Re: Attn JT: FT Novels

>On Wed, 9 Jul 1997, Ground Zero Games wrote:
>
>> If we ever managed to get a "proper" FT fiction book published (I
mean for
>> the book market, not just the gamers, like the Weber/STARFIRE stuff)
...
>
>Hmm...? I hope you're not suggesting that "Crusade", "Insurrection" or
"In
>Death Ground" aren't published for the book market? Just as all those
>AD&D-based novels (Dragonlance chronicles etc) are published for
generic
>Fantasy readers but have an extra appeal to AD&D players, the novels
set
>in the Starfire universe are published for generic SF fans.  They sell
a
>lot better than the game Starfire - it can't be Starfire addicts only
who
>buy them. 

Sorry, I phrased the sentence badly - I meant exactly what you said, and
should have put it as:
"(I mean for the book market, like the Weber/STARFIRE stuff, not just
the
gamers) ...
Make more sense now??

>
>To continue the parallel with the AD&D books, there is a Starfire
module
>covering Crusade, ISW4 - covering "In Death Ground", as well as its as
yet
>unpublished sequel - is available from the SDS in beta-test format, and
>we're currently working on an Insurrection module. These are, of
course,
>published for the gamers only - but they shouldn't be confused with the

>novels themselves.
>
>> ... I
>> reckon the best way would be basically as you suggest - a "shared
world
>> anthology" style of book with plenty of short stories and novelettes.
This
>> way, the individual authors would be free to explore the more minor,
quirky
>> aspects of the FT "universe" - even humourously if they wish - rather
than
>> having to take the "big picture" approach that a full novel might be
forced
>> into. 
>
>A word of warning: Don't tie the books too closely to the game, or
people 
>might start thinking of the game as firmly fixed to that background.
OK, 
>we old fans won't, but I don't want to see potential new players spoilt
:/
>
>Another thing to be wary of is how tech works in the books... and
>especially tech feedback from the books to the game. We (the Starfire
>Design Studio) have problems with several aspects of Weber's material -
>things that are great Space Opera, but just won't work in a game. Then
a
>player reads the books, and says "...but they do this in the novel! Why
>can't I?", taking the books as canon. I think Full Thrust is a lot
>sturdier than Starfire in this respect, but I know first-hand what a
mess 
>an inspired author can cause <sigh>. 

I know what you mean! That is one reason why we'd like to look at the
little areas in the stories, ie: "people" stories rather than narratives
of
complete wars! Anyhow, thanks for the tips and input.

Jon (GZG)

>
>Later,
>
>Oerjan Ohlson
>SDS member and FT fan
>
>"Life is like a sewer.
> What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
> -Hen3ry