Dude...

I believe you meant series, correct? =)

Come on! There is nothing realistic about the series! It's a pulp fiction adventure series.

Mutations, psionics, the science fantasy, nothing about these novels can even be closely considered to be realistic.

It's pure escapism, and people read it for fun. If I wanted to read something realistic, I'd be reading military novels written by Dan Brown or Tom Clancy. There you'll have realism (well, as much as you can get from fiction anyhow.)

Believe me, if nuclear war broke out on the scale that's mentioned in Deathlands and Outlanders, there wouldn't be survivors, and most certainly not the mutant 'races' that you have in it!

Chris

I see your point Logan

Wow....all I can say is WOW.......you do realize you're reading fiction right? And exactly what are you drawing on to make your conclusions? Last I chacked, there hasn't been a near-extinction-level-event that would dispute anything written in the books....

Who's to say that the last survivors on earth wouldn't be doing what the group has been doing all along?.....I think the series is dead-on in many ways - mainly how what's left of society would return to the hunter/gatherer ways of old.....and don't discount the fact that the government(s) have things similar to redoubts set-up across the US for sure, and perhaps other countries.....big-shot government types, and powerbrokers with money are paranoid -  there are those who would say screw everyone else, WE need to survive!

Yes, there have been many a situation that members of the group have gotten out of that leave you scratching your head, and wondering how the hell that would happen, but it is FICTION......

You should be taking notes my friend, because many of us loyal readers would be well prepared if something were to happen!

On a side note, as far as the groups weapons go, it's their individual weapons that make them unique.....Wheelsguns, autos, it matters not - as long as they have stopping power, that's all that matters......last I checked, a bullet between the eyes would stop 99.9% of humans.......

i'll get more detailed....ready? I own a Sig Sauer 226..just like Ryan's main sidearm..and know what? it has no sound supressorof any kind as talked about in many of the books..and the gun has never had one spec'd for it by Sig....so if you want to get to the nitty gritty - the series has a lot of issues - BUT ..as mentioned above..it is Ficton..and liberal use of character plots and specs can be changed or made more fun for the reader for the series..if you take the books at complete face value then you will not enjoy it as you should....it is Fiction, and damm good fiction at that with as much realistic chices as possible..but the writers make it more readable and give us visuals on the characters.....and honestly...wheelguns are more reliable than auto's in many situations..easier to clean, less likely to misfire, easier to maintain and learn to shoot...so i think that is they way it "could" be....try chambering a .38 special in a .357 mag auto and see what happens....wheel guns cna take more differing loads of ammo - which make the series set in a time where ammo is hard to come by as a better choice....

One thing you have to realize is that GE uses a revolving door policy when it comes to the writers. There are like what... 8 Writers for Deathlands alone? And with Alan gone, then the continuity that he tried to bring with his books are gone as well.

Each writer is going to use the weapons that he has been TOLD to use for the characters. Each writer will have their own take on the weapons, unless they've actually had experience using said firearms.

Personally, I've had fun using an M-16, M-60, Chinese made AK-47, and several other weapons when I lived in the Philippines, but do you think I know all the nitty gritty details of the weapons? Not in the least.

Bottom line is that the EDITORS have a Deathlands bible that the writers refer to and they are not supposed to diviate from this. So if Ryan uses a Sig, then he'll be using a Sig until the end of the series.

Each writer will have their different take on it, and until the higher ups decide to change the weapons that are used, it's not going to change.

Again, it's pure fiction and quite often it wanders into the realm of science fantasy. You'll never have from Deathlands what you are hoping to have.

Chris

Posted By Outlanders on 15 Apr 2009 09:14 AM

Bottom line is that the EDITORS have a Deathlands bible that the writers refer to and they are not supposed to diviate from this. So if Ryan uses a Sig, then he'll be using a Sig until the end of the series.

Chris

Hey, Chris, in the 12 years I wrote in the DL series I never saw a DL Bible. My "Bible" was a handful of LJ's books. Have you ever actually laid eyes on a copy of it?  

I did see an OL Bible in 2001 when GE was trying to talk me into writing some titles in the series. I was never serious about taking the work--like I said, I'm not a poacher--but it was fun messing with their heads over it (email screaming matches complete with name-calling : so rich, so satisfying ).

Chris,

DL Bible update. I just learned by PM that a DL Bible does in fact exist. GE never bothered to send me one. I feel so left out.

Alan -

To answer your question, no I never did see it. I remember many years ago when Eva was the primary editor and I was just starting up the Survival Guide, asking her if I could get a copy to use for the site.

I was turned down, and that was the end of it.

I remember that it was one of the few things that Joyce told me about that was actually true, and of course I heard Mark mention it at least a couple of times over the years.

GE left you out of the loop and didn't bother letting you use one of the DL bibles? I'm so shocked. Bunch of @#$%'s that they are.

Chris

the guide is "make it not suck"

Alan..mission accomplished!!! :-)

Posted By JettaManDan on 15 Apr 2009 02:22 PM
the guide is "make it not suck"

Alan..mission accomplished!!! :-)

Funny.  

And an excellent title for my pulp fiction memoir:  MAKE IT NOT SUCK.

Posted By Outlanders on 15 Apr 2009 02:08 PM
Alan -

I remember that it was one of the few things that Joyce told me about that was actually true, and of course I heard Mark mention it at least a couple of times over the years.

GE left you out of the loop and didn't bother letting you use one of the DL bibles? I'm so shocked. Bunch of @#$%'s that they are.

Chris

By "Joyce," you mean Cathy I presume. Oddly enough, she was shocked by the DL Bible oversight, too.

Babelfish doesn't do Canadian, it seems. Could you please translate "@#$%'s" into U.S. standard English?

You ought to keep hold of that Outlanders Bible, it might be a collector's item one day.

Shortly after I turned it in (sometime in '99), I suffered a catastrophic computer failure and lost all versions of it.

But it's completely obsolete anyway.

I would not have considered it poaching if you had contributed to the series...I wrote the bible so other writers could have a handy reference guide to a rather complex set-up.

The only things I expected from other writers contributing to Outlanders was that they pay attention to characterization, and if they were unsure about some detail , A-S-K me about it (yes, email and even telephones had been invented by the early days of this decade) and not pull something inappropriate or outright stupid out of their butts and more importantly--

Not use OL as a springoboard to launch (or revive) another series.

As for the DL Bible...I had three versions of it...one from 95, one from 97 and another one dated (I think) 2001.

As for the realism business--as of Janurary 20, 2001, the "Axlerverse" was obviously a parallel reality.

Posted By Jax2 on 15 Apr 2009 03:09 PM

I would not have considered it poaching if you had contributed to the series...I wrote the bible so other writers could have a handy reference guide to a rather complex set-up.

Mark, I appreciate your confidence in me. But by 2001, I had been tricked (lied) into doing things against my moral code so many times, that short of you calling me up and asking me to write in the series yourself, there was no way I would ever participate. Based on history, I had every reason to believe it was just another GE hose-job on an unsuspecting author. For all we know, it may well have been.

Off the top of my head: “AP is writing OLs for us now, Mark, and he’s working for a lot less money than you are [fact not in evidence]. So, we’re very sorry, but we’re going to have to pay you less money from now on, or AP is going to get all the OL contracts.”      

does this mean you are writing any OL books Alan?

Posted By JettaManDan on 15 Apr 2009 04:19 PM
does this mean you are writing any OL books Alan?

No, not at all. That was back in 2001--I played GE like a trout, then kicked it (and the "OL deal") off the dock.

I don't write for GE anymore, Dan.  I have one more completed DL in the pipeline, DOOM HELIX.  Don't know when it will be published.

Alan -

Heh, good sense of humor dude. Years ago the boards were positively toxic with foul language, so Ron and myself went out of our way to clean it up. Believe me, I'd love to state in very strong language the way I feel, but it would sort of be two faced. =)

And god, if I haven't been accused of that numerous times. Wormtongue comes to mind most often. Heheh.... That one I kind of enjoy, considering the poor sod who first called me that and has been for ages.

Oh, as for your Doom Helix, I'll keep my eyes open through my contact here in Calgary. I'll scan the cover in as soon as I get it and fire it off to Ron. If you want a copy, just drop me your email and I'll send it your way.

Been doing that for the OL covers for Mark for years!

You know, even though I haven't read a DL for damned near a decade now, I might just have to pick up your last duology and give it a whirl. Be nice to see no more stupid crap like gasoline powered Mat Trans or mutant water beetle people.

Chris

Alan has done a very good Job with DL...and the series is better for having him write and contribute to it....