Greetings, fellow book enthusiasts! Welcome once more to “Booked For The Week,” our regular Sunday feature where we chat with interesting figures in the industry about their literary loves. And yes, “regular” is used with a knowing wink, but the passion is genuine!
To inaugurate this exciting new chapter of consistent content, we’re thrilled to host game designer and author Andy Chambers! A complete list of Andy’s accomplishments would be exhaustingly long. Let’s just say, if you’ve ever admired anything related to Warhammer, chances are he played a significant role in its creation. Welcome, Andy! We’re curious to explore your bookshelves.
What book are you currently engrossed in?
I’m just wrapping up a complete collection of Clark Ashton Smith’s Zothique tales. A friend piqued my interest with a single story, and since we both share an appreciation for 1930s pulp fantasy, I was easily drawn in. It’s truly exceptional material; rich and evocative prose depicting dying landscapes, ancient horrors, and powerful sorcerers – particularly those skilled in necromancy, I must add. Smith was a contemporary of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. His writing shares Howard’s exotic flair and similar themes (though also echoes uncomfortable aspects of the 1930’s at times), but his narratives take very different paths than Conan’s adventures. I’m enjoying it so much that I’m left wondering how I lived so long without discovering it sooner.
Perhaps it’s a sign of getting older, but I’m increasingly noticing connections and inspirations weaving through the media I enjoy. With Zothique, you can trace its origins back to Lord Dunsany’s influence from the turn of the century. You can also clearly see it inspired Jack Vance in the 1950s and 60s, who carried the torch with his “Tales of the Dying Earth” series. This lineage then leads to the inspirations behind Forgotten Realms and early Dungeons & Dragons. It even extends to Gene Wolfe’s “Book of the New Sun” tetralogy, which heavily influenced my work on the Warhammer 40,000 universe for Games Workshop back in the 90s.
What was the last book you finished reading?
Prior to Zothique, I read “A Colder War,” a novella by Charles Stross. It’s a brief but captivating story exploring the consequences of a US/USSR Cold War, where mutually assured destruction is enforced through decidedly non-nuclear means. I’d rather not reveal any more, as the narrative relies on gradual discoveries and incomplete information, and spoiling it would be a disservice. I highly recommend it as a quick and engaging read!
What book are you looking forward to reading next?
“Soldier of Arete” by Gene Wolfe. Over the years, I’ve read a significant amount of Gene Wolfe’s work. “The Book of the New Sun,” in particular, served as a major inspiration when I was starting out and trying to create strange and wonderful worlds. The fondness for archaic language in “The Book of the New Sun” – using “Jezzail” instead of “rifle,” or “demi-culverin” instead of “cannon” – profoundly impacted me and the creative teams I worked with. It demonstrated how to add depth and texture to fictional settings and events simply through word choice. Somehow, much like Zothique, “Soldier of Arete” has eluded me until now, even though I read the subsequent book in the trilogy some time ago.
Is there a specific quote or scene from a book that you find particularly memorable?
My thoughts always seem to gravitate back to Tolkien and “The Lord of the Rings.” However, I suspect that’s because Peter Jackson’s masterful film adaptations, released (gulp) over twenty years ago, so vividly brought those scenes to life, making the words feel visual. So, I’ll offer both a quote and an unseen scene. The quote that immediately comes to mind is the opening line of William Gibson’s “Neuromancer,” the original cyberpunk master: “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.” While it’s impact may have diminished somewhat with advancements in television technology, it remains iconic. One of my favorite scenes is the concluding moments in Iain M. Banks’ “Player of Games,” when the Culture representative is finally revealed to be a pawn in the unfolding game, rather than the player he believed himself to be throughout.
Which book do you consistently recommend to your friends?
First-hand accounts and autobiographies. Some are incredibly interesting and entertaining reads in their own right. I recently read “Eastern Approaches” by Fitzroy Maclean, which I found to be such an enjoyable read. Maclean had such a fascinating career that I’ve been recommending it to others ever since. Another excellent book I often suggest is “The Big Show” by Pierre Clostermann, an evocatively written personal account from a World War II fighter pilot. More recently, I’ve been recommending the Strugatsky brothers’ brand of post-war Soviet sci-fi novels, particularly “Roadside Picnic” and “Monday Begins on Saturday.”
If you could choose a book to be adapted into a game, what would it be?
There are a couple of Jack Vance novels that are perfect for it: “Planet of Adventure” (with its diverse collection of alien races vying for dominance on a single world, featuring varying levels of technology but no clear superior) or “Dragonmasters” (for its sheer variety of ‘dragon’ and human troop types in a nicely feudalistic, battle-ready setting). I am, of course, assuming that “someone” in this case is me. “The Expanse” would also make a fantastic game, or series of games, but it would be best suited to a proper digital title with both strategic and roleplaying elements. I hope I live long enough to see that happen someday.
I’m practically beaming after discovering that my beloved Skaven Warplock Jezzails were potentially inspired by Gene Wolfe! As for my own recommendations, I’ve been devouring Eliza Clark’s two novels after finishing her short story collection, “She’s Always Hungry.” I’ve also discovered a new favorite film in Quentin Dupieux’s “Deerskin.” In the realm of tabletop gaming, I recommend grabbing Warlord’s Judge Dredd skirmish game (which Andy worked on) before it’s no longer available. Its campaign rules feature a post-match crime tally with corresponding Iso-Cube sentences, which is a delightful touch.
I’ll be sending out a flurry of guest booking emails tomorrow, so please let me know who you’d like to see featured in this column in the coming months. Until next time, happy reading!