From: | Jak Koke <jkoke@****.EDU> |
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Subject: | Re: Knocking the Novels |
Date: | Wed, 16 Apr 1997 23:36:38 -0700 |
First of all, everyone should know that the novels are vigorously edited for
adherence to the rules. Nowadays, Mike reads them all and makes sure that
everything (or as much as he can catch) will work in the SR universe. Donna
Ippolito, the novel editor, does a thorough edit as well. I've gotten to
where I include a long list of notes with each novel, notes which explain
what's happening according to the rules. These have page references for
sourcebooks and / or explanations from me when I believe something should be
possible but it hasn't been specifically stated in one of the books.
If FASA doesn't like it, they veto it and I think of some other way to do
what I need to have happen in the novel.
With that said, some mistakes get through. One thing to understand is that
novels are primarily written by one person, and the editing is fairly light
compared to game material. FASA's game book editors do a lot of rewriting,
and the rules are all written by Mike.
The other thing to note is that there are many different SR novelists and
since the editing is not as heavy, they are given a little more leeway as to
their interpretation of the universe. As a novelist I like to explore the
edge of the envelope, pushing against what is possible as long as I can
still make it work within the universe.
The problem that I see with taking the novels as "canon" is that there is
often only a description of something happening, but that description is not
pitched toward the rules of the game. Perhaps the author was thinking one
thing, but the description may read as something else to the reader. I can
think of a good example from Stranger Souls, but I shouldn't talk about it.
Nevermind, here goes: In the first version of SS I had a blood spirit
casting spells, doing a mindprobe. FASA said I couldn't do that, which
according to the rules, I can't. What I failed to convey in the book was
that this was an ally spirit, which also happened to be a blood spirit. An
ally spirit can cast spells, blood spirit or other.
I had one concept, but according to what I had written, it looked to be a
violation of the rules.
The other thing to realize is that novels are sometimes contracted to
professional writers who are less than fully briefed on the SR universe.
Thus you get things like a mage reading labelling from astral space, which
is of course impossible, though I just had an idea. What if tubes of FAB
were arranged in a pattern to form letters? It'd be sort of like an astral
neon sign.
Well, I'm rambling again. I don't know if I've been helpful, but...
Adios,
--Jak
Jak Koke | "Though I am not naturally honest,
jkoke@****.edu | I am so sometimes by chance."
La Jolla, CA | --Shakespeare (The Winter's Tale)
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Stranger Souls chapters are now online at
http://www.fasa.com/NEW%20FICTION/MAIN/NewFiction.html