The Rage War: A three part Alien / Predator epic by Tim Lebbon

Started by Perfect-Organism, Nov 18, 2014, 10:44:01 PM

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The Rage War: A three part Alien / Predator epic by Tim Lebbon (Read 233,429 times)

TheBATMAN

Fair play to Tim for just holding his hands up and admitting the mistake with the prologue. I keep meaning to re-read Sea of Sorrows but does this now mean that Weyland-Yutani have had all of their xenomorph stolen and are back to square one?

The Alien Predator

Batman, seeing as how you aren't a big fan of the Yautja.

What do you think about Tim simply using the name because he liked it rather than adopting Perry's interpretation? I remember you being disappointed that Yautja were used, but that turned out not to be the case. (I am assuming you thought this was going to be "Perry Yautja")

It seems like the unspoken name of the Predator race regardless of what culture is shown.

I like how Tim wasn't forced to use the name nor did Fox tell him not to once he had decided to. Maybe it's the name they decided to stick with rather than other names such as Hish-qu-Ten.

TheBATMAN

TheBATMAN

#857
Honestly I think it's a little odd that he used the term Yautja, especially as he also confessed to not reading Perry's work. It just causes confusion at the end of the day. I just don't see why we cannot just call them Predators personally.

It's created quite a strange situation in that he's essentially canonised the word 'Yautja' in this new rebooted universe as a term humans use for the Preds, and yet the culture and history that word belongs in exists solely in a separate universe. It's not even a proper homage to the original EU stories as he admitted he never read them. It's just a 'cool' word he liked more than Predator.

It's odd.

To be honest even though I'm not a fan of the Yauta culture, I honestly think I'd have preferred it if he'd fully adopted the Perry-take, rather than create his own interpretation and borrow the name. Simply just using the term Yautja is odd to me as it disappoint those who are big fans of the Perryverse and wanted to see those Preds return, and likewise it disappoints people like myself who don't like that interpretation of Predators or anything associated with it. It just seems like quite a bold step for Lebbon to take considering all it is based on is his personal belief it is a cool sounding word.


The Alien Predator

Thanks for the informative response, Batman.

You know, Tim's Predators and Perry's do share one thing in common, it's kind of implied they have honour.

Isa Palant proposes they "honourably team up" together or something along those lines. She threw that word around. But that could just be her assuming this though. On the other hand, seeing as she's a scientist studying Predators, maybe her use of the word holds some weight to it.

TheBATMAN

TheBATMAN

#859
I think this new EU could benefit now with a standalone Predator story that properly introduces them to this universe. In Fire and Stone the Predators are introduced as relatively unknown and yet in their next appearance with Incursion they are old hat. It's a jarring gap that could be filled with a standalone Predator tale that really fleshes out this new interpretation, Yautja and all.

I'd like something along the lines of the old Monolith AVP2 plotline where there is plenty of evidence the Predators have been around but their existence is nothing more than rumour and one guy (Rykov) is desperately trying to prove they exist.

Or perhaps Black's Predator 4 could accomplish this.

RakaiThwei

Batman hit the nail on the head with Lebbon using the Yautja name, but not the concept. Also, it seems from his posts that he too believes that there is a multiverse thing going on since he mentions the old universe, the Perryverse, and the new current universe. He's got the right idea.

The Alien Predator

I agree, Batman, I would love to see another standalone Predator story. I enjoyed the AvP2 game storyline, how Rykov tried to get his revenge and how it introduces their robust immune system. Lebbon's Yautja have a blood that helps heal them, this could tie in well with a strong immune system.

I'd like a story on how the humans got to calling them "Yautja", maybe one screwed up big time like Scarface from the Concrete Jungle game and embarrassingly revealed his species to humanity.

happypred

Are Lebbon's Yautja really that different from Perry's Yautja?

Both seem to be tribalistic, nomadic (physically very large) hunters with some vague alien sense of honour.

The males and females are around the same size in the Lebbon-verse. That seems to be the only major distinction. Oh yes...and occassonally they take a few captives.

RakaiThwei

Quote from: happypred on Nov 24, 2015, 12:50:35 AM
Are Lebbon's Yautja really that different from Perry's Yautja?

They're supposed to be, given that Lebbon only used Wikipedia to research the Predators (which I highly advise against) and then decided to do his own spin on it. We'll see in the future novels exactly how different they are.

I will say this.. there is only so much research you can do on a character but nothing, nothing compares to knowing the character's history or their interpretations through first hand experience of their exploits. I'm sure if Lebbon read the Perry novels, we would've gotten something that harkens back to Perry's Predators and be more in line with them. The language would've been used, but also expanded on with the dialects.

The Alien Predator

I wonder if Tim Lebbon may be curious to check out Perry's works. Because the irony is that his Predators do have a bit of Perry influences in them as well as some slight Hish despite Mr. Lebbon having not read either of these works.

Like I mentioned, the Yautja have genders, they behave under some kind of rules but tend to be much more individual and independent which leaves room for certain individuals exhibiting Hish like behaviour.

For instance, Shamana was a very chill Yautja, telling Wendigo to remain calm, meanwhile Wendigo went all berserker on the humans despite Shamana telling her to leave them alone. It's like Wendigo's fury gland got activated or something.  ;D

But in the end, I'm sorta glad Tim dove in fresh, maybe he just saw the films and in the end, that's the main thing really, the films. Everything else is the icing on the cake.

RakaiThwei

I know that Perry's Yautja also had acute senses.. Such as being able to pick up smells that human olfactory senses weren't able to pick up, being able to hear things more acutely... Do Lebbon's "Yautja" have such senses which they use on the Hunt?

Perfect-Organism

Ok, I'm actually trying to not read this thread as I'm still reading the book, but I couldn't help noticing mention of "Perry's Yautja".  What is this about "Perry's Yautja" you speak of?  Is this implying that the Perrys invented the Yautja concept?  Please say it isn't so.  That book "Prey" was strictly speaking an adaptation of the original series by Randy Stradley.  So let's make sure to give credit where credit is due and say "Stradley's Yautja".

RakaiThwei

Stradley stuck more with the films, and the term Yautja did not originate in the original comics. Stradley did not name the Predator race either, as the narrative was more from a third person point of view. Steve Perry pretty much came up with the Yautja concept. So... that credit does go to Perry.

Corporal Hicks

Quote from: Ultramorph on Nov 23, 2015, 06:21:29 PM
Spoiler
It's cool that he just acknowledged the prologue was a mistake, and it would have been cool to see it take place on the Auriga. Here's hoping the dog-aliens show up, alive, in person sometime in the third novel. Sad to hear that the Arcturians will only be getting mentions, but I remain convinced that Fox has some sort of plan for them, be it in the movies or comics.
[close]

I'm not sure how he'd have pulled that off convincingly though - we know what caused the Alien outbreak. We saw it. It was 2 Aliens wailing on another. It'd be contrived to have her there are the same time and let out all the others at that same moment. I'm kind of glad we didn't get it. No more revisionist history please.

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Nov 24, 2015, 04:21:01 AM
Ok, I'm actually trying to not read this thread as I'm still reading the book, but I couldn't help noticing mention of "Perry's Yautja".  What is this about "Perry's Yautja" you speak of?  Is this implying that the Perrys invented the Yautja concept?  Please say it isn't so.  That book "Prey" was strictly speaking an adaptation of the original series by Randy Stradley.  So let's make sure to give credit where credit is due and say "Stradley's Yautja".

Even though Prey is an adaptation, the Yautja are the Perry's invention. That wasn't in Randy Stradley's comic. The Perry's invented the details of that culture. It certainly is the Perry's Yautja.

Quote from: RakaiThwei on Nov 23, 2015, 11:01:04 PM
Batman hit the nail on the head with Lebbon using the Yautja name, but not the concept. Also, it seems from his posts that he too believes that there is a multiverse thing going on since he mentions the old universe, the Perryverse, and the new current universe. He's got the right idea.

I think you've clutching at straws here. There was nothing in his post that indicated that's what he believed. He specifically said not to read into anything about the multiverse. I know you want it, Rakai, but it's not something they seem to be officially or canonically putting in there.

HuDaFuK

Quote from: Guan Thwei 1992 on Nov 23, 2015, 05:12:31 PMThe Xenopedia wiki uses the abhorrent "e-wat-ya"... where they got that from, I have no idea.

Supposedly Steve Perry clarified that as the correct pronunciation in an interview.

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