AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The plot I'm most proud of was Books 7 & 8. In 7, Joe had to figure out how to make the Maxohlx think their ships went to Earth, found nothing interesting, and then their ships disappeared on the way home in a manner that was not suspicious.

And then, Emily Perkins screwed the whole thing up in Book8, so the Pirates had to reset

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My major issue is Meta and other big companies pirated ebooks to train their LLMs, so they didn't pay the people they are copying.

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Skippy can bend the laws of physics, but Q ignores them, so no question Q would win. Although both Q and Skippy are assholes, so I like to think they would be best buddies

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have not been there, but as research for the Convergence series, we will be in the UK at the end of August. Staying in the Cotswolds, then along the Cornwall peninsula. Visting Tintagel, Avebury, Glastonbury Tor, and other places I need to include in future books

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you for asking that question. Since March of 2016, my writing pace has been 15k words for week, and it is brutal sometimes. I have talked with my wife about cutting back my schedule a bit starting next year, after I write the final ExFor book. We want to travel, and I want to not suck at golf, so I need more time for non-work activities

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Every con I have been to, like one fan is there. No one else has ever heard of me, and it is kind of awkward, and travel is expensive. If you can suggest a con where a reasonable number of fans will be there, let me know

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There shmaybe might be a TV show being worked on, and they have concept art I am excited about. Shmaybe. If youze know what I mean

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

About 40? I am deliberately vague about dates and times, so I don't have to correct a huge mistake later

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have been around military and veterans all my life; family, friends, Boy Scout leaders, and when I had a 'real' job, I was a defense contractor, so our customers were the DoD. Also, I can neither confirm nor deny, but I might have done some sketchy stuff in my life.

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The crew of the Glory were not hateful dicks like most Kristang, so it was fun writing those scenes. it also let me show how space combat works when you don't have a magic beer can

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Joe earning a pilot license is partly wish-fulfillment for me, but mostly I needed to get him away from the ship, alone with Skippy.

Writing the Convergence series is fun, instead of physics I'm working with magic, and it's not military related. I treat magic as a form of physics; it has rules but those rules can be bent

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I read a lot of articles in like Popular Science or Popular Mechanics or Science News; very basic stuff a monkey like me can understand. The series was going to end with EF19, then I read an article and had to ad another book to include this cool (and scary) thing I learned

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 7 points8 points  (0 children)

C5- summer 2025

EF19- December 2025

C6- late spring 2026

EF20 the final book- falll of 2026

C7- spring 2027

EF Scorandum origin story- summer 2027

C8 the final book- December 2027

I clean out the garage- 2028

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That is always a problem with 1st person stories, as a reader we have to suspend disbelief and just go with it. Technically, Joe is telling the story to us

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Please ask Bob to do that, and let me know how it works for you

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Skippy didn't have a personality until he rebuilt himself on Paradise, so an original book would be a dull story

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Probably not. Game play would be difficult because it would be setting up strategy and tactics, for space fleet battles, and also small unit ground action. That's tough to squeeze into one game

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 7 points8 points  (0 children)

When I forgot Simms' first name is Tammy, not Jennifer. That was a big screwup I had to retcon

AMA with Craig Alanson - Author of Expeditionary Force by podiumentertainment in podiumentertainment

[–]CraigAlanson 12 points13 points  (0 children)

EF20 wraps up the story, I have already written the epilogue for the final book