Welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview, in which I’m talking to Richard Lee Byers about his new novel The Head of Mimir, from Aconyte Books. This kicks off a new range called Marvel Legends of Asgard, with Richard choosing to write about the character of Heimdall for this first instalment in the series. Releasing alongside the first Marvel Heroines novel, this comes out in ebook and US paperback editions on the 6th October, with the UK paperback released in November.
Let’s get straight over to Richard…
Track of Words: How would you describe your new novel The Head of Mimir?
Richard Lee Byers: Asgard is losing a war with the frost giants of Jotunheim. Odin might have turned things around, but he’s lost to a mysteriously protracted Odinsleep. The young warrior Heimdall and his sister Sif undertake a quest to save the Realm Eternal that ultimately leads them into the very heart of Jotunheim itself.
ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?
RLB: Heimdall: We meet him here as a young warrior who has yet to acquire the heightened senses and other attributes that make him the Asgardian god we know in the modern Age of Marvels.
Sif: Heimdall’s sister is likewise a young warrior at the start of her service to Asgard.
Uschi: Uschi is the seasoned commander of a company of Valkyries.
Utgard: Utgard is the frost giant king and a master of illusion magic.
Frigga: Frigga is the Queen of Asgard ruling in her husband’s place while he slumbers in the Odinsleep.
Amora: Amora is Frigga’s trusted aide and a powerful sorceress.
ToW: Where and when is this story set?
RLB: The story starts out in Asgard and visits a number of locations across the Ten Realms including the Realm Below and Jotunheim.
The book is set relatively early in the history of the Ten Realms. Odin rules Asgard, Asgard has conquered Vanaheim, and Odin has sealed the peace by taking Frigga for his Queen. But the Rainbow Bridge has yet to be built, and as mentioned previously, Heimdall and Sif are young warriors at the beginning of their careers.
Marvel’s Heimdall first appeared in Journey Into Mystery #85
ToW: Heimdall has a long history in Marvel stories – is there anything you would recommend readers checking out before starting The Head of Mimir, to make sure they’re familiar with who the character is or how this fits in with his backstory?
RLB: Actually, no. Since the novel deals with a young Heimdall, readers need know nothing about him going in. The story tells you everything you need to know.
ToW: What appeals to you about Heimdall as a character to write about?
RLB: Most characters from the Asgardian part of the Marvel Universe are just hellaciously good fighters. Then there are those that wield powerful magic. The heightened senses that Heimdall eventually acquires, however, imply keen powers of observation, which in turn led me to think that this character might be a thinker, somebody who, though a formidable fighter in his own right, solves at least some problems with his wits instead of just muscling through. I enjoy writing about protagonists like that.
ToW: Of all the stories you might have written about Heimdall, what made you want to write this one in particular, looking back to an earlier point in the character’s history?
RLB: Origin stories are generally fun. Readers who already like a character are naturally interested in seeing how he came to be the person he is. And while I don’t claim to have read every Marvel story about Asgard that’s ever been published, I’ve read a fair number without ever chancing across a detailed origin for Heimdall. So I think it’s time to give him his due.
ToW: How much did you look to Norse mythology for inspiration while writing this, as well as earlier Marvel stories?
RLB: I have a lifelong interest in mythology including Norse mythology (I recently read Neil Gaiman’s retelling of the Norse myths, which I recommend) and am also a lifelong reader of Marvel Comics. I drew on both sources when writing the novel. I also took details from real-world Viking culture. When I mention specific plants, for example, these are plants that actually grow in Scandinavia and, we can infer, would grow in Asgard, too. Similarly, a particular board game is a game Vikings actually played.
ToW: What do you hope readers will get out of this by the time they’ve finished it?
RLB: First and foremost, I hope readers will come away feeling they’ve read a rousing fantasy adventure true to the spirit of the Marvel Universe. Beyond that, I hope they’ll regard Heimdall as a cool character they’d like to see more of.
ToW: Do you have more stories planned for Heimdall in future?
RLB: Ideally, I’ll have a trilogy of novels that chart Heimdall’s evolution from callow young warrior to the mighty sentinel of the Rainbow Bridge. I should add that Marvel and Aconyte haven’t committed to any sequels as of yet, but I’m optimistic that readers will see those novels by and by.
ToW: Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on with Aconyte for future release, or anything else you’ve got in the pipeline?
RLB: As I mentioned, I haven’t gotten the okay to do another Heimdall novel yet, but with luck, that will be my next Aconyte project. Since I’m a fan of the whole Marvel Universe, not only the Asgardian part of it, I’ve submitted book ideas for a number of non-Asgardian Marvel characters, and I hope I get to do some of those eventually.
I’m interested in writing for the non-Marvel lines as well. I already did two novellas (The Ire of the Void and Blood of Baalshandor) that are Arkham Horror stories and came out from Asmodee, so it wouldn’t be the strangest thing in the world if Aconyte eventually taps me for a full-length Arkham Horror novel. I’ve written a lot of horror including some Cthulhu Mythos horror, so I think I’ve got the chops to do the property justice.
Beyond Aconyte, I have a novel called The Doom That Came to San Francisco coming out from Nisaba Press next April. It’s a superhero story set in their Mutants & Masterminds universe. There are also several short stories set to appear in various anthologies.
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Many thanks to Richard for taking the time to chat to me for this interview! Keep an eye out for a review of this book coming soon – I can’t wait to check it out.
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