Nexus 6 (28-6-12)

It’s time for more great genre-related stuff from the digital morass that is the internet. Is it research or procrastination when I stop to read science fiction related articles on the web: probably both – but there’s some great stuff out there and I love it when people draw my attention to interesting features and geek ephemera. This is what I’ve been reading this week.


1. Philip K. Dick’s Technological Predictions

The BBC ran an interesting article examining the different future technologies presented in the fiction of science fiction author Philip K Dick and cinematic adaptations of his work (think the flying cars from Bladerunner or the iris recognition systems in Minority Report). It examines which of these technological predictions have been fulfilled. Find out more here.

2. Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

National Public Radio asked thousands and thousands of listeners to vote for their top 100 science fiction and fantasy books and helpfully compiled a ranked list for the rest of us. The list can be found here and makes for interesting reading (ha, ha). Not content to leave it at that, SF Signal went two steps further. For your viewing pleasure they created a flow chart of the novels on the list to help readers find the books that appeal to them (it’s impressive, and can be found here) and then created an interactive version of the resource. Click here to check out the interactive gizmo.



3. Missing Misfit

I really didn’t think I’d like Misfits – and then I watched it. Sure – it was a little rough around the edges but it was fresh and adventurous and I really got into series one. The departure of some key characters in series two threatened to derail the series but ultimately the replacement characters the creators brought in did a good job of filling the gap. Now we learn that even more key characters have had to leave for series 3. Unfortunately it’s starting to sound like a promising science fiction series is falling apart before our screens – which is a shame. This time it’s Lauren Socha – who plays Kelly: the insensitive chav who could read minds and in the second series went on to inherit the genius of a rocket scientist. Kelly as a character was criminally underused in the second season and her power was a non-starter. The writers won’t get the opportunity to rescue this, however, because BAFTA winning actress Lauren Socha was arrested for racially-aggravated assault and subsequently lost her place on the show. Irony of ironies – she was sentenced to community service, just like her character in the series. Both weird and sad for the show. Perhaps Socha should use her skills to act like a thuggish chav instead of actually being one. SFX online has the scoop and many more details here.



4. Dredd

Time to check out the latest science fiction cinema releases. This week it’s Dredd – the newest adaptation of 200AD’s Judge Dredd comic strip. The action certainly seems present and the visuals look promising – although perhaps Mega-City One doesn’t look futuristic enough. Dredd’s gurn and helmet are present and correct – and there doesn’t seem to be a comedy side-kick shoe-horned in (phew!) On the downside it seems a shame that with thirty years’ worth of comic book stories to choose from, that they opted for a science fiction version of The Raid: Redemption – a Korean film made last year.




5. VI

There’s always excitement when a new edition of the Warhammer 40k Rulebook is about to be released. It obviously involves a learning curve for gamers but 40k authors also have to familiarise themselves with such key hobby material. The 6th edition of the Warhammer 40k Rulebook will be released on 30th June. Check out more here.



6. Where's WALL-E?

Robots. What's not to like? Click on the meme and see if you can find him. Or should that be find 'it'?

Soundtracks To Write By #7

It’s been a little while since I returned to this feature – so I thought it was deserving of some attention. I’m not a very musical person. I can’t sing (although I occasionally embarrass myself on Xbox ‘Lips’) and I can’t play an instrument. These abilities require a combination of skilled coordination and memory that I simply don’t have. It’s a fantastic gift, however, and I am in awe of people who do have it. While I can sit in silence with a pen, paper or laptop I find that listening to music adds a depth and a dynamic to the writing experience. Music helps to remove you from the ‘what is’ and immerse you in the ‘what might be’. It can lead to fresh ideas and directions or can simply help a scene rattle nicely off on the keyboard. I find that it is useful for putting me in a more creative frame of mind. I believe this has to do with the parts of the brain that the experience of music activates. I suspect that on some kind of scan the brain lights up like a Christmas tree when listening to music - and that some types produce very specific kinds of stimuli. Another part of this process probably has something to do with conditioning. Through repetitive action I’ve inadvertently trained my brain to quickly adapt to the needs of a creative session. Upon hearing certain kinds of music, I swiftly get into the mood to write something. This can be useful. You can’t always wait until the planets are in alignment and the wind is blowing the right direction to begin a new project, new paragraph or new sentence.

Today we’re back to the musical genius that is Hans Zimmer. He’s highly sought after in Hollywood and with good reason. His scores can really lift a piece of cinema. Even in relatively disappointing films, his tracks often help produce memorable scenes and sequences. I’ve chosen a couple of pieces that are not only helpful in creating a more investigative, rather than action-oriented, atmosphere – but also make me feel like I’m unlocking the secrets of some kind of puzzle as actually writing. Some tracks make any activity feel epic. Try listening to these while doing a rubik’s cube or doing your tax returns: you’ll think you’ve discovered the resting place of the Holy Grail or something! They are both variations on the same tune and come from the Da Vinci Code series of films. I can take or leave these films (although there are far worse ways of spending a couple of hours) but find that the soundtracks and main theme stay with you.

Want To Play Some More: Solution

These really are popular features. Wouldn't be much fun if I left you hanging, so here is the solution to the puzzle left on the blog yesterday.





For those who have yet to check out the Horus Heresy short story The Iron WIthin, it can be found here. Here's a short extract to whet the appetite.

Want To Play Some More?

Earlier in the month we played some games on the blog and they were well received. I decided to take another shot. Something a little more difficult this time: a puzzle relating to my Horus Heresy short story The Iron Within.


The Iron Warriors are masters of siege warfare and fortification. Check out the Iron Warriors construction below. See if you can use the clues to fill in the blanks.

THE IRON WITHIN



ANSWERS

Difficult To Put Down

Review time! I've been meaning to get around to this one. The ever insightful Graeme Flory at Graeme's Fantasy Book Review had some nice things to say about my novel Legion of the Damned. Graeme doesn't pull his punches and he throws in a few issues with his compliments - which I don't mind from reviewers that clearly think about their responses and give fully rounded appraisals. Check out Graeme's other reviews at Graeme's Fantasy Book Review.

"The ‘Space Marine Battle’ series has been a bit hit and miss as far as I’m concerned. Hang on, a ‘bit hit and miss’? More like ‘more than a bit hit and miss’ actually as the quality see saws wildly between superb and, erm… its polar opposite…

I keep going back though, as much for those hidden gems waiting to be found as for a morbid sense of curiosity that wonders which direction the series will swing in next.
Add Rob Sanders to the mix and my curiosity was piqued yet further. I’ve read two of Sanders’ books so far and I’m still sat firmly on the fence about his work. It’s not that Sanders can’t write, he’s very good but prone to sometimes forgetting the story and going overboard on the background. You can’t ‘not read him’ though as you are potentially missing out on some great stuff if you ignore his books.

Which side of the fence did ‘Legion of the Damned’ fall on then? Lets just say that I’m looking forward to reading Sanders’ novella in the forthcoming ‘Primarchs’ collection.

Heralded by a blood red comet, the Cholercaust has come to the cemetery world of Certus Minor… An unstoppable horde of cultists, daemonkin and World Eaters Traitor Marines seeking to burn a path to ancient Terra itself. Only one company of loyalist Excoriators Space Marines stand in their path, not nearly enough to halt such a tide of blood. Or is it?

Inquistorial forces arrive on Certus Minor to find one Excoriator left alive amidst a veritable sea of traitorous corpses. Just what happened on Certus Minor to have victory spring from inevitable and crushing defeat? Sometimes, only sometimes, prayers are answered in the strangest of ways…

Like I said, I’ve had trouble with Sanders’ books in the past and this time was no different in that respect. This time though, Sanders rose above those issues to deliver a novel that proved to be only a hairs breadth away from being a compelling read. I could put it down; to do other stuff, but doing that was very difficult. I’ll have more along these lines please!

The issue I’ve always had with the ‘Space Marine Battles’ book is that a lot of them take the easy way out and just make the battle the focal point of the entire plot. In fact there isn’t a plot, just one big battle where the outcome is predetermined because of who is involved. The good guys either win or make it so that the Traitors cannot win themselves. It kind of takes the fun out of the read for me…

Thank goodness for Rob Sanders then who turns the whole thing upside down and presents us with a question out of that seemingly foregone conclusion of a victory. Yes, there was a victory but how could there have been? What the hell really happened? It's a great hook to snare the reader on, I was certainly interested to read more and find out what happened.

This was where the journey started to get a little choppy though. Sanders likes to delve into the murky background of Warhammer 40k and give his readers a full on encompassing view of these times of war. The only problem is that the story gets shoved to one side and you’re left with a whole load of detail. That’s what happens here with the ‘Feast of Blades’, a great piece of action but one that becomes mired in the politics of the competing Chapters a little too much to hold up properly for the length of time that it takes to recount. There were some awesome bone crushing moments of raw combat but I couldn’t help but feel that I wanted to hurry along and get to the main event.

It was a good job then that the main event ended up proving to be more than worth the wait.

Sanders clearly knows that a battle isn’t just about weapons being fired, it’s also very much about the people forced to pull the trigger in the heat of the moment. What are they feeling? Do they even want to be there?
These questions are answered in the contrast between Marines bred for war and un-enhanced humans forced to defend their homes and livelihoods. There’s a full range of emotions and motivations on display here and Sanders balances these nicely with the constant bark of bolter fire to give us an in-depth look at the conflict.

What’s interesting though is that this contrast is very much evident in the lead character of Zachariah Kersh himself. Kersh is a Marine who glories in warfare but would much rather be doing it elsewhere. Duty has called him and his men to Certus Minor though and Kersh will see that duty fulfilled despite the grumbling from within his company. Kersh questions himself (and his very sanity) at every turn and this keeps his character fresh, there are lots of questions to be answered in the heat of battle.

This battle is depicted very clearly without becoming too ‘technical’ and like a White Dwarf battle report. You know just what’s at stake from the sheer energy and focus that people put into just staying alive. What you do know though is the outcome and Sanders faces a tough task springing something that we already know onto us. He does it but it’s a very close thing, the answers are with us the whole time but you won’t see them until everything fits together and the picture is complete. Yet another plot device that holds the attention superbly.

‘Legion of the Damned’ suffers from a choppy start but recovers to become something really close to a stand out moment in the ‘Space Marine Battles’ series so far. I’ll happily keep reading these books if I can have more moments like these.

Eight and a Half out of Ten"

Nexus 6 (22-6-12)

I come across some great science fiction stuff on the internet on in magazines. Often, I’ll see a great article or feature – perhaps even a meme (some people love them, some hate them) – and think that I’d like to keep a link to that or show them to others. People do this already with Twitter and Facebook but they are often fleeting and missed. So I’m introducing a new regular feature called 'Nexus 6', in which I’ll introduce links to other science fiction and fantasy stuff (nexus being a means of connection and six being the number of items introduced each time!) This will probably mean some moving back and forth, so why don’t you do yourself a favour and ‘Favourite’ Rob Sanders Speculative Fiction now – or if you have a blog yourself, add it to your links! I won’t mind.


1. Awesome Books To Replace Your Favourite Cancelled TV Shows


We hate it when our favourite shows are cancelled – and the loss is especially grieving when it’s a science fiction or fantasy show because they seem to get less of a chance than most. I09 provides a helpful solution to such loses by suggesting fiction alternatives to your favourite shows. Check it out here.


2. Total Recall (2012)


I wasn’t the slightest bit interested in the Total Recall remake starring Colin Farrell. I think that the 1990 version still has some charm. Farrell hasn’t been at the top of his game and the addition of Underworld director Len Wiseman doesn’t inspire. I was introduced to the trailer, however, and my interest was ignited. I’m loving the mash of Bourne-style action, Minority Report inspired technology and Bladerunner backdrops. Check out the trailer here and hope for the best!


3. Astronomers Discover A World With a Science Fiction View


I love world building. Character and plot come first, but world building is an oft-neglected aspect of science fiction writing. I hate lazy writing, in this respect. If you take your readers to the other side of the universe, you damn well better be able to help them visualise what they find there. Giant Freakin Robot reports that scientists have recently discovered an actual planet – Kepler 36-b – that they believe has the most spectacular science fiction inspired view. Check out more here.


4. Warhammer 40k Storm Eagle


I write fiction for the Warhammer and Warhammer 40k universes and have to admit to not being much of a player, painter or modeller. New models provide inspiration for my work and some are so cool that it’s tempting not to buy them for the sake of ornament alone. Check out the details of Forge World’s new Storm Eagle gunship here.


5. Six Things That Never Make Sense About Zombie Movies


I love articles about zombies. I used to be a werewolf fan and while vampires have their place, they have suffered of late from over exposure (ha, ha!) Zombies all the way, at the moment – and not just because they are in vogue. Their appeal lies in being the most possible of all the supernatural creatures. Anyway, the ever reliable Cracked has an article here about problems with the popular representation of zombies. Interesting if disgusting reading.


6. Return of the Jedi


What is it about that outfit? : )

Sucker Punched

I recently had the pleasure of watching Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch. I don’t think Snyder always pulls it off but I was gleefully repulsed by Dawn of the Dead and exhilarated by 300. I think that 300 is his best film and while Suckerpunch is not in any danger of stealing that crown, it still had much to recommend it to a science fiction junkie like myself.

It’s the 1960s and a teenager (known to us as ‘Babydoll’) accidentally shoots her younger sister while trying to defend them both from the abusive stepfather with which they live. In order to silence Babydoll about the abuse and claim the family estate for himself, the stepfather has her committed to a brutal mental hospital – Lennox House. In the asylum Babydoll withdraws into a fantasy world and soon it is difficult to tell what is reality and what is not. The other girls in the asylum begin to feature in Babydoll’s epic and anachronistic fantasies. Each fantasy demonstrates an impossible task or mission that serves as a metaphor for different stages in the girls’ attempt (led by Babydoll) to escape their grim surroundings – both mentally and physically.

Sucker Punch is visually stunning. The crowning achievements of the film are four killer set pieces. These pit the Manga-esque Babydoll and ninja sword – supported by her squad of femme fatales - against computer-game style oriental bosses, clockwork Nazis (undead, of course), WWII bomber-eating dragons and an army of robots intent on delivering a doomsday weapon to a city on a far off alien world. All the while Scott Glenn delivers advice like a training-level mentor on a first-person shooter. Sucker Punch certainly shares some material and ambitions with The Matrix and Inception but unfortunately isn’t as good as either. Its narrative doesn’t hang together as effectively as it might and instead is only memorable in so much as the music-video visuals and action are impressive. An honourable mention should also go to the soundtrack which is pretty good. I had fun watching it but couldn’t escape the feeling that the same CGI budget, actresses and even elements like visual style and outline concept might have been turned into something truly spectacular.

The Gods are Hungry!

I discovered an interesting hobby site the other day called 'The Dice Gods Are Hungry' by a great guy called Neil Drakes. On there - as well as lots of brilliant material on Warhammer and Warhmmer 40k fluff, miniature conversions and gaming tournaments - I discovered the site's first fiction review. I was jazzed to find that Neil had chosen Legion of the Damned for such an honour. I have shamelessly stolen the review and reproduced it here - because I'm an internet kleptomaniac and that's what we do. I encourage you to check out 'The Dice Gods Are Hungry' here. Of course, Neil earns his place on my growing list of interesting blogs and sites that are deserving of attention - 'The Scene' - which can be found below on the side-bar of fame. Cheers, Neil!

"Firstly, the bit that might annoy you. This is not a novel that follows the exploits of Legion squad, nor does it reveal the secrets of their foundation. But dont worry! Instead you get a cracking read and you'll probably be very tempted to start yourself an Excoriators army when 6th Edition gets released!

Rob delivers character-driven prose sprinkled liberally with mouth-watering action at a relentless, unforgiving pace that pulls you into the story and doesn't let go. You feel the emotions, you see the bullets fly and there is nowhere for you to hide, no convenient line breaks or changes of scene. You will devour whole chapters at a time and come the final page, you'll be disappointed there isn't more book to read.

To begin with you get to live and breath the 'feast of blades', the centennial gladiatorial contest briefly mentioned in codex Space Marines and competed in by many chapters whose geneseed is the progeny of Rogal Dorn. You get thrown in at the deep end with our reluctant hero. A nice honour duel this isn't!

Then theres tragedy, resentment and repentance instead of honour and glory, the main character is haunted by a silent apparition that nobody else can see. There's infighting, bad blood and a desperate defense to prepare in the face of the encroaching cholercaust-a spacebound horde of frenzied Khorne worshippers baying for blood.

Infuriating beurocracy, politics and near endless bloodshed marches you on towards the final chapters, and then.........

I'm not going to spoil the ending for you (you need to buy the book!) but the titular legion is a constant feature throughout the book...I'll say no more!

Honestly though, I enjoyed this book immensely. It retains the engaging style of 'Redemption Corps' but seems more rounded, more complete in a myriad of ways that's difficult to put your finger on.

If you're familiar with Rob's previous work you'll be excited to know that this is probably his 'breakout' book, a brilliant piece of work that should see him thoroughly ensconced in the bestseller lists for the foreseeable future (he's hit the New York Times bestsellers list recently). And there will be more books from Mr Sanders, so watch this space....."

Want to Play: Solution

As promised, here is the solution to the wordsearch yesterday. The ten Alpha Legionnaires from my novella The Serpent Beneath have been identified and revealed - as has the Alpha Legion's rather controversial and ironic warcry 'FOR THE EMPEROR'. Thanks all for playing!

Want to Play?

I love playing games. It reminds me that many Black Library readers are Warhammer and Warhammer 40k gamers and computer gamers. A number of the Black Library authors are also former games developers. Authors in general aren't that different. We like to play with the readers' expectations - guiding them down certain paths - narrative and emotional - and sometimes wrong-footing them on purpose for effect. Stories that involve mystery are especially appropriate to game playing. The trick is to calibrate the complexity of the mystery to the audience. If the mystery is suitably complex and the reader guesses it correctly or hits on how the hero will solve the mystery before the hero actually does, then the reader feels appropriately clever. If they fail to do so, at least the reader is left with the feeling that the author put a decent amount of work into constructing the mystery and therefore the fiction was worth the time or the price of its purchase. Quiz shows and puzzles work in a similar way. An illustration: ten Alpha Legionnaires from my my Horus Heresy novella The Serpent Beneath are hiding in plain view in the wordsearch below. Can you locate all ten of them? Also, hidden in the puzzle is a secret message. Can you find it?



ANSWERS. Hydra Dominatus!

Celebrations

Today Black Library has been celebrating the entry of The Primarchs on The New York Times Bestsellers List. Check out their blog here to read what my esteemed colleagues and Horus Heresy authors Nick Kyme and Graham McNeill had to say about it, as well as my own views. Black Library have seen fit to mark this occasion with the release of a new Horus Heresy short story from Graham McNeill called Kryptos. In related news, one of my Horus Heresy short stories, Army of One, is now included in the Horus Heresy EBundle - including seventeen novels, eighteen short stories and four novellas. This EBundle can be found here.

J is For…

It’s not often that my science fiction and fantasy influences stretch to poetry (my literary influences perhaps) but for the letter 'J' I’ll make an exception. I’ve always loved the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. There is something about the playful nature and suggestiveness of the language that I think all science fiction and fantasy writers and readers respond to. I love the way he crafts fantastical creatures and a fairy tale landscape purely out of sounds and letters. At its heart, the poem is a piece of nonsense verse that tells a tale of monster-slaying. The most impressive aspect of the poem is the way that is makes everyone into a fantasy writer. We all create our own versions of the setting and its strange inhabitants – it is open to endless interpretations. There have been film and cartoon versions of the poem and while they are fun, they cannot do justice to the poem because the reader is intended to be intimately involved in the description’s realisation. This was Carroll’s genius. He skilfully constructs the suggestion and then hands the poem over to our imagination. I find myself attempting to employ similar strategies in some elements of my work and believe that it was reading Jabberwocky as a child that probably planted that seed. I reproduce this classic poem here for your enjoyment.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

I'm a New York Times Bestseller!

Good news everyone!

I'm absolutely made up to announce that my most recent fiction is a New York Times Bestseller. My latest release is the Horus Heresy series anthology The Primarchs in which my novella The Serpent Beneath features. The Primarchs shot in at Number 29 this week on the Paperback Mass Market Fiction chart.



I'm thrilled to share the pages with Black Library luminaries Graham McNeill, Nick Kyme and Gav Thorpe but there are a few people I should thank. Try to imagine me in a tux in front of a podium. First off, I should thank Christian Dunn - veteran Black Library editor and author - for giving me the opportunity to appear in his brilliant anthology and allowing me to write about two of my favourite Primarchs. Cheers, Christian! I would also like to say a big thank you to the legion of Black Library and Games Workshop staff on both sides of the Atlantic who work hard to make sure Black Library books get noticed and appreciated. Huge respect. Finally I'd like to say a colossal thanks to my Submissions Editor at Black Library - Laurie Goulding. Laurie's my editorial point man - scouting out opportunities, both creative and technical and his are the first pair of eyes to see my work. It was great working with him on The Serpent Beneath and I look forward to more of our adventures.

Well, I'm going off to celebrate. Thanks to everyone who read The Primarchs . I hope you enjoyed The Serpent Beneath. If you haven't checked it out yet, then let me cheekily point you to the side-bar upon which you will find a link and a book trailer.

‘Thunderous’ Applause

I was sad to read of the death of science fiction writer Ray Bradbury earlier in the week. I won’t repeat here a mini biography of Bradbury, suffice to say that he was an early innovator, long-term and stalwart advocate and then elder statesman of the genre. His fiction is well-respected, frequently anthologised and nominated for numerous awards. His passing is a clear loss for science fiction writers (to whom he was an inspiration), science fiction readers (to whom he provided so much entertainment) and culture generally (to which he contributed a great deal). His works are too many and too wide-ranging in subject matter to summarise but my personal favourite is the short story A Sound of Thunder, which I not only love personally but had the privilege of teaching it to a class of thirteen year olds. I’m not sure that they appreciated his skill and imagination as much as I did, but they certainly loved the idea of the characters hunting a Tyrannosaurus Rex on a Time Travel Safari!

RIP Ray Bradbury

What's in a Name?

Moving onto a couple more questions that have been waiting for me in the Ask the Author section – both relating to choices of names in Legion of the Damned.

“Reading through Legion of the Damned currently. What is the origin of "Santiarch"? At first I thought it was the chaplain's name, but now it appears to be a title of sorts?”

and

“In other news, now that Legion of the Damned is in my (digital) possession, I'm happy to report it's being thoroughly enjoyed so far. (And from what others have said hereabouts the initial reactions seem to be impressively positive.) More'n that, I can't stress enough my appreciation for what you've mentioned in your previous response: the time taken to add in a detail. But in any case, it's thoroughly enjoyed in the reading, even though I'm only still just starting the book. Also, Ichabod's a cracking name for a space marine.”

Thanks guys. Both these questions relate to names and the naming of things. I take names very seriously. Nothing creates a sense of character more than a name. Nothing creates a sense of a location or (as in science fiction) a place removed, than the names of your characters. In answer to the first – the name or title Santiarch really came from mixing the titles Reclusiarch and Master of Sanctity. Although the codexes are a good guide, they cannot possibly cover the individual terms and cultural differences of thousands of Space Marine chapters. These chapters are going to call different things different names and titles. The trick here is verisimilitude. It must sound like something that already exists but actually be something new. This both interests the reader but confirms expectations. Authors want readers that are kept entertained by detail as well as plot, but at the same time don’t want to confuse them. In a science fiction setting, it is surprisingly easy to lose readers. Something that appears concrete and obvious in your mind sometimes simply isn’t conveyed as well as it could be in the words you have selected and the reader finds it difficult to make the split-second connection you need them to. Personally, I prefer Santiarch to both of the original terms – but I’m biased.

This relates nicely to the mention of detail in the second question. I feel that fictional worlds should be rich. If you are going to invite readers into another world (as with science fiction, fantasy or perhaps even historical fiction) the least you can do is furnish the damn place with interesting detail and descriptions. There are some readers – and authors – who don’t like doing this. This is fair enough. We live in a time heavily influenced by televisual formats. If you ever read books on how to write scripts and screenplays, you will see the same thing. The use of even single adjectives is frowned upon. Straightforward mentions of colour, size or emotion are denounced (by authors – who think everyone should write like them and even readers who aren’t writers) as what people like to term purple prose. This is a ridiculous term. There is prose. Good prose. Bad prose. Readers can enjoy both but there is not a cast iron rulebook about what writers can and cannot do. It seems the fashion today, however, to write bland and featureless prose. This fashion seems to have taken over fiction writing also – even though it is totally misplaced. Everything is cut down to its barest essentials. This is fine for screenplays – but I don’t write screenplays. One of the reasons that many writers don’t bother with detail is because it’s one of the most difficult things to manage in fiction. It requires one hell of an imagination to create worlds even down to the change in your character’s pockets and some writers simply aren’t up to it. Either that or they can’t be bothered to convincingly furnish their fictional worlds. So they use short cuts like not including any detail at all and denounce any that do as writers of purple prose. I personally think that this ‘short changes’ the reader. Most readers would rather read detailed and well-crafted descriptive prose than a failed script masquerading as a novel.

In respect to the name Ichabod and the names of the different Excoriators, I chose to give them a common origin. The Excoriators all share a similar culture and so it helps if their names sound like they share a quality of some kind. Authors can just make names up but I tend to resist that unless the name has a particular phonetic sound that I want. In the case of the Excoriators I went largely for biblical sounding names. This gives all of the characters a unity that is appreciated by the reader – even if it is only an unconscious appreciation. In the reader’s mind everything seems to fit – and this is a good thing because it contributes to wilful suspension of disbelief (which authors cannot do without!)

Question-able

Today we are heading over to the Bloghole – a blog attached to the Black Library Bolthole forum. Months ago, dauntless reviewer Shadowhawk popped some questions over to me for an interview and because I was buried in a mountain of non-author-type -stuff, I kept him waiting a long time. Many apologies and much appreciation to him for his saintly patience. I do try to give good interview - if I can - and answer questions with the detail the questions deserve. If you would like to check about the brilliant questions and my half-coherent attempt at some answers, then follow the link below to the interview on the Black Library Bloghole.

Black Library Bloghole Interview - Rob Sanders

First Commands

This is a blog about Speculative Fiction: chiefly mine – and so I don’t tend to wander off topic very often. I have a range of interests and science fiction and fantasy is but one of them. I also don’t tend to use the blog very often for random musings on day-to-day happening or the meaning of life. Today is a little bit different because today was my last day in my old job. While still remaining a part-time teacher, today was the last day of being Head of English in a secondary school. It was a nice, quiet day and I had lots of time to reflect on my achievements and those that have worked so wonderfully about me. I must make a special mention of Tracy. I am fortunate enough to work with my wife. We are very close and as well as being a married couple, we are also parents to our children, best friends and colleagues working in the same school. I have been Head of Department for five years and have enjoyed a lot of success but I can honestly say that none of it would have been possible without her. I owe her everything.

This is all relevant to the blog in so much as a while back I made a very important decision to step back my commitments to teaching and throw myself into writing. I’m a very good teacher – even if I say so myself – but I have always wanted to be a writer. It is my dream job and I owe it as much of my time and energy and I can reasonably give.

I began this post by saying that this is a blog about Speculative Fiction. So, in honour of my final day, here are my Top 5 Science-Fiction captains who, at one time or another, bid farewell to their commands.


5. Commander David Bowman - Discovery One

4. Captain Malcolm Reynolds - Serenity

3. The Doctor - The TARDIS

2. Captain Han Solo - The Millennium Falcon

1. Captain James T. Kirk - The USS Enterprise