Andy Remic, author of War Machine, answers the questions in the latest of our author interviews.

We’re in the bar at a convention buying you a drink—what’s it to be?
Grolsch/Kronenberg in the Summer, Guinness in the Winter. To aid my puppy fat, you understand.

Tell us in one sentence what your book is about.
War Machine is a hardcore sizzling rollercoaster of a novel with a gratuitous excess of violence, sex, dark humour and exotic aliens all wrapped up in a high-octane cling-film plot concerning an elite military unit illegally reformed who must battle across alien planets to discover justice, truth and revenge.

Why should we buy your book over all the other books out there?
War Machine is, without doubt, the best book you will read this year, nay, decade! If most sci-fi is space opera, then War Machine is punk- the antichrist and anarchist of sci-fi. Fast paced, in your face, slick and trick and pulling no punches. It’s the sort of book to turn non-readers into readers. The sort of story to have you laughing, crying, and hanging on the very edge of your seat.

Which of the characters in the book are you most like and why?
Ahh, that would be Franco, because he’s stubborn, foolhardy, hot-headed, single-minded, ginger bearded, a touch insane, and, if the truth be known, a bit of a sexual deviant. Haha.

What would you like people to get from your novels?
I write to provide entertainment. To provide pleasure. If a reader enjoys the ride, enjoys the adventure, and gets a kick of adrenaline or humour doing so, then we’re both happy and the transaction is complete. War Machine provides entertainment in buckets, mate.

Was there a specific message you were trying to convey in your novel?
War Machine has several themes spiralling through its gossamer pages. Themes of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, good overcoming evil, the strong defending the weak, alcoholism, and a central hub highlighting the dark thread of impurity which seems to be the core of humanity nowadays. Happy stuff, then.

How did you get your start?
It happened very quickly. I worked incredibly hard for ten years writing nearly every day, was accepted by the Dorian Literary Agency in 1996, then Spiral [my first novel] was spotted by Simon Kavanagh at Orbit, and published in 2003. A long, hard road, as Dave Gemmell once told me.

Do you ever draw inspiration from current events?
Sometimes, yes, but then I extrapolate far into the future and the idea often becomes unrecognisable. I probably draw more from technology than events.

Do you have any writing superstitions?
No. I believe in technology, not ghosts.

What, or who, inspires you to write?
I’m a fan of Iain M. Banks, Philip K. Dick, Dave Gemmell [RIP, sorely missed], Ian Graham, Ian Irvine, Terry Pratchett, Tom Sharpe, Michael Moorcock, Ernest Hemingway, and many more, although I think a writer transgresses inspiration after a while; originally my aim was to emulate my writing “heroes”, but eventually an author finds his/her own “voice”. Now I seek simply to entertain with tales of high adventure and black comedy dialogue.

What non-literary influences can be seen in your work?
Computing. I used to write computer games for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, of which I am still a nostalgic and geeky freaky fan. I also love contemporary death-match gaming (QuakeIII anyone?), mountain climbing, motorbikes, mountain biking, and lying on a beach reading a good novel. Most of these things usually worm their way into my writing at some point. Especially the serenity of the mountains.

Who would you most aspire to be able to write like, and why?
Tough one that. Once I would have said Gemmell, but now I’m writing in a different genre. I definitely look up to his fight scenes, though; mine are a kind of tri-combination of Gemmell, Hemingway, and early James Herbert [for the gore]. Other than that, I aspire to write like Remic. What’s the point trying to write like somebody else?

What made you choose SF/F over any other form?
I think it chose me. I was 6 years old when Star Wars came out… damn that George Lucas! I still have my original little plastic people (some without heads). I think sci-fi mainly offers an eternal canvas on which to daub your oils. My sci-fi contains action, romance, comedy, thriller, space opera and punk, baby, all rolled into a tightly knit snowball of fun playability. I think it’s unique. But then, I’m probably a little biased.

You are granted five minutes with an author of your choice (living or dead). Who would you choose and what would you ask them?
What an ace question! I think I’d have to choose Phil Dick, but he’d offer me lots of pills and the five minutes would roll into an oceanic eternity where I’d question him on the beauty of his inventions, Mercerism, the Penfield Mood Organ, chicken-heads, and then together we’d discover if androids really did dream of electric sheep.

What is your opinion on the state of publishing today?
Publishing is a business. It’s ultimate aim, as in every business, is to make money. So, I wouldn’t like to bite the hand that feeds me by bad-mouthing and eulogising how too many celebrities take slices of the cake. However, I’d like to point out that the guys and gals at Solaris are brilliant; they seem as interested in Art as they are in Dollars; and they take very good care of their authors. This is a Good Thing.

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?
I’d be a millionaire yachting playboy cruising the Caribbean like a ginger Jack Sparrow seeking out adventure and loot. Either that, or digging footings on a building site. I’m actually in the process of training in the area of Occupational Safety and Health, which I find quite fascinating. Ionising radiation, lead poisoning, asbestos, explosions, etc. I was a teacher, but got tired of being told to “fuck off” and, thanks to the Government and moronic, petty-minded, bureaucratic, arse-hole licking senior management, being unable to do absolutely anything about it. Child protection? Ha! Who protects teachers from the children? [Legal disclaimer: that was, by the way, a very bad joke, and I do actually advocate child protection. Just not for 15 year old 18 stone hooded thugs who carry flick-knives, think it’s cool to have an ASBO, and spell “bastard” as “basted”, or even “basturd”. Haha.]. We are encouraging a race of cowards with no sense of responsibility. And it’s just going to get worse.

What's your preferred way to relax after a long day of writing?
A bubbly bath, a bottle of wine, and… [edited for the sake of decency and legality].

When was the last time you didn’t finish reading a book, and why?
Hmm. There have been a few, which I won’t mention because I don’t like slagging off fellow writers. It’s a hard job and we should all be literary brothers [and sisters!]. In all honesty, though, the problem lies with me: I have a very low boredom threshold, which is why I write the incredible adventures I do! [haha]. I write what I would like to read, so it has to be very fast-paced and action-packed – just like War Machine.

What books have had an effect on you - for better or worse?
Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings- my first sweeping, epic fantasy, which showed me the beauty of language. Gemmell’s Legend- my first hardcore gritty fantasy, which showed me how fight scenes should be done, laddie!! Banks’ Use of Weapons, which showed me sweeping Space Opera with intricate weaving themes and brilliant characterisation. And all of Enid Blyton’s books, for getting me interested in the first place.

Do you think there’s anything truly original left to say in the genre?
Yep. Lots. I’m trying to say it.

What is your favourite non-writing job you’ve held?
Teaching. The money. The holidays. The fame. The aggro. The ace thing about teaching is that kids always make you laugh, and they will always surprise you. The saddest thing about teaching is a massive decline in control and standards, and a massive increase in bureaucracy and management persons doing “things” simply to line the sick slick pockets of their petty CVs.

What was your most unusual job?
Teaching. I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe…

What do you do when not working?
I write. A lot. And play with my 2 little boys [aged 2 and 5]- they make life worthwhile, and regularly kick my ass. I also like to mountain climb, mountain bike [downhills and verts, yeah!] and play computer games. I used to do kick boxing but kept getting too many broken bones and torn ligaments. Torn ligs were the worst; one ankle injury put me out of action for 2 years! That ended my kick boxing fun.

What subject did you like most at school?
Computing. I was there at the dawn of computing civilisation. I had an Atari VCS and a ZX81. I had a Spectrum. I saw Knight Lore, the first ever 3D game, born! I was there, man! I witnessed the birth and growth of the games industry, and lo! it was a great thing to behold.

Tell us your most embarrassing moment.
In my first novel, Spiral, I requested permission to use lyrics by different musicians. One of these was the song Purity by New Model Army. Anyway, weeks later, I got up one morning, had a shower, took my dog [Samson, now sadly dead] for his toileting in the field, made a coffee. And the telephone rang. I answered, and the man said, “Hello, this is Justin Sullivan from New Model Army”. I froze. I screamed an internal diatribe. I died. “Oh”, I replied. “You don’t sound the same as you do on the songs”. Doh! Mr Sullivan then interrogated my for the next five minutes, in a very friendly fashion. However, despite not having any heroes, this was the one person alive who could rattle my cage. I’ve listened to NMA for 20 years. I drivelled like somebody in a straight-jacket. I could not form coherent sentences. When we ended the conversation, I buried my head in a bucket of tar. Why did you have to phone, Sullivan? Why, damn you? WHY?

Oh yeah, and there was also that time I was caught shagging a llama. Does bestiality count?

When did you discover you wanted to write?
When I was in primary school. I wanted to emulate Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven and Famous Five, and also those Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigator books. I think I was about 6 or 7 years old.

Happy or depressing endings, and why?
In my own work? I never know until I get there. There is an argument for both, and in my case I think it’s the storyline which dictates when I eventually arrive at the point. I never, ever plan the ending. If I can surprise myself, I can surprise the reader.

What was your first published work?
I had a short story published in a magazine called Charlotte’s Mag, around 1990, I think. It was very bad. My first novel was the hard-hitting high-octane near-future thriller, SPIRAL, published 2003 by Orbit.

What are some of your most loved song lyrics?
I love the song Hurt, by Nine Inch Nails, and especially the version recorded by Johnny Cash. It’s about heroin addiction (and, I suppose, any kind of addiction), and very poignant. I also like a lot of Cypress Hill’s mid-period songs, because many relate a narrative; particularly Eye of the Pig, about a corrupt cop, and Tequila Sunrise, about a trainee gangland drug-dealer. Other than that, I’m partial to a bit of Clawfinger, and also the majority of New Model Army’s songs. Again, really intelligent lyrics, with political and social messages that make you think.

Tell us about some of your hobbies?
Reading takes number one spot, then mountain climbing, deathmatch gaming, motorbiking, movies, off-road mountain biking. It’s my aim to do Kilimanjaro in the next few years. I’m also, surprisingly, a superb cook. Jamie Oliver? Hah. I’d kick his cooking ass any day, and hereby challenge him to some kind of freaky celebrity cooking competition wearing funny hats.

What’s your preferred vacation spot?
The USA is great, and I have many pleasant memories of Miami, Florida Keys, Sarasota and New York. I also love Kenya, Africa. But my heart and soul belong to Slovenija, the former Yugoslavia, for all my incredible childhood memories. However, the worst place on our diseased globe is Disney. Disney is Hell. In fact, not just Hell, but rip-off Hell with teddies.

Do you have any pets?
Two skanky mangy killer cats called Molly and Toffee, who are two steps away from being feral, and one step away from true hardcore feline insanity.

What advice would you give a writer starting out today?
Hmm. 1] Labour over every paragraph, and polish your work to an immaculate shine. 2] Present your work professionally and creatively. 3] Be willing to spend years waiting; this publishing malarkey doesn’t happen overnight, y’know. It took Dave Gemmell 16 years to get published, Iain Banks 10 years, me 12 years. 4] Get yourself a good “background” job to pay for mortgages and motorbikes. 5] Read some good How To books. Stephen King’s On Writing is superb.

Andy Remic
07/10/07