Fantasy Book Critic Interview with KJA 13Feb2008
Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:13 pm
http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2 ... erson.html
As of now, July 1, 2008 is the scheduled publication date for Kevin J.
Anderson’s “The Ashes of Worlds”, the seventh and concluding chapter in
the bestselling author’s epic SF series Saga of Seven Suns. Unfortunately,
that’s quite a ways away so to help pass the time, Kevin graciously agreed
to answer some questions for me which covers a lot of territory including
Star Wars, Dune, Dean Koontz, his wife Rebecca Moesta, “The Last Days
of Krypton”, the Saga of Seven Suns, future projects, comic books, and
plenty more. So many thanks to Kevin for his time and the opportunity,
and readers enjoy!
Q: Your books have been published since the late 80s. As hard as it might
be to believe, there are probably readers out there who have never picked
up a Kevin J. Anderson novel, so where would you recommend starting and why?
Kevin: I think my best solo work is probably my Saga of Seven Suns series—
seven volumes, and I just finished the last one. That series sums up
everything I love about the science fiction genre.
Q: Arguably, the Star Wars tie-novels that you wrote in the mid-to-late
90s including the Jedi Academy trilogy and the Young Jedi Knights series with
your wife Rebecca Moesta were partly responsible for your early success.
What kind of experience was that playing in the Stars Wars universe and do
you have any plans of writing another Star Wars tie-in novel?
Kevin: I had published seven of my own novels before I was offered the
Star Wars gig. The very year my first Star Wars book hit the bestseller list
was also the year I was nominated for the Nebula Award for an original novel
(written with Doug Beason). As a fan, I loved being asked to work in Star
Wars. I spent a lot of time up at Skywalker Ranch, I got to meet George Lucas
a couple of times, and I had a blast working in that universe. Yes, it did bring
my writing to millions of fans who had never heard of me before, and I’m very
grateful. At present, it’s been so long since I’ve dipped into the very detailed
SW extended universe, it would be very hard for me to pick up and do
something new in it.
Q: That sounds pretty awesome
So you’ve actually dabbled in many
other established worlds as well including Dune, the X-Files, StarCraft,
et cetera. What are the advantages and disadvantages of writings books in
already established universes?
Kevin: What die-hard fan hasn’t made up his or her new adventures of a
favorite show or movie? I always did. I always felt that I lived with those
characters in my imagination anyway. (When I was in high school, I think I
wrote about 70 of my own Star Trek stories.) I never stopped writing my own
books, but I had a great time working in these great and popular universes
Q: Focusing on the Dune books that you’ve been co-authoring with Brian
Herbert, “Sandworms of Dune” was just released last year which completed
the duology that brought to life Frank Herbert’s planned seventh novel in the
original Dune sequence. Browsing through reviews, the novel received sort
of a mixed response. What are your thoughts on how the duology turned out,
and the difficulties of living up to such high expectations?
Kevin: Brian and I have now written ten novels in the Dune universe, and
they have been extremely well received, winning numerous awards and being
selected as New York Times Notable book (absolutely unheard-of for a novel
written in somebody else’s universe), many best-of-the-year lists, etc. For
“Hunters of Dune” and “Sandworms of Dune” we were more constrained than
in the previous books because we had to follow Frank Herbert’s detailed
outline. A lot of the things people were complaining about were the things
Frank left for us to do. But we had to write the books in the way he intended
for the grand finale to unfold. People had extremely high expectations—but
you also have to remember that a very large portion of the readership really
hated Frank’s own sequels when they originally appeared. “Dune Messiah”
was labeled the “disappointment of the year.” Many readers couldn’t finish
“God-Emperor of Dune”, they complained about “Heretics of Dune”, then
they complained about “Chapterhouse Dune”. Now all those novels are
considered classics.
Q: Good point Now what can you tell us about the “Paul of Dune”, the
rest of the next story arc, and any other plans that you & Brian have for the
future of the Dune universe?
Kevin: “Paul of Dune” is the story set between “Dune” and “Dune Messiah”,
the great Jihad that sweeps across the galaxy in the name of Muad’Dib, and
how Paul Atreides gradually changes from hero to tyrant. We have other parts
of that story we plan on telling, namely “Jessica of Dune” and “Irulan of Dune”.
After that, we’re considering going back to the formation of the great Schools,
but Brian and I have plans to do some books of our own first.
Q: Another title that you helped co-write was Dean Koontz’s “Frankenstein:
Prodigal Son”, which was the first volume in a trilogy that should be completed
later this year. How did you get involved in that project, what was it like
working with Mr. Koontz, and how come you’re not involved with the rest of
the trilogy?
Kevin: Dean has been my mentor for a long time, giving me excellent help
and advice early in my career. When he wanted to create this new series
(based on a script and TV series pilot he had written), he asked me to do the
first book. He asked his friend Ed Gorman to work on the second book, and
he’s doing the third one himself.
Q: Besides Brian Herbert, Rebecca Moesta and Dean Koontz, you’ve also
collaborated with the aforementioned Doug Beason. What is it about teaming
up with other writers/creators that you find so appealing and who else do
you wish you could work with?
Kevin: I enjoy brainstorming with fellow writers, exchanging ideas, and
learning from other writers’ techniques. To me, it’s a natural thing, almost
like a game, to work with someone else to tell stories. You have to check your
ego at the door, make sure you both have the same vision for the novel, and
lean on each other.
Q: What about working with your wife Rebecca Moesta who is also a
writer of speculative fiction among other things?
How does such a relationship benefit you as an author?
Kevin: Since we’re around each other all the time, we are constantly
brainstorming, and I’m always asking her opinion on stories, characters,
plot twists. Rebecca’s main interest is in fiction for Young Adults, and by
working together we can attract a whole new readership.
Q: Moving on, you also released a book last year called “The Last Days of
Krypton” which “tells the spectacular story of Superman’s parents who are
faced with the end of the world and the origin of a hero we all know.” As
someone who’s written both comic books and novels, what are the
advantages of telling this story in prose format?
Kevin: I viewed this project from the outset as an epic science fiction
novel. I developed the culture, the world, the characters, just as I did for
“Seven Suns.” I have a lot of credits in the comic field, too, which gave me
the right sensibility for this project, but this novel was a case where it was
necessary to get inside the heads of the characters, flesh out their
background, and add a lot more detail than would be possible in comics.
Q: Recently, you just announced HERE that you’re working on another
novel set in the DC universe called “First Encounter” which relates the very
first meeting between Superman and Batman. What exactly is your relationship
with DC Comics/HarperEntertainment, what are the companies’ goals for these
books, and how many more novels can we expect from you in the DC universe?
Kevin: I’ve known the people at DC for many, many years and I’ve worked
with them on their comics projects. When I had the idea for the “Krypton”
novel, I approached them directly, and after I had written my proposal, we
shopped it around to publishers. Several of them bid, but HarperCollins made
the best offer. They are very enthusiastic and I enjoy working with them, but
my main contact is through DC directly. After they liked the “Krypton” novel
so much, they came to me and asked about the Superman/Batman project,
so of course I was interested. As for other projects, we’ll just have to figure
out the right one. The objective here is to firmly establish a book presence
for the DC Universe. “Last Days of Krypton” was a dream project for me,
and I still consider it one of my best novels.
Q: As mentioned previously, you’ve also written comic books. What’s
been your most memorable experience so far, what do you feel are the
positives/negatives of writing comic books compared to prose fiction,
and do you have any other projects in the works?
Kevin: I love writing comics (OK, so I’m sounding like a broken record…
but I do really enjoy my work)—it uses a different part of my creativity, and
there’s something very exciting about seeing the pencil sketches, seeing the
specific images in my mind come to life from the talents of a great artist.
My most impressive work in comics, I think, is my “Tales of the Jedi” epic
for Star Wars, “Dark Lords of the Sith,” “The Sith War,” and “Redemption”
—establishes some important background in the ancient Star Wars universe
(including the introduction of the double-lightsaber, used so famously by Darth
Maul in Episode I.) I’ve also done work with Predator, X-Files, Star Trek, JSA
for DC, StarJammers for Marvel, an original humorous series “Grumpy Old
Monsters” from IDW, and an original graphic novel in the “Seven Suns”
universe for Wildstorm. I’ve got some ideas in development, but nothing
actively in the works right now.
Q: Let’s talk about your original stories. Your most ambitious project is
the epic seven-volume space opera series The Saga of Seven Suns which
comes to its conclusion this July 2008 with “The Ashes of the World”. How
does it feel that the project is finally coming to an end, were you able to
accomplish everything you wanted to when you first started work on The
Saga of Seven Suns, and will there be any spin-offs, sequels, prequels or
whatnot?
Kevin: I spent eight years of my life developing and writing this series,
and it has a cast of characters that would make Cecil B. deMille proud, with
many dozens of overlapping storylines. I wanted to put all of the big ideas
that I love in the SF genre, and I created a story with enough scope to carry
it all. I chronicled a galactic war, telling the story from the perspective of
several races, with characters from the great leaders of empires to powerless
average people. I designed the story with a beginning, middle, and end, and
Volume Seven does wrap up all the plotlines. I did create a big,
fully-fleshed-out universe, so I’ve got room to tell other independent stories,
maybe in a few years, but right now I’m very glad to bring it to its conclusion.
Time to rest after seven 700-page manuscripts!
Q: On your blog you mentioned that you were brainstorming with Brian
Herbert for an original new science fiction series that was similar in scope
to Dune. What can you tell us about this idea, and any other writing projects
that we haven’t covered yet?
Kevin: Brian and I have done ten novels in the Dune universe together
and we obviously work well as collaborators. But with my own original novels,
particularly the Seven Suns books, and Brian’s own Timeweb series, we don’t
need to do only Dune novels. We are just now putting together an outline and
proposal for the new series, but we’ll also continue to write other Dune novels.
Q: While you’ve had the pleasure of exploring many different universes
like Star Wars and Dune which have crossed over into different formats,
have you had any luck with getting your own original properties adapted for
anything like film, television, comic books, videogames, et cetera, and if
so, could you share any details?
Kevin: Some of my books have been optioned for films—“Ill Wind”,
“Captain Nemo”, and “Ignition”—and I’ve gotten even more inquiries
(but Hollywood is a lot of talk and no follow-through). So far, nothing in
production. I’ve adapted my own X-Files novel “Ground Zero” as a graphic
novel, and I’ve done a graphic novel prequel to the “Saga of Seven Suns”
for Topps. I’m always open to the possibility—but you’ve got to get the right
person with the right interest.
Q: What do you think of the cross-pollination today between different
formats such as film, novels, comic books, television, et cetera? Is it getting
to the point where it might become more advantageous for writers to have
experience in more than one medium?
Kevin: I think it’s fascinating and opens many opportunities for getting
crossover audiences. Videogames into novels, novels into comics, stories
into serial podcasts, comics into games, fictional blogs written by characters
from TV shows—it’s all a new set of opportunities for writers trying to make
a living.
Q: You have a pretty impressive bibliography. After writing as long and
as much as you have, what helps you through the dry spells, what still
challenges you, and what do you want to accomplish still?
Kevin: I’ve published something like 95 novels and hundreds of short
stories. The ideas keep coming, and I keep developing my craft, pushing
the envelope of what I can do (for example, the giant continuous story that
ran over seven large volumes in Saga of Seven Suns)—which gives me a skill
set so that I can try even more ambitious projects. I am just about to start
a nautical fantasy trilogy with sailing ships and sea monsters, which takes
me in a different direction. I love to write, and I hope to keep doing it for
a long, long time.
Q: Over the years, what have you learned as a writer from your experience
in working in established universes, collaborating with other authors, your
original projects, and writing in different formats? Is there anything else
that you would like to improve upon as a writer?
Kevin: With each project I take on, I try to improve on what I’ve done
before, either in complexity of plotting, intensity of the action scenes, the
clarity of descriptions, deeper themes, or even just a project that will reach
a completely different audience. I’ve learned a lot from my collaborators—
Brian Herbert, Rebecca Moesta, and Doug Beason—and I apply it to my other
novels.
Q: Because of your experience, what are your thoughts on the evolution
of fantasy and science fiction (it’s acceptance in society/entertainment/media,
productivity of original ideas, the different formats, publishing, etc.) and
where do you see the genres’ going in the future?
Kevin: When I was a teenager, I was just the strange geek who read Sci Fi.
Today, the biggest grossing films each year are science fiction, dozens of TV
shows are SF, genre books regularly hit high on the bestseller lists. It’s become
mainstream—and I’m thrilled about it. It’s good not to be the weirdo anymore!
Q: You’re one of the judges for L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future contest. What
do you look for in a potential award-winning story, and are there any authors that maybe
didn’t win in the past that you would recommend checking out?
Kevin: When I get the stories to judge, all of the names are removed, so I don’t know
who the authors are. I can say that I have seen some terrific talent, and then when I help
teach the workshop for prizewinners I get to meet them in person. Some of these winners
have become extremely successful now and I’ve kept in touch. I particularly recommend
Sean Williams, Patrick Rothfuss, and Steven Saville.
Q: Last year was tough for writers of speculative fiction. Several authors
passed away including Robert Jordan, Madeline L’Engle, Lloyd Alexander,
Leigh Eddings, Fred Saberhagen, Alice Borchardt, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. while
Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Did any of this affect you
and is there anything you would like to say?
Kevin: Don’t forget about Jack Williamson—I really admired him, and the
SF field was good to him, always giving him standing ovations and making
sure he knew how much we appreciated him. I used Jack as a main character
in my JSA miniseries “Strange Adventures” as a young pulp SF writer in the
1940s covering the stories of the (real) superheroes. Jack himself read all
those comics and he wrote me very heartwarming letters each time an issue
hit the stands. I’ll miss him a lot.
But, as a general comment, science fiction has grown larger and has come
of age, which means we have a lot more professional writers, and a lot of
them are getting on in years. I’m afraid we’ll have a lot more sad years to
come.
Q: Looking back on 2007, what would you say was the highlight of the
year for you both professionally and personally?
Kevin: I had eight novels published last year, which was exhausting! And I
had three consecutive book tours, which was even more exhausting.
“Sandworms of Dune” sold better and faster than any of our previous nine
Dune novels, and Brian and I spent several weeks on the road for that.
Rebecca and I spent a month doing a signing tour in Australia and New
Zealand, during which Seven Suns #6 “Metal Swarm” became the #1
bestselling science fiction novel on the continent (and in the same week
“Sandworms” debuted at #5). Then I came home and spent another two
weeks on the road for “The Last Days of Krypton”. I had a pretty good year.
Q: It sounds like it! So in conclusion, what are your New Year’s
resolutions for 2008?
Kevin: I’m still keeping busy writing and developing new projects, but I
really want to rest and recuperate a little. I’d like to spend more time
hiking and camping. But new things always come up…
...
As of now, July 1, 2008 is the scheduled publication date for Kevin J.
Anderson’s “The Ashes of Worlds”, the seventh and concluding chapter in
the bestselling author’s epic SF series Saga of Seven Suns. Unfortunately,
that’s quite a ways away so to help pass the time, Kevin graciously agreed
to answer some questions for me which covers a lot of territory including
Star Wars, Dune, Dean Koontz, his wife Rebecca Moesta, “The Last Days
of Krypton”, the Saga of Seven Suns, future projects, comic books, and
plenty more. So many thanks to Kevin for his time and the opportunity,
and readers enjoy!
Q: Your books have been published since the late 80s. As hard as it might
be to believe, there are probably readers out there who have never picked
up a Kevin J. Anderson novel, so where would you recommend starting and why?
Kevin: I think my best solo work is probably my Saga of Seven Suns series—
seven volumes, and I just finished the last one. That series sums up
everything I love about the science fiction genre.
Q: Arguably, the Star Wars tie-novels that you wrote in the mid-to-late
90s including the Jedi Academy trilogy and the Young Jedi Knights series with
your wife Rebecca Moesta were partly responsible for your early success.
What kind of experience was that playing in the Stars Wars universe and do
you have any plans of writing another Star Wars tie-in novel?
Kevin: I had published seven of my own novels before I was offered the
Star Wars gig. The very year my first Star Wars book hit the bestseller list
was also the year I was nominated for the Nebula Award for an original novel
(written with Doug Beason). As a fan, I loved being asked to work in Star
Wars. I spent a lot of time up at Skywalker Ranch, I got to meet George Lucas
a couple of times, and I had a blast working in that universe. Yes, it did bring
my writing to millions of fans who had never heard of me before, and I’m very
grateful. At present, it’s been so long since I’ve dipped into the very detailed
SW extended universe, it would be very hard for me to pick up and do
something new in it.
Q: That sounds pretty awesome
So you’ve actually dabbled in many other established worlds as well including Dune, the X-Files, StarCraft,
et cetera. What are the advantages and disadvantages of writings books in
already established universes?
Kevin: What die-hard fan hasn’t made up his or her new adventures of a
favorite show or movie? I always did. I always felt that I lived with those
characters in my imagination anyway. (When I was in high school, I think I
wrote about 70 of my own Star Trek stories.) I never stopped writing my own
books, but I had a great time working in these great and popular universes
Q: Focusing on the Dune books that you’ve been co-authoring with Brian
Herbert, “Sandworms of Dune” was just released last year which completed
the duology that brought to life Frank Herbert’s planned seventh novel in the
original Dune sequence. Browsing through reviews, the novel received sort
of a mixed response. What are your thoughts on how the duology turned out,
and the difficulties of living up to such high expectations?
Kevin: Brian and I have now written ten novels in the Dune universe, and
they have been extremely well received, winning numerous awards and being
selected as New York Times Notable book (absolutely unheard-of for a novel
written in somebody else’s universe), many best-of-the-year lists, etc. For
“Hunters of Dune” and “Sandworms of Dune” we were more constrained than
in the previous books because we had to follow Frank Herbert’s detailed
outline. A lot of the things people were complaining about were the things
Frank left for us to do. But we had to write the books in the way he intended
for the grand finale to unfold. People had extremely high expectations—but
you also have to remember that a very large portion of the readership really
hated Frank’s own sequels when they originally appeared. “Dune Messiah”
was labeled the “disappointment of the year.” Many readers couldn’t finish
“God-Emperor of Dune”, they complained about “Heretics of Dune”, then
they complained about “Chapterhouse Dune”. Now all those novels are
considered classics.
Q: Good point
Now what can you tell us about the “Paul of Dune”, the rest of the next story arc, and any other plans that you & Brian have for the
future of the Dune universe?
Kevin: “Paul of Dune” is the story set between “Dune” and “Dune Messiah”,
the great Jihad that sweeps across the galaxy in the name of Muad’Dib, and
how Paul Atreides gradually changes from hero to tyrant. We have other parts
of that story we plan on telling, namely “Jessica of Dune” and “Irulan of Dune”.
After that, we’re considering going back to the formation of the great Schools,
but Brian and I have plans to do some books of our own first.
Q: Another title that you helped co-write was Dean Koontz’s “Frankenstein:
Prodigal Son”, which was the first volume in a trilogy that should be completed
later this year. How did you get involved in that project, what was it like
working with Mr. Koontz, and how come you’re not involved with the rest of
the trilogy?
Kevin: Dean has been my mentor for a long time, giving me excellent help
and advice early in my career. When he wanted to create this new series
(based on a script and TV series pilot he had written), he asked me to do the
first book. He asked his friend Ed Gorman to work on the second book, and
he’s doing the third one himself.
Q: Besides Brian Herbert, Rebecca Moesta and Dean Koontz, you’ve also
collaborated with the aforementioned Doug Beason. What is it about teaming
up with other writers/creators that you find so appealing and who else do
you wish you could work with?
Kevin: I enjoy brainstorming with fellow writers, exchanging ideas, and
learning from other writers’ techniques. To me, it’s a natural thing, almost
like a game, to work with someone else to tell stories. You have to check your
ego at the door, make sure you both have the same vision for the novel, and
lean on each other.
Q: What about working with your wife Rebecca Moesta who is also a
writer of speculative fiction among other things?
How does such a relationship benefit you as an author?
Kevin: Since we’re around each other all the time, we are constantly
brainstorming, and I’m always asking her opinion on stories, characters,
plot twists. Rebecca’s main interest is in fiction for Young Adults, and by
working together we can attract a whole new readership.
Q: Moving on, you also released a book last year called “The Last Days of
Krypton” which “tells the spectacular story of Superman’s parents who are
faced with the end of the world and the origin of a hero we all know.” As
someone who’s written both comic books and novels, what are the
advantages of telling this story in prose format?
Kevin: I viewed this project from the outset as an epic science fiction
novel. I developed the culture, the world, the characters, just as I did for
“Seven Suns.” I have a lot of credits in the comic field, too, which gave me
the right sensibility for this project, but this novel was a case where it was
necessary to get inside the heads of the characters, flesh out their
background, and add a lot more detail than would be possible in comics.
Q: Recently, you just announced HERE that you’re working on another
novel set in the DC universe called “First Encounter” which relates the very
first meeting between Superman and Batman. What exactly is your relationship
with DC Comics/HarperEntertainment, what are the companies’ goals for these
books, and how many more novels can we expect from you in the DC universe?
Kevin: I’ve known the people at DC for many, many years and I’ve worked
with them on their comics projects. When I had the idea for the “Krypton”
novel, I approached them directly, and after I had written my proposal, we
shopped it around to publishers. Several of them bid, but HarperCollins made
the best offer. They are very enthusiastic and I enjoy working with them, but
my main contact is through DC directly. After they liked the “Krypton” novel
so much, they came to me and asked about the Superman/Batman project,
so of course I was interested. As for other projects, we’ll just have to figure
out the right one. The objective here is to firmly establish a book presence
for the DC Universe. “Last Days of Krypton” was a dream project for me,
and I still consider it one of my best novels.
Q: As mentioned previously, you’ve also written comic books. What’s
been your most memorable experience so far, what do you feel are the
positives/negatives of writing comic books compared to prose fiction,
and do you have any other projects in the works?
Kevin: I love writing comics (OK, so I’m sounding like a broken record…
but I do really enjoy my work)—it uses a different part of my creativity, and
there’s something very exciting about seeing the pencil sketches, seeing the
specific images in my mind come to life from the talents of a great artist.
My most impressive work in comics, I think, is my “Tales of the Jedi” epic
for Star Wars, “Dark Lords of the Sith,” “The Sith War,” and “Redemption”
—establishes some important background in the ancient Star Wars universe
(including the introduction of the double-lightsaber, used so famously by Darth
Maul in Episode I.) I’ve also done work with Predator, X-Files, Star Trek, JSA
for DC, StarJammers for Marvel, an original humorous series “Grumpy Old
Monsters” from IDW, and an original graphic novel in the “Seven Suns”
universe for Wildstorm. I’ve got some ideas in development, but nothing
actively in the works right now.
Q: Let’s talk about your original stories. Your most ambitious project is
the epic seven-volume space opera series The Saga of Seven Suns which
comes to its conclusion this July 2008 with “The Ashes of the World”. How
does it feel that the project is finally coming to an end, were you able to
accomplish everything you wanted to when you first started work on The
Saga of Seven Suns, and will there be any spin-offs, sequels, prequels or
whatnot?
Kevin: I spent eight years of my life developing and writing this series,
and it has a cast of characters that would make Cecil B. deMille proud, with
many dozens of overlapping storylines. I wanted to put all of the big ideas
that I love in the SF genre, and I created a story with enough scope to carry
it all. I chronicled a galactic war, telling the story from the perspective of
several races, with characters from the great leaders of empires to powerless
average people. I designed the story with a beginning, middle, and end, and
Volume Seven does wrap up all the plotlines. I did create a big,
fully-fleshed-out universe, so I’ve got room to tell other independent stories,
maybe in a few years, but right now I’m very glad to bring it to its conclusion.
Time to rest after seven 700-page manuscripts!
Q: On your blog you mentioned that you were brainstorming with Brian
Herbert for an original new science fiction series that was similar in scope
to Dune. What can you tell us about this idea, and any other writing projects
that we haven’t covered yet?
Kevin: Brian and I have done ten novels in the Dune universe together
and we obviously work well as collaborators. But with my own original novels,
particularly the Seven Suns books, and Brian’s own Timeweb series, we don’t
need to do only Dune novels. We are just now putting together an outline and
proposal for the new series, but we’ll also continue to write other Dune novels.
Q: While you’ve had the pleasure of exploring many different universes
like Star Wars and Dune which have crossed over into different formats,
have you had any luck with getting your own original properties adapted for
anything like film, television, comic books, videogames, et cetera, and if
so, could you share any details?
Kevin: Some of my books have been optioned for films—“Ill Wind”,
“Captain Nemo”, and “Ignition”—and I’ve gotten even more inquiries
(but Hollywood is a lot of talk and no follow-through). So far, nothing in
production. I’ve adapted my own X-Files novel “Ground Zero” as a graphic
novel, and I’ve done a graphic novel prequel to the “Saga of Seven Suns”
for Topps. I’m always open to the possibility—but you’ve got to get the right
person with the right interest.
Q: What do you think of the cross-pollination today between different
formats such as film, novels, comic books, television, et cetera? Is it getting
to the point where it might become more advantageous for writers to have
experience in more than one medium?
Kevin: I think it’s fascinating and opens many opportunities for getting
crossover audiences. Videogames into novels, novels into comics, stories
into serial podcasts, comics into games, fictional blogs written by characters
from TV shows—it’s all a new set of opportunities for writers trying to make
a living.
Q: You have a pretty impressive bibliography. After writing as long and
as much as you have, what helps you through the dry spells, what still
challenges you, and what do you want to accomplish still?
Kevin: I’ve published something like 95 novels and hundreds of short
stories. The ideas keep coming, and I keep developing my craft, pushing
the envelope of what I can do (for example, the giant continuous story that
ran over seven large volumes in Saga of Seven Suns)—which gives me a skill
set so that I can try even more ambitious projects. I am just about to start
a nautical fantasy trilogy with sailing ships and sea monsters, which takes
me in a different direction. I love to write, and I hope to keep doing it for
a long, long time.
Q: Over the years, what have you learned as a writer from your experience
in working in established universes, collaborating with other authors, your
original projects, and writing in different formats? Is there anything else
that you would like to improve upon as a writer?
Kevin: With each project I take on, I try to improve on what I’ve done
before, either in complexity of plotting, intensity of the action scenes, the
clarity of descriptions, deeper themes, or even just a project that will reach
a completely different audience. I’ve learned a lot from my collaborators—
Brian Herbert, Rebecca Moesta, and Doug Beason—and I apply it to my other
novels.
Q: Because of your experience, what are your thoughts on the evolution
of fantasy and science fiction (it’s acceptance in society/entertainment/media,
productivity of original ideas, the different formats, publishing, etc.) and
where do you see the genres’ going in the future?
Kevin: When I was a teenager, I was just the strange geek who read Sci Fi.
Today, the biggest grossing films each year are science fiction, dozens of TV
shows are SF, genre books regularly hit high on the bestseller lists. It’s become
mainstream—and I’m thrilled about it. It’s good not to be the weirdo anymore!
Q: You’re one of the judges for L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future contest. What
do you look for in a potential award-winning story, and are there any authors that maybe
didn’t win in the past that you would recommend checking out?
Kevin: When I get the stories to judge, all of the names are removed, so I don’t know
who the authors are. I can say that I have seen some terrific talent, and then when I help
teach the workshop for prizewinners I get to meet them in person. Some of these winners
have become extremely successful now and I’ve kept in touch. I particularly recommend
Sean Williams, Patrick Rothfuss, and Steven Saville.
Q: Last year was tough for writers of speculative fiction. Several authors
passed away including Robert Jordan, Madeline L’Engle, Lloyd Alexander,
Leigh Eddings, Fred Saberhagen, Alice Borchardt, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. while
Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Did any of this affect you
and is there anything you would like to say?
Kevin: Don’t forget about Jack Williamson—I really admired him, and the
SF field was good to him, always giving him standing ovations and making
sure he knew how much we appreciated him. I used Jack as a main character
in my JSA miniseries “Strange Adventures” as a young pulp SF writer in the
1940s covering the stories of the (real) superheroes. Jack himself read all
those comics and he wrote me very heartwarming letters each time an issue
hit the stands. I’ll miss him a lot.
But, as a general comment, science fiction has grown larger and has come
of age, which means we have a lot more professional writers, and a lot of
them are getting on in years. I’m afraid we’ll have a lot more sad years to
come.
Q: Looking back on 2007, what would you say was the highlight of the
year for you both professionally and personally?
Kevin: I had eight novels published last year, which was exhausting! And I
had three consecutive book tours, which was even more exhausting.
“Sandworms of Dune” sold better and faster than any of our previous nine
Dune novels, and Brian and I spent several weeks on the road for that.
Rebecca and I spent a month doing a signing tour in Australia and New
Zealand, during which Seven Suns #6 “Metal Swarm” became the #1
bestselling science fiction novel on the continent (and in the same week
“Sandworms” debuted at #5). Then I came home and spent another two
weeks on the road for “The Last Days of Krypton”. I had a pretty good year.
Q: It sounds like it! So in conclusion, what are your New Year’s
resolutions for 2008?
Kevin: I’m still keeping busy writing and developing new projects, but I
really want to rest and recuperate a little. I’d like to spend more time
hiking and camping. But new things always come up…
...
