Ask Steve Perry

[steveperry]

Steve, in Female-War, when you described the "Mother-Queen", the description sounded very different than what was in the Dark horse comic.

I never really like the Dark-horse art depicting her, and she looked too much like a Cricket.

The version you described, in my mind looked more like a overgrown version of the Queen we saw in the movie Aliens, and I liked your description much better.

Just wondering what you were envisioning when you described her in the book.

I remember you said 8 meters tall, and four arms (like a normal Queen), and in the DH comic she looked like an insect, and did not even have arms.

It's a different form. I have to paint a picture with words, which are poor tools compared to pictures. Everybody brings a different viewpoint to a story; you work with what you got, do the best you can.
I don't recall the exact timeline, I might have seen A2 by then and incorporated that into my description.

[Meathead320]

It's a different form. I have to paint a picture with words, which are poor tools compared to pictures. Everybody brings a different viewpoint to a story; you work with what you got, do the best you can.
I don't recall the exact timeline, I might have seen A2 by then and incorporated that into my description.

I see. At least you bothered to see A2.

I think the artist that drew her for DH never saw it.

[Kimarhi]

I despised Sam Kieth's artwork initially.











Then it began to grow on me.

[SM]

What, like a tumour?

I still despise it.  I bought the first 3 issues of Earth War way back whenever it was they came out, and couldn't be arsed buying the last issue to find out the end of the story because the artwork was so unbelivably inappropriate.  I ended up relenting a couple of months later, and it was such a let down after books 1 and 2.

[Corporal Hicks]

That's the 3rd one right? The only sore spot in what would otherwise be a flawless Aliens Omnibus.

[SiL]

Well, my position is pretty obvious. I thought Alien looked great, but it was an idiot-plot and I wasn't impressed with it. Walter Hill is a great producer. Not a writer. His taste in cheese is different than mine.
Which is why I think A2 was a better movie -- Cameron likes skiffy and it shows.

Well, if we're gonna talk about idiot plots, I think Aliens would easily rank up there with the best. It's a great lesson in how to dumb everything down, from your main characters to your enemy, for the sole purpose of having a particular scene -- In this case, Ripley saving Newt.

If it had been competent, fully armed marines that were taken out by the Aliens, then Ripley going in single-handed would've been even more ridiculous. Cameron had to completely disarm his marines for the first fight, making the Aliens all the less imposing when you finally realise that the Aliens are, for all intents and purposes, taking out darn-near unarmed opponents.

Which means they aren't so dangerous after all. Which means a woman lugging around two heavy guns with five minutes' worth of training can go into the hive and do considerable amounts of damage without getting a scratch on her.

[Meathead320]

Well, my position is pretty obvious. I thought Alien looked great, but it was an idiot-plot and I wasn't impressed with it. Walter Hill is a great producer. Not a writer. His taste in cheese is different than mine.
Which is why I think A2 was a better movie -- Cameron likes skiffy and it shows.

Well, if we're gonna talk about idiot plots, I think Aliens would easily rank up there with the best. It's a great lesson in how to dumb everything down, from your main characters to your enemy, for the sole purpose of having a particular scene -- In this case, Ripley saving Newt.

If it had been competent, fully armed marines that were taken out by the Aliens, then Ripley going in single-handed would've been even more ridiculous. Cameron had to completely disarm his marines for the first fight, making the Aliens all the less imposing when you finally realise that the Aliens are, for all intents and purposes, taking out darn-near unarmed opponents.

Which means they aren't so dangerous after all. Which means a woman lugging around two heavy guns with five minutes' worth of training can go into the hive and do considerable amounts of damage without getting a scratch on her.

Those are still the things about A2 I did not like.

I liked the way the Queen looked, but with the loader scene Cameron even made her look weak.

[DB]

Same. I love the movie, but I can't really be afraid or feel threatened by a creature that isn't really very dangerous at all. I have the same problem with some of the more recent novels - the Aliens are incompetent pansies, so I don't really become afraid or affected by them.

Replace them with other creatures and you could have similar circumstances. The Aliens don't feel as unique.

[SiL]

Well Mr. Perry, you may be happy to know I just got your first two Alien novels in an omnibus for 6 bucks at a second hand bookshop. They also had MIB but I didn't have the money.

[SM]

Not sure he'd be that happy - I don't think authors get royalties for second hand sales. 

[Uncanny Antman]

Surely not unhappy though. 

[jacorama]

man im a big fan of him i got all his comics ~!!lol

[Corporal Hicks]

He wrote novels.

[Kimarhi]

Stradley wrote the comics.

[SM]

And Mark Verheiden.