Thursday, December 03, 2009

More Questions Please.

To continue my video learning curve I'd like more questions from you all. Try to avoid repeating the ones you'll find here and try to be specific. Any "How do you write a book?" questions will be answered with "A keyboard" and "How do you be a successful writer?" with "I sell books." I don't mind answering stuff outside of my SF, but I'm not going to get political ... or too political.

19 comments:

Jebel Krong said...

hi neal

firstly: where is the polity series headed now?

will you do more prequels, like prador moon/shadow of the scorpion?

are you considering another novel series a la line war?

and lastly: when can i buy you another beer?

cheers
dan

Bob Lock said...

Hi Neal,

We know you have a fantasy series already written but as yet unpublished, do you have any intention of putting it on the market?

Richard K Morgan who is primarily known for his gritty SF stories has done it, and done it very well too with his 'The Steel Remains', I for one, would be interested in reading your fantasy offerings, so...

Anonymous said...

What sci-fi books have you read recently that you would recommend?

Andy said...

I'm very keen on Mediterranean food (well food in general tbh)...

What's a great dish you have sampled while out in your home in the Mediterranean, and I mean of the kind of local dish that you didn't know about before living there for a bit..

Alexander Kruel said...

How far would you go in suppressing your own opinions to not upset potential buyers or people and corporates otherwise important regarding your income?

For example, you are asked about your religious views. Or something is really bothering you, would you stay away from openly taking a firm stand?

Grim's Reality said...

The words Vorpal and Runcible appear in your works. Are they picked from isolated poems you have read because they've come on your radar, or do you read poetry regularly and like to play with the the references?

Which if any of your creatures, has been directly inspired by the Jaberwoks description?

Kirby Uber said...

i mentioned a bit back i read the f. p. wilson "repairman jack" series, and rather enjoyed it.

curious, have you read them?

also, full length mason's rat novel? ;p

Neal Asher said...

Thanks for the questions - maybe I'll get round to doing another clip this weekend.

Sparks said...

Has the cormac arc definitively ended, or is there the possibility that we'll get to see what happens to the polity *after* the events of Line War? We know *something* of the polity must survive or Orlandine's story would have had less promise (and probably more dispersal of bodily fluids and other important bits :D ). Or have you lost interest in where the story goes from the end of Line War?

Sparks said...

And a second, far more important question - what's your zombie survival plan? :-)

Inchy said...

I recently watched the Danny Boyle film 'Sunshine', the DVD of which features a commentary by every housewives favourite physicist, Dr Brian Cox, who was a "scientific advisor" on the movie.
What I'd like to know is do you have someone that you bounce your ideas off regarding future tech? The reason I ask is that, like most of my favourite sci-fi authors, the tech employed in your works is, to me anyway, extremely plausible, almost as if its on the cusp of what we can currently achieve. Is this deliberate?

PS - I know that's actually two questions.

Neal Asher said...

I see I'm going to have to set a time limit here. By all means keep posting questions but don't be disappointed if I miss them this time round - I'll carry them over to the next clip.

Inchy said...

Have you created a monster?


...again?

Neal Asher said...

Seems I have, Inchy. But I'm guessing that as things go on there'll be repetitions (there already are here). What I'll do is just answer those question here in the comments and save the tasty ones for the video clip. You know, the nice ones like the one from XiXiDu!!!

Michael Cummings said...

Bah, probably too late to make the cut, and if this is posted elsewhere let me know, I think I still remember how to read ;) - How did you make your first break into publishing? Its one of those questions that every aspiring Neal Asher wannabe has to ask (who, me? press the vanity button??) as they toil away at their mundane, less than inventive stories. (beats what I did for nanowrimo anyway)

Unknown said...

My question is, how do you come up with the new technologies in your books and the unique ecologies of the planets you create? It seems quite daunting, either that or I am of limited imaginative scope.

Neal Asher said...

So where should I start with 'Repairman Jack' Kirby?

Sparks said...

Actually, "where do you start" is an interesting question in itself - do you start with the story by having an actual storyline in mind and building the environment around that; or do you build the environment in your mind first and see what storyline emerges naturally?

Kirby Uber said...

to repeat the answer here, start with The Tomb. 8)