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AvPGalaxy Competition – Predator: If It Bleeds Signed Bookplates!

Alien vs. Predator Galaxy and Bryan Thomas Schmidt, the editor of and author in Predator: If It Bleeds, are teaming up together to give 18 Predator fans a chance to win signed bookplates of Predator: If It Bleeds!

We have 9 bookplates for our members in America and another 9 copies for the rest of the world. The bookplates will be signed by Bryan and fellow authors Holly Roberds, Peter Wacks, and David Boop! All you need to do to enter the competition is send us a picture of yourself with your copy of Predator: If It Bleeds anywhere but in the bookstore!

You can enter the competition by doing the following:

  • Be a registered member of AvPGalaxy. Email us at corporalhicks with your username and a picture of yourself posing with your copy of Predator: If It Bleeds, whether or not you’d be happy for us to publish the picture when the winners are announced and if you’re in the US or the rest of the world.

 AvPGalaxy Competition - Predator: If It Bleeds Signed Bookplates!

The 18 winners will be drawn randomly once the competition has ended. We would just like to thank  Bryan Thomas Schmidt for teaming up with us to give Predator fans worldwide the chance to win a signed Predator: If It Bleeds bookplate!

Predator: If It Bleeds is currently available to order from Amazon (UK/US) and all your usual good bookstores. For those undecided about picking up Predator: If It Bleeds, be sure to check out our review! AvPGalaxy also recently spoke to Bryan for our podcast. You can listen to that here!

Terms and Conditions

  • The pictures  submitted will not be published on the website unless consent is given by the competition participant.
  • This competition is open for Predator fans worldwide.
  • AvPGalaxy site/forum staff are not eligible to enter.
  • The competition runs for one week and ends at the end of October the 29th.
  • Winners will be drawn by random means.
  • Winners will be expected to provide their postal address after the competition ends.


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Comments: 51
« Newer Comments 12 Older Comments »
  1. The Alien Predator
    I have read up to Storm Blood.

    I have been enjoying these very much and am delighted to see the Yautja occasionally speak in their language. Is this something that can be translated? I never read the older books that had their language in them (but I did buy the AvP novel reprint, I haven't gotten to reading it yet.)

    I did like that in Rematch, they referenced the Xenomorphs when Nakande mentioned hunting "Kiande Amedha" (Hard-Meat). I also like the use of the term "ooman" across multiple stories, very good.  :laugh:

    One thing stood out to me though, and this is more of a continuity thing but I think I figured out a good reason behind it.

    In the Rage War, it is mentioned that humans call them "Yautja" and those books have no connection to the ones done by Steve Perry where the Predators called themselves Yautja. Lebbon's Predators reacted either confused or amused when called that.

    Yet in the Anthology, we got Lebbon's Predators who call themselves something else but it's translated as "Yautja", and we got Predators who call themselves verbally as "Ya-OOT-ja". (By the way, well done to the author for using the correct way to pronounce it. The "pronunciation" on the wiki always made me die a little on the inside.)

    As was said in Rage War, the Yautja are not a unified race and there's not much contact with clans. They have different languages and dialects, like us. My theory is that we got "Yautja" from one of the clans and lumped them all under that name. Kalakta, Hashori and Yaquita's clans may have spoken a completely different language from the 'Yautja' clans, so they probably have never heard of the name.

    Just look at how diverse we are when it comes to the name of our own species. I really like that the authors are treating the Predator species as individuals, and not some hive mind. This is why I welcome the diversity in these stories.
  2. Russ840
    So I have read Rematch.

    Thoroughly enjoyed it .  I had never read turnabout. Didn't bother me though. The Preds seemed to get a whipping but I didn't mind in the slightest.  I was baffled by the lack of Infra red vision that the Preds seemed to display.

    I have started Artemis ( Andy Weir's new novel ) this morning so I'll take a small break from Predators. I'm looking forward to coming back to it though.
  3. Corporal Hicks
    Quote from: Russ840 on Nov 11, 2017, 05:45:06 PM
    Thanks dude. I started Predator incursion but couldn't get into it. Perhaps I should retry

    It feels completely different to the other entries but once you're used to it, you should be set. The Predators become far more formidable in the next 2 books too. Stick it through, try again and know it's a completely different feel.

    Quote from: BryanThomasS on Nov 11, 2017, 06:24:25 PM
    Not bad after 3 weeks. Almost sold half the print run so may get to make another. Thanks for the encouragement and support!

    Congrats! I'm really glad to hear it's doing so well. I haven't enjoyed a Predator/Alien book as thoroughly as I have this one for a while.
  4. GreybackElder
    The Rage Wars trilogy is a slow burn. Much of the first book sets up the plot, establishes mood, atmosphere and characters. It starts to pick up toward the end of incursion. Stick with it. You won't be disappointed!
  5. HuDaFuK
    Quote from: GreybackElder on Nov 11, 2017, 03:36:18 PMThis story seems to take place long before the General  Akoko we know and love in Rage Wars. She's only a Major in this story. It seems that this story takes place well before the events of the rage war series and tells her story of the first time she encountered a predator.

    I've not read the Rage War either, but I did notice that the Predator short takes place before Lebbon's prequel from Bug Hunt, unless she got demoted sometime in between - she's a Major in the Bug hunt story but only a Captain in the Predator one.
  6. GreybackElder
    Devil Dogs are the 39th spaceborne unit of marines led by Akoko Halley. This story seems to take place long before the General  Akoko we know and love in Rage Wars. She's only a Major in this story. It seems that this story takes place well before the events of the rage war series and tells her story of the first time she encountered a predator.  Hope this helps.
  7. Russ840
    So I am two stories in. Wow. So good so far.

    I have not read the Rage Trilogy.  How does the first story fit with that series?

    Stonewall's story. Was awesome. Loved it. The predators are quite formidable so far.
  8. GreybackElder
    Definitely liked Last Report From The KSS Psychopomp. It was just how I like my predators; ruthless and mysterious!! I also loved Stonewalls Last Stand, Tin Warrior, Three Sparks, The Pilot and Skelds keep! Each individual tale brings about its own predator with a unique personality(even if it's mysterious). Sometimes the alien felt more "human" with names and ranks, while other times they felt almost like a force of nature.Love love loved it! Hoping Eyes of the Demon becomes a reality!!!!!
  9. HuDaFuK
    Pressed on with a couple more last night.

    Loved Last Report of the KSS Psychopomp. Possibly my favourite so far. Loads of atmosphere, and the description of the abbatoir/trophy room the Predator had created was wonderfully gruesome - these stories are generally doing a good job of depicting effective gore when appropriate without it ever feeling too much. Also, I really liked the multi-cultural thing the Psychopomp's crew had going on. The Arabic captain in particular made me think of what's-his-face from the first Abrams Star Trek movie who was in command of Kirk Sr.'s starship (I'm not a fan, can't remember names :P) In fact, I read all of Ahmed's lines in that actor's voice :laugh: Is it just me or did the Predator in this one feel like maybe it was a rogue bad blood?

    Skeld's Keep was another good read. The Viking stuff could so easily have been cheesy but S. D. pulled it off (I actually missed her credit when I read it - poet - and didn't realise it was her until after I'd finished; if I'd known I would've had higher expectations). I'm not entirely sure "Grow some balls or f*ck off..." is authentic Viking dialect, but I got a good belly laugh out of it all the same :laugh: While it's not my favourite story of the lot, it did contain by far my favourite moment from any of the Predator stories I've read so far, in this anthology or otherwise:
    Spoiler
    The bit where one of the Predators tore off a man's head with its bare hands and then threw it at another, knocking him down too. 10/10 :laugh:
    [close]
  10. BryanThomasS
    Quotea mixed bag

    Some happy predator you are  :laugh:




    QuoteMust say, the main selling point for this book in the first place for me was the prospect of an official Predator 2 follow up - and that's next up!
    That's my story. 😓 No pressure now.  Glad you enjoyed it so far!
  11. Marc505
    Long time lurker, first time poster.

    I've been looking forward to this for ages and am glad to say I wasn't disappointed. Down to the last few stories now and have found something to enjoy in each of them so far.

    I think my favourites would have to be "Stonewall's...", "Skeld's Keep" and "Three Sparks". The historical settings really add something and feel so vivid, in fact I'd be more than happy to read novel length stories set in these same eras. Special mention also to "Blood And Sand" which was unusual and nicely subtle for a Predator story. Hoping to see some fan artwork inspired by these stories start appearing on here soon to see other readers' takes on what some of these varied Predators would look like are.

    Must say, the main selling point for this book in the first place for me was the prospect of an official Predator 2 follow up - and that's next up!

    A triumph, well done to all involved.
  12. Corporal Hicks
    Quote from: Russ840 on Oct 31, 2017, 04:50:47 PM
    All my pictures are the incorrect format

    Email them to me at corporalhicks@avpgalaxy.net, don't upload them on the boards.


    Quote from: BryanThomasS on Nov 01, 2017, 01:31:45 AM
    HuDa,  The dog-beast is a cajun legend that has supposedly been there all along and been responsible for myterious disappearances and destruction of man, property, and animaks but is is a mythological creature.

    That kind of stuff I find really interesting and appealing. I can't remember - did any of the comics do something similar?
  13. BryanThomasS
    Oh... I never found any entries amongst the comments.


    HuDa,  The dog-beast is a cajun legend that has supposedly been there all along and been responsible for myterious disappearances and destruction of man, property, and animals but is is a mythological creature.
  14. HuDaFuK
    I've been meaning to send in a picture - I even have an idea for it worked out - but I just haven't had time, and the one chance this week I had I forgot to take the book with me lol.

    Anyway, despite not having much time to even read the thing, I managed to get through a few more stories.

    I've honestly never been the greatest fan of Perry Sr.'s writing style (I mentioned it when reviewing his early Aliens novels) and not much has changed. His story probably also would've been improved if I'd actually read Turnabout - my bad! Was enjoyable enough though. However, one thing that did genuinely bug me in this one was how the Predators in it suddenly lost the ability to see in infra red - a ghillie suit is just a set of overalls covered in bits of ragged cloth. Sure, it helps you hide from a human eye, but it does nothing to mask your body heat, and you'd be just as plainly visible to a Predator as if you were naked. So it made no sense that the Predators in the story repeatedly failed to see Sloane, at one point even when he was lying directly in front of them. I dunno, maybe I missed something not having not read Turnabout and they're actually in the future where ghillie suits are more hi-tech.

    May Blood Pave My Way Home was neat, I really liked the idea of Predators fighting alongside native American Indians. The only issue I took was that the one-on-one combat scenes reminded me a little too much of Robert Rodriguez's God-awful Predators script - it was nothing overt, but once I got the idea in my head, I just couldn't get it out :laugh:

    I thought the hurricane Katrina setting in Storm Blood was awesome. Not at all something I would've picked but it was a great concept. To be honest, I would've liked to see that setting play even more of a role in the story, rather than just being the backdrop, but it was still a cool choice nonetheless. I liked the way the story was written, with the documentary-style timestamps. The twist ending was bit on-the-nose but it did at least explain the Predator's (and the... can't remember its name, dog) actions throughout the tale. Only thing that confused me was whether the dog-beast was supposed to have been on Earth all along, or was something the Predator brought with it to hunt. The latter seems a bit like too much effort, but if it was the former you'd think someone would've noticed it (and I don't mean a team of loopy internet documentary makers) in this day and age.
  15. TheDerelict
    What a breath of fresh air "if it bleeds" is. Books in the Alien/Predator universe have been disappointing to say the least. Out of the shadows, Sea of sorrows and River of pain were awful. The rage war trilogy was a good science fiction story, a laughable Alien v Predator story.
    Aliens Bug hunt was a joke.....right?
    And Alien covenant origins was the worst thing i have ever read. Period.
    So i didn't hold out much hope for If it bleeds. Imagine my surprise when i got to the end and bloody enjoyed the whole thing. Skelds keep, Three sparks and The pilot being particular favourites. I absolutely loved Tim Lebbons Devil Dogs. It had better predator stuff in it than the entire Rage War trilogy.
    When it comes to the Predator i think show, don't tell works better. Im not a fan of predators with stupid sounding names talking about being unblooded or the thrill of the hunt. The whole Yautja thing has never worked for me. I like my Predator ruthless and mysterious. However, if a book is going to go down the Yautja route, at least give me some blood and guts, violent predators,  interesting and varied settings and some good human characters. Im happy to say if it bleeds does just that.
    We need more talent like this in books for the xenomorph side of things because i am sick and tired of the alien being nothing more than a cannon fodder space bug.
    Predator if it bleeds is awesome. Anyone else think stonewalls last stand was reminiscent of "hell come a walkin"? Possibly my favourite Predator comic.
  16. BryanThomasS
    QuoteAh, well...then it boils down to taste. [/font]


    Definitely. And nothing wrong with that. I appreciate the input because it will be kept in mind as I seek to do more in this universe.  My own story likely has a creature more to your taste.
  17. happypred
    Quote from: BryanThomasS on Oct 25, 2017, 05:18:01 AM
    I was replying to happypred. And Turnabout is my favorite of the novels. I just think a variety of creatures is perfectly valid and interesting. Plus a prepared human facing a prrdator again has advantages. I read all the novels. There are several predators like you describe in this book though.

    Ah, well...then it boils down to taste.

    I thought Turnabout was so-so, but South China Sea was far superior.

    As a fan, I can only tell you what works for me and what doesn't. Rematch failed for me and was my least favourite pick of the bunch. Maybe some other folks really like that type of story (I guess you'd be an example).
  18. Corporal Hicks
    Quote from: TheBATMAN on Oct 25, 2017, 07:09:08 AM
    Enjoyed Stormblood. Nice setting for a Predator story.

    Really unique setting! And the concept of
    Spoiler
    the Predator being on Earth to hunt something other than humans was a really refreshing idea, I thought!
    [close]

    There's a huge variety of shorts in If It Bleeds and that was something I really loved.

    Keep those competition entries coming! You stand a chance to win a bookplate signed by Bryan, Holly Roberds, Peter Wacks, and David Boop!

    http://www.avpgalaxy.net/2017/10/23/avpgalaxy-competition-predator-bleeds-signed-bookplates/
  19. BryanThomasS
    I was replying to happypred. And Turnabout is my favorite of the novels. I just think a variety of creatures is perfectly valid and interesting. Plus a prepared human facing a prrdator again has advantages. I read all the novels. There are several predators like you describe in this book though.
  20. happypred
    Bryan, not sure who you're replying to at this point...

    This is just my feedback as a long-term fan (have been a fan since the 90s).

    I'm OK with predators having human qualities...after all,  they are intelligent tool-folk, just like us. I feel in Rematch, they're portrayed as TOO human. It's really an issue of degree, not of principle...and of course, this is based on my personal taste.

    I greatly enjoyed Steve's novel AvP Prey. The predators in that are quite anthropomorphic and I'm totally fine with that. I think Rematch takes that a step too far by introducing what (to me) reads like a loving predator couple out on a romantic hunting safari.

    Based on Turnabout, I also knew immediately that old man Sloane was going to easily out-maneuvre the predator couple. To me, it's really bad two predators feel utterly outmatched by a human with a gun.

    That's just me. As an unabashed predator fan, I like it when my fave alien hunter is portrayed as...well...somewhat alien and  extremely formidable (but not invulnerable of course).

    I think Jeff Vandermeer's novel Predator South China Sea perfectly delivers the experience I want from predator fiction. Not surr if you've read it, but most people on this forum think it's the best predator novel out there.
  21. BryanThomasS
    I read all the graphic novel collections, all the novels, all the screenplays I could find, and rewatched the movies multiple times, including 2 AvP movies and 6 AvP novels. There are anthropomorphic aspects of the Predators portrayed all over the place. Some Predators are more ruthless, some more sporting, some more compassionate, some better at strategy, some not, some more emotional, some unemotional, etc. And I like that. But when it comes to an anthology, I needed that. If every story was what you describe, 17 stories would blend into one and it would be redundancy. Variety is the salvation of an anthology, and so exploring the aspects is key.

    That said, I could not disagree with your assessment of said story more vehemently. But I would never expect every story to appeal to every reader either.
  22. happypred
    In May Blood Pave My Way Home, were the human-sized predators midgets or children?

    Even the teen preds in AvP 2004 were much larger than humans.

    EDIT:

    Read "Rematch"...not a fan at all. The predators are portrayed as extemely human-like and on top of that, they're too easily dispatched and as a result, come across as really weak.

    I read predator stories hoping that my fave intergalactic hunter gets a chance to shine...either surviving or doing a lot of damage before falling. I don't read predator stories to read about how some old dude is awesome at shooting predators. It severely undercuts the power of the creature in my view.
  23. TheBATMAN
    That's cool. I just prefer the notion of intergalactic samurai warriors. Bloody, cold and utterly mysterious. I also think the books tend to overplay the 'honour' aspect and exaggerate just how sporting the Predators really are. I don't mind a bit of Predator mythology, but I'd rather their actions infer their intentions and leave it largely up to the reader's interpretation as opposed to having it all spelled out and explained to us. But that's just me. I know the Yautja culture has its fans.

    May Blood Pave My Way Home was enjoyable. Well-written characters in this one. I particularly liked the exchange between Pope and Private Steve at the beginning. The idea of the Preds hunting with the Indians to learn from them was also a nice touch.
  24. TheBATMAN
    Not a fan of Steve Perry's Turnabout sequel. Admittedly I haven't read the original story so I can't pass completely fair judgement, but I've tended to always steer away from his Predator stories as I'm not a fan of the whole 'Yautja' nonsense. People question why Ridley Scott needs to delve into the origins of the xenomorph and I feel the same applies with this obsession about Predator culture. They are far more scary and intimidating when all of that is kept a mystery. Stonewall's Last Stand was compelling because we didn't know what it was thinking or what it was doing, yet we knew it was there. In contrast I couldn't be more disinterested to learn that Predators can't be bothered to respect humans who are too old, Predators slashing car tyres and thinking about what they will tell the kids about their dead dad when they return home. It's too far removed from the creature in the original film for me.
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