Dale Brown-Act Of War: Direct Action Interview
14 January 2005 00:01
John [JCal] Callaham

Best selling author Dale Brown has written a number of novels in the "techno-thriller" genre for nearly two decades with books like Flight of the Old Dog, Fatal Terrain and Plan Of Attack to his credit. Now Brown is entering into new territory for him as he works with developer Eugen Systems and publisher Atari on their upcoming near future military RTS title Act of War: Direct Action. Brown will also write a novel based on the game for release this year as well. HomeLAN got a chance to chat with Brown about his work on the game.

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STORMING HEAVEN: Responses to readermail@DaleBrown.info

1 December 2004

DEAR DALE

I REALLY LIKED THE BAD GUYS TURABI AND ZURAZI. YOU NAILED THERE MOTIVATIONS AND REASON FOR DOING THINGS WELL. RELIGIOUS FANATICS WHO GO FROM RAIDERS TO ALL OUT REVOLUTIONARIES TAKING OVER TERKMENISTAN WITH AN OIL PIPELINE WAS GENIOUS. ESPECIALLY WITH THE HEADLINES THE WAY THEY ARE NOW.

THE BAR SCENE WITH DAREN MACE WAS GOOD IN THE SENSE IT BROUGHT YOU TO FEEL THE CHARACTER. I WAS HOPING HE WOULD DO MORE NEAR THE END OF THE BOOK. SAY PUT HIM IN A TIN MEN SUIT AND HAVE HIM KICK ASS

I DID HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MC LANIHAN AND FURNESS SETTING UP THERE OWN MISSIONS WITHOUT SUPERIORS KNOWLEDGE AND NOT GETTING COURT MARSHALLED REGARDLESS HOW SUCCESSFUL THERE MISSION WAS.

I REALLY LIKED THE CONCEPT OF AN EX - PRESIDENT RE-RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND A 3RD PARTY PRESIDENT RUNNING THE SHOW. IDEAS LIKE THAT NEED TO BE BROUGHT TO MORE DETAIL.

THE TECHNO STUFF HAS GOOD CONCEPTS LIKE THE UNMANNED DRONE PLANES BUT YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN THE BATTLE SCENES MORE CLEARLY AND GET OFF OF IS OFFICER LONG GOING TO BE MAD AND REPORT THE AIR BATTLE FORCE TO THE PRESIDENT.

I WANTED TO SEE MORE TIN MEN SOLDIERS KICKING ASS AND GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY WITH ZARAZI AND TURABI

ALL IN ALL I LOVE YOUR BOOKS. TOM CLANCY GIVES U A RUN FOR THE MONEY. YOU R A REAL FUN READ

Whew! Thanks for the e-mail!

I get a lot of criticism about having McLanahan, Furness, and some of the other characters going off and doing missions without authorization. Remember, novels are not real--they're fiction, make-believe, fantasy. I try to at least start off with the real world but I enjoy and STRIVE to jet past reality and get into MY OWN reality as quickly as possible.

In my world, heroes act when they see a problem. They don't wait, don't hesitate, don't ask permission--UNLESS IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE STORY! In a novel, the STORY is everything! We writers are slaves to the story. If it helps and advances the story, it's in there--if it doesn't, it's out.

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As you may have heard, we've had a TINY BIT of snow up here in Lake Tahoe--about 10 feet here at lake level and probably 20-30 feet in the higher elevations since Christmas. Folks in the Carson Valley received about 4 feet, which is 3-4 TIMES what they normally get in a season… …and the season ain't over! In fact February and March are typically our snowiest months! All this snow is great for the skiers and great for us boaters come summer, so maybe we'll be able to use the launching ramps again. But yours truly sure is getting tired of snowblowing. During the storms it was usually 12" in the morning, then another six inches every 4-5 hours. I sometimes finished as late as 11 p.m. so I wouldn't have too much in the morning.

Enough complaining! I hope you have a good New Year! See you in February!

GBA, Dale…

Click here for more on Plan Of Attack! Get Plan Of Attack At Amazon.Com! Plan Of Attack (MAY 2004) The unthinkable is about to happen in this high-flying novel of adventure and suspense. In Air Battle Force, Dale Brown introduced U.S. Air Force aerial warfare expert Major General Patrick McLanahan and his air combat unit of the future. Armed with a force of these robotic planes, the general and a handful of commandos were secretly deployed to the oil-rich nation of Turkmenistan to stop a Taliban invasion. And though the Americans won the battle, the war is far from over.... To punish McLanahan and his fleet of robot warplanes for their audacity, Russian president General Anatoliy Gryzlov decides to do the unthinkable: a sneak attack on America-unlike anything ever believed possible-that devastates her strategic air forces. McLanahan has collected information that not only foretold the Russians' daring plan, but also gave him the data he needs to plan a counterstrike that could stop the Russian war machine dead in its tracks. But Patrick is no longer in charge of Air Battle Force, and the Russian sneak attack has left the embattled U.S. president with few options: retaliate with every weapon in his arsenal, even if it triggers a global thermonuclear war, or to a cease fire on Russia's terms... ...or listen to a disgraced and discredited young bomber commander's long-shot plan of attack.

"The novels of Dale Brown brim with violent action, detailed descriptions of sophisticated weaponry and political intrigue... His ability to bring technical weaponry to life is amazing."
--San Francisco Chronicle

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Trident Media Group
(212) 262-4810

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