn and Ravenor, 40K would probably
always have stayed an indifferent fantasy universe lurking in the back
of my head. "That one where they made up that cool word for psychics
and wire dead godmen to chairs," probably. It's the reality you've
managed to instill in the components of the setting, the sense of
place and purpose and individuality in the face of the teeming
faceless billions and the ONLY WAR, that have drawn me in and kept me
there. I'm not concerned with complex ideas, social messages,
progress, all that dead air. I just love the knowledge that an author
and a publisher were brave enough to say, "Yeah. This is a world we're
crafting here. And you and yours, well, you're part of it, too."
"So yeah. I felt like some kind of an acknowledgment was in order, on
the slim chance nobody'd ever said it before. Thanks, Mista D. If a
vote's ever called, I'll be sure to put you down as one of the good
guys. "
Over at this link, you can find a review of Prospero Burns that touches on something I take quite a lot of time pondering. When you're working up and developing a strand of 40K culture - such as the pseudo "Viking" lives of the Fenrisians - is there a danger that in making it sound convincing to English-speaking readers (by the use of researched Scandanavian and Icelandic words), you end up with something corny and far too on the nose for readers from those parts of the world? This is a positive and encouraging view of such efforts.
Finally, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who came out to see me at GW Lakeside and GW Bluewater this weekend, and direct you to this opportunity to win a signed copy of Prospero Burns.
January 14, 2011
Wait! Before I forget...
"For me, ideas have never been the thing that stalls me. I don't mean to sound arrogant about that—I'm not even saying necessarily that these are good ideas. They may be ridiculous and stupid ideas—that's up to the reader. But that's not the axis on which I have difficulty, and I am convinced that the vast majority of us have many many more ideas than we think we do, all the time... Sit down and talk to a 5-year-old for 20 minutes, and you will have a barrage of ideas, just crazy ideas—what happens is that at a later stage, we get trained into filtering out a lot of our own ideas. And I think for some of us the issue is not that we have more ideas than anyone else, it's that either we have less of a filter, or we've learned to ignore our filter, that little voice that says, "Oh, you're being silly." We don't hear it or we don't care about it or whatever."
- China Mieville.
Nik came across that comment from China, and we both remarked upon how much we identified with it. So I thought I'd share it with you here.
Other stuff: I've been really busy this last week or so, with a battery-recharging visit to Black Library towers, from which I returned bursting with more ideas than... Something So Very Full Of Ideas It's Going To Burst. Just for now, I must make time to mention four things:
This Saturday, the 22nd, I will be making two more appearances as part of the "Prospero Burns Tour". You can find me at Games Workshop Thurrock (Lakeside) from 11 until 1, and then at Games Workshop Bluewater from 3 until 5. Be there or... I'll be lonely.
On Saturday the 29th, I'll be popping up at the Kent Adventure Gaming Society's GameCon, details of which you can find here. I'll be there from 12 until 2, waxing lyrical and defacing books.
Then, on Saturday 5th February, I will be at the SFX Weekender, talking, signing, and then attending a screening of Ultramarines with producer Bob Thompson. Details of the Weekender here, but please be aware I am NOT a weekender. I am only going to be there for the Saturday.
Finally, Saturday 12th February, I will be signing the hnaftafls off Prospero Burns at the Games Workshop Oxford Street Plaza store. Details from all good Black Libraries. I believe Graham will be there too, so it will surely suck for him, because I am Russ and he is Magnus, and I will therefore be obliged to poke him in the eye with my cock-spankingly giant axe.
Couple of pleasing reviews came my way, so I'm sharing them below. Here's a nice one from CBR.com...
"In some ways, "Heroes for Hire" seems to be Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's version of "Marvel Team-Up" where they can throw together any sort of character they want. What's that? Silver Sable and Paladin meet Satana and Ghost Rider? Hey, why not? As long as it works—and trust me, it works.
"Part of Abnett and Lanning's trick in making it work is that the book never feels like it's slowing down, not even for an instant. The pace is steady and quick, and every time you think the book is going to resolve itself, Abnett and Lanning throw in another obstacle that needs to be overcome.
"They're also not afraid to slightly buck reader expectations. Books where the controller is sending out heroes on missions (in this case Misty Knight taking that central role) and one hero needs the cash, well, you can predict some of what's to come. At some point the cash is going to come back up again, but Abnett and Lanning turn it on its head with Silver Sable being told to leave but still get paid and being told not to. It's a good turning point, that moment where you start to realize things are going wrong, and it keeps the interest up.
"Abnett and Lanning are also already starting to explore the overarching plot of Misty Knight and her captor, something which I figured we wouldn't see for a while. It's nice to know there's going to be that common thread knitting the issues together, and it makes me that much more eager to see next month's issue. Never mind the random heroes getting tossed into the mix, I want to know what's going to happen to Misty.
"I'm also pleased to see Abnett and Lanning reunited with Brad Walker and Andrew Hennessy after their time together on "Guardians of the Galaxy." Walker and Hennessy's art looks even better than ever, from the thick locks of hair on Silver Sable, to the rumpled and bunched up clothing we get whenever people are leaping through the air. They get the big moments just right too, from that demonic grin on Silver Sable's face as she starts firing one of the cursed weapons, to the dramatic reveal of Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider's on the cover of the book, but his appearance looks so larger than life and powerful that I ended up being startled in spite of my previous knowledge.
"This is a fun comic that's already picking up steam. When do we get #3? "Heroes for Hire," I'm sold"
And here's one from Ain't It Cool News:
"Y'know, it is a really rare thing for me to "fanboy out" I guess would be the term for getting all wound up about certain characters getting having a huge moment – Spider-Man taking down Morlun, Batman taking down a handful of White Martians with some gas and a match, etc. I would wager it stems back to honestly being more or less jaded at this point; I've simply read too many comics and seen most my favorite characters have countless moments. Taking that into consideration, what happens for me anymore these days in my superhero reading is I find myself getting my jollies when I see second or third tier characters getting their time in the spotlight. It's why I have adored what Abnett & Lanning have been pulling off in the cosmic sector of the Marvel Universe and now that they are working with the Marvel Knights section of it as well, I could not be happier.
"Well, okay, I lied. There are some places I would like this book to go. But for now I am highly entertained. I like the build up that is going on here involving, for those who have not tried this yet, a rotating cast of anyone Misty Knight can call upon for a little butt kicking, which there has been a plethora of. There's a pretty interesting and disturbing master plot going on to, where Misty has been calling on these heroes while in the thrall of the Puppet Master, a twist that was very unexpected at the end of the first issue but is an intriguing hook. At the least it is a means to a hopeful end, which I will get to now.
"While I do dig on this rotating crew thing for now, especially in the early going, I do hope this turns into something a little more stable. I know it is not right to judge a book on what it might be until it happens, but I think a rotisserie of a couple characters a month will get old fast, given that I felt a little momentum lost already with just one more issue. So I'm hoping this turns into at least a semblance of a team book, like a GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, with several characters you can count on to be mostly there but a nice drop-in/drop-out esthetic with a couple new MK-based faces every so often. But who am I to argue with these two gents given their handling of the Marvel Cosmic material?
"I guess "fun" is an easy word to throw around when it comes to any well produced superhero book, but HFH is excelling at it so far and with some rather dark overtones to boot. Lots of stylish action with a creepy missing persons arc to get things rolling. Digging Brad Walker's work on this as well, in the wake of his material in the aforementioned cosmic books. It has the hyperkinetic tendencies this book needs and looks fantastic all the while shit is being blow up oh so good (even if Puppet Master looks like a pedophile caught in a wind tunnel). This book has it going on from both ends and is helping me channel that inner fanboy that I usually keep locked away, not unlike Ms. Knight in her current peril…okay, too far. Just buy it already…"
So that was nice. Anyway, like I said I'm very busy and I'm teetering on ideas overload, so I can't stay here gassing. I haven't had time to prepare a full response to the Gaunt casting ideas yet, but I have been enjoying them. Some in a "what the hell..?" kind of way, and others in a "Oooh, never thought of that one..." style (in the latter camp... Radha Mitchell as Criid, James Purefoy as Bask etc). I will make some picks of my own soon (though you won't like them). In the meantime, please feel free to keep coming up with ideas.
If you want a new task to focus on... Eisenhorn. Casting for him, Ravenor and the crew, if you like, but what I'm REALLY interested in is what he sounds like. Who would you pick to give Gregor Eisenhorn a voice?
Can't imagine why I'd be asking that...
- China Mieville.
Nik came across that comment from China, and we both remarked upon how much we identified with it. So I thought I'd share it with you here.
Other stuff: I've been really busy this last week or so, with a battery-recharging visit to Black Library towers, from which I returned bursting with more ideas than... Something So Very Full Of Ideas It's Going To Burst. Just for now, I must make time to mention four things:
This Saturday, the 22nd, I will be making two more appearances as part of the "Prospero Burns Tour". You can find me at Games Workshop Thurrock (Lakeside) from 11 until 1, and then at Games Workshop Bluewater from 3 until 5. Be there or... I'll be lonely.
On Saturday the 29th, I'll be popping up at the Kent Adventure Gaming Society's GameCon, details of which you can find here. I'll be there from 12 until 2, waxing lyrical and defacing books.
Then, on Saturday 5th February, I will be at the SFX Weekender, talking, signing, and then attending a screening of Ultramarines with producer Bob Thompson. Details of the Weekender here, but please be aware I am NOT a weekender. I am only going to be there for the Saturday.
Finally, Saturday 12th February, I will be signing the hnaftafls off Prospero Burns at the Games Workshop Oxford Street Plaza store. Details from all good Black Libraries. I believe Graham will be there too, so it will surely suck for him, because I am Russ and he is Magnus, and I will therefore be obliged to poke him in the eye with my cock-spankingly giant axe.
Couple of pleasing reviews came my way, so I'm sharing them below. Here's a nice one from CBR.com...
"In some ways, "Heroes for Hire" seems to be Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's version of "Marvel Team-Up" where they can throw together any sort of character they want. What's that? Silver Sable and Paladin meet Satana and Ghost Rider? Hey, why not? As long as it works—and trust me, it works.
"Part of Abnett and Lanning's trick in making it work is that the book never feels like it's slowing down, not even for an instant. The pace is steady and quick, and every time you think the book is going to resolve itself, Abnett and Lanning throw in another obstacle that needs to be overcome.
"They're also not afraid to slightly buck reader expectations. Books where the controller is sending out heroes on missions (in this case Misty Knight taking that central role) and one hero needs the cash, well, you can predict some of what's to come. At some point the cash is going to come back up again, but Abnett and Lanning turn it on its head with Silver Sable being told to leave but still get paid and being told not to. It's a good turning point, that moment where you start to realize things are going wrong, and it keeps the interest up.
"Abnett and Lanning are also already starting to explore the overarching plot of Misty Knight and her captor, something which I figured we wouldn't see for a while. It's nice to know there's going to be that common thread knitting the issues together, and it makes me that much more eager to see next month's issue. Never mind the random heroes getting tossed into the mix, I want to know what's going to happen to Misty.
"I'm also pleased to see Abnett and Lanning reunited with Brad Walker and Andrew Hennessy after their time together on "Guardians of the Galaxy." Walker and Hennessy's art looks even better than ever, from the thick locks of hair on Silver Sable, to the rumpled and bunched up clothing we get whenever people are leaping through the air. They get the big moments just right too, from that demonic grin on Silver Sable's face as she starts firing one of the cursed weapons, to the dramatic reveal of Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider's on the cover of the book, but his appearance looks so larger than life and powerful that I ended up being startled in spite of my previous knowledge.
"This is a fun comic that's already picking up steam. When do we get #3? "Heroes for Hire," I'm sold"
And here's one from Ain't It Cool News:
"Y'know, it is a really rare thing for me to "fanboy out" I guess would be the term for getting all wound up about certain characters getting having a huge moment – Spider-Man taking down Morlun, Batman taking down a handful of White Martians with some gas and a match, etc. I would wager it stems back to honestly being more or less jaded at this point; I've simply read too many comics and seen most my favorite characters have countless moments. Taking that into consideration, what happens for me anymore these days in my superhero reading is I find myself getting my jollies when I see second or third tier characters getting their time in the spotlight. It's why I have adored what Abnett & Lanning have been pulling off in the cosmic sector of the Marvel Universe and now that they are working with the Marvel Knights section of it as well, I could not be happier.
"Well, okay, I lied. There are some places I would like this book to go. But for now I am highly entertained. I like the build up that is going on here involving, for those who have not tried this yet, a rotating cast of anyone Misty Knight can call upon for a little butt kicking, which there has been a plethora of. There's a pretty interesting and disturbing master plot going on to, where Misty has been calling on these heroes while in the thrall of the Puppet Master, a twist that was very unexpected at the end of the first issue but is an intriguing hook. At the least it is a means to a hopeful end, which I will get to now.
"While I do dig on this rotating crew thing for now, especially in the early going, I do hope this turns into something a little more stable. I know it is not right to judge a book on what it might be until it happens, but I think a rotisserie of a couple characters a month will get old fast, given that I felt a little momentum lost already with just one more issue. So I'm hoping this turns into at least a semblance of a team book, like a GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, with several characters you can count on to be mostly there but a nice drop-in/drop-out esthetic with a couple new MK-based faces every so often. But who am I to argue with these two gents given their handling of the Marvel Cosmic material?
"I guess "fun" is an easy word to throw around when it comes to any well produced superhero book, but HFH is excelling at it so far and with some rather dark overtones to boot. Lots of stylish action with a creepy missing persons arc to get things rolling. Digging Brad Walker's work on this as well, in the wake of his material in the aforementioned cosmic books. It has the hyperkinetic tendencies this book needs and looks fantastic all the while shit is being blow up oh so good (even if Puppet Master looks like a pedophile caught in a wind tunnel). This book has it going on from both ends and is helping me channel that inner fanboy that I usually keep locked away, not unlike Ms. Knight in her current peril…okay, too far. Just buy it already…"
So that was nice. Anyway, like I said I'm very busy and I'm teetering on ideas overload, so I can't stay here gassing. I haven't had time to prepare a full response to the Gaunt casting ideas yet, but I have been enjoying them. Some in a "what the hell..?" kind of way, and others in a "Oooh, never thought of that one..." style (in the latter camp... Radha Mitchell as Criid, James Purefoy as Bask etc). I will make some picks of my own soon (though you won't like them). In the meantime, please feel free to keep coming up with ideas.
If you want a new task to focus on... Eisenhorn. Casting for him, Ravenor and the crew, if you like, but what I'm REALLY interested in is what he sounds like. Who would you pick to give Gregor Eisenhorn a voice?
Can't imagine why I'd be asking that...
