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CJ Carella, Game Designer Turned Novelist Interviewed on Podcast

Started by WillInNewHaven, March 05, 2018, 11:01:24 PM

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Omega

#1
March 07, 2018, 03:33:29 AM
Hope his novel writing is better than his novel covers.

RPGPundit

#2
March 08, 2018, 06:53:23 AM
Carella did good work on RIFTS. Like most game designers, I'd strongly distrust his ability as a novelist.
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Armchair Gamer

#3
March 08, 2018, 10:55:50 AM
Quote from: RPGPundit;1028412Carella did good work on RIFTS. Like most game designers, I'd strongly distrust his ability as a novelist.

   Some have been dire ... others, such as Aaron Allston (RIP), have been pretty good.

tenbones

#4
March 08, 2018, 11:13:33 AM
I read a few excerpts from his site. It obviously draws heavily from his gaming habit, but it has a self-aware humor to it. It's not my normal cup of tea, but it's not bad. But you know, that doesn't mean anything from an excerpt. His Warp Marine Corps stuff looks more interesting than his other stuff.

I may give it a whirl... but my reading list is pretty booked so it'll be a while.

Ulairi

#5
March 08, 2018, 11:55:31 AM
Does he talk about us Rifts stuff in the interview? He did great work on it . Never read his novels

tenbones

#6
March 08, 2018, 12:40:45 PM
It looks like his latest book is *very* Rifts inspired.

Ulairi

#7
March 08, 2018, 01:47:09 PM
Quote from: tenbones;1028452It looks like his latest book is *very* Rifts inspired.

Is that the Warp Marine Corps novels? He's written a lot and if it is Rifts inspired I'll give it a go.

tenbones

#8
March 08, 2018, 02:11:10 PM
I honestly don't know. I've never read any of his books - just checked out a few excerpts. The Warp Marines has a very "40k"-ish kinda feel. Space opera.

His new book is a series of short stories in the same setting "Land of Gods and Monsters" -

The Many Worlds: Alternate Earths where history played out differently, magic or superhuman abilities exist, the future is here and humans must battle hostile aliens, or entities of myth and legend are alive and active in the affairs of humankind.

Four tales of heroic action, epic fantasy, military science fiction and alternate history.

A Land of Gods and Monsters: Will was a divorced, unemployed loser who lived only to play his favorite roleplaying game, until one day he died and woke up in the body of his player character. Trapped in a madman's castle, can his now-real abilities help him survive? A Land of Gods and Monsters is a 30,000-word novella introducing a new fictional universe.

Lori's War: When hostile aliens strike at a remote colony world, the fate of an entire town is in the hands of a teenage girl recovering from a terrible loss, and the town drunk – who happens to be a Warp Marine. This 7,000-word short story first appeared in the Galactic Frontiers anthology and is being released here with additional content and revisions.

Golden Horde: The year is 1968, and the US is mired in a war in Asia. But this war is being waged in China, and the military fields entire units of superhuman men and women who will pit their powers against a mad tyrant's own Celestial Warriors. Set in the world of Armageddon Girl, this 18,000-word novella first appeared in the New Olympus collection and is being re-released with additional content and revisions.

The Way the World Ends: When freak events – people from other times and place begin appearing all over the world – cause society to collapse, will a young boy manage to protect his family in the face of supernatural evil?

sounds very Rifts to me!

mAcular Chaotic

#9
March 08, 2018, 03:16:46 PM
Quote from: RPGPundit;1028412Carella did good work on RIFTS. Like most game designers, I'd strongly distrust his ability as a novelist.

What does game design have to do with novel writing?
Battle doesn\'t need a purpose; the battle is its own purpose. You don\'t ask why a plague spreads or a field burns. Don\'t ask why I fight.

crkrueger

#10
March 08, 2018, 03:34:57 PM
Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;1028457What does game design have to do with novel writing?

Nothing, which is why he's dubious about the writing ability of good, if not great, game designers.
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mAcular Chaotic

#11
March 08, 2018, 03:50:21 PM
Quote from: CRKrueger;1028458Nothing, which is why he's dubious about the writing ability of good, if not great, game designers.

I mean there's nothing stopping them from also being good writers. It's just as likely if it has no relation. So why distrust specifically.
Battle doesn\'t need a purpose; the battle is its own purpose. You don\'t ask why a plague spreads or a field burns. Don\'t ask why I fight.

Ratman_tf

#12
March 08, 2018, 04:44:02 PM
Carella introduced a lot more short story stuff into Rifts and there's a good amount in the Nightbane RPG. (Which I think is a great RPG)
The quality is... I'm going to coin a phrase and call it Stackpole-esque. It's very technical and procedural and the more emotional and personal stuff is very hackeneyed. A lot like the Brian Herbert/KJA Dune books as well.
Now, these are short stories in RPG books, not at all a proper comparison to a novel, but it is a sampling of his writing.
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Darrin Kelley

#13
March 08, 2018, 05:27:08 PM
Quote from: RPGPundit;1028412Carella did good work on RIFTS. Like most game designers, I'd strongly distrust his ability as a novelist.

I have the actual original trilogy of Rifts novels. They read like a weapons catalog, The writer was absolutely terrible.
 

JeremyR

#14
March 08, 2018, 09:29:20 PM
Still probably better than anything Kevin J Anderson ever wrote. Much less Brian Herbert
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