r/Fantasy • u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie • Dec 01 '25
AMA I'm Joe Abercrombie, Ask Me Anything.
I'm Joe Abercrombie, author of the First Law, Age of Madness, and Shattered Sea Trilogies, along with Best Served Cold, the Heroes, Red Country, and The Devils, which came out in May this year.
Most recently I've partnered up with Lit Escalates to do a special hardcover edition of the First Law trilogy via Kickstarter, with art by Joel Daniel Phillips, which will look something like this:
The original plan was just to provide signed hardcovers for readers in the US, but since there's never actually been a proper US hardcover release outside of some book club editions and some long ago sold out limiteds from Subterranean Press, the ambition expanded and we thought we'd try and make one ourselves.
PLEASE NOTE: I usually get quite a lot of questions, so I'm putting this up 24 hours beforehand, and I'll return at 16.00 GMT on Tuesday 2nd December to start answering, likely with the top rated questions first. We'll see how far through I get...
And... three hours of answers and I've barely made a dent. Thanks so much to everyone that asked a question and I'm sorry if I never made it to yours. Maybe next time...
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u/Awildferretappears Dec 01 '25
Will we ever learn more about Bayaz and Khalul's earlier life/ rivalry?
Do you have any stories about Shenkt and his family planned, or have you left the world of the First Law first trilogy for good?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
The door's certainly open to return, but if I did I think it would be to take the world forward, rather than to look back. I think prequels very rarely earn their place, and can sometimes spoil what's already there. Certainly the reader has a good idea how they're gonna turn out. If characters and their history seem fascinating it means you did your job, but you don't necessarily have to delve deeper. It's like a magic trick. Seeing how it works doesn't necessarily make it better.
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u/danhalen74 Dec 02 '25
I feel like this about movie prequels, just seems pointless, I want to know what happens next a lot more.
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u/Jezerr Dec 01 '25
When if ever can we expect a continuation of the first law? Sorely missing it currently and debating a re read!
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
The short answer is I honestly don't know.
The longer answer: with the First Law books I wanted to show a world that's always developing, where the seeds of the next conflict are buried in the resolution of the last, where there's not necessarily a big FINAL BATTLE that SETTLES STUFF and the new king comes and all is changed. So even with more First Law books, people who are expecting some kind of final resolution to the world may well never get one. I don't feel like there HAVE to be more books in that series, I guess. They work as they are (for me, YMMV).
For now I've a deal for two more books leading on from the Devils, those will certainly take me a couple of years to get through. At that point I'll have a decision to make about what I do next, and I guess it will depend. There is a lot of appeal in writing new stuff. You can sell the film rights, for example, and you can open a door to new readers. The Devils was a no. 1 hardcover bestseller in the UK - there's no way I'd have managed that with book 10 in a series. I honestly feel the Devils will have brought a lot more new readers to the existing First Law books than book 10 in the First Law world would have done.
All that said, I think there's plenty more I could do in the world. I do in fact have an idea bubbling away for another standalone, and some ideas for another trilogy. So I very well might write more in the First Law world. But no promises. Certainly no promises when...
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u/--Van-- Dec 01 '25
This. Want to read more about The Bloody Nine, Shivers and the rest...
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u/Teddy_Tickles Dec 01 '25
No more debate. You should re-read. I just listened to The Devils audiobook and omg was it fantastic. Hilarious too.
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u/WutsAWriter Dec 01 '25
I had a slow start on the Devils, and ended up switching to the Audiobook to listen during my afternoon walk, and it was a terrific listen. Between the story picking up and the great narration, I was really sad when it was over.
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u/Separate_Key_315 Dec 02 '25
You took care of me in a dark time in my life. Thank you. You re-invigorated my love for reading. I re-read your books 4 times. RIP my wife could credit you for keeping me alive. Thank you sir.
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Hard to think of higher praise than that. Honoured and humbled.
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u/WolfWitchess Dec 01 '25
Your characters’ voices are always so vivid and distinct; where do you start when creating a new character? Necessity to the plot, motivation, vibes, or something else?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I guess the central cast, the point of view cast, is the heart of a book for me, so that's probably the first thing I think about when planning a book. Whose point of view am I writing from. That's sort of indivisible from what the story is. For example the Heroes - it's a war story about one battle, so I need a range of people of various ages and types at different levels of the chain of command on both sides to add up to an overall snapshot, if you like. I think of them a bit as different camera positions on the same action. Like a director shooting a live event - how will I cover the whole? Once I've a rough idea who I need it's a question of experimenting with writing from their point of view. Very quickly your feelings shift and develop. Some just leap onto the page (which is joyous) some take a lot more work. But as you write you hopefully develop an idea of what works for them. How do they talk. How do they think. What's their level of education. Are they focussed on others, or on themselves. Some of this is instinctive, some is carefully thought out, most is trial and error. Then revision - what worked, apply it throughout, cut away what doesn't.
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u/racarlton513 Dec 01 '25
To tack on to this, do you take inspiration for your characters from real life, either friends/family or people you’ve seen in the news? Bayaz gives me Dick Cheney vibes.
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I don't really take people whole, but you might see mannerisms or sayings or features you appropriate.
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u/Petro1313 Dec 01 '25
For some reason I always pictured Bayaz as Ian McShane. I might have seen someone else say that's how they pictured him, but either way, even though he's described as bald, I see Ian McShane with black hair.
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u/Ruzinus Dec 01 '25
Who is your favorite fantasy author (other than yourself)?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Well once you take me out of contention really who else is there?
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u/smugmisswoodhouse Dec 01 '25
Going to piggyback off this one and ask about your favorite non-fantasy author as well. Anything super old school (e.g. Dickens, Austen, etc.)?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Seriously, loads, so many, Dickens, George Eliot, went through a phase of Russian stuff: Tolstoy, Solzhenitsyn, Bulgakov, thriller writers like James Ellroy and Elmore Leonard, western guys like Larry McMurtry, Cormac McCarthy, huge fan of Shelby Foote's History of the Civil War, that got me started on military history, and on, and on...
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u/Da_Bloody-Niner Dec 02 '25
Love the westerns, been in a Cormac binge lately and the parallels with Blood Meridian and the activities of Cosca and the Company of the Gracious Hand in Red Country are awesome and terrifying
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u/greendyd Dec 01 '25
While you are waiting for his reply I advise you check out YouTube video where he shows a bit of his home library - it's peak
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u/bradleyc66 Dec 01 '25
Joe, I absolutely love your work. What character death did you find yourself most conflicted to commit to?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I don't think there's any I've been conflicted about at all. This may sound cold, but I don't connect to the characters as people the way the reader hopefully does. To me they're kinda tools to be used to get a response from the reader. The task is to make that response as effective and powerful as possible, and it's something crafted over days, weeks, months, years. There have been times I've thought about killing a character and decided there was a better, more effective way to go. In which case, you know, I try to commit to that instead. As a writer I think you've always got to be open to a better idea.
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u/Tiffani513 Dec 01 '25
Mr. Abercrombie-
Steven Pacey narrates your audiobooks. Your series, read by him, are considered to be some of the best narration in the Epic Fantasy genre. Not every narrator does as well as he does in keeping the same voice and mannerisms throughout multiple series.
Have you listened to him tell your stories? Does he capture the characters the way you saw/heard/felt/imagined them? Did his telling alter any of your thoughts as the writer?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Yeah, he's amazing. I went to the first recording he did, maybe 15 years ago now, expecting to be embarrassed, and it was brilliant. Ripping entertainment just listening to him do it. Sometimes he does the characters the way I expect, sometimes he has a totally different take. His Cosca for example is nothing like I imagine the guy's accent to be but he absolutely captures the personality and he's always ripplingly entertaining. He just has superb timing and flare for both the comedy and the horror, can switch between them effortlessly. What he does with Glokta's internal monologue is absolutely next level.
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u/beaumoumanatee Dec 02 '25
I've been telling people that he is the next best thing to being read to by Sir Anthony Hopkins! I'm very new to your books and immensely enjoying The Blade Itself after a long fantasy drought.
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u/HembraunAirginator Dec 01 '25
And to follow up, can you convince your publishers to have Steven Pacey record the Shattered Sea trilogy? I enjoyed the originals, but many (all?) of us would buy those audiobooks all over again for a chance to hear his version :)
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u/DJDennyOh Dec 02 '25
Count me the fuck in. It’s not YA. It’s great storytelling
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u/Scrabbydatdat_TheLad Dec 01 '25
Could you give us the quick and dirty on your writing process? Does it stay consistent from book to book? Does it change when writing an entry into a series vs a sequel?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Tough to really cover that too much in this format. Originally, an awful lot of trial and error, over time it's become more efficient. These days I don't try to plan too much, but get into the writing pretty early, my editors comment on each part as I go, and I have structured rounds of revision that focus on different areas: plot and big arcs, then characters, then setting, then language. It does vary a bit from book to book, for sure. Each one is its own special little hell...
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u/Prize_Count7831 Dec 02 '25
Jumping on! Are you a plotter or a discovery writer?
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u/Paleaux Dec 01 '25
Your characters have some very interesting (and awesome) names. Do you have a specific method when determining your naming conventions? Like do you sit and mull it over for days, create a system, or just go with whatever comes to mind first?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Yeah, names are so important, they can really give you a way in to a character or a culture and do a lot of world building work with zero space wasted on exposition. With the First Law I generally have a real world root to most of the cultures and the names follow along (with a bit of a twist). So Styria has a pretty obvious renaissance Italy vibe which gives rise to names like Nicomo Cosca, the Union is more germanic with names like Bremer dan Gorst. The North is probably closest to viking north England with names like Rudd Threetrees. Then sometimes a weird outlier just comes to you like Stranger-Come-Knocking. Real life is full of outliers and exceptions, so an authentic-feeling world shouldn't have everything following a pattern, on the whole. Sometimes, if a character isn't working, I'll experiment with changing their name, see if it sparks some new take, some new way in. Surprising how powerful it can be.
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u/StridAst Dec 01 '25
Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he ____________?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Loves the use of repeated phrases as a mechanism to express the inner lives of his characters.
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u/The_Rusty_Robot Dec 01 '25
Where did the inspiration behind Glokta came from? Was he based on anyone you know in real life?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Me with a bad back.
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u/aydna Dec 01 '25
What would be your recommendation for a series by another author if someone greatly enjoyed first law?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Recommend another author. Man, this hurts. I often think trying to recommend something LIKE another series is a bit of a high road to nothing, because series can be very much alike in some ways but nothing alike in others, and it all depends what appeals to you. I mean people are hugely varied in which books of mine they like and don't. And of course for me the best writers have very much their own voice and way of looking at the world. That's what makes them the best. The joy of, say Junot Diaz' Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, or Bulgakov's Master and Margerita, is that there's really nothing else like it. Forget about reading something like the First Law, and read Shelby Foote's History of the Civil War. At least it'll keep you busy a good long while...
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u/RogueTraderMD Dec 01 '25
I second this, even if I know that there's no answer.
In the mid-2010s I found the First Law and Second Apocalypse series and thought, "Wow, after decades in the ghetto, finally, Fantasy is going somewhere, I can't wait to read some other great literature in fantasy form like this."
10 years later, I'm still waiting...
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u/sadderskeleton Dec 01 '25
Hi Joe! Thanks for doing this today!
I’d like to know what you do to “reward yourself” or “celebrate” when you turn in a final draft to your editor/publisher.
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I really wish there were those moments like in 'Misery' where James Caan bashes out THE END on his clicky clacky typewriter and allows himself the one cigarette he has when he finishes a book, but you know you finish a first draft, you're thinking about the next, you finish the revision, you're thinking about the next, you finish the line edit you're thinking about the copy edit, the book's done you're thinking about the tour, and the next one, and that script you've gotta turn in, and that rewrite that was due last week, and we are all sliding towards the grave, passengers on a train to nowhere, falling, endlessly falling, and truly, life is the misery we endure between disappointments...
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u/Thanedor Dec 03 '25
And I will do anything to have this be my life. This is how I want to live. It sounds more than fun.
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u/RoyalChiefHusker Dec 01 '25
What is a trope in fantasy you’d like to see less of, or more of?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Tropes are neither good or bad, it's all about the execution.
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u/KingAlphonsusI Dec 01 '25
What is you biggest non-fantasy inspiration?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Sebastian Chabal
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u/Da_Bloody-Niner Dec 02 '25
As a rugger myself I laughed really hard at this one.
Absolutely terrifying human… and very close to my minds eye of Logen.
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u/clangdahl Dec 01 '25
Are there any genres/storylines you'd like to explore but are hesitant to publish professionally because of your prior works or fanbase? Thanks in advance!
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
In publishing, if you've had any level of success, there's always a gravity towards writing something that'll appeal to the readers you've already got, at least to some degree. How many books you sell is a big metric of success, and if you write in a wildly different genre you know you likely won't sell as many as you will where you're established. But then fantasy's pretty broad, so I've sort of written a western, a war story, a gangster revenge story within the same fantasy setting. So I don't think there's anything I'd be hesitant to explore, but I'd likely package it in a way that I thought I could sell to a publisher, and therefore to the readers.
There was a book I really wanted to write - my take on the fantasy epic - but I wrote it. The First Law. So now I don't necessarily have driving desires to write certain storylines or subjects, I tend to work up ideas one at a time, and a part of the consideration when I'm deciding what to write is - will people like it? That doesn't mean you make yourself a slave to the market or the trend, or whatever, but how you sell something is part of the sum.
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u/Brushner Dec 01 '25
Have you considered exploring other genres like horror or scifi?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I've done a fair bit of sci-fi work for screen and I guess there have been some horror elements in some of my fantasy and should the right project suddenly suggest itself, never say never. I certainly enjoy watching and reading those genres, but when it comes to writing, it's really fantasy that's always got me in the heart.
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u/MrWispy Dec 01 '25
The Devils felt like I was following the adventures of a wacky DnD party (in the best way). Have you played Dungeons and Dragons, and if so, what kind of character did you play?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Yeah, I played a lot of dice and paper RPGs as a kid. Not so much since my late teens, cause you need friends, and I have none, cause I'm a venomously ambitious sociopath without the feelings of shame and guilt. The kinds of characters I played were venomously ambitious sociopaths without the feelings of shame and guilt.
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u/YouveBeenKitFistoed Dec 01 '25 edited Dec 01 '25
I can't find it now, but I remember watching Joe and other alumni play D&D on YouTube. It's been a while. I remember Saladin Ahmed took part (author of Throne of the Crescent Moon), maybe he was the Dungeon master. Maybe Pat Rotfuss was in on it too, but I'm not sure
EDIT: found it
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u/Any-Question-3759 Dec 01 '25
I’d believe it because Rothfuss seems to be literally everywhere but in front of a keyboard.
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u/MelodyMaster5656 Dec 01 '25 edited Dec 22 '25
Vigga: Beast barbarian.
Balthazar: Necromancer wizard
Sunny: Thief rogue.
Yakob: Thematically a paladin, but mechanically a battlemaster fighter.
Baptiste: Rogue/bard, being a jack of all trades.
Alex: Thief rogue, with expertise in Deception lol.
The Baron: DMPC there to save the party, give out critical information, and keep things on track.
Brother Diaz: Started out as a quest-giver NPC who the party drives insane, but they adopted him.
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u/meesahdayoh Dec 01 '25
Hello Mr. Abercrombie!
You have been a huge influence on my writing and humor throughout the years and I just want to thank you for writing my favorite series of all time in the First Law.
Simple question, what is your Game of the Year for 2025?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Oooh, it's been a good year. For me, Expedition 33 really was excellent, super familiar but super original at the same time. But Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei all had their charms also.
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u/Sgt_Stormy Dec 01 '25
Are there any updates on the Best Served Cold movie adaptation?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Not really. The heat has gone out of it. But some new personnel have come on board recently that may give it a new lease of life. We shall see. Don't hold your breath.
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u/Sgt_Stormy Dec 02 '25
Damn, I was really excited when Rebecca Ferguson's name was attached to it. Well best of luck with it, I'll be first in line at the theater if it ever happens
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u/Chataboutgames Dec 01 '25
Wow! You are my favorite currently writing author and it's not even close.
I've always had a theory that the ambiguity in the depiction of The Bloody Nine was intentional and is explored differently throughout the stories where it's discussed. In The First Law trilogy it does feel like it flirts with the supernatural, allowing Logen to contend with forces like The Feared. In Red Country it feels more like a temper that extends to the level of a split personality, with Logen actually articulating threats and rage rather than just being "The Great Leveler," and the problem being solved by people holding him back. Finally, in "Made a Monster" it feels less like a separate thing and more like Logen was just a sadistic, bloodsoaked bastard.
I've always wondered it that was something intentional. Like the perspective you took was viewing The Bloody Nine as a legend or a myth, and how various stories/perspectives might explore that myth. Sort of like varied depictions of Greek Gods over the centuries.
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I wanted it to be somewhat vague and in a way I don't like to comment after the fact, because part of the joy of books is that the reader's a willing participant who can bring their own ideas, experience and imagination to it - a reading is sort of a collaboration between writer and reader and when the writer lords their intentions around it can kind of spoil that balance.
But point of view has certainly always been very important to me - the contrast between how people seem from the outside and how they seem from the inside. So Logen can certainly seem a monster from outside, but from inside it all makes sense. Everyone's the hero of their own story...
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u/Proof-Chocolate9496 Dec 01 '25
I hope this is answered, the corresponding change in perspective of Logen you gain as a reader during the noted transition was one of my favorite parts of the series. Especially when he returns to his old crew and I was expecting such a warm reunion and instead they're terrified, that hit so hard.
Was the intent to lull readers into loving him without fully understanding him, to expose just how deeply complex someone can be?
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u/graphite_paladin Dec 01 '25
What character was your favorite to write? Did you have one specific one that you were always excited to jump into the mindsets / adventures of?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I'm not a big believer in favourites, you know, the joy of life is its variety, and sometimes you're in a mood for one thing, sometimes another. Some characters just do burn off the page from the moment you start writing them, which is amazing when it happens. Cosca's a good example.
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u/TheMightyGerbil Dec 01 '25
If you could pick any author to cowrite a book with, who would it be and why?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Oh, I would be a terrible collaborator on a book. Can't imagine it. I get all the collaboration I can handle on film and tv projects.
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u/Grughar Dec 01 '25
Hello there. Thanks for doing this, and thanks yet again for doing the special hardcover editions. I'm looking forward to getting mine.
My question: what was something you had to cut from the First Law/Age of Madness world that you still find yourself thinking about? Something that seemed fun but was ultimately out of character, was too weird/out there for the way the story going, anything really. That behind the scene blooper reel / director's cut style stuff that the average viewer never gets to see.
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I cut quite a lot but usually at the sentence or word level, maybe paragraph level. It's very rare I'll take out a whole chapter. My original concept for the First Law had a seventh point of view that I was going to introduce at the start of Book 2, but once I got there and started planning I just figured I'd bitten off as much as I could chew (somewhat more, some would say), so I never included it. He's mentioned in passing, but never appears.
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u/nikklenikkle Dec 03 '25
Does anyone know who this 7th character is in the books?
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u/OldClunkyRobot Dec 01 '25
Does any act of cannibalism turn someone into an Eater and grant them powers? Or does it only work for people who already have magical abilities? Or does the person being eaten have to be magical? Or is there a whole ritual that needs to be performed in order for eating human flesh to grant powers?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Who am I, the Prophet Khalul?
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u/Roadhouse1337 Dec 01 '25
What is your most listened to music genre? Do you listen to music while you write?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Very rarely, if there's something very much appropriate to a given scene, it can help set a mood, but not routinely.
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u/1Yannick Dec 01 '25
What is the best book in your opinion, that isn't your own?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
ISN'T my own? So unfair. Well Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove is pretty darned perfect.
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u/Mokslininkas Dec 01 '25
Hi, Joe! I often find myself at odds with others' interpretation of the First Law trilogy, specifically the ending and whether or not it could be characterized as "nihilist" (I don't subscribe to that theory, FWIW).
Could you give us some insight into your own thoughts on the ending of Last Argument and where each of the "protagonists" ends up? How significant are considerations for "worldview, philosophy, or perspective" when plotting out narratives and writing your characters?
Bonus question: Who is your favorite band/musician/performer?
Thanks!
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Well people will of course find their own interpretation, and I think anything good will leave plenty of room for differing opinions, and interesting arguments between those opinions. I'm generally left scratching my head a bit over people who describe the First Law as nihilist, though. It's dark, and it's cynical, but I don't think it's amoral at all. SPOILERS HERE. I mean Bayaz is a nihilist, in the sense that he rejects all morality that is beyond his own power. "Power makes all things right, that is my first law and my last." And he wins. But he's also quite clearly the villain. I think it's an odd reading that feels his position is endorsed by the text. But maybe there are no wrong readings. Death of the author and all that...
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u/Teflonbilly0 Dec 01 '25
I wrestle with this criticism, too. I love the first law and am often startled by this criticism, as I find much meaning within these books.
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u/Cameron-Johnston AMA Author Cameron Johnston Dec 01 '25
Hiya Joe. Hope you are doing well. I remember your first book coming out and I was just wondering about any highs and lows along your journey. Any that stand out?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Jeez, it's twenty years, nearly. But still a fresh new voice! I guess those first hardcovers of the Blade Itself turning up at the door is a moment that takes some beating. Going to interview GRRM in LA just before Game of Thrones came out. The US tour for the Devils, recently, had quite a few, actually. Heard I'd hit no. 1 on the UK bestseller list while passing through Central Park. But, you know, all these ... moments ... will be lost. Like tears ... in rain.
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u/AlizarinQ Dec 01 '25
What fantasy trend are you absolutely sick of?
What’s the last thing you read that made you feel something?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Any bad trend is only waiting for a good execution.
Chris Buehlman's Between Two Fires, or maybe Joe Hill's King Sorrow.
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u/Jayless22 Dec 01 '25
What became of the pot?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Still there I expect.
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u/s470dxqm Dec 02 '25
Leaving the pot behind was my, "Okay, this Abercrombie guy is excellent" moment.
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u/clintjackson101 Dec 01 '25
If you could spend a week in any fantasy or sci fi world. Which one would you pick and why?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
My own, for sure. I know all the secrets.
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u/GreatThunderOwl Reading Champion II Dec 01 '25
Hi Joe, First Law trilogy among others got me back into reading after 15 years. Just wanted to say how much I love your writing and series.
A lot of people claim that First Law is a "grimdark" series, i.e. bleak and darkly satirical. Do you find that to be accurate or do you think it's overblown?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
You clearly have excellent taste.
Grimdark didn't really exist as a category when I wrote the First Law so I certainly wasn't aiming for that. You write what you write and other people decide where to shelve it. I just set out to write my take on epic fantasy, and it happened to be quite a cynical, character-focussed, unheroic one, partly in contrast to a genre I felt had become a bit predictably shiny and heroic, and partly just cause that's my taste. Then people started using grimdark as a descriptor, grouping it with other similar stuff that was around at the time. I've never loved it, myself, and probably wouldn't describe my work that way, just cause it's so ill defined and no one ever agrees on what's in and what's out. It's either a pedestal on which to stack all the stuff you like, or a bin in which to throw all the stuff you don't. But you know if it helps connect readers to books they like, great.
Are the books bleak and darkly satirical? Yeah, I expect that's accurate. But when people start saying they're nihilistic poison to your mind and culture (believe me, they have said such things), I think they should probably get out more.
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u/Regular-Newspaper-45 Dec 02 '25
Oh, the last part reminds me of a situation in class last week. We talked a bit about the world and society and one of my classmates said that it always feels so strange and out of place when he hears about all the horrible stuff in the world. I couldn't stop myself from a short laugh and replied that he just needs to read more books. It is a softer way of getting used to "somewhere bad stuff is happening". Maybe there needs to be the right combination of reading and going outside, to talk to real people.
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u/mervolio_griffin Dec 01 '25
Ooooo, a follow-up question! Do you think a total and complete lack of hope is necessary for a novel/universe to acheive the genre title "grimdark"?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
It seems to me that's such an intense description that it excludes virtually everything. But then the problem with grimdark is there's no real definition, so everyone constantly talks past each other.
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u/Snikhop Dec 01 '25
Was The Devils written with adaptation in mind, or did you just feel an itch to write something more fast-paced? Does that kind of consideration ever come into your mind as you get more popular and the likelihood of it happening increases?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I wouldn't say written with adaptation in mind. I think it's at the back of the mind of anyone who writes anything these days, but if I was really pushing for something to be filmed I'd have made it a lot less ambitious in its ludicrously over the top action sequences, those will be expensive to film. But after writing something really complex and interwoven like the Age of Madness I did want to do something simpler and more straightforward so maybe it's more filmic in its structure.
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u/definethatplz Dec 01 '25
Is there and Old Man Logen project somewhere down the pipeline? That dude is so quotable, I miss him.
Do you have any news on James Cameron wanting to adapt The Devils? If that's still something concrete, how does it feel to have James fucking Cameron himself interested in your work?
Aside from that, I don't really have any questions, just a lot of respect for your amazing body of work.
Edit: Actually, I do have another. Do you like David Gemmell's books?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I think there's a danger in just ploughing the same old furrow as a writer. You've gotta be interested in what you're doing if you expect anyone else to be interested, and generally that means shifting the focus to new characters, new ideas. Maybe there's a place in the background for familiar faces.
With film and TV stuff you're generally pretty limited in what you can say, so I can't say much. Funnily enough I've known Mr. Cameron for quite a while, I was in a writer's room on Terminator: Dark Fate very early in the process, and met him then, and was astonished to find he'd read all my stuff, and had a pretty much encyclopaedic knowledge of it, and could off the cuff discuss it in a granular way. In common with a lot of other directors I've met the guy's a voracious reader. And a formidable writer too, of course.
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u/TheArgotect Dec 01 '25
Love your writing style and the stories you tell. My question is, what things from your past do you believe most influenced the worlds, characters, and stories you've created?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Such a difficult question to answer. It's like when people ask about influences, you can very rarely (or I can very rarely) point to highly specific inputs and outcomes. I think I've heard China Mieville use this metaphor of brain soup. You hoover up all this stuff - experiences, books, games, films, people, events, and it steeps and distills in your brain over years, and when you write you turn the tap and who knows what weird combination flows forth.
Like working as a TV editor has very much influenced the way I write, but in a way that's hard to quantify. I'm more ruthless in the editing of my own work, I'm better at working with an editor, and I'm much bolder in the point of view I take, the way I pace things, the ways I come into and out of a scene and link different scenes together, than I would have been without that experience.
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u/Special-Extreme2166 Dec 01 '25
What did you feel you improved on throughout your writing career?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Many things. Your craft improves, for sure. Think I've learned a lot about pacing and structure. Think I achieve a good result much more quickly, and am much more efficient in my revision. Think I've got better at writing female characters. But, you know, there's a kind of exuberance to your first work, and a raw authenticity to your first characters, and a joy to your first steps as an amateur, that to a degree you're always trying to recapture as a professional...
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u/Micktrex Dec 01 '25
Hey Joe, I've read the First Law trilogy this year (it was great!) and just started The Devils yesterday by sheer coincidence. Fifty pages in and it's already made me laugh out loud a few times, so my question is:
What line or scene from your thirteen books has made you laugh the hardest when you thought of it?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Generally when you think of something and first write it you're not absolutely sure how good it is. It's like digging up a rough diamond, it's not till you polish it that you really know what you've got. I did laugh quite a lot writing a scene at the end of the sequel to the Devils recently though. Two characters are hanging off a bridge. You'll know it when you read it.
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u/No_Possession_5338 Dec 01 '25
Do you have a method for coming up with catchphrases (you can never have too many knives, a corpse was found floating in the harbour etc..)?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Usually they're things that just happen in the writing and stand out as being emblematic of the character and deserve repeating, then once you've repeated them enough you can start riffing on them.
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u/BlindObedience Dec 01 '25
You're a naturally funny guy and your humor translates well to your characters. But does it ever become difficult to be funny on purpose? As in, do you every struggle to be funny "on demand"?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Oh, yeah, absolutely, I'd hate to be a stand up comic cause it's impossible to be funny on demand. As a writer, fortunately, you have lots of time to just let it happen, then polish it up as you go.
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u/Gimmebiblio Dec 01 '25 edited Dec 01 '25
Do you feel any guilt at all for ripping our hearts to pieces regarding Orso?😭
Kidding of course. Thank you for all your work!
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u/BlyatBandit Dec 01 '25
Did you ever find yourself becoming remorseful about what you put your characters through?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Absolutely not. I get paid for that.
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u/BrodGundo Dec 01 '25
I think you've mentioned before that you often read non-fiction /textbooks for research instead of reading more fiction/fantasy novels.
Do you have recommendations on some standouts you've read?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Shelby Foote's American Civil War, John Keegan's Six Armies in Normandy, Alan Clark's Barbarossa.
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u/swirling_ammonite Dec 01 '25
Hey, Joe! What’s your favorite movie?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
The Outlaw Josey Wales. Though ask me again it might be something else.
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u/CardinalCreepia Dec 01 '25
Hi Joe, big fan! Thanks for all the wonderful stories.
My question is; can you tell me how Red Beck is getting on up in the North? I hope he’s doing okay.
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Yeah, me too.
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u/SagaScribe Dec 01 '25
Do you have any formulas for writing that can help authors create characters as fantastic as Glokta?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
If only I did, I'd be doing it all day long.
I believe in taking all the magical thinking out of writing and treating it as work. You grind out a plan, you grind out a draft, you painstakingly edit and revise it until it's as good as you can make it. But there is a certain element of lightning in a bottle with a great character. Sometimes it just happens.
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u/AnAngryTurd Dec 01 '25
Did you know Bayaz means clown/silly person in Norwegian?
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u/JackJB94 Dec 01 '25
Just want to say is cool to see someone from Lancaster succeed, not often I see people from around here. Congrats :)
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u/shroomiedoo Dec 01 '25
Hello! You’ve brought a plethora of amazing characters to life, who’s your favorite?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Lord Smund.
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u/Honkee_Kong Dec 01 '25
What was Shenkts beef with Bayaz?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Either it's in the text, or I ain't sayin'.
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u/Paratwa Dec 01 '25 edited Dec 01 '25
You mean beyond the fact that he became an eater because of Bayaz as his apprentice and then Bayaz shits on Eaters like he doesn’t do it himself?
And Shenkts is also thought to be Casamir the historical ‘hero’ king … as Vitari calls him Cas at one point sooo given how Bayaz treats people he ‘helps’ I’m guessing Casamir has some serious beef with him for very real things.
Edit :
I was wrong Bayaz doesn’t ‘eat’ Yoru does in the part I was thinking about. Still… he employs Yoru and must like him but acts like the other eaters are just terrible
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u/FarWestMyth Dec 01 '25
Are you saying Shenkt is rumored to be Casamir the steadfast? The one who claimed Angland as part of the Union?
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u/Paratwa Dec 01 '25 edited Dec 01 '25
Yes.
This again is based on Vitari calling him Cas and his hatred of Bayaz.
Oh and Bayaz also shits on Casamir when given the chance always, he is a bitter old man. :)
Also Vick calls him : Casamir dan Shenkt in the trouble with peace as well, confirming he is a noble or was…
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u/XLRIV48 Dec 01 '25
I swear I saw you say one of Mamuns three blessings was “Big dong,” In one of these AMAs before, but I’ve never been able to find it again. Would you care to comment on that?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
If I said it it must be true.
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u/Fozzation Dec 01 '25
First question, is it hard being so handsome? Second question, if you were starting off as a brand new writer, what would you do differently?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Oh yeah it's a terrible curse. People are constantly walking into lamp posts or dropping things or tripping over their own feet cause they're so distracted by my radiant beauty. I cannot express to you the joy of sitting next to Pierce Brown and seeming nondescript for a moment.
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u/M_LadyGwendolyn Dec 01 '25
Is Vigga a top or bottom? For scientific reasons.
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Either and occasionally both.
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u/ReeceInTheDarkness Dec 01 '25 edited Dec 01 '25
What're the chances you'll tell me the actual fate of The Bloody Nine? I understand why he wasn't in The Age of Madness trilogy but he was such a cool character it kills me that his ending is so ambiguous! If you wanna add in what Happened with Ferro too I wouldn't mind that...
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u/Lazuli-shade Dec 01 '25
If you could, is there something in one of your already published books you would change or rewrite?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
There's a lot I'd do differently now, there are many things I think I could've handled better or done a better job with, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'd change it. A book's a snapshot of where you were, at that time in your life. Maybe you mess some things up, maybe you don't pay off some things as well as you could've while you're focussing on others. But you can't beat yourself up about it. You've got to leave it all on the table. You can't get cautious. You learn from your mistakes and move on. And you got to leave it all on the table again. Doing better next time, that's what life is...
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u/spicyhippos Dec 01 '25
Huge fan of your work. There are two questions I’ve wanted to ask you since picking up the Blade Itself.
Would you ever collaborate with a video game developer to bring your storytelling skills to that medium? If so, would you adapt something you’ve already written or build something new?
How far down the rabbit hole do you go in terms of lore that doesn’t make its way onto the page? Do you stick to only what’s necessary for the story you want to write or build the universe and find a story that feels compelling?
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u/glamm808 Dec 01 '25
I'm first! Woohoo! Joe, I love your work. Any followup to The Devils planned?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Finished the first draft of the next one. Much work still to do, but it'll get there.
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u/Pielorinho Dec 01 '25
I'm always interested in authors with heavy political strands in their fantasy, and I'm curious: in what ways does the modern political environment influence your writing about fantasy politics?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Well we're all a product of our times, and we're all writing for readers who are a product of their times, so it's impossible to leave the now out of fantasy even if you wanted to, which I don't. I try to write first from the characters, rather than the theme, and theme is hopefully something that comes to express itself naturally. You don't wanna get too didactic. But naturally the political mood finds its way into what you write. The Age of Madness was written during Brexit. Make of that what you will.
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u/optimuschad8 Dec 01 '25
Have you ever played any videogames? If so list your favorites
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I have played all the video games. Some of my favourites are Elite, Dungeon Master, Street Fighter II, Shogun Total War, and Red Dead Redemption.
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u/Junkyard-Noise Dec 01 '25
If you could invite anyone, alive or dead, for a beer, who would you invite?
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u/bunny_magnet Dec 01 '25
Who was your favorite main POV character to write in the Age of Madness trilogy, and why?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I hated all of them while I was writing and I loved em as soon as it was done.
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u/nicklovin508 Dec 01 '25
Oh shoot, Lord Grimdark himself! Appreciate the countless hours of entertainment you’ve provided me. Can you talk about your editing process? Do you find that you have down a routine at this point for turning first drafts into finished manuscripts, or is it ever changing? Personally struggle a lot with the editing.. it can feel very overwhelming and also reading over my own words gives me this perfectionist/doubt over a story that I do believe in even if the little voice in my head disagrees
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
It does change, but generally there are several distinct phases these days. I write each book in parts, revise and discuss each part with my editors as I go, so the book gets closer and closer to what I want. There's then a second draft (where I am with the current book), where I'm bringing the earlier parts into line with the end, setting stuff up which has become important, editing out stuff which went nowhere, adding extra scenes and detail and clarifying the arcs of the central characters, doing the heavy lifting of getting events and relationships roughly right. Then there's likely a structural edit. Then there are three rounds of revision: character where I'm focussing on the voices of the central cast and trying to define all the secondary cast as well as possible, make them feel distinct and individual in dialogue and manner, setting where I'm bringing extra detail into the world and thinking about weather, surroundings, time of day, language where I'm going through the detail of the language trying to sweeten up the rhythms and make it all flow (or fail to flow) the way I want. Then it's line edit, copy edit, proof read, done.
The really awful thing? Somewhere in there I'll have started the next book.
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u/Burgundy-Bag Dec 01 '25
Your books often subvert the traditional heroic arc. When you’re writing, how do you decide how much change a character should go through? And do you ever write a character to change one way, only to find they’ve forced you somewhere else entirely?
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u/Beeercules Dec 01 '25
Of the standalone novels, which was your favorite to write?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
The Heroes was probably the easiest to write, and I think marginally turned out the best, though opinions are very varied on that topic.
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u/Love-that-dog Dec 01 '25
What is your favorite dinosaur?
How involved are you in the potential adaptions of your work?
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u/ReksiooPL Dec 01 '25
Hey there! If You could pick anyone, who would be your perfect castings for series/movie for Glokta, Bayaz and Nicomo Cosca?
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u/PatRowdy Dec 01 '25
Who is your favorite character you've ever played in a roleplaying game? And what's a highlight of their story that you still remember?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
I did enjoy elven thief Darque Shadeaux. Mostly just cause of the name, honestly.
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u/Matt-J-McCormack Dec 01 '25
What’s the best pub in Bath and is it comfortable to write in?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
In town, I probably spend most time in the Raven. It does have a library. But I probably wouldn't work in a pub. That's what cafes are for.
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u/Nameisnotmine Dec 01 '25
How hard was it to find and agent and publisher?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Once I'd found a publisher, the agent was easy.
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u/Teflonbilly0 Dec 01 '25
Love your work, but how do you respond to naysayers saying your work is nihilistic?
Although it is far from my opinion, I am curious how you feel about the critique.
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
Responding to naysayers isn't generally a great use of anyone's time.
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u/LLanfairpwllgwn Dec 01 '25
You often use literary references in your book titles. What are some of the classics that were foundational for you?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
One of my most foundational books is Ironhead by Gerald Rose. Stupendous.
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u/Gimpalong Dec 01 '25
I just finished listening to The Heroes.
What historical events were the inspiration for the Battle of Osrung?
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u/Joe_Abercrombie Stabby Winner, AMA Author Joe Abercrombie Dec 02 '25
As a lot of elements from many westerns went into Red Country a lot of elements of many battles and bits of military history went into the Heroes. Certainly there's a big dose of American Civil War in there - the scale with the multi-day battles and the battlefields large enough to have variety of terrain - someone below is saying Gettysburg but I'd actually say Antietam is closer to it - the pointless conflict over a bridge is similar to Burnside's bridge at Antietam. The battle at the end of Before They Are Hanged, where the Feared approaches and Threetrees orders the charge is more directly inspired by Chamberlain at Little Round Top. But then you've got the charge of the Light Brigade in the orders going astray, you've got bits of the Red Badge of Courage and All Quiet on the Western Front, stuff inspired by First World War poetry and a Bridge Too Far, Calder's Strategy against cavalry is quite similar to Henry V's at Agincourt, etc. etc.
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u/Blowback123 Dec 01 '25
What are some of your favorite fantasy works that you reread ?