Kevin J. Anderson
Science fiction writer
Con-attendee: You may want to take a look at the chat schedule at www.scifi.com
Moderator: Kevin, are you with us?
Moderator: If you have questions, you may begin sending them to me now.
KevinJAnderson: here I am, ready to go
Moderator: either type /msg Moderator before your question
Moderator: or double-click my name to switch to message-mode
Moderator: welcome Kevin! Is Rebecca there as well?
KevinJAnderson: actually, Rebecca is right now cruising the dealer's room...spending all our royalties...
KevinJAnderson: so that just means i get to answer all the questions MY way!
Moderator: Can you introduce yourself to the group and give people an idea of some of the books you've written?
Moderator: (there are many, our audience might not know them all...)
KevinJAnderson: I've written in quite a few areas, most notably in the STAR WARS universe (54 Lucasfilm projects at last count)
KevinJAnderson: Chris Carter asked me to write his hardcover XFILES novels, so I
KevinJAnderson: ve done three of those
KevinJAnderson: and I'm currently working on three prequels to Frank Herbert's DUNE, with Frank
KevinJAnderson: s son Brian
KevinJAnderson: comics, short stories, novels, other stuff/. I keep busy
Moderator: ready for questions?
KevinJAnderson: yes indeed
Moderator: <corgi> to <Moderator>: I love the Young Jedi Knights and I heard a nasty rummor that the next book will be the last in the series...is that true?
KevinJAnderson: Rumors are *sometimes* true...though not often on Net chats <g> - however the next book, CRISIS AT CRYSTAL REEF will indeed be the last. 14 volumes was as many as we could manage
Moderator: We're chatting with author Kevin J. Anderson. Please send your questions as private messages to me.
Moderator: <Tassadar> to <Moderator>: I humble in your presence! i'm not worthy this is so cool i love your young jedi series. do u have any other starwars books on the way?
KevinJAnderson: My best sw work right now are two comic series from Dark Horse.
KevinJAnderson: I am doing a sequel to THE SITH WAR/DARK LORDS OF THE SITH, called REDEMPTION, which is the best comic series I've ever done
KevinJAnderson: I also have a spinoff series to my Jedi Academy trilogy, THE LEVIATHAN OF CORBOS, which comes out this fall
KevinJAnderson: and finally I am writing the STAR WARS CHRONOLOGY, as part ofDel Rey's "Essential Guides" series, with Dan Wallace
Moderator: Any insider info on the prequels?
KevinJAnderson: only what I read in the SW INSIDER, which is the best source for Prequel Information. I have heard, though, from smart sources that the script is really good.
Moderator: <Jennica> to <Moderator>: how long does it take for you to write the young jedi knights novels? i really love them
KevinJAnderson: The YJK books were a lot of work for us -- they come out *every three months*, and have done so quite regularly for 42 months now!
KevinJAnderson: What this means is that we are often plotting one, writing another, editing yet another, and proofreading yet yet another
KevinJAnderson: sometimes the details get confusing!
Moderator: Has any mixup ever found its way into a finished book?
KevinJAnderson: no, no...never made any mistakes...well, um...
Moderator: Ok, moving on:
Moderator: <Con-attendee> to <Moderator>: What inspires your novels?
KevinJAnderson: our biggest mistake was in SHARDS OF ALDERAAN, when we had the twins planning a big birthday celebration for their mother Leia, and Luke helps them...but we never mentioned that it must be *Luke's* birthdaytoo!
KevinJAnderson: Inspiration?
KevinJAnderson: Well, if I write a Star Wars book, I have to watch the movies, read the books, read the comics...and use my imagination
KevinJAnderson: Same goes for the other stories I write. I read a lot, learn a lot, travel a lot -- all of that comes into the databasew in my mind
KevinJAnderson: next?
Moderator: <Tassadar> to <Moderator>: Mr. Anderson, i think your ILLLUSTRATED STARWARS UNIVERSE was your best book. I was just wondering if u worked with Ralph McQuarrie? And if you did did u see any other pictures that weren't in the book because i love the picture.
KevinJAnderson: I certainly worked with Ralph -- every month
Moderator: <MattRies> to <Moderator>: Could you thank KJA for autographing my program book for my friend Greg at WorldCon for me?
Moderator: (ooops, sorry)
KevinJAnderson: That was a major project, and Ralph and I would brainstorm, sketch, come up with the contents
KevinJAnderson: You're welcome, Matt/greg
KevinJAnderson: Anyway, back to the art book
KevinJAnderson: I also spent many long days with Ralph in the Lucasfilm art archives, digging through original paintings and sketches to find work to include
KevinJAnderson: I am really proud of the finished product
Moderator: <ethome> to <Moderator>: if you could write a script for a current sci-fi tv series...which series would it be?
KevinJAnderson: hmmm, I really like Star Trek, X-Files, even the Stargat TV series
KevinJAnderson: StargatE, sorryt
Moderator: <shawn> to <Moderator>: What do you feel is the best representation of Science Fiction on TV?
KevinJAnderson: B5 is also one of my favorites, but it's such a huge saga we'll let JMS take care of the details
KevinJAnderson: B5, probably -- it shows what you can do when there
KevinJAnderson: is one guiding vision
Moderator: <Maus> to <Moderator>: I'm pretty certain that B5 novels will be plentyful once the show has ended, would you want to write some of them?
KevinJAnderson: I was originally asked to write the first B5 books for Dell, a while back - but when I was negotiating for it, Bantam asked me to write DARKSABER.
KevinJAnderson: I think I made the right decision
KevinJAnderson: I love B5, but I am so swamped with the *huge* DUNE prequels, that's eating up most of my imagination right now
Moderator: <corgi> to <Moderator>: Is anyone else going to continue the Young Jedi Knights series? Seriously if nobody is picking it up can I have the job? :) And Will the characters be used in any other books? I have a feeling Jaina and Jacen would since they are Solos.
KevinJAnderson: It's publishing politics -- the Lucasfilm license changed to different publishers, and the YA portion of it did not go to anyone.
KevinJAnderson: I think that Jacen & Jaina will eventually show up in some of the later adult novels (I hope the writers read our books to get the characters straight)
KevinJAnderson: But I think after 14 books we have had our winning season, and any more would start to weaken them'
KevinJAnderson: I would like to see the series continue, or maybe become a TV series, but no plans in the works right now
Moderator: <shawn> to <Moderator>: Do you feel that these conventions benefit the attendees? The entrance fees are so high and we all want to buy things inside, but it becomes to expensive.
KevinJAnderson: Sometimes you have to choose which ones to go to -- here at DragonCon, the halls are just crawling with authors and actors and artists
KevinJAnderson: When we go to conventions as author guests, we make a special effort to be *areound* and visible, so tha tthe fans can get books autographed
KevinJAnderson: or just chat with us -- some people are like Grateful Dead junkies, going to cons every weekend, which gets a bit much. But I enjoy them myself
Moderator: <CaptKirk1> to <Moderator>: do you read the Star Wars book series just in case they ask you to write a book you are up to date?
Moderator: (books other than your own, I assume)
KevinJAnderson: I'm a little bit behind right now on a few projects -- there are so many!!! -- but I have read almost all of them
KevinJAnderson: I try to make my books tie in with the others, so I need to know what everyone is doing.
KevinJAnderson: Also, sometimes I chat on the phone with the other authors so we can plot stories together
Moderator: <Tassadar> to <Moderator>: Mr. Anderson, i love writing Sci-Fi short stories, my dad thinks i'm great at it what should i do to start this as sort of something major to do like a career?
KevinJAnderson: First off, don't quit your day job -- no kidding
KevinJAnderson: It took me about 20 years of hard writing to get successful enough to do it full time
KevinJAnderson: My first novel was published in 1988, and I didn
KevinJAnderson: 'tt really start making my living at it for another eight years
KevinJAnderson: Persistence is the most important thing
KevinJAnderson: I have a lot of rejection slips to show as battle scars
Moderator: <Enterthedominion> to <Moderator>: what experience first led him to sci-fi?
KevinJAnderson: I watched WAR OF THE WORLDS when I was a kid, and the movie *blewe me away*
KevinJAnderson: I started telling stories and then writing stories and just kept at it
KevinJAnderson: I like anything that is not like my dull every day life
Moderator: <Maus> to <Moderator>: Could you tell us what writing DUNE novels involves for you? They sound mighty monsterous.
KevinJAnderson: DUNE is such an honor for me, since this is my favorite SF book of all time
KevinJAnderson: I got to read all of Frank Herbert's original DUNE notes, then research tons and tons about deserts and ecology and Arab culture
KevinJAnderson: Then working with his son to put together a book that is *worthy* of being called DUNE is also intimidating
KevinJAnderson: but luckily, the first book HOUSE ATREIDES is just finished and it is the most perfect novel I have ever delivered
KevinJAnderson: These books tell the love story of Duke Leto and Lady Jessica, their battles with Baron Harkonnen, and the Planetologist Kynes being sent off to DUNE to understand the spice
KevinJAnderson: It should be *real DUNE stuff*
Moderator: We have a couple of very specific SW questions from some confused readers. Would you mind?
KevinJAnderson: I'll try to answer them
Moderator: <Arc> to <Moderator>: What is the relationship between Zekk and Jaina?
KevinJAnderson: Isn't it obvious?
Moderator: Not to Arc...
KevinJAnderson: Yeah, they like each other...
KevinJAnderson: Same with Jacen and Tenel Ka
KevinJAnderson: other confusing questions?
Moderator: <CaptKirk1> to <Moderator>: When I read Jedi Search it said about a the dead Emperor coming back from the dead and launching a fleet but when I checked past books all I could find was when Leia went over the spot where the Death Star exploded -- is that it?!?!?
KevinJAnderson: No, you need to read the DARK EMPIRE comics -- it's a very important storyline
KevinJAnderson: In fact, the comics are some of the best SW fiction out there, I think
KevinJAnderson: I am very proud of the TALES OF THE JEDI series, the "medieval Star Wars" stories
Moderator: Getting back to Arc's question:
Moderator: <Arc> to <Moderator>: <Arc> to <Moderator> Oh, no, I was asking on behalf of some of my cohorts from a message board. And I notice the same with Lusa and Raynar and Lowie and Raaba. By the way, is Raaba coming back?
KevinJAnderson: Raaba is not coming back, as far as we know...and not the TIE Pilot Qorl, either. sometimes, you just have to leave well enough alone
Moderator: <corgi> to <Moderator>: Not to sound like a know it all but Return to Ord Mantell reminded me of Dune in many ways....was the similarity intended?
KevinJAnderson: As for Lusa and Raynar, it's a bit stranger considering , er, physical differences -- but they're 14-15, so they can still have a crush on each other
KevinJAnderson: Really? I didn't see any similarities -- we were thinking of a Bosnia sort of long-term, destructive civil war
KevinJAnderson: But, since I was also developing DUNE at the time, there might have been some "imagination leakage"
KevinJAnderson: DUNE, by the way, has a *lot* of similarities to Star Wars in the first place -- Lucas drew a lot of details from Herbert
Moderator: We have time for a few more questions for Kevin, so please send in your final questions now (/msg Moderator).
Moderator: <Solarmax> to <Moderator>: -question- What is your science background? Did you take any classes in college?
KevinJAnderson: Mhy degree is in Physics/Astronomy, so I have quite a bit of background.
KevinJAnderson: I also worked for 12 years as a technical writer at one of the nation's largest research labs, writing journal articles, etc.
Moderator: <Arc> to <Moderator>: <Arc> to <Moderator> Thank you for your time, Mr. Anderson. One final question-are they thinking of making the YJK series noncanon because of Mara and Luke?
KevinJAnderson: No way! We were very careful not to contradict the Mara/Luke stuff in there -- there's no mention at all.
KevinJAnderson: Thanks everybody -- time to get back to the con! Hope to see some of you.
Moderator: When can we expect to see Dune in the bookstores?
KevinJAnderson: A year from October -- and it'll be Bantam's biggest release of the year...so you'll see it.
Moderator: I guess that gives us time to reread the Herbert books until then.
Moderator: Thanks again for taking the time out of your busy Dragon*Con schedule to chat with us.
KevinJAnderson: plenty of time to get familiar with DUNE all over again (forget the movie)