Tuesday, October 07, 2008

A brief message from the Late Cretaceous

Zing!

Let us pause for a moment, and toe the dust with our shoes, and consider the passing of great men. Paul Newman. I’m not, for a moment, pretending we don’t have ‘proper’ film stars these days, but we will not see the like of Paul Newman again. He was almost the last of the old-fashioned movie stars, who combined glamour with looks and an ability to utterly hold the attention. So, let us pause for a moment, and toe the dust with our shoes and consider the passing of great men.

Anyway, I’m sorry I haven’t posted recently. Places to go, people to see, Gaunt novels to write, Primeval novels to finish. Things have been a little busy since before GamesDay. My Primeval novel is now hurtling to a conclusion, and I think it’s rather good, though I say so myself (so do I - Nik). The lovely Primeval people promised me that my novel would be considered canonical, and they encouraged me to let loose with an imagination budget that would make it “Primeval the Movie”. So, I let rip. I think I spent the entire drama budget of ITV and Film 4 in my first three chapters, but what the hell? Cutter, along with Abby and Connor, get whisked away to Siberia in time to watch the Russian Federal Army do battle with Late Cretaceous dinosaurs. I love dinosaurs, me. This is like dinosaur heaven. There are dinosaurs, and there are soldiers and tanks attacking them. Oh, and did I mention, there are dinosaurs? It’s like all the games I played on the carpet when I was a kid with my Airfix soldiers and my anatomically and geologically incorrect plastic monsters.

I went to Tring on Saturday. It’s not often you get to write that sentence. Sitting down and having a lovely chat with a good many fine folk such as Jim Swallow and Juliet Mckenna would have been reason enough to go, in my opinion, but Gamesfest 3 had other things to recommend it. It was well organised and extremely friendly. I hope it happens again next year, and I hope more of you put it in your ‘must attend’ calendars. Gamesfest was a great opportunity to spend the day in a splendid location, to play games and talk with like minded individuals, and properly chat with artists and writers in a relaxed way, without the pressure of queues and timed signings etc. For my part, being invited to draw the raffle tickets and being escorted into the main hall by a squad of Imperial Stormtroopers was worth the 90 minute drive on its own. As it turned out, I wasn’t the droid they were looking for.

34 comments:

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dju said...

Erhm... Zing ?
Yaaayyy, Zing ! I can't believe it !

Somethingonthestaff said...

Zing! Huzzah!

Soon I will be free from my Iraqi prison and can read "Titanicus" and other assorted goodness.

When will the latest Gaunt's Ghost short story be widely available?

Somethingonthestaff said...

Blast it!

Xhalax said...

Ah, The 501st Legion 'Vader's Fist'.....I've had much fun with some of that garrison.

Not in any sort of naughty way....though I have been known to have scream 'I love the Empire' at the top of my lungs at their behest.

Second In Medium Score 2009! said...

Hello, not sure if this is the right forum, but I beleive I met you - Dan once in a pub (Bay Oss?) in Malham, North Yorkshire 17 years ago, 1989/90? - I was getting drunk for the first time, I'm convinced it was you but... ANyway i'm off agian next year - fancy going back there??

Anonymous said...

*cue blackadder 2 style drunkeness for this brief section* Dinosaurs! Wahey!! And Tanks! Wahey!!

see the little pixy etc etc.

Ahem.

Just finished Titanicus myself. In fact, I have to fess up...I read it in the space of about five hours. And loved every minute of it. Somethingonthestaff...much kudos for you being over there....and you will love the book.

Hurrah for the Hussar said...

Nice-dinosaurs do kick ass, I know, I studied Palaeobiology & Evolution at university. Killing machines

Deinonchyus people-not Velociraptor Deinonchyus will eat you all and make balloon animals from your intestines.

Anonymous said...

Dan Abnett writing about dinosaurs. And soldiers fighting them.

I'm sold, and I've never watched a moment of Primeval.

Anonymous said...

Zing!

Why not.

Just read Titanicus, I thought it was great. Even though it did completely lack dinosaurs.

Xhalax said...

Dinosaurs?

DINOSAURS!

BAH!

Anonymous said...

I think it's a boy thing, Xhalax.

After re-reading Jurassic Park t'other day, and watching all the films again, I'm really looking forward to some Abnettosauruses.

Raar!

HiWayRobry said...

Um....what's Primeval?

Soldiers fighting dinosaurs is enough to get me to buy the book, actually. But I'd like to know in what context it's happening.

Thanks

SOTS, just come back from Iraq safely, please!

Rob Rath said...

Nice, have to pick up the Primeval novel. The Russian/Dinosaur thing sounds like an amped-up version of that Ghostbusters comic you did long ago with a Soviet tank column vs. an ectoplasmic mammoth.

Haven't watched Primeval yet, mostly because I've been getting my violent dinosaur fix from Jurassic Fight Club. (YouTube has some of the best scenes if anyone haven't seen it, but it is truly a show I'm ashamed of watching.)

SOTS: Thanks for your service and congrats on your deployment coming to a close. Until then, keep your head down and don't volunteer for anything. We'll all be glad to hear when you're safe.

Pack_master said...

Blast it, nearly forgotten to check the blog for new entries.

Soldiers fighting dinos, eh? Weird world that we live in. I'll get my FLAK outside...

Hurrah for the Hussar said...

Xhalax come on, Dinosaurs are the ultimate gremlins, you think some of the 40k gribblies are nasty? try Anomalocaris from the cambrian era, google that!

Thats supposed to be a shrimp...

Unfortunately Dan probably wouldn't write about that era, some jellies and some early meter long prawns is about all it can give

Xhalax said...

hurrah - I have some knowledge of dinosaurs (not a lot but enough) and I can't say I've ever been utterly thrilled with that......not even the great Harrihausen could make me go all 'Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!' at them.

I much prefer gribblies from outer space.

Anonymous said...

There have been futuristic gribblies in Primeval. As well as dinosaurs!

Am I the only Dan fan to have watched Primeval? If you need any more convincing, it's the got the cute one from S Club 7 in it kicking some gribbly ass. And them's mighty big asses.

Anonymous said...

There was a cute one in S Club 7?

Primeval is an awesome show from the few episodes I have watched. I just could never really get into it enough. But hell...I'll read anything if I have the time...and its by Dan, so onto my book list it goes!

Xhalax said...

Matthew - I'm usually at work when its on and on the odd times when I get Saturday off, I'm usually doing something other than watching TV.

Anonymous said...

Andy says...

'Nice-dinosaurs do kick ass'


In a nice way? Politely?

hehehehe

Ephraim Gabriel Tiberius Jones said...

Ah, Mr. Abnett tackling a subject he loves could indeed be a good read. Though the soldiers fighting dinos plotline makes me think of the Guard facing a 'Nid invasion, however, could be funnier. I never caught the shows myself - most ITV things tend to leave me cold - but then it could be a good read.

You simply never know.

Dukeleto said...

Hello all, nothing much to add, except I remember that Real Ghostbusters comic, with the Soviets and the Ghost Mammoth!

Is anyone else reading 2000AD atm? I'm loving the re-telling of ABC Warriors: The Volgan War, haven't liked much of Clint Langleys stuff before, but this strip looks amazing!

Anonymous said...

Hey guys, I'm wondering if anyone could do me a favour. I've left my Ghost books at home while I'm at uni, and I'm looking for a description, or a link to a description of Blood Pact armour, mainly about how the differs from regular Guard.

Also, I know a bunch of you have done Blood Pact armies of your own - any modelling hints you could give me would be appreciated.

Cheers.

Dukeleto said...

Hi Lordy, I haven't made any Pact models. Big's your man fo that, but I did draw a lot of them, if you want to check out my Deviantart
also, I don't endorse Kombat Unit's politics at all, but he's great at Chaos art.

HiWayRobry said...

dukeleto,
I had to check out your stuff. Very impressive. I now have a new favorite Ghost. Sergeant Mkoll. I swear your rendition of him looks a hell of a lot like me! (I'm not kidding!)

HiWayRobry said...

I also really like your Dark Reaper. (But then, I am an Eldar at heart)

Rob Rath said...

Dukeleto:

I think I've said before that my favorite of your "Abnett Period" is Shoggy. He has the twin distinctions of being completely different than I imagined yet totally fitting as well.

I also agree with Hiway- your Eldar stuff is great, though my favorite is the Deeper you use as your icon.

HiWayRobry said...

My favorite is the Harlequin, but I've never been able to incorporate them into my army successfully. They're too subtle for my little pea-brain!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely loved Titanicus...a really nice change from the pure infantry antics of Gaunt and chums. I know it's currently a standalone novel, but any chance of a trilogy (*asks hopefully*)?

I've heard a rumour you're coming to the Abertoir horror/film festival?

Anonymous said...

TBR-you took the out of my mouth!

jelsey said...

Most absurdly funny line in Titanicus:

I have an automatic grenade launcher, announced Tephlar, proudly.

Loved the book. Makes me wish there was a Sabbat campaign made up like one of the old SSI hexagon strategy games.

Pack_master said...

Yeah, i had a VERY good laugh on that one.

But "error shunt abort" earns a special place in my vocabulary :D

Anonymous said...

jelsey-that conversation was my fav in the whole book,second to that was Gearhart and the dressisng down he gave to Tempestus!