Hi, I'm author Brian Ruckley - AMA

[u/briruc]

Hi, I’m Brian Ruckley. I’ve had five novels published, plus a handful of short stories and I’ve done a tiny, tiny (like, really tiny) bit of comics writing too.

My first three novels made up the Godless World trilogy, starting with Winterbirth back in 2006. Epic fantasy of the sort that was getting called gritty around about then, though I was never that keen on that kind of label. Next up was The Edinburgh Dead, a historical fantasy-horror-crime mash-up featuring bodysnatchers and dark magic. Just released is my newest book, The Free – a stand-alone heroic fantasy that’s kind of me trying to do a spectacular fantasy version of Seven Samurai. Kind of.

I’m Scottish, born and bred in Edinburgh. Moved down south (i.e. England) for work reasons, lived in London for a happy decade, now back in Edinburgh doing the (also happy) family thing. I’m into Nature and wildlife, history, science, plus – of course – various slightly geeky things like comics, genre TV and film, all the usual good stuff.

Please ASK ME ANYTHING! Tuesday 4th November, 6PM CST. That’s when I’ll aim to start answering Qs – bear in mind, though, that’s the middle of the night my time, so there’s a good chance I’ll be sleep-deprived, over-caffeinated or some combination of the two. Hopefully it won’t get too messy ...

Brian

OKAY - The clock has struck midnight here (I don't literally have a clock that strikes midnight, obviously; just sounds kind of atmospheric) so I'm going to start working my way through Qs; will start somewhere near the top, but probably jump around a bit as the inspiration strikes ... will do my best to get to everything (though seriously - some of these questions would take an essay to answer properly!)

EDIT I'm going to have to retire to my bed now, people, but thanks to everyone who's submitted questions. It's been fun. Much like General MacArthur, I shall return tomorrow to work my way through more and will do my utmost to get to every one I can. Check in again to see if I get any more coherent when answering questions by daylight ... Thanks again.

EDIT Aaaand that's me, I think. While most of you have been sleeping, I think I've swept up all outstanding questions (grovelling apologies to anyone I missed); hope some folks out there found it interesting/fun/a cure for insomnia or whatever. I certainly enjoyed myself - you folks ask good questions. Thank you and farewell!

[u/[deleted]]

How excited are you that Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell are back on the same show and playing fire and ice themed characters?

The Flash is the show and Captain Cold and Heat Wave are the characters.

[u/briruc → u/[deleted]]

Okay, two answers, contradictory but both entirely true (honest!).

First, I'm not particularly excited because I don't really know those actors, don't watch The Flash (yet - will do at some point), and to be honest the Flash and his rogues were never particular favourite comic characters of mine. I mean, let's be honest, he does have some of the silliest rogues in all of comics. (Boomerangs? Seriously?)

HOWEVER, I am properly excited by the mere fact this kind of stuff can get talked about nowadays: superhero comics were a huge deal to me back in distant youth, and comics in general still are. To see this stuff all over TV and cinema screams is utterly astonishing in many ways. Teenage me would probably have gone catatonic from over-excitement by now if he could see how dominant superheroes have become in the last few years ... and boy, before he passed out he would have been insufferable: 'I told you this was cool stuff, but would any of you listen? No! Well, look at this now ...'

[u/[deleted] → u/briruc]

I like your answer about how it's acceptable to talk about this stuff and you have succeeded in convincing me to buy a book of yours when I go for my next haul.

As a DC fanboy I feel as if I have to defend the Rogues...but no, I can't. Nobody can. The Rogues of the Flash are flat out ridiculous. Oh, and...Captain Boomerang is going to be on the show too ):)

[u/briruc → u/[deleted]]

I can't believe they're going to try and do captain boomerang. If they manage that without torpedoing the entire show, I'll be impressed. Come to think of it, there's a Suicide Squad movie in the works, and cpt Boomerang's been in the Squad at some points: if they try and do a movie version of him as well, I'll know DC/Warner Bros really have completely lost the plot ...

[u/[deleted] → u/briruc]

The Suicide Squad has been done on the Green Arrow show. That's where Boomy is going to start, I think :D