Messages

Kindred was excellent.

Wow that really is some insightful stuff - no idea I had walked into the middle of such a shitstorm.

Oh - and lots of my writing credits appear under Steve Savile, not Steven, which Amazon doesn't seem to like, Mr. Rennie.

Shirley - I have no idea about that. I know that he sold the license to Black Flame and they commissioned me with a street date of Oct 31. Anything else I couldn't tell you.

Art - true. I'll give you that.



Quirkafleeg - it's a three book series at the moment, the first one covering Slaine from his entry into the Red Branch through his exile to meeting Ukko and making the decision to return home.

A lot of it is based on Warrior's Dawn episodes, including strips like Sky Chariots, Bride of Crom etc, though certain changes have been made primarily to improve the narrative flow of the book. To that extent it's being described as a re-imagining.

Comics work in a different way to novels in that regard. I'm doing me very best to be faithful to the humour of Slaine and Ukko while writing a story that folks unfamiliar with 2000AD will actually be able to enjoy.

On the plus side I've been given a higher 'rating' for the book meaning it isn't targeted at the 13-17 year old readership of Black Library but is actually aimed at a more mature audience.

I can't say much because I'm on an NDA obviously, but my genuine hope is that I'll do the book justice. I do have a sense of humour - and am not a goth boy. Heck, my first 13 books which are floating around on Amazon etc were Star Wars Media Tie Ins - to an extent you follow the work, but sometimes an opportunity arises where you actually get to work with something you loved when you were getting into the whole writing/sf gig.  

In terms of style - it opens setting the scene for folk new to Slaine, dealing with setting up Murias and Grudnew and the Red Branch, who Danu is, what the Horned God is all about, and then, from his exile becomes the more traditional Slaine we know and love - bloody & darkly funny.

How about this - keep your current low expectations when you go in, and hopefully you'll come out pleasantly surprised?

It's due on Halloween.

We'll all know about its relative merits/flaws soon enough, methinks.


-- Max - thanks for the icon. Now I feel more at home!

I apologise Art - I would remove it but I can't. I was hoping to inject some levity into the butt-kicking you boys had sent my way. I thought it was pretty amusing in terms of lame-forwarded jokes. I hadn't heard it. So yes, perhaps a mod if you have one here can cull it so the thread can be more respectful -

and maybe move the stuff about me to a non-RIP thread as well as none of that is even remotely tasteful, guys.

Got the child bearing hips and the bald spot to prove it!

WHITE HOUSE BREAKFAST


Dick Cheney and George W. Bush were having breakfast at the White House.

The attractive waitress asks Cheney what he would like; and he replies,
"I'd like a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit."

"And what can I get for you, Mr. President?"

George W. replies with his trademark wink and slight grin, "How about a
quickie this morning?"

"Why, Mr. President!" the waitress exclaims "How rude! You're starting
to act like Mr. Clinton, and you've only been in your second term of
office for a year! ''

As the waitress storms away, Cheney leans over to Bush and
whispers..."It's pronounced 'quiche' "

Love the icon - and you are quite right, it is a naff idea BUT hey without it I wouldn't have found you guys!

I was right, wasn't I? You want to tar and feather the fat boy!

You mean you didn't like the Book of Invasions?

But I have based EVERYTHING on that!



-- side bar -- forgive the indulgence. I mentioned it in an email to my infiltraitor -- I work on flat fee so if a book only sells one copy I still get the same amount of cash. Yes, I talk about myself on the BL boards -- I was asked to be a regular by the editors and for a year had nothing to talk about but myself, tis bloody difficult to do much else. I'm writing Slaine because I loved it in when I was growing up and it was SUCH an honour when they came and asked me. Last thing I want to do is really bugger it up. You know, that's like travelling back in time to get your wicked way with the hot girl in the class then getting sticky before you actually get to the fumbling.


-- other side note -- Lou Gish died? Damn she was fun as Jeff's girlfriend...handcuffed to the bed and all that.

Ahh but Art, the invite would only be so you can find out how fat I actually am, wouldn't it? Or to beat the crap out of me for being the tosser who ruined Slaine.

I don't know if I should be delighted that you are talking about me in an RIP thread and I am not dead, amused by the hijack of the Street Team (which was pretty funny) or saddened by the presumption that the book will be cack just because I am a fat tosser. You might be surprised and actually like it. You might hate it. Odds are you will hate it because I have filled it with dialogue like:

'Look mutha, I goin' down the arrrrches to sort that bloke out.'
'Nah Slainie he ain't wurth it.'
'No one disses me, mutha. I'm gonna teach that fat an fatuous fokker a lesson wif ma axe.'

Just for you. I'll see if I can work in a self-obsessed celtic vampire just for you as well - that was a nice idea.

Thanks gents, you made my morning
S.

Oh bloody hell that's CLASS... Been out of the UK too long I assume. Spoof tv show?

Nice to see I got a good smack around over here as well :)

Not questions but I will dive in anyway -

Title: Slaine: The Exile
Why - don't really need to answer that one do I? I mean it's the central part of the entire first book, the Warped One in exile from the Sessair. No other title really felt right - but, equally according to Amazon lists books titled Exile by Alan Fossum, a superman novelisation, a GN called The Exiles, Salvatore's, there's a Dragonlance one, and I am only on the first 4 pages of the search - it's a title that has been used a lot. I wanted to call it Warrior's Dawn but that would have caused problems for the marketing department and book buyers, book stores, distributors etc...


Established authors please, which is for my fellow Black Library author Mr Rennie - Amazon currently lists 13 Star Wars titles under my name, Steve, not Steven, none of these remain in print but were published in the 90s by Dorling Kindersley for the YA market. Then there's the BL novels, my own books which are not anywhere near as successful as I'd like, but such is life, the Tor anthology coming in May, the two books I did on behalf of Fritz Leiber's estate, Writers of the Futre Award, and other stuff. None of it puts me on a par with Pat Mills, I'd never say other wise, but I make my living writing. I've worked for some large franchises like Star Wars, and as yet haven't let anyone down. I can't match Pat in any way, but I do have 23+4 entries on Amazon for published books of which one was self published before I knew better - and it has subsequently been purchased by an NYC mm publisher for 2007.

website - love the term Mehrengi-tastic, never heard it before. The website was designed for me I am a know nothing clueless twonk when it comes to things cyber. It is specifically built for the Black Libary work - hence the old world, raven tower etc... it's a publicity tool aimed at 13-17 year olds, end of. The stabbing thing - go for it, it ain't me, it's a pic the wed designer came up with I thought fit the whole tortured vampire thing that the BL series is about. My throat, however, well we might have to have words :)

Me - well, I'm kinda sorry I walked into this shitstorm, especially in the middle of writing Slaine: The Exile... I certainly didn't expect it, didn't know the history of it and kinda hope you continue to expect the book to be utter shite, because then you'll either be right (and be happy you were vindicated) or wrong (and be pleasantly surprised it wasn't bollocks after all) so it is a win win for you...

Oh and if you follow the Leaving France thread - it seems you are spot on and it does cover the same ground - so I am clueless.

I think there's probably background issues at play here, but I'm not party to them. I've never met Gordon, talked to him or read him, so whatever the issues are seem to reside squarely with him. I'm not going to worry about it. I wish him every success with Caballistics and other projects.

To the guys who said it felt distasteful, all I can suggest is trying being on the receiving end, or worse, being the partner of the guy on the recieving who isn't used to vindictive little potshots. Not too pleasant. Do you take it to heart when you wake up one morning to see the amount of bile spilled forth here? You bet.

As to the Obsidian Throne - Vlad von Carstein, the GW character in the book the website is designed for sits on an Obsidian Throne. His castle has a raven tower etc etc etc. It's called a marketing tool. The whole thing is designed to appeal to readers of the series - I don't see what is so surprising with that.

I'll say this - honestly - I loved Slaine growing up, I thank Pat Mills for shaping a part of my childhood, and I am honoured they approached me to do this. In the same way that I am honoured to write something for Star Wars, for Dr Who, and other franchises that made me the guy I turned out to be.

I would have loved to read a Pat Mills original Slaine novel - as the creator you KNOW he has insight into the character another writing will never be able to capture. I accepted that when I signed on. I'll do my best to deliver a great read. If I fail, I fail, it won't be for want of trying. If I succeed, well that'd be great.

But now guys, I am going to leave you to it. Anyone who wants to ask about Slaine can just drop me a line via the website, I am more than happy to answer if I can.