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.
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- The pictures submitted will not be published on the website unless consent is given by the competition participant.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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Considering how I've seen zero official promotion for this (here in the UK at least), that's good to hear!
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.
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.
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
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
Spoiler
Some happy predator you are
That's my story. 😓 No pressure now. Glad you enjoyed it so far!
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.
Email them to me at corporalhicks@avpgalaxy.net, don't upload them on the boards.
That kind of stuff I find really interesting and appealing. I can't remember - did any of the comics do something similar?
Ah, cool! I did consider after the fact if maybe it was something along those lines, but didn't get around to researching it.
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.
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
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.
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. Please also post your review at Amazon and B and N to help sell the book. Good sales means I can make more.
B
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.
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.
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).
Really unique setting! And the concept of
Spoiler
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.