Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta
Just two authors at the 56th World Science Fiction Convention

KJAnderson: Hi guys, this is Kevin Anderson here, taking a break from the worldcon pressures to talk to the rest of fandom


Dan9000: aghhhh

KJAnderson: explain that aghhh

Leadbar: hey kj

Arrow: ops????? AAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

Alucard: Hello Bouncer, Moderator.

crJan: Good to see you KJA.

* zenith gives KJAnderson aBIG hug *

KJAnderson: for those of you who don't do cons, this is a manic mob of SF fans of all stripes (and spots, etc.)

KJAnderson: fine with me

crJan: How's Allen Steele doing....have you seen him floating around?

Alucard: Goodie op's!

InfoWay: wat lost in space ?

KJAnderson: I hugged his wife yesterday, does that count <g>

zenith: yes it does :)

KJAnderson: Allen has a new short story collection coming out from Meisha Merlin press, and I have volunteered (begged) to do the introduction for it

zenith: what are you working on right now

crJan: LOL...I'm sure Linda's happy too KJA.

KJAnderson: Yeah, she's a sweetie

crJan: Tres Cool.

Alucard: hmmmmmm....

crJan: That comes out in January doesn't it KJA?

KJAnderson: Right now I just turned in the first 700 page prequel to DUNE

RebeccaMoesta: And I am editing the Dune prequel

Leadbar: KJA, Let me be the first to ask how to assuage the fears of die-hard Dune fans ...

KJAnderson: I'm writing HOUSE ATREIDES with Brian Herbert, the son of Frank Herbert, and we firmly believe this is *real DUNE stuff*

KJAnderson: We have buried ourselves in original Herbert notes and come up with a story that we think fits right in with the DUNE universe

KJAnderson: And we're very proud of it. The only people who won't like it, are the people who won't read it

crJan: Ooops...gotta hit the cyberhighway...later! Nice meeting you KJA and RM!

KJAnderson: BYE

Leadbar: *I* believe you, but there's a bunch entrenched in the n.groups...

RebeccaMoesta: Bye

KJAnderson: DUNE is my favorite SF novel ever ever ever and I and very honored and impressed to be allowed to write in that "sandbox". It was quite a tough challenge

KJAnderson: Rebecca and I also just delivered our fourteenth and last YOUNG JEDI KNIGHTS novel, which finishes up that very successful series

RebeccaMoesta: This isn't intended to sound just like Frank Herbert wrote it, but the story is just as complex and compelling.

KJAnderson: The most recent one, TROUBLE ON CLOUD CITY is on the bestseller lists now

KJAnderson: Rebecca's my toughest reader, and if she likes it...

zenith: my son just read that one. he said it was the best one

Alucard: Hmmmmm.........

Alucard: Hello Taz

taz: hello al

Leadbar: KJA, Have you heard any of the reservations on the prequels regarding the use of the D.Encyclopedia?

taz: how are you today

KJAnderson: We did 14 of those books, every three months, for 42 months. it was an exhausting schedule

zenith: I'll bet!

Dan9000: Users on #auditorium: scribe Snoopy BRIAN zenith astron Leadbar @Moderator KJAnderson @Bouncer FAW RebeccaMoesta Sonic

Alucard: Hello Dan9000

Dan9000: shut up

KJAnderson: we aren't using the DUNE encyclopedia -- it

Dan9000: f*cker

taz: you shut up

Dan9000: make me!

KJAnderson: leave it outside the room, you guys

taz: i will

Alucard: IS Dan talking tome.

Leadbar: You were saying....?

zenith: taz you now better!!

KJAnderson: ahem... do we need to be here for this?

That Chick: yeck...

* That Chick spits *

taz: go figure

zenith: please go ahead K

Alucard: hmmmmm..

That Chick: I accidently ate a fortune cookie without taking the fortune out

taz: well some people

That Chick: like me

That Chick: are stupid

That Chick: :D

KJAnderson: The DUNE encyclopedia was written and published but Frank never really adopted it. We are using *Franks* notes and his original books

zenith: why was it never published?

KJAnderson: It was published

zenith: oops

KJAnderson: But don't hang on the details inside it, for those of you who have one of those out of print copies.

That Chick: laaalalala

Leadbar: have you read it?

zenith: are you going to go on any signing tours soon?

That Chick: hello not so great guy

Satuser: Hello everyone.

That Chick: goodbye not so great guy

KJAnderson: I just finished a 27 cities in 28 days international signing tour...I'm pretty worn out from signings right now!

That Chick: Hi Sat

FAW: "House of Atreides" - how many years before "Dune" does it take place?

zenith: oh I'll bet!!

KJAnderson: We did get in the Guinness Book of World Records for "Largest Book Signing by a Sincle author"

RebeccaMoesta: We do lots of travel, so you can keep track of us on our web page

zenith: KEWEL!!!

RebeccaMoesta: www.wordfire.com

zenith: whats your add?

RebeccaMoesta: precognition. cool, huh?

KJAnderson: HOUSE ATREIDES tells the love story of Duke Leto and Lady Jessica, their first battles with Baron Harkonnen, and the planetologist Kynes being assigned to DUNE

KJAnderson: The trilogy will probably *end* with the birth of Paul

That Chick: lalala

That Chick: Is this Dune chat that interesting?

That Chick: San diego???

KJAnderson: Well, 12 million DUNE fans seem to find the subject fairly intriguing

zenith: do you have a mailing list?

RebeccaMoesta: yep

Leadbar: Indeed...

KJAnderson: We have an official fan club, details on the web page

zenith: how do you get on it?

zenith: oh ok

KJAnderson: Also, the address is PO Box 767, Monument, CO 80132

KJAnderson: www.wordfire.com

RebeccaMoesta: the newsletter includes lots more than Dune info, too

KJAnderson: any X-Files, or STAR WARS questions?

zenith: I thought you were close my mom lives in Denver

RebeccaMoesta: that's not too far

KJAnderson: (or readers of my *other* books...)

zenith: whats the deal with "smoking man"?

RebeccaMoesta: he smokes

zenith: and....

KJAnderson: he should cut back to two packs a day

Leadbar: How long will KJ and RM be online with us?

zenith: lol

KJAnderson: for about an hour...if you guys have questions...

zenith: is he really trying to kill moulder?

Leadbar: OK.

RebeccaMoesta: are we disinvited?

KJAnderson: smoking man is really mulder's mother, after a sex change...

Leadbar: No, no...

Pest: lol

KJAnderson: too much tobacco will do that to you

* zenith rolling around laughing REALLY har *

KJAnderson: mulder and scully are brother and sister

truegirl: hello all

FAW: Will there be a "IGNITION"-film?

KJAnderson: oops, that's STAR wars, sorry.

RebeccaMoesta: we like to speculate, but we have no info about the new season of x-files

Pest: hi to you

zenith: REALLY?!?!?

Leadbar: KJ, I'm familiar with your work, but not of RM's. Could you introduce her?

KJAnderson: IGNITION is in the labyrinth of hollywood.

KJAnderson: right now, it's possibly going to be DIE HARD 4. but who knows???

zenith: NNOOOO!!!!

RebeccaMoesta: I, um, keep him honest and sometimes happy

truegirl: mulder and scully need to get togeather and get it over with

astron: what about the new book in the x-files series?

Pest: yep

KJAnderson: RM is REBECCA MOESTA, my coauthor on 14 Young Jedi Knights books, plus several JR. JEDI novels of her own'

RebeccaMoesta: we haven't read the new book. it hasn't passed Fox approval yet.

Pest: thoose suck

truegirl: VAMP!!!

Leadbar: Thanks.

KJAnderson: I've written 3 XF novels -- GROUND ZERO, RUINS, ANTIBODIES -- and another author, Ben Mezrich, is doing the next one

VampHunD: hi true

truegirl: hi

RebeccaMoesta: hi?

truegirl: KJ who r u???

KJAnderson: an author

KJAnderson: of a few books

taz: you mean x-files has a book I thought they just had that tv series

zenith: ground zero was your absolutely BEST book ever!!!

Pest: no way

truegirl: COOL I wrot a book

truegirl: They would not publish it though

KJAnderson: so write another one and keep trying

Korean-guy: hey all

zenith: I've been published

Pest: hi

truegirl: OK thanks for the advice I gotta go now ROLEPLAY appt

RebeccaMoesta: For things like X-Files and Star Wars, you have to be invited to write

taz: never give up

ty: hi truegirl

truegirl: k bye

Pest: ahhh

Korean-guy: do ne of u have da game lineage?

Pest: ???

ty: hi everyone

taz: hi ty

zenith: how do you go about getting sf published?

ty: anyone a female?

taz: yes

Korean-guy: nope

Leadbar: KJ, another Dune Q. Can you elaborate on the nature of F.Herbert's notes?

ty: u r taz

taz: why are you

RebeccaMoesta: It helps to meet people in the field for one thing, but first you have to write something and finish it.

ty: no

taz: yes iam iam28

KJAnderson: we found a box of Frank's original worldbuilding notes, hundreds and hundreds of pages of DUNE ideas

taz: how old are you

ty: r u realy?

zenith: I have a finished draft but dont know where to send it

KJAnderson: we've also got Frank's notes for his last DUNE novel

taz: yes

Leadbar: Thought that stuff ended up in Berkely?

ty: i can i be your age

KJAnderson: if you have a finished draft, you should check out WRITER'S MARKET, a good directory of publisher

KJAnderson: Bantam has bought the new DUNE prequels, not Berkley

zenith: thank you kj,I appreciate it

RebeccaMoesta: The original DUNE books were from Berkely

KJAnderson: be persistent as a new writer -- it's not easy, so it takes a LOT of trying

Korean-guy: yes dude! star trek! star trek dude!

jones: hello

truegirl: do you think anyone would publish a book about a teenage hitman???

Leadbar: I meant the Herbert library in Berkely CA...

Korean-guy: Commander spock, what is our situation!

zenith: gotta go now...twas GREAT seeing you again KJ

BEM-Ricard: Hi from Andorra

KJAnderson: Ah, the Herbert library is in UC Riverside

KJAnderson: He's got many unpublished stories, and notes, and other works that the public hasn't seen

Leadbar: My error, sorry.

Korean-guy: error?

Korean-guy: why not, my bad

KJAnderson: And now we're trying to see what we can do with them all

Leadbar: Plans for any of it?

KJAnderson: We have three DUNE books to work on now

KJAnderson: But we're seeing what is there in the archives and we would like to do some of it

KJAnderson: We love Frank Herbert's work and want to try to bring a greater readership

Tuf: Hello from Barcelona

truegirl: I have a book and a collection of short stories that a lot of people like but im afraid of being rejected again

KJAnderson: hello!

Korean-guy: how much are you guys getting paid to do this?

KJAnderson: Rejection is just part of the game

KJAnderson: paid to do what?

BEM-Ricard: Hi Tuf

Korean-guy: talk

KJAnderson: We do this chat for free

Korean-guy: to us

Tuf: Hi BEM-Ricard

truegirl: SO I SHOULD JUST GO FOR IT???

Korean-guy: so, it's like voluntary?

Korean-guy: out of enjoyment?

KJAnderson: we spend a lot of time meeting fans, talking to readers, signing books

Korean-guy: nope

Korean-guy: i just got here

KJAnderson: we do not get paid *anything* for doing chats or signings or conventions

Korean-guy: cool!

RebeccaMoesta: We actually enjoy meeting fans in person better than just on screen

truegirl: ARE THEY GONNA DO ANYMORE DUNE BOOKS

Leadbar: KJ, hope you don't mind all the questions on Dune; just trying to address some of the concerns in the newsgroup crowd.

KJAnderson: uh, that's what much of this chat has been about

truegirl: oh

Cricket: KJ, as an author do you have any specific criteria for the art on your book jackets?

KJAnderson: we aer doing three PREQUELS to DUNE, which will begin coming out next fall

KJAnderson: often not, but sometimes for the STAR WARS books we are consulted a great deal

truegirl: cool I loved the Dune books

KJAnderson: Scroll up, truegirl, and you'll see what the prequels are about

Korean-guy: good bye all

truegirl: k

Korean-guy: good bye all

RebeccaMoesta: bye

truegirl: bye

Spock: My friend reads all the Star Wars books and he wants to know what is coming up

KJAnderson: remember, though, about the art that book covers are designed to SELL books, and often writers don't have much of a "marketing perspective"

Tuf: Good by all too.

KJAnderson: I've got THE STAR WARS CHRONOLOGY coming up, and two new comic series

RebeccaMoesta: bye, tuf

jones: hi

RebeccaMoesta: hi

Spock: cool

Tuf: BEM-Ricard, I'll see you now at Kernel BEM

KJAnderson: Rebecca and I just turned in the last of the Young Jedi Knights books

Cricket: As a reader, I find certain artists interpret story superbly. M. Weiland is my favorite artist

KJAnderson: Michael Whelan is here at Worldcon

TopCat: hi

Cricket: I wish i were!

KJAnderson: He's got a lot of his original paintings on exhibit here, and they're cool!Q

jones: Hi TopCat

TopCat: hey

TopCat: jones

KJAnderson: We just saw Bob Eggleton at lunch, another great artist

KJAnderson: He just won the Hugo last night

RebeccaMoesta: Kevin won't buy me any Michael Whelan paintings

Cricket: Eggleton or Whelan?

KJAnderson: Even the DUNE advances aren't that big!

RebeccaMoesta: Eggleton won the Hugo

KJAnderson: Eggleton won the Hugo, and the Chesley

jones: where you guy from

KJAnderson: colorado

Cricket: Stellar!

TopCat: how does a person move from room to room without exiting th chat?

KJAnderson: rocky mountains...

TopCat: anyone?

KJAnderson: close your eyes and say "I think I can..."

jones: yes

TopCat: shut up

TopCat: really

jones: why

KJAnderson: gee, somebody didn't take their "tactful

nellaFlegnA: hiya people

Leadbar: KJ, this may take a couple lines...One argument at alt.fan.dune revolves around Frank H's 'blessing' on the D.Enc. And although not canon, it's argued that this 'blessing'

TopCat: im lookin for someone

KJAnderson: pills this morning

jones: why

Stu: hi everyone

Leadbar: means a true prequel must include material from D.E.

nellaFlegnA: who are you looking for

jones: hi

Stu: i am a male

TopCat: never mind that just tell me

jones: <g>

Stu: anyone a female?

Leadbar: How do you address that?

nellaFlegnA: tell you what

jones: i am why

KJAnderson: If you read Frank's introduction to the DE, he says clearly that he thinks much of the material is "interesting" but doesn't feel bound by it.

TopCat: thankx

Leadbar: I know.....

IP: hi

jones: hi IP

KJAnderson: Much of the DE material is contradictory with the dune fiction actually published

TopCat: it didnt work

Stu: who is a female?

IP: me

jones: why Stu

jones: me too

stern: ANYONE HERE KNOW ME?

TopCat: Bouncer

stern: REMEMBER ME

IP: who r u stern?

TopCat: hey Bouncer

jones: why Stu

stern: sorry 4 yelling

TopCat: where are you

TopCat: it didnt work

Leadbar: KJ, Did FH write any of the material in the DE?

IP: where r u stern

Moderator: remember people...this a a scheduled chat. these people are our guests.

KJAnderson: no, he wrote none of it, just sort of turned a blind eye

IP: virginia

Moderator: please try to behave? you only get one warning.

KJAnderson: the DE is long out of print, and we are using Frank's orginal notes

IP: i am a member

jones: i'm not

IP: not in this name though

IP: i go by another name.......hahaha

jones: ?

IP: LD

Leadbar: KJ, can you drop any hints on FH's seventh Dune novel?

IP: in this room?

KJAnderson: yes, and it's really tragic that he died when he did, because Dune 7 wraps up *everything!*

KJAnderson: Brian and I will probably get around to writing it in the future, because Dune 6 ended on such a cliffhanger

Leadbar: Don't tease!

KJAnderson: it's the final showdown with the Honored Matres, and the *even worse* guys after them, plus it brings back a lot of familiar faces

KJAnderson: But, we felt that going back to the prequel time frame would be the best way to get DUNE fans back into reading the new books

Leadbar: Duncan, of course.

KJAnderson: HOUSE ATREIDES has all the familiar characters, settings, and the right byzantine plots

RebeccaMoesta: pop-up video factoid: Kevin J. Anderson only uses 5 of his 10 fingers when he types

KJAnderson: Duncan seems to be in every book

KJAnderson: You should see our first introduction of young Duncan in HOUSE ATREIDES

KJAnderson: when he's being hunted down by Harkonnen trackers

Leadbar: How's Brian as a coauthor?

KJAnderson: you see why he's so loyal to the Atreides and hates the Harkonnens so much

Alucard: hmmmmmmmmmmm.......

KJAnderson: Brian writes half the words, and if anybody is even *more* intimidated to be writing in DUNE than I am...

KJAnderson: We both love it and have put our best best best work into it

Leadbar: Why?

KJAnderson: why, to which question?

Alucard: Hmmmmmm...

RebeccaMoesta: hhhhmmmm......

Leadbar: BH's fear

KJAnderson: go on, alucard...tell us what you *really think

Leadbar: intimidation...

KJAnderson: Ah, BH has some big shoes to fill, after his father's fame -- but we have managed to do a book that we think is worthy of the name

KJAnderson: we hope

roach: will anyone talk to me

Leadbar: did BH and FH discuss Dune much?

KJAnderson: yes they did, and even brainstormed doing a dune book together someday

Leadbar: Really?

KJAnderson: but Frank died unexpectedly (pancreatic cancer) and the book never got past the talking stage

Leadbar: Missed by me...

Leadbar: Did you read other works by FH to prepare?

KJAnderson: Yes, I've read EVERYTHING of Frank Herbert

Cricket: When you take on a project from someone's notes, does your writing reflect their style or does the material become the influence.

KJAnderson: We don't want to Imitate FH's style, but we want to be true to the subject matter

KJAnderson: DUNE is such a popular book, that it's almost like walking on hallowed ground

Leadbar: So what would be some of your author's perspective favorites?

batperson: oops wrong place

RebeccaMoesta: I got disconnected. But I'm back now.

KJAnderson: favorite, frank herbert books?

Leadbar: yes

KJAnderson: Other than DUNE, I loved HELLSTROM'S HIVE, WHITE PLAGUE, GREEN BRAIN

KJAnderson: everything else, to a lesser extent

Leadbar: WPlague was....prescient.

KJAnderson: very creepy, and Santaroga Barrier was interesting, too

KJAnderson: I hope that by doing these new DUNE books, we will bring a resurgence of interest to the works of this great author. then I'd be really happy

Leadbar: I once spoke briefly with FH and all but begged for a new McKie tale....

KJAnderson: I liked those, too -- DOSADI EXPERIMENT, WHIPPING STAR

Spock: same here

Leadbar: Short stories on McKie are hard to find

KJAnderson: Frank Herbert was one of SF's great "idea" guys

KJAnderson: Some of the McKie stories are collected in FH books

Leadbar: You ever speak with him?

KJAnderson: "Eye" and "Book of Frank Herbert"

Leadbar: thanks

KJAnderson: No, He died the same year my first novel was published

KJAnderson: I just have my own respect for his work

RebeccaMoesta: Any final questions?

Moderator: Well Kevin and Rebecca, I think we've kept you here long enough. Any closing comments for our chatters? And you chatters...any closing compliments for our guests?

Leadbar: Final Jeopardy?

Leadbar: Thanks a ton.

Cricket: Thanking you for your time, most enjoyable.

Leadbar: Nice meeting RM!

KJAnderson: thanks for listening, everybody. HOUSE ATREIDES will be out October 99 from Bantam. But we have lots of other books out in the interim

RebeccaMoesta: Thanks for inviting us to chat. Visit our websit: www.wordfire.com

KJAnderson: bye all

* Moderator will be waiting anxiously *

Moderator: Thanks again for coming!

RebeccaMoesta: Good bye

Spock: BYe