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Posted on May 04, 2009 - 12:39 AM by Admin |
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He is the master of the sci-fi epic and a best-selling, award winning author who has had his hands in everything from Star Wars and Star Trek to The X-Files and Dune, not to mention his own solo epics and works with his wife Rebecca Moesta. And now he’s ready to take on two of comicdom’s biggest icons, Batman and Superman. He’s Kevin J. Anderson, and he’s here to talk with The Comic Fanatic.Com about his upcoming Batman/Superman novel, his contributions to the Star Wars Universe, his next adventure as a rock star, and a whole lot more! Read on for an interview with Kevin J. Anderson…and a special guest appearance by Rebecca Moesta!
The Comic Fanatic.Com: First off, thank you for taking the time to talking to The Comic Fanatic.Com. Allow me to get this out of the way right off the bat. Big, BIG fan. I've been reading your work for years, so this is a big geek moment for me.
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Cool . . . and funny, because I still consider myself a fanboy who loves this stuff--and now it just happens to be my job. (And, yes, I do love my job.)
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TCF: Well, we've gathered here today to not only talk about your past work, but also something new that you have coming up that will be of big interest to Comic Fanatics everywhere. You have a new Batman/Superman novel flying to bookshelves.
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: ENEMIES & ALLIES -- the first meeting of Batman and Superman -- will be released May 5 in hardcover from Morrow (authorized by DC Comics, of course).
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TCF: Set the stage for us as to what we can expect from this book and the timeframe of this meeting?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: I set the story in the 1950s during the Cold War, with the flying saucer craze, international tensions between the US and USSR (sparked by Lex Luthor, who is making a lot of money in the military-industrial complex). Bruce Wayne loves to read the new Ian Fleming novels and admires James Bond; Clark Kent goes to investigate flying saucer reports, secretly hoping to find other aliens on Earth. And these two heroes are just learning about each other…and suspicious of each other.
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TCF: How does the title "Enemies and Allies" apply to this novel? If this in reference to Big Blue and the Dark Knight, or their adversaries?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Batman and Superman are both heroes, but they have very different approaches to law and justice. Neither man knows where the other one is coming from, what his attitude is, where he gets his powers or his gadgets. They clash quite a bit before they learn to trust each other.
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TCF: Being that this is the first meeting between Superman and Batman, can we expect to see any other well-known comic book characters appear in Enemies and Allies?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: The main villain in the novel is Lex Luthor (and I have Brainiac and General Zod in THE LAST DAYS OF KRYPTON, so I think I have the Superman villains pretty well covered). Luthor has been portrayed in different ways over the years, in comic and film, but I really got deep into his mindset, especially by putting him firmly in place in the 1950s where his smooth, suave, evil genius can truly shine. There are cameos of Selina Kyle and Oswald Cobblepot. And as for sidekicks, you'll see Alfred Pennyworth, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White.
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TCF: Since this book chronicles their first meeting, any chance of future Kevin J. Anderson Batman and/or Superman novels?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Hmm, you mean "The Second Meeting of Batman and Superman"? I certainly had a lot of fun with this one, and I wouldn't be averse to it if we can find the right story. But it can't just be a random adventure. If it's going to be a significant novel, it has to tell a significant event.
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TCF: You mentioned a previous work of yours, the amazing novel THE LAST DAYS OF KRYPTON. For those who missed it, tell us about your first go around with the El family.
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: I'm best known for (and most comfortable with) big science fiction epics. With my "Saga of Seven Suns" and the Dune novels with Brian Herbert, and even my Star Wars novels, I like to tell large SF stories, and I treated LAST DAYS OF KRYPTON as a science fiction epic. I developed the culture and history of Krypton, fit in the sparse but important events in Kryptonian lore -- Brainiac stealing the city of Kandor, Jor-El discovering the Phantom Zone, his romance with Lara, the domed Argo City, General Zod taking over Krypton, and of course the world coming to an end, but one baby survives (sorry for the spoiler there).
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TCF: Any sequels planned for THE LAST DAYS OF KRYPTON? Or better yet, how about some prequels detailing more of the Kryptonian life pre-Kal-El?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: All of that depends on DC. I would be interested in telling the story of Argo City and the origin of Kara/Supergirl…but we could also look at some prequels and Kryptonian history. LOTS of interesting possibilities.
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TCF: Okay. You've now worked with the Big Two DC superheroes. One on one, who comes out on top, Superman or Batman?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Oh, I'm not going to say who comes out on top! You have to read the book. At first glance, Superman might seem like an easier character to handle, a brave hero with very dedicated and clear cut views of right and wrong, while Batman is a lot more conflicted and tortured. In this novel, I was able to explore their thoughts and backgrounds (and tell a great adventure story, too). That's the beauty of doing a prose novel--you have the room to develop these things.
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TCF: Over the years you have done a lot of work either in the field of comic books or with comic book characters. Are there any characters or comic book properties that you haven't worked with that you would someday love to get your hands on?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: That's a wide-open question. I would love to revisit the origin of the Flash, and I really liked the old Alan Scott Green Lantern. Batman is a definite favorite…Supergirl…the possibilities are endless.
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TCF: Reading your work, I get this feeling that you are a Comic Fanatic and you actually care about these characters. Have you always been a Comic Fanatic?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Of course I actually care about these characters! And their world as well, their friends, sidekicks, and families. I grew up as a kid reading any comics I could get my hands on, but they were usually second-hand issues my cousins would pass along, so I had no real sense of continuity or story arcs because I never read anything in order. I read a lot of Marvel -- Spiderman, Hulk, Avengers, X-Men. When I was older, the comic universe changed with the publication of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, and Alan Moore's Watchmen. Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale's Batman: The Long Halloween and Superman for All Seasons. Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. Those redefined the characters for me.
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TCF: Do you find time to read any particular comics or follow any characters these days?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: I read a lot of graphic novel collections, and I immerse myself in whatever project or character I'm working on. But with my comics work, my Dune novels with Brian Herbert, my original novels, my Terra Incognita rock CD and working as a record producer, not to mention a little bit of real life, too, I don't follow any comics regularly one issue at a time. But when I get hooked, I dive into a whole pile of them.
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TCF: Looking back, when did you first decide that you wanted to be a writer?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: When I was five years old, after I saw the movie of “War of the Worlds.” That's when I decided I wanted to do it.
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TCF: Who were some of your inspirations?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Frank Herbert and Ray Bradbury were my biggest inspirations in high school when I was developing my basic skills as a writer. Before that, I read through stacks of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Andre Norton.
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TCF: I have to admit to being extremely envious of you, not just because of your talent, but for the sheer geek factor of it all. Over the years, you have worked with such incredible franchises as The X-Files, Star Trek, Star Wars and Dune, just to name a few. Any particular franchise that you like better than the others?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: DUNE has been the biggest challenge and the biggest creative reward for me, working with Brian Herbert on writing further works based on my favorite SF novel of all time. STAR WARS was what started it all for me, though, and I loved all the time with Lucasfilm -- 54 projects in all. But I enjoyed them all; I haven't taken on any media project that wasn't in a series/universe that I didn't already love.
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TCF: Speaking of Dune, don't you have more Dune work coming up soon?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Yes, this August THE WINDS OF DUNE will be released, a direct sequel to DUNE MESSIAH. We have two other Dune novels under contract, but Brian Herbert and I will also be doing an original SF trilogy, HELLHOLE.
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TCF: I have to admit that I first became exposed to your work via your contributions to the Star Wars Universe. It's got to be a little intimidating playing with George Lucas' creations. First off, how did you ever get that big gig?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: By accident. And by being a reliable writer. I had written 7 original novels, worked well with my editors, always turned in my manuscripts on time. They did well enough, got good reviews, and when Lucasfilm asked the editors for suggestions on who would do well writing Star Wars books, my name came up. Lucasfilm then read some of my books and liked them -- all of this took place without my knowledge.
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TCF: In your opinion, what were some of the biggest contributions you made to the overall picture of the Star Wars Universe?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Creating the Jedi Academy and the Young Jedi Knights, and basically creating the next generation of Jedi knights. But my personal favorites were the Tales of the Jedi comics, set thousands of years before the films.
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TCF: In my opinion, one of the most underrated series of books was the young reader series starring the Jedi offspring that you wrote with your wife, Rebecca Moesta. My wife and I can't even get along over the use of the TV remote. What's it like writing a whole series of books with your spouse?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Well, we've done about 30 books together, and we're coming up on our 18th anniversary, so we must have figured it out. The YOUNG JEDI KNIGHTS novels were very successful among all ages -- we got fan letters from people ranging from 8 years old to 80 years old. We really enjoyed those characters.
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TCF: How exactly does it work co-writing a book with your spouse?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: We brainstorm the whole story together, outline the chapters, and then divide up the work. Rebecca has her strengths as a writer, and we choose those chapters for her, and same for me. I tend to do the action and descriptive chapters, and Reb does the introspective and character chapters; then we rewrite back and forth until it is smooth.
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TCF: What are some of the other books you and Rebecca have tag-teamed on?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Rebecca is also my brainstormer and editor on all of my solo novels, but we've actually collaborated on the three original fantasies in the CRYSTAL DOORS trilogy, and we did comics together (Star Trek: The Gorn Crisis, and Grumpy Old Monsters), two novels based on the Titan AE film, and some others.
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TCF: Many folks know Kevin J. Anderson first and foremost as the big sci-fi epic writer writer. You are kicking off another epic series of novels this year. Tell us about The Edge of the World and the Terra Incognita series.
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: After finishing my seven-volume science fiction epic "The Saga of Seven Suns" I turned to a complex fantasy that's been on my back burner for many years -- sailing ships, sea monsters, the crusades, the Age of Discovery, the search for Prester John … all set in a fantasy world that looks very much like 1400s Europe and Asia Minor. This is a big story with a great deal of passion, stories and characters and themes that mean a great deal to me.
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TCF: Now, from what I can understand, this new series launch consists of more than just a novel. This launch is kind of an event, complete with music to read by!
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: We're doing a unique crossover project that (as far as I know) has never been done before in fiction and music. I have always believed that SF/F fans and rock music fans share a great deal of interests. So, working with ProgRock Records, I have created a rock music CD companion to the novel, THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. I wrote all the lyrics with my wife, bestselling author Rebecca Moesta, for the 13 tracks on the CD, which adapt one storyline from the novel. I also wrote original connective text in the CD booklet, which has interior illustrations by multiple-Hugo-winning artist, Bob Eggleton. The music itself was written by accomplished keyboardist Erik Norlander, and we've got performances from some of the greatest names in progressive rock. James LaBrie from Dream Theater, Michael Sadler from Saga, John Payne from Asia, and Lana Lane ("The Queen of Symphonic Rock"). We also have David Ragsdale, the violinist from Kansas, and on guitars we have Chris Brown (Ghost Circus) and Gary Wehrkamp (Shadow Gallery), bass by Kurt Barabas (Under the Sun), drums by Chris Quirarte (Prymary), flute by Martin Orford (IQ -- he came out of retirement for just this project), and cello by Mike Alvarez. Together, the band goes by the name Roswell Six and the CD is titled Terra Incognita: BEYOND THE HORIZON.
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TCF: How can fans get a copy of the CD, and when can we expect the first book in the series?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: We just received our copies of the CD hot off the presses. You can order your copy from AnderZoneShop.Com or from ProgRockRecords.Com. You can also listen to four sample tracks on the Roswell Six MySpace page. (I have to be honest that this is one of the coolest, geekiest things I have ever done, and I am very jazzed about it.)
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TCF: How many books do you anticipate in this series?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: It's a trilogy, clearly mapped out, and I have already written the second novel, THE MAP OF ALL THINGS, and that should be released in June 2010; I plan to have the third and final novel out for June 2011, so I won't leave the fans hanging.
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TCF: Not that you and Rebecca don't sound busy enough, but is there anything else you and Rebecca have in the works for the near future?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Yes, we're working with the Challenger Centers for Space Science Education to develop a series of YA science fiction books to interest kids in the space program.
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TCF: I have to ask this…my wife is the typical hot-nerd-chick that you've seen in hundreds of teen movies. You know, remove the glasses, let the hair down and suddenly she's hot…kinda like a female Clark Kent disguise. However, she's not a big fan of all things cool…i.e. comic books, horror movies, Star Wars, etc. Since she writes so much with you, is Rebecca a "cool" wife…or are there things about you or things that you like that she dislikes or thinks that it's simply "geeky?"
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: I'm going to let Rebecca answer that one herself:
REBECCA MOESTA: Kevin and I don't have exactly matching tastes, but we have plenty of geekiness/coolness in common. Even before we met, we were both fans of almost every science fiction or fantasy show ever on TV (Star Trek, Lost in Space, Land of the Giants, Star Wars). I think it's hilarious how much Kevin knows about old monster movies and obscure comic details. I'm not as much into the horror movies or comics; my coolness shines in the gadgets and technology. I always have the newest, the latest, the greatest, the best. I grok software. Kevin and I shore up each other's coolness.
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TCF: Thanks, Rebecca! Back to you, Kevin…when you aren't writing, what do you do in what passes for spare time?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: I love to go hiking and mountain climbing, but fortunately I can do dictating while I hike, so I am still writing.
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TCF: Last good movie you saw?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: “Benjamin Button” was great. “Watchmen” was good, but not as good as I had hoped it would be.
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TCF: Favorite TV show?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: I am pleased to say that there are so many good shows, it's hard to nail it down. I love Battlestar Galactica, Chuck, Bones, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Castle, The Big Bang Theory, Damages, The Tudors, Real Time with Bill Maher, for starters
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TCF: Good book?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Dune, Lonesome Dove, Gorky Park, The Godfather
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TCF: Any advice for those wannabe writers out there?
KEVIN J, ANDERSON: Don't expect it to be easy. It's like making a pro sports team -- you have to practice and practice, improve your skills, and even then you might not make the team. But you gotta try.
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TCF: For those wanting to know more about Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, tell us where to go?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: WordFire.Com, MySpace and you can follow me on Twitter as "TheKJA".
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TCF: Hit us again with those important release dates for your upcoming works.
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: ENEMIES & ALLIES is May 5. Terra Incognita: THE EDGE OF THE WORLD novel -- June 5. Terra Incognita: BEYOND THE HORIZON CD -- late May. THE WINDS OF DUNE -- August 5
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TCF: Okay. Last word's all yours. Any shameless plugs?
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: I think I probably did that enough already. I want your readers to have time for all the books, not get burned out on an interview.
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TCF: Kevin, thanks so much for taking time to talk with me, and thank you, Rebecca, for chiming in! This has been a HUGE honor on my part. Best of luck to both of you with everything!
KEVIN J. ANDERSON: Thanks!
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Big thanks go out to Kevin J. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta for finding the time to sit down and talk with The Comic Fanatic.Com. Again, for more information about Kevin and Rebecca’s work, please visit WordFire.Com.
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