Posted by Bob Greenberger on January 28, 2013
My second personal contribution to the six eBook series of After Earth: Ghost Stories goes live today. Redemption tells a fresh tale about one of the six people who developed the ability to mask their presence from the alien predators called the Ursa. The ghosts are a significant element in the After Earth universe and these stories allow us to provide glimpses into what this world is all about before the feature film opens in June.
The official description tells us:
Anderson Kincaid was only seven when one of the monstrous killing machines known as the Ursa tore off his arm. It would have killed him, too, had a Ranger not sacrificed her own life to save his. Ever since, Anderson has wanted to be a Ranger. After years of relentless training with an artificial limb, his hopes are crushed the day Cypher Raige himself comes knocking—to explain the Corps’ strict rule against accepting applicants with prosthetics. His dream denied, Anderson joins the Civilian Defense Corps, only to find himself once again face-to-face with an Ursa. No savior in sight, he must rely on himself—and a power he never knew he had—to survive.
The book is available in a wide variety of formats via the Random House website so go take a look. My first effort, Peace, went on sale New Year’s Day and so far I have received a single piece of feedback, which was thankfully positive. I hope more of you try this one and let me know what you think.
Continuing the biweekly cycle will be two from Mike Friedman and well worth your attention as well.
For those who prefer to read their adventures in print, please note that the first three eBooks, two from Peter David and Peace, will be found in the prequel novel A Perfect Beast, by Peter, Mike, and yours truly, while the other three will be included in the After Earth movie novelization by Peter.
Meantime, the United Ranger Corps Survival Manual, which I wrote for Insight Editions, is off to press and is chockfull of information about the universe that will make it an excellent companion volume.
Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 31, 2012
Last day of a tough year, made tougher by yesterday’s news that my longtime, close friend Peter David had a stroke. But, the end of the year brings about a chance for reflection, an opportunity to be reminded of the highs and lows.
The highest high is that in May I was awarded my Master’s Degree in Education and the year ended with the state certifying me on the 21st, the last step before employment. I never thought I’d need a Master’s in anything, then again, I didn’t expect to need a second career so change is one of those annoying certainties.
Coupled with those highs were the lows that were the first round of student teaching and the frustration that were my two online courses this summer. Thankfully, the fall student teaching was far more satisfying and useful.
In my other profession, I managed to complete packaging the second graphic novel for the Discovery Channel and Zenescope’s Silver Dragon Books imprint. It turned out well despite the constant revisions that caused us to run late. My long-delayed The Art of Howard Chaykin book finally saw print as did the well-received Star Trek: The Complete Unauthorized History. In the digital world, Crazy 8 Press released my contribution to the Latchkeys universe, The Ugly Little Bloke. The series has such promise but a digital series for YA readers just hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. Then there’s ReDeus: Divine Tales, which debuted in August, got some nice notices and sales, encouraging me, Aaron Rosenberg and Paul Kupperberg to ready two more volumes for 2013. Some people think well enough of my creative work as witnessed by Hallmark inviting me out to lecture on worldbuilding in October. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 20, 2012
Since ending school work last week, the bulk of my desk time has been spent doing After Earth related tasks. And look, the website went live when I wasn’t looking. Beyond the trailer, it begins to dole out information on the characters and their world, much drawn from the film and some drawn from material Peter David, Mike Friedman, and I generated. What I find most refreshing is that there is a tab that opens up a sidebar that allows you to see the tie-in material currently available, from the Dynamite one-shot to the digital short stories. That’s a rare acknowledgement of the licensed prose and thrills me no end. Take a peek and let me know what you think.
Speaking of the short Ghost Stories from Random House, it turns out the original monthly schedule has been accelerated so all six are being rolled out with biweekly precision. Coming on New Year’s Day is my first, Peace. Here are the covers and official blurbs for the remaining five. For just under $6 you can get a real taste for the universe well before the prequel novel or the film itself. Not a bad investment.
On a distant planet called Nova Prime, the United Ranger Corps defends the galaxy’s remaining humans from an alien race known as the Skrel and their genetically engineered predators, the Ursa. But when one Ranger discovers the secret to destroying the enemy, she faces a decision no one should have to make. “Ghost Stories: Birthright” is the third of six eBook short stories that lead up to the events of After Earth, the epic science fiction adventure film directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Jaden Smith and Will Smith.
Peace by me, available January 1
Kevin Diaz’s parents raised him as a pacifist—hence their outrage upon learning their son is joining the Ranger ranks. But Kevin believes that peace is worth fighting for. And fight he must, to withstand a surprise onslaught of Ursa. As Prime Commander Cypher Raige launches a counteroffensive, Kevin arrives in time to watch both comrades and civilians cut down in a nightmare of blood and terror. Suddenly, he understands that being a Ranger, even the best Ranger, isn’t enough against an enemy that can disappear at will, strike with lightning speed, and tear a man in half with one swipe. Kevin took an oath to preserve humanity, but to do so, he’ll have to blaze a path few others have.
Birthright by Peter David, available January 14
After watching her husband die in a horrible accident, Mallory McGuiness has only one option: Keep working. Rangers have duties. Responsibilities. Mallory is just that—an ordinary Ranger—until she vanquishes one of the nearly invincible Ursa and realizes she is much, much more. Unfortunately, the power to save the human race from extinction comes riddled with questions, conflicts, and no guarantees, only impossible choices. Frustrated by her suddenly tame assignments, Mallory considers jumping the chain of command, taking her grievance directly to Commanding General Cypher Raige. But she stifles the impulse long enough to tangle with destiny on a desert mission where nothing’s supposed to go wrong . . . and everything does.
Redemption by me, available January 28
Anderson Kincaid was only seven when one of the monstrous killing machines known as the Ursa tore off his arm. It would have killed him, too, had a Ranger not sacrificed her own life to save his. Ever since, Anderson has wanted to be a Ranger. After years of relentless training with an artificial limb, his hopes are crushed the day Cypher Raige himself comes knocking—to explain the Corps’ strict rule against accepting applicants with prosthetics. His dream denied, Anderson joins the Civilian Defense Corps, only to find himself once again face-to-face with an Ursa. No savior in sight, he must rely on himself—and a power he never knew he had—to survive.
Savior by Michael Jan Friedman, available February 11
Ranger Jon Blackburn wakes up from voluntary brain surgery, dazed and confused. He is a hero . . . or at least he will be one, if the delicate operation to remove his sense of fear was successful. Blackburn consented to take part in the experimental initiative to increase the Rangers’ reserve of “Ghosts,” soldiers whose lack of fear renders them invisible to the deadly Ursa. All indications are that it’s a spectacular success—but Blackburn doesn’t feel special; he doesn’t feel honored when Cypher Raige, the Original Ghost, personally thanks him. In fact, he doesn’t really feel much of anything. Doctors say that his fear is gone, but something else is missing, too; something Blackburn may not be able to get back, unless he can piece together this twisted jigsaw puzzle and find a way to become whole again.
Atonement by Michael Jan Friedman, available February 25
Black market divas do not generally swell the ranks of Ranger recruits, and Kat Bellamy is no exception. In fact, Kat’s looking at serious jail time—until she lands a few good ones on the flesh-eating Ursa that busts in during her arrest. Kat’s audacious behavior earns her a get-out-of-jail-free card from Commanding General Cypher Raige, with one stipulation: that she join the Rangers instead. Soon Kat’s a cadet, but while the physical challenges pose no problem, teamwork skills don’t come easily to a loner who trusts no one—especially when small gains are dwarfed by crushing defeats. Torn by doubt and tempted to give up, Kat presses on . . . unaware that the answer’s out there, just an arm’s length from the next Ursa.
Posted by Bob Greenberger on December 17, 2012
After months and months of work and planning, last week the teaser trailer for After Earth finally debuted around the world both online and in theaters showing The Hobbit. I think it looks pretty cool, demonstrating just enough to hook you.
For those interested, the Facebook page for the film is now being populated with a ton of details from the backstory Peter David, Mike Friedman, and I conjured up. It’s very cool to see it all in place.
Meantime, Peter’s first digital short, “Hunted” just went live. There’s an excerpt over at io9.com and you can pick the digital format of your choice over at Random House’s page. Coming next month will be my first short, “Redemption”.
Let us know what you think.
Posted by Bob Greenberger on November 28, 2012
A while back I talked about the various tie-in books related to After Earth, the June 2013 release that Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman and I have been working on. Since then, a few things have moved and others freshly announced so I wanted to take a moment to update everyone.
The big news is that the book I mentioned I had a crushing one month to write in October is now officially announced. Insight Editions, which does slick pop culture coffeetable book, will be releasing my United Ranger Corps Survival Manual in May. The 160-page book will provide tons of details about the universe After Earth is set in and will work as a fine companion piece to the feature film. It’s been interesting using our series bible and film script to guide me since we found gaps or contradictions that will require some smoothing over. But it also meant I got to add some additional depth and detail about the world. No cover yet, but here’s the official blurb:
One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s flight from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind’s new home. Legendary soldier Cypher Raige (Will Smith) returns to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his thirteen-year-old son Kitai (Jaden Smith). While traveling to a nearby planet, an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai’s ship, and they crash-land on an inhospitable Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain in order to recover their rescue beacon, encountering highly evolved creatures and a ruthless alien beast along the way. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance.
This immersive in-universe book takes readers inside the world of After Earth. Featuring stunning artwork from the movie, along with unit photography and other eye-catching visuals, the United Ranger Corps Survival Manual is the ultimate in-universe guide to After Earth, the thrilling new movie starring Jaden Smith and Will Smith.
Meantime, Ghost Stories, the six digital short stories by the three of us, was delayed from October to December, to capitalize on the release of the film’s first trailer, which will be tied to The Hobbit, opening December 14. The first of the monthly releases, “Hunted”, will be by Peter and will be available for download in all formats imaginable on the 14th. I’ll be up next with January’s “Peace”. Others will follow and I will keep you informed. Here’s the official blurb for “Hunted”.
On a distant planet called Nova Prime, the United Ranger Corps defends the galaxy’s remaining humans from an alien race known as the Skrel and their genetically engineered predators, the Ursa. But one ordinary man may have just found the key to humanity’s last stand: a secret weapon hidden deep within his own psyche. “Ghost Stories: Hunted” is the first of six eBook short stories that lead up to the events of After Earth, the epic science fiction adventure film directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Jaden Smith and Will Smith.
For all his charm, looks, and skills on the holographic battlefield, Daniel Silver has been drifting through life in Nova Prime City. After proposing to his girlfriend and getting rejected in the cruelest way possible, Daniel has no choice but to accept an altogether different kind of proposition. Sigmund Ryerson, an eccentric energy magnate, has asked him to lead a civilian expedition to take down an Ursa, the flesh-eating beast that Daniel has only ever faced in simulations. The excursion could get them all killed, if a patrolling Ranger doesn’t arrest them first. But when Daniel’s death wish nearly comes true, a twist of fate leads him to make a discovery that will change his life—and life on Nova Prime.
Finally, something the trio is not writing will be the young adult tie-in, Kitai’s Journal, which is being written by Christine Peymani. She and I were recently in touch, as I answered her questions raised by the bible, and think her book will be fine reading. No blurb or cover yet.
We’ll talk more about this after you have seen the trailer.
Posted by Bob Greenberger on October 23, 2012
After Earth: Innocence was a one-shot comic given out at the movie panel at San Diego Comic-Con with a nifty Jae Lee cover. The commercial version, with a cover by my pal Dennis Calero, was released by Dynamite Entertainment last Wednesday.
In the wake of its release, the reviews have been coming in and I am delighted with the response so far. First up was VG Revolution and they said, “I did not really know what to expect going into a comic that is a prequel to a movie that I know just a little about…However, the comic does a really nice job of both explaining the back story of the After Earth universe but also working in some action.
“It has a lot of action and yet the action is not the point of the story. It is really well written and kept me reading what is essentially the ancestral history of a character in a movie that I’ve not even seen a trailer for. Yes, I was fully engrossed as I read it.”
The Lottery Party weighed in, saying, “This thoughtful one-shot is a self-contained does of heavy science fiction, with a father sharing defining moments of their culture’s near thousand years of history with his young son by way of a bedtime story. And the story is wide scale, detailing how humans leave the homeworld following environmental devastation, and the slow turn to find a new home while conquering their own innate malfeasance.
“Friedman and Greenberger are aces of sci-fi of course, in comics and prose, and their conjoined efforts craft a thorough story vividly set far in the future.”
Then there’s Comic Hype, which notes, “The history is the critical part to the tie-in, and like any sci-fi universe, it’s important to learn, in order to fully understand the plot and why things are the way they are. The book will tell you about the Savant and Primus people, their leaders, how war broke out, and explains Carter Raige’s involvement. I particularly noticed some well scripted panels that detail lighting and shadowing as they show Beni Lobel‘s pages as comfortable and intrinsic to earth in a way. Nova Prime comes alive on these pages as the ships, the people, the action, and the writing all flow into what ends up being a very good read. The writing and closeness or similarity communicated between one Raige generation to the next, was very well crafted and like any great fiction bit, the weight of the relationships or the drama in my mind, trumps the action and special effects.”
One Geek Nation gave it a 3, disliking the framing sequence but happy with the rest of the book. They said, “Despite the poor structure of the narrative, again something that was beyond the writers’ control, Michael and Robert do an excellent job of conveying how father is attempting to pass on wisdom to son by telling the story of how a son actually passed on wisdom to his father. In just three pages they establish the political and social situation for the people of Nova Prime and then quickly transition into the action sequence that sets up the rest of the comic without missing a beat. The dialogue was solid, enough information was given about each important character to differentiate them from one another and the story was given enough pace to keep things interesting.
The comic remains available and clearly, it’s worth your while.
Next up will be the digital short stories from Random House by Peter David, Mike Friedman, and yours truly, starting in December. I’m really looking forward to hearing what you think.
Posted by Bob Greenberger on September 26, 2012
I haven’t said much about After Earth of late, but trust me, things are happening. First, the comic book prequel After Earth: Innocence will be out in a few weeks. For those who missed it in San Diego, now’s your chance for a look at this new universe.
Also in October, the first of six short stories will be available from Random House. Ghosting is a special ability that a precious few possess, but it’s also the difference between life and death. Cypher Raige, the first to “ghost”, is the character played by Will Smith in the film, but these stories tell of the six others who have managed this feat by the time of the film. Peter David kicks it off and I’ve got two, as does Mike Friedman. We brainstormed the basics while we were together at Farpoint back in the winter and wrote our works over the summer.
Today, I just reviewed the copy edits for my first work so that’s cool and I’m proud of what I accomplished.
Here’s what we’re writing:
After Earth: Ghost Stories: Fond Memories (Peter David)
After Earth: Ghost Stories: Instincts (Peter David)
After Earth: Ghost Stories: Peace (Robert Greenberger)
After Earth: Ghost Stories: Phantom (Robert Greenberger)
After Earth: Ghost Stories: Savior (Michael Jan Friedman)
After Earth: Ghost Stories: Beyond Fire and Water (Michael Jan Friedman
And, now available for pre-order is A Perfect Beast, the prequel novel that Mike, Peter, and I have spent the last few months working on. Here’s the official write-up:
The official prequel novel of the epic film After Earth, directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Will Smith and Jaden Smith
After their exodus from Earth, the last humans settled a remote planet, Nova Prime. When an alien force known as the Skrel descended from the skies, the United Rangers Corps, an elite defense unit, valiantly resisted. Centuries passed without an attack, and many colonists believed that, with other security measures in place, the resources devoted to maintaining their military strength would be better spent elsewhere. Little did they know that trouble was coming to Nova Prime—and it had a taste for blood.
The latest in a long line of decorated warriors, Conner Raige is one of the Rangers’ most promising young cadets, although his brash confidence and tendency to act on instinct have earned him as many skeptics as admirers. Conner’s ancestors were on the front lines of humanity’s victory against the Skrel. But when a deadly ground war breaks out, Conner’s up against an entirely different beast—because, this time, the Skrel have brought a secret weapon: ferocious killing machines designed to eliminate humanity from Nova Prime . . . and the universe.
The book will be out March 26.
Peter’s novelization of the film will be out a month later and is also now available for pre-order.
This has been a tremendously creative and exciting project to work on and hope you agree when you get to read the above works for yourself.
Posted by Bob Greenberger on September 1, 2012
When I completed the first draft of my third of the forthcoming After Earth prequel novel, I noted this on Twitter and Facebook which launched an interesting discussion with a variety of peers from a wide swath of my professional life.
The argument boiled down as to whether or not printing out the work resulted in a better reading and polishing experience. Most argued in favor of investing in the paper and printer ink because there was something unique about seeing the words in cold print rather than on the screen. They said they found more errors and things to correct in the subsequent drafts.
Now, I haven’t printed out any of my work in well over a decade. It used to be I would submit my freelance assignments printed out, matching the style requested from the publisher. Then I was asked to submit the manuscript as both hard copy and on a floppy disc (remember those?). Then came the day I was asked to merely email in the file. I haven’t looked back.
The dialogue on my Facebook Wall was an interesting one and given my respect for those advocating for printing out the manuscript, and my own trepidations about delivering as good a draft as possible for something so new, I decided to take the plunge. My third of the book weighed in at 133 pages and some 36,000 words. Late last week I printed it out and over the course of the last seven days, I have been reading through the pages, my red pen at hand. I found typos (despite spell check, lesson learned), I found missing words or the wrong words, and places where I needed to flesh out moments or exchanges.
I always fret over my dialogue, wishing I had the gift of skilled writers like Aaron Sorkin, Joss Whedon, David E. Kelley or others to infuse characters with distinct speech patterns and personalities. I also needed to ensure that the way I wrote After Earth differed from how I wrote Star Trek where I have done the bulk of my fiction writing. I was also concerned that I hadn’t written anything of this length since the Iron Man novel which I wrote some four years back so yeah, there were some butterflies.
While I read through the pages and made my notes, in some cases the rewrites were there or just notes to myself about changes to be made. Meanwhile, I was trying to pay particular attention to the shows I was watching for relaxation, listening to how the characters spoke.
I have now keyed in all the changes, growing the book by about 2000 words, taking out bunches and putting in a whole lot more, which I think has done to improve the overall feel of my section. Right now, Michael Jan Friedman and Peter David are wrapping their thirds and I eagerly await the first cut of the entire novel to see how well things work together.
Meanwhile, this was an invaluable writing experience and editing refresher which I suspect is one to be repeated in the future.
Posted by Bob Greenberger on August 22, 2012
The sun is setting a little earlier and the mornings have that first hint of fall coolness. During lunch, a school bus rumbled down the street, a practice run before classes begin next week. Suddenly the summer season has begun drawing to a close and honestly, it caught me off-guard. I knew it was August and the clues were piling up, but still the week dawned and I was beginning my final full week at home.
It’s been a relaxed and busy summer. There was the travel, three conventions including the unexpected trip to San Diego. This past weekend was the Connecticut show which went exceedingly well. Professionally, these were good events.
Much of July was spent on my two online courses plus work on After Earth. I have written my two Ghost Stories which will be published electronically by Random House in the coming months, dates to be announced. Over the last few weeks I have been at work on my third of the After Earth prequel novel. It’s been ages since I have collaborated in this way with Mike Friedman and Peter David What is different this time around is that we have more integrated chapters as opposed to distinct characters and story arcs. And we’re still figuring out the world we’re setting the story in. It’s been an organic process which will be interesting to see when the three parts are sewn together and we read the book for the first time before polishing begins.
You did notice the After Earth prequel comic is available for order in the current Diamond Preview catalogue, right? Check out the Dynamite Comics section and know that this is a slightly different edition from the one distributed at Comic-Con International. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by Bob Greenberger on July 15, 2012
I’ve been doing convention panels since 1981 or so and rarely get flustered let alone nervous. And yet, this morning I was definitely feeling some butterflies as we stood backstage getting ready for the After Earth panel.
Friday night, we met in the Omni’s Jimmy Carter Presidential Suite to meet one another and review the run down. Peter David and screenwriter Gary Whitta were insisting on cupcakes and sure enough, there were two dozen assorted gourmet cupcakes awaiting us. We were shown what video and still images would be displayed and then went over what we would be saying. Interestingly, producer Caleeb Pinkett told the story of how he and Will Smith conceived what ultimately became this film and at what stage it was handed over to Gary to turn into a script.
There were lots of leftover cupcakes so I suggested we bring them to the panel and give them away to fans asking good questions. This went over well even though it meant going off the script.
Saturday morning, Mike and I had a lovely breakfast with the film’s Director of Photography, Peter Suschitzky. We chatted about our work and where things in life overlapped and I was pleased to learn he not only shot The Empire Strikes Back but The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We then met up with the others and our handlers from Sony. I’ve never had handlers before but I was perfectly happy to have these three women handle me.
We met up early and were walked over to the convention center and entered the back of room 6, a 1000 seat venue which was rapidly filling in with kids in white bunny ear hats. Apparently, we were being followed by Adventuretime and these kids were here to secure seats. While many interested in AE were frozen out, there was little that could be done.
Finally, it was time, as Ralph, a DJ from the legendary KROQ took the podium and began introducing the audience to the world of After Earth. Then we were introduced and the butterflies vanished as I slipped into panel mode.
The next hour zipped by and for a detailed rundown, I recommend you read the coverage at Cinema Blend. To get a better understanding of the work we did on the Bible, check out this video at the AE webpage. To see more in the coming weeks, make sure you like the AE Facebook page.
The cupcakes were a big hit and got some nice laughs so it worked out and the questions were thoughtful and insightful so overall, the panel was a major success for all concerned.
Our handlers escorted Mr. Suschitzky, artist Beni Lobel, me and Mike to the Sony booth where we signed the comic book exclusive and an AE logo mini one-sheet. The fans zipped by steadily and many admitted they had no idea what the film was and were on line for the latest giveaway although once we explained it to them, they were excited.
Suddenly, it was Noon and my brief period of celebrity ended and I returned to being one of the thousands wandering the convention center. Still and all, the amount of attention and detail given this film, from inception through this experience convinces me Overbrook has incredible faith and enthusiasm for this project in addition to confidence in us, which was a fabulous feeling.
