The Newsletter of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers
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The Newsletter of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers Benson: METAL GEAR SOLID Snake is a terrific and its subsequent sequels were protagonist and I had a great created by Hideo Kojima, a time writing him. videogame designer who is something of a god in Japan. Tied In: How did you get the job? Konami published the games worldwide and they’re hugely Benson: Surprisingly, I learned successful. The games are in the that Kojima-san is a fan of my stealth/action genre, and most of James Bond novels! Several them feature a character named were published in Japan, and I Solid Snake. have something of a presence in that country. I Many characters will also often have special am an official abilities or powers that aren’t considered Goodwill normal. There is definitely a Japanese Ambassador for sensibility to the whole thing . Kagawa Prefecture, and there is, believe it Snake is a lone operative for or not, a permanent museum Benson Adds to His FOXHOUND, a super secret dedicated to my 007 novel The government intelligence Man With the Red Tatoo on the Tie-In Resume organization. Snake is always island of Naoshima! I had set sent in to heavily-fortified enemy much of that book there, so the Tied In recently caught up with strongholds to extract prefectural government decided charter IAMTW member information without being seen to honor it with a Bond museum. Raymond Benson to ask about or caught—so there is an At any rate, Del Rey contacted his new novelization of the emphasis on getting in and out my manager and asked if I’d be internationally-popular Konami without firefights. Of course, interested. I was apparently on videogame, METAL GEAR that rarely happens! The stories a short list of authors that SOLID (to be published in trade are set in what is best described Kojima-san wanted. I just had to paperback on May 27 by Del as an alternate present or near- convince them that I was the Rey). Benson was about to future in which military right man for the job! depart the country for a week in technology is farther advanced London and a weekend at Lake than what we have now. Tied In: What’s it like adapting Garda, Italy to attend a couple of Many characters will also a videogame to a novel? Ian Fleming centenary events often have special abilities or and also promote his new powers that aren’t considered Benson: It’s really not that original novel, A Hard Day’s normal. There is definitely a much different from adapting a Death. Japanese sensibility to the whole movie script or TV series, as thing, much like a good manga or long as you have an adequate Tied In: Tell us about METAL anime. supply of materials from which GEAR SOLID, Raymond! Vo l. 2, issue 3, June-July 2008 1 by a different “David Michaels,” British writer Sebastian Faulks. and a new book based on the In the interim, Charlie Higson game ENDWAR is by yet a third wrote a series of “Young Bond” “David Michaels.” Apparently young adult books featuring a the name David Michaels is a teenaged Bond in the 1930s, and brand pseudonym that they’re Samantha Weinberg has penned continuing to use for Clancy’s a series of “Miss Moneypenny” videogames-to-books series. novels. But my Italian publisher, But come to think of it, the Alacran Edizioni, is still very first tie-in work I ever did publishing my James Bond was related to computer games. novels, so I’ve also been invited I was once a computer game to attend a 007 memorabilia designer (in the late eighties and show and weekend at Lake early nineties). The first game I Garda and be a guest speaker. wrote and designed was a text- Part of the new film, Quantum of adventure called Stephen King’s Solace, is being filmed there at to work, such as dialogue scripts, The Mist, based on his novella. the same time. And even though maps, and walkthroughs. This was published way back in my books are all out of print in Playing the game helps, too, but 1985. Last year a film was finally the USA and Britain, an I have to admit that I find the made from the story. It was anthology containing three of the games extremely difficult and great fun seeing the movie; it novels and one short story will be can’t get very far! brought back memories of the published by Pegasus in October One must also have a game and the various characters. of this year. The collection is massive amount of free time to The second and third computer called The Union Trilogy. So, in play the games, as they take games were also text-adventures the words of Al Pacino in The hours and hours to complete. I based on James Bond Godfather Part III, “I tried to get also had access to people at properties—A View to a Kill and out, but they just keep pulling Konami who could answer any Goldfinger. So I was already me back in!” questions that came up. doing tie-in work before I became Working with them was one of a full time novelist. Tied In: What is A Hard Day’s the better tie-in experiences I’ve Death? had. Tied In: Speaking of James Bond, what’s going on with that? Benson: It’s not a tie-in! It’s the Tied In: Will you be doing more? first in a series of Benson: 2008 is “rock ‘n’ roll thrillers” Benson: I’m hoping I’ll be the 100th featuring a private contracted to do a sequel (Metal anniversary of Ian investigator who Gear Solid 2—Sons of Liberty), Fleming’s birth, so works in the rock ‘n’ but beyond that I don’t know. there are all kinds roll milieu. I’ve of events planned written the sequel, Tied In: You’ve done other throughout the which is called Dark videogame tie-in work, haven’t year. The family Side of the Morgue. you? and estate invited Obviously, the books me to attend the are tongue-in-cheek Benson: Yes. I wrote the first opening of a and have a lot of rock two Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Fleming/Bond music references. novels, based on that videogame exhibit at the They’re meant to be franchise from Ubisoft. In those Imperial War fun, fast reads for the two cases, the publisher and Museum in London, so I thought music fan in all of us. Clancy’s people insisted that I I should go. I stopped doing the use the pseudonym “David Bond books in 2002, and there Tied In: Thanks, Raymond! Michaels.” Two more Splinter hasn’t been an adult 007 novel Cell books have been published until this year. It’s written by Benson: My pleasure! 2 Russell Davis New SFWA President IAMTW member Russell Davis has been elected president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Lee Goldberg, IAMTW vice president called Davis’ election important for writers in many genres. Keith R. A. DeCandido “This is a great step forward for SFWA and for the IAMTW as Keith Claims Space well,” Goldberg said. “Russell has experience on both sides of the Keith R.A. DeCandido will desk . as a writer and an be doing a Star Trek novel to be editor . and has detailed published in February 2009 that knowledge of how the industry will be a works. More importantly, he follow-up to wants to work to unify the David Mack's various professional epic Destiny writing organizations on trilogy, issue of common interest showing the to make things better for fallout in the writers of all genres. Trek universe Davis, the author of from the more than a dozen novels, events of that has several tie-in titles, as trilogy. well as editing credits— Keith is including numerous also returning anthologies with Martin to the world of Greenberg of Tekno Starcraft with Books. Under the name two sequels to David Cian, he edited an his Starcraft: anthology of Transformer Ghost novel Nova, published in stories called Legends, which is 2006. That novel was originally out of print and considered intended as a prequel to the highly collectible. He began Starcraft: Ghost game, but editing while at the University of Blizzard Games wound up never Wisconsin in Green Bay, where releasing the game. he worked as the Managing The first sequel will be a Editor of the student literary manga trilogy for TokyoPop magazine. He also spent a few called Ghost Academy, which will years editing for Five Star detail Nova's time at the titular Publishing and developing their organization; the second is a lines. novel that will be based on the Among his novel credits are game story for the never-released Touchless, and a Twilight Zone Starcraft: Ghost game, and has tale. He also has a film the tentative title of Spectre. novelization under another These projects are both currently name. scheduled for print in 2009. 3 Zorro; the entire four ghost stories in the aptly titled Nancy Drew Ghost Stories; and a story in Sex as a Weapon, which reintroduces the pulp noir character, Domino Lady, in preparation for the debut of the comic book series, which Nancy is writing. Nancy was also the In Which Belle Holder Reports chastised and will never do it writer of the middle grade Pretty from the Front again.