Dark Expanse Tie-In Anthology
I’m pleased to announce that the Dark Expanse editorial crew has selected three of my stories for inclusion in their upcoming tie-in anthology. These are epic space opera adventures set in the Dark Expanse game universe, replete with alien races, interstellar battles, conflicting loyalties and a dark vanished race of self-appointed demigods.
I’ve read some of the other fiction slated for this anthology, and it’s going to be awesome. I’ve seen work by the cover artist. Also awesome. The official press release announcing the book later this month will be… you guessed it… absolutely awesome.
I’ve written four - no, five - stories for Dark Expanse over the last year, and it’s been a fabulous experience. There’s something paradoxically liberating about knowing that you’re not allowed to tinker with the alien races or basic world setup. I have a tendency to second-guess myself when writing fiction. I’ll go back and tweak alien cultures or planetary details that would be best left alone. Tie-in writing forces me to deny myself that little vice. The worlds aren’t mine, and I’m not allowed to fiddle with them. Instead, I get to interpolate, creating a hidden history within the pre-existing structure, focusing on characters caught up in brutal interplanetary conflicts rather than on the details of the conflicts themselves. Also, I get to blow things up.
It’s been fun writing in a game universe. I look forward to doing similar work in the future. But mostly, I look forward to sharing those stories with readers who may never have heard of the game, or might not be in its target audience. I really like some of the characters I created. I can’t wait to see what happens when they meet a new set of readers.
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cross-posted from nancyfulda.com
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