Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with Black Library authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.
In this instalment I spoke to Josh Reynolds about his latest 40k novel, Lukas the Trickster, which is available to order today.
Over to Josh.
Track of Words: What’s the elevator pitch summary for Lukas the Trickster?
Josh Reynolds: Ever wondered how Lukas got that stasis bomb in place of his heart? This is the story for you.
ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?
JR: Lukas, obviously. The Drukhari corsair, Duke Sliscus. Various Space Wolves and Drukhari of note make cameos. But it’s mostly about the juxtaposition of Lukas and Sliscus, and what makes each of them tick.
ToW: Where and when is it set?
JR: Early on in Lukas’ career, on Fenris itself. I’m pretty sure I added a date in there somewhere, if you like that sort of thing.
ToW: Is there anything that you’d recommend readers check out before reading this?
JR: My short story A Trick of the Light might be helpful, but it’s not necessary.
ToW: Why this story? What made you want to write this in particular?
JR: I just thought it might be interesting, honestly. I’ve always liked Lukas as a character, and the chance to write a full novel with him was hard to resist.
ToW: What were your main influences when writing it? Did you draw upon any real-life experience to help you plan or write it?
JR: I went back and re-read most of Chris Wraight’s Space Wolf novels, as well as Bill King’s Ragnar Blackmane series. I’m not aware of any real-life experience that might have influenced me, but that isn’t to say that it’s not there. Frankly, the inside of my head is a big stew-pot of influences, so it’s anyone’s guess as to what’s in there.
ToW: Did you approach writing Lukas’ character different for the novel, as opposed to short stories and audios?
JR: A bit. With the audios I have the freedom to take things in a more parodical direction. With the short stories, and the novel, the story and characters needed to be a bit more serious, if only to avoid making the book just joke after joke after joke.
ToW: How does the final product compare to your original concept? Has anything changed much from your first ideas?
JR: Oh yeah. I had to entirely pull it apart and rewrite it, in order to really capture the current Space Wolf feel. My initial take was a bit old fashioned, I suspect. I cut out characters, combined several, added some others. The main thrust of the plot is the same, but otherwise it might as well be a new book, barring the Drukhari scenes, which didn’t require any changes at all.
ToW: How does this story compare to the rest of your work? Is it a familiar style, or a departure?
JR: I was trying to do something a bit different with this one, but who knows whether that comes across. It’s probably safe to say that if you like my other books, you might like this one. And if you don’t, you almost certainly won’t.
ToW: Do you have plans to continue any aspects of this story, or is it a standalone piece?
JR: At the moment, it’s standalone. If people enjoy it, and want another Lukas novel, I’d certainly consider pitching one. Really, though, I think he’s a character better suited for audios and short stories, than full novels.
That said, he’s pretty cool in Gav Thorpe’s Ashes of Prospero. If you want more Lukas, definitely check that out.
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Thanks as always to Josh for taking the time to answer these questions. Keep an eye out for a review of Lukas the Trickster very soon! If you fancy taking a look at some other Rapid Fire interviews, just click here.
If you’ve got any questions, comments or other thoughts please do let me know in the comments below, on Facebook or Twitter, or by emailing me at michael@trackofwords.com.
Loved it to bits.
Lukas is my favourite character, just wish he was worth taking to the tabletop.