Dan Abnett to write a book based on Kingdom

[Colin YNWA]

Well this is very exciting news.

http://2000ad.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/dan-abnett-to-write-novel-based-on-kingdom/

Having read one of Dan Adnett's books (his Doctor Who one) and enjoyed it a lot this is right up my street, and  I imagine others.

Good stuff.

[The Adventurer]

I kinda hope we're not getting this in lue of a new Kingdom comic in the next year...

But still cool.

[TordelBack]

I don't really read novels-of-comics (although I hear there are good ones), so always feel a bit cheated when plot elements or characters established in books appear in the strip, or worse gaps in the story are covered in prose - ABC Warriors being a particular offender.  Hopefully Abnett, a hugely experienced franchise author, will avoid these (to me) pitfalls. 'Cos I do love some Kingdom.

[Dragonfly]

What ABC Warriors book was there? I'm intrigued by this as have never heard of it and the Warriors have always been a bit of a favourite with me. But I must agree, I don't like novels based on comics, or TV and film tie-ins for that matter.

[Link Prime]

What ABC Warriors book was there? I'm intrigued by this as have never heard of it and the Warriors have always been a bit of a favourite with me. But I must agree, I don't like novels based on comics, or TV and film tie-ins for that matter.

It's this; http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-B-C-Warriors-Medusa-Series-ebook/dp/B004THZ6J0

It's terrible by the way.

[Dragonfly]

Ah! Thank you, don't think I'll be getting it as these tie-in books are never very good anyway. Would rather read a 'proper' novel, not something that is better read or seen in another medium.

[TordelBack]

Just to clarify, it's not that I think Dan's book isn't going to be good (he's written something like 40 novels, over almost 30 years, including some original fiction, much of it very successful in sales terms), just that I don't personally tend to read longform prose fiction based on comics (although I do like the odd short story), and so wouldn't like to think I was missing something of importance to a strip I love. 

I'm sure it will be a good read, and might well introduce everybody's favourite aux to the vast WH40K audience.

[The Adventurer]

Well, according to the description its not actually about Gene Dog, though his legend influences the protagonist.

[Richmond Clements]

Ah! Thank you, don't think I'll be getting it as these tie-in books are never very good anyway. Would rather read a 'proper' novel, not something that is better read or seen in another medium.

'Proper' novel?
Charming.

[Colin YNWA]

Likewise I tend to struggle with prose version of stories and characters I associate with comics, can't for the life of me articulate why. I really didn't get on with the Dante books I tried for example, but having read that Doctor Who book I'll make an exception here. That (the DW book) was aimed at younger audiences but it fair bounced along and was tremendous fun.

As people have said hopefully it will also turn some of his vast Warhammer crowd onto more 2000ad products.

[strontium71]

Ah! Thank you, don't think I'll be getting it as these tie-in books are never very good anyway. Would rather read a 'proper' novel, not something that is better read or seen in another medium.

'Proper' novel?
Charming.

If it's anything like the previous range of novels - Virgin and Black Flame - then they are proper novels. Some of them have been very good indeed. Just because it's based on a comic character doesn't demean it in any way. I only wish that there were more of them. One a month please 

[JOE SOAP]

Likewise I tend to struggle with prose version of stories and characters I associate with comics, can't for the life of me articulate why.

Probably because comics are better at immediately staging scenes and establishing the drama of what's going down in any given situation without the need for pages of descriptive text. Comics are basically showing us the situation, not telling.

Novels, obviously, need to take their time to establish, through description, what's happening with the staging and the characters at each moment (a comic can do this in one frame) which is why novels are better at depicting stories of internal conflict and comics and films are better able to tell, and more importantly show us, stories involving exterior conflict with the outside world (physical/behavioural relationships between people; pace and visual tone and action-scenes etc.) which in turn makes it easier and necessary for them to generally move faster through story and plot. These things are all by degrees in each medium and doesn't of course mean you can't tell a variety of stories in either but established technique makes certain stories more apparently suited to certain mediums.

When comic characters are transposed to novels it can slow everything down and there's a certain need to make the content a little more internal than the types of stories we're used to experiencing with these characters- more external and more immediate. It can seem a bit odd.

[Dragonfly]

Ah! Thank you, don't think I'll be getting it as these tie-in books are never very good anyway. Would rather read a 'proper' novel, not something that is better read or seen in another medium.

'Proper' novel?
Charming.

I thought twice about writing that to be honest, that's why I put quote makes around proper, and I wasn't really referring to Dan Abnetts' book but tie-in books in general.
I used to read rather a lot of these but they always left me unsatisfied as they are usually written by someone who doesn't own copyright of the material and who doesn't usually write for the original format whether it be TV series, film or comic. The characters can't be changed in any way and the status quo always has to be maintained at the finish of the story as it was at the beginning.
Mr Abnetts' Dr Who novel might have been a terrific read but when I see Dr Who books I just think of them as pieces of merchandising no different from toys, games, tee-shirts, posters etc. Just a satellite product around the original concept. What I would call a proper book would be a book which is it's own thing and has no restraints put on it's storytelling or ideas because it is owned by someone else who doesn't want the toys messed about with.
Now I know this is a sweeping generalisation and doesn't really apply to the Kingdom book as it is written by the author who invented the series in the first place and is just another medium for him to explore the concepts and ideas he originated.
So I apologise if I made it seem if Dan Abnett was not writing a 'proper' book but I stand by what I said about tie-in/licenced books in general.

[Colin YNWA]

Likewise I tend to struggle with prose version of stories and characters I associate with comics, can't for the life of me articulate why.

Probably because comics are better at immediately staging scenes and establishing the drama of what's going down in any given situation without the need for pages of descriptive text. Comics are basically showing us the situation, not telling.

Novels, obviously, need to take their time to establish, through description, what's happening with the staging and the characters at each moment (a comic can do this in one frame) which is why novels are better at depicting stories of internal conflict and comics and films are better able to tell, and more importantly show us, stories involving exterior conflict with the outside world (physical/behavioural relationships between people; pace and visual tone and action-scenes etc.) which in turn makes it easier and necessary for them to generally move faster through story and plot. These things are all by degrees in each medium and doesn't of course mean you can't tell a variety of stories in either but established technique makes certain stories more apparently suited to certain mediums.

When comic characters are transposed to novels it can slow everything down and there's a certain need to make the content a little more internal than the types of stories we're used to experiencing with these characters- more external and more immediate. It can seem a bit odd.

When I said I couldn't articulate what it was, what I meant to say was this. It was on the tip of my tongue...

...honest...

[JOE SOAP]

When I said I couldn't articulate what it was, what I meant to say was this. It was on the tip of my tongue...

...honest...

I believe you, unlike me, you had better things to do.