Double Trouble: An Anthology of Two-Fisted Team-Ups, edited by Jonathan Maberry & Keith R.A. DeCandido, presented by the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, is now funding on Kickstarter. The anthology features more than a dozen great tie-in writers teaming classic characters up.
We’ve already done several interviews
- Rigel Ailur (teaming Annie Oakley with Marian of Sherwood)
- Greg Cox (mashing up The Brain that Wouldn’t Die with Night of the Living Dead)
- James Reasoner (pairing G-Man Dan Fowler with Stinger Seave)
- Ben H. Rome (putting Bastet, Fenrir, and Quetzalcoatl together)
- Nancy Holder & Alan Philipson (Flaxman Low and Mezzanotte meeting)
Here’s an interview with me! Yes, I’ve interviewed myself! That’s not weird at all! Anyhow, my story in the anthology will put together two African immortals, Ayesha, a.k.a. She Who Must Be Obeyed, the title character from H. Rider Haggard’s She, and the Yoruba goddess Egungun-oya.
Keith R.A. DeCandido is an award-winning best-selling author of sixty novels, 100 short stories, and a ton of comic books and nonfiction, including work in more than thirty licensed universes from Alien to Zorro. He has edited a score of anthologies (both publicly and behind the scenes), including ones in the universes of Star Trek, Doctor Who, Marvel Comics, and more. The IAMTW favored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
What led you to choose the characters you’re using for your Double Trouble story?
I’ve actually written both characters before. My story for the IAMTW’s previous anthology, 2021’s Turning the Tied, featured Ayesha, and Egungun-oya is a supporting character in my urban fantasy series The Bram Gold Adventures, having played a critical role in the first book in that series, 2019’s A Furnace Sealed, and she will also play a big role in the as-yet-untitled third book in the series.
What do you enjoy most about writing tie-in fiction?
I grew up reading tie-ins and always wanted to be one of the people who got to write them. Being able to write for characters I’ve loved, particularly ones like the Star Trek and Marvel characters that I grew up with, has been an absolute joy. Plus, I’ve gotten to work with some amazing people, actually write the official continuation of one of my favorite TV shows (Farscape, for which I co-wrote a post-series comic book with show creator Rockne O’Bannon from 2008-2011), and tons more besides.
What’s your favorite licensed universe that you’ve written in during your career as a tie-in writer?
Although I’ve loved writing Farscape (see previous answer) and Marvel and Alien and Supernatural and all the others — I’ve written in more than 30 universes at this stage — I have to say Star Trek, simply because it’s been one of my favorite things since I was a little kid watching reruns of the original series. Star Trek is such a wonderful setting, and such a magnificently hopeful future with some truly excellent characters, and to have been able to play in that sandbox has been one of the joys of my life.
What do you have that’s now out or coming out soon?
In the tie-in realm, I’ve written a Resident Evil comic book that serves as a prequel to the Netflix animated series Infinite Darkness, entitled The Beginning, the first issue of which will be out soon from TokyoPop. I’ve also written a Star Trek Adventures module called Incident at Kraav III with Fred Love, a Klingon adventure that was lots of fun to do. And I wrote a short story for the recently released Zorro’s Exploits called “A Lovely View.”
As for stuff I keep the copyright on, Phoenix Precinct, the sixth novel in my fantasy/police procedural series, will be out by the end of the year (and is currently crowdfunding also), and I’ve got two urban fantasy books on the docket, probably for early 2023: Ragnarok and a Hard Place: More Tales of Cassie Zukav, Weirdness Magnet (taking place in Key West) and Feat of Clay (taking place in the Bronx, the sequel to the aforementioned A Furnace Sealed). I’ve also got stories out or coming out in Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2022, Phenomenons: Season of Darkness, The Eye of Argon: The Further Adventures of Grignr, Three Time Travelers Walk Into…, Tales of Capes and Cowls, The Fans are Buried Tales, and The Four ???? of the Apocalypse (which I also co-edited).
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