Hi All,
I appreciate the spirited discussion and I love to see the passion exhibited for what has been done with the Predators since the first film. Let's see if I can address everyone's points.
Corporal Hicks, I said I wasn't going deep into the heads of the Hish, and allow me to clarify. Mike had a very specific idea for how he wanted them handled, hence his decision not to give them dialogue. I'm essentially leaving the deep thinking and POV work to Mike, giving him something to work with. The Hish culture is a fascinating one given that they've essentially allowed themselves to put the Hunt above all else, letting them become scavengers to improve on weapons and technology. This single-mindedness has pitfalls that would make for interesting stories down the road.
Ultimate Predator, given that I have a day job and other commitments, I try and allow myself two to three months to completely write a novel once the outline is approved. In this case, as explored in the interview, it was written under tighter circumstances but it's nice to know I can actually write an entire novel in a month.
Sealink, you raise some very valid issues from a fan's perspective. However, what we need to keep in mind is that the Predator is owned by Twentieth Century-Fox and they direct how their franchise is to be handled by licensees. If current licensing management wants a fresh approach to the novels, then that is what DH Books will instruct its writers. If the fans love the previous version so much they boycott the new novels, then 20th learns a lesson. On the other hand, if the DH version sells as well or better, then that means the material may be appealing to an even broader audience.
As for ignoring the decades of canon, it wasn't my choice. Had I been told to follow the "canon" (a word that is given extreme reverence by Star Trek fans), then I would have done my homework and satisfied that request.
Also, allow me to clarify my other point. I found P2 unsuccessful because the atmosphere that worked so well in the first was gone. It was too brightly lit, the Predators and humans interacted with no sense of mystery and I just didn't like it. Also, you will see some extreme hunting between humans and predators in our novel, but they won't be going out for beers afterwards.
Sara, again, we're following DH and 20th's editorial direction so we're sharing the universe with FM but not necessarily going out of our way to link them. Our book stands fairly well on its own. And remember, for those who feel FM or anything else is "crap", there are others who love it. We have a wide range of readers and opinions and rarely is the opinion universal for or against.
We didn't tale an entirely new approach because we didn't need to. The elements incorporated from FM are really minor with the exception of continuing to refer to the Predators as Hish. I'd like to think fans of the first film will find our book satisfying. When it comes out, read it and we can continue this discussion.
