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

[happypred]

Flesh and Blood also included Hish but a much more refined and movie-like interpretation of them and it was still a very strong novel. The Predator ones kept getting better and better.

As good as South China Sea?

[Corporal Hicks]

Nah. I'd say in terms of quality it went in order of release but with a nice jump after Forever Midnight.

[Ultramorph]

I really do need to track down South China Sea. It's a shame how expensive used copies are on Amazon.

On another note, it would also be cool if we got totally surprised and the mystery villain doesn't turn out to be the dog-aliens, but rather some new force. The dog-aliens didn't seem like a conquering culture, just based on what little we saw of their civilization in Out of the Shadows. They seemed more like traders who got overrun by the xenomorphs.

[Corporal Hicks]

I really do need to track down South China Sea. It's a shame how expensive used copies are on Amazon.

Holy shit. I just checked eBay to find you some cheap ones and they're f**king pricey on there too! When did that happen? I might have a spare, I'll need to check.

On another note, it would also be cool if we got totally surprised and the mystery villain doesn't turn out to be the dog-aliens, but rather some new force. The dog-aliens didn't seem like a conquering culture, just based on what little we saw of their civilization in Out of the Shadows. They seemed more like traders who got overrun by the xenomorphs.

I'd be disappointed if they didn't return in some form though. I hate being introduced to some ancient dead alien race and it never being properly explored.

[HuDaFuK]

Holy shit. I just checked eBay to find you some cheap ones and they're f**king pricey on there too! When did that happen? I might have a spare, I'll need to check.

They've been like it for a while. When I started reading through the Aliens novels I had a cursory glance at some of the later books that intend to pick up eventually, and for some reason South China Sea costs a bomb. It's strange because a bunch of the other DH Press novels are still available new directly from Amazon. They must've printed f*ck-all copies of that last book.

[Corporal Hicks]

To be fair it took me ages to finally get my initial copies too.

[RakaiThwei]

I'm surprised that the Yautja concept is being used. Of course while they are my preferred version, I kind of have this.. distrust.. no, not distrust, but apprehensiveness-- yes, that's the word I want to use, towards anyone else aside from the Perry's writing them.. Although David Bischoff was the exception. I'm not sure what Lebbon has in mind for the Yautja, or what he's going to reference with them but I just hope he doesn't introduce things which conflict with the clan based society and tribal culture or things which take away how unique this race is, now that Prometheus is influencing things.

[Corporal Hicks]

So I'm not sure what's happening here but I tweeted Tim last night. I asked if he'd read the Perry AvPs in preparation.

He replied: "Nope, this is purely my take. The Aaron-Percival is a ship, by the way!"

One of my followers replied with: "can we expect some stuff from the Predator perspective?"

To which Tim replied: "No, I wanted to keep them very alien."

I don't think they're actually Yautja. I think it's just a marketing f**k up.

[HuDaFuK]

Or perhaps that's now just the accepted name for the species, similar to how Sea of Sorrows gave us Xenomorph XX121?

[Corporal Hicks]

Or perhaps that's now just the accepted name for the species?

Wouldn't surprise me. They use it on all the NECA figures. This makes me sad.

[The Alien Predator]

And they used "Yautja" in some behind the scenes stuff for the Predators movie.

So, we won't be seeing Predator pov stuff then, how do you think this will play out? From a purely human standpoint? Like in Out of the Shadows, where there was no Alien pov whatsoever.

It's cool to see them try to keep the Predators 'alien' here and not go into too much detail, I was kinda hoping we'd see their relationships with other races. Maybe the races humans made contact with have had legends or mentioned the Predators, or the humans can mention their past relationships.

So long as the novel is interesting and engaging like the previous Titan books trilogy and the "Aliens: Genocide" books I am reading by David Bischoff, it's really interesting.

[RakaiThwei]

So I'm not sure what's happening here but I tweeted Tim last night. I asked if he'd read the Perry AvPs in preparation.

He replied: "Nope, this is purely my take. The Aaron-Percival is a ship, by the way!"

So.. he's not really using the Yautja concept, and we're going to be seeing something entirely different? Eeeeeeeeeehhh... I've got some mixed feelings about that but if it's done similarly to how Turnabout or South China Sea was from how I've heard, I might be okay with that. Might be. Thing is.. everyone has their own vision of what the Predators are supposed to be, and not everyone agrees, and this mixed bag just makes it into official material for the most part.

As for the ship being called Aaron-Percival.. Was he joking? I kind of hope that he is joking.

One of my followers replied with: "can we expect some stuff from the Predator perspective?"

To which Tim replied: "No, I wanted to keep them very alien."

Again, as long as it's done in the style of Turnabout and South China Sea, I might be okay with that. But again, every writer has their own vision of what the Predators are supposed to be. So it's a mixed bag for me when they try and put their vision out.

I don't think they're actually Yautja. I think it's just a marketing f**k up.

Agreed save for one thing.. I don't think it was a marketing muck up, but an intentional marketing ploy to get Yautja fans excited and somehow in more than one way, invested into buying this novel. That's just how marketing works. So really, it's a hook-bait to get Yautja fans lined in and reeled in for a book that has something else in mind.

But I'm wondering if Lebbon will be keeping the honor aspects of the Predator, assuming he's not ditching that.

[Corporal Hicks]

As for the ship being called Aaron-Percival.. Was he joking? I kind of hope that he is joking.

I'm not. I want a f**king ship named after me. xD

Again, as long as it's done in the style of Turnabout and South China Sea, I might be okay with that. But again, every writer has their own vision of what the Predators are supposed to be. So it's a mixed bag for me when they try and put their vision out.

I think the point is we aren't going to get anything like in Turnabout or South China Sea. Nothing from inside the Predator's head.

So really, it's a hook-bait to get Yautja fans lined in and reeled in for a book that has something else in mind.

Fair point. I think it's just how Fox consider the Predator's now. In terms of name.

But I'm wondering if Lebbon will be keeping the honor aspects of the Predator, assuming he's not ditching that.

Depends on your interpretation. I still think they don't have honor.

[RakaiThwei]

I'm not. I want a f**king ship named after me. xD

If I could post the look on my face.

I think the point is we aren't going to get anything like in Turnabout or South China Sea. Nothing from inside the Predator's head.

Well what I mean by refering to Turnabout and South China Sea is the presentation of the Predators. Neither of those novels referred to those Predators as Hish or Yautja, so they could go in either category but.. they still portrayed them as Hunters. Nothing more, nothing less. And I hope that's what we get.. in a way.

Fair point. I think it's just how Fox consider the Predator's now. In terms of name.

Maybe so but.. for a lot of people, the Yautja concept isn't really seen as canon. I prefer the Yautja concept, and while I do see it as canon but if you take what was said from Lebbon, and the summary.. well.. story wins out. So, I'm inclined to believe one way or another, we're not getting Yautja. I'm mixed about that, I'm happy but at the same time disappointed.

Depends on your interpretation. I still think they don't have honor.

That's the thing, EVERYONE has their own interpretation and sometimes.. that ideology has made it into the official material. Canon or otherwise, that's why we have two different Predators. Yautja and Hish.

Anyway, I shot off two questions for Lebbon, hopefully he'll answer them.

[Corporal Hicks]

I'm not. I want a f**king ship named after me. xD

If I could post the look on my face.

Why do you have to be like this? Why can't I have a ship?

Well what I mean by refering to Turnabout and South China Sea is the presentation of the Predators. Neither of those novels referred to those Predators as Hish or Yautja, so they could go in either category but.. they still portrayed them as Hunters. Nothing more, nothing less. And I hope that's what we get.. in a way.

In that case definitely. I like my lethal hunters. If the general feeling of the Predators invokes a sense of Turnabout or SCS I'd be a very very happy reader.

Maybe so but.. for a lot of people, the Yautja concept isn't really seen as canon. I prefer the Yautja concept, and while I do see it as canon but if you take what was said from Lebbon, and the summary.. well.. story wins out. So, I'm inclined to believe one way or another, we're not getting Yautja. I'm mixed about that, I'm happy but at the same time disappointed.

That would definitely seem to be the way of it. I'm quite happy personally. I hate getting into their heads.

Anyway, I shot off two questions for Lebbon, hopefully he'll answer them.

Please post up any responses. 

That's the thing, EVERYONE has their own interpretation and sometimes.. that ideology has made it into the official material. Canon or otherwise, that's why we have two different Predators. Yautja and Hish.

You have the Yautja and the Hish because Shirley didn't know about the Yautja.