Interview with Theodore Hodges, Author of Empire Without End

What’s the story behind the story? What impressed you to write down Empire Without End?

Well, I assume I’d contemplate the Breakdown Universe as my model of Star Wars, or higher but, Warhammer 40k. But in contrast to the sequence I get pleasure from, the aim of each “primer” (the primary trilogy in my sequence) was to write down a prequel sequence earlier than I wrote the sequence itself. Some of that is an method to my simple nature and love of effectivity. Other elements are laziness. Because I didn’t need to write the sequence correct, then return for prequels. As for Empire Without End, the inspiration was to seize the efficiency of nationwide myths and tie it right into a fantasy/sci-fi story.

Anyone who’s acquainted with Classical Era Greek and Roman historical past will pick particular names and motifs all through Empire that assist the idea. This is because of Empire essentially being an origin story, very like how the Aeneid continued the place the Iliad left off. Those who’re acquainted with the guide earlier than Empire, which known as The Lords of the Dead, is perhaps acquainted with my deep-seated ardour for historical past—particularly army historical past. This is matched solely by my love of style writing, so I put these components collectively within the Breakdown Universe.

When certain collectively, I hope to inform (or retell) tales a couple of revitalization of the Classical World with the added components of battle robots, sorcerers, mutant abominations, and darkish gods. And Empire Without End is one of the most important items, a nationwide origin story for a nation destined to rule a lot of the “New World” and that which lies past the confines of Earth.

What’s your favourite style to learn? Is it the identical as your favourite style to write down?

It is my opinion that the majority writers have been readers beforehand, however I’ll admit that is removed from common. However, I learn a titanic quantity of Warhammer 40k after I was a teen and younger man, and it reveals in my work. In truth, I even have a number of tattoos from 40k and Star Wars to point out my licensed standing as a hardcore fan. When it involves my origins and inspiration, I’d say these two universes have been the most important affect.

But there’s a kicker I’ve seen with regards to writing. One of the most important issues I wanted to do after I grew to become a author was distancing myself from tales inside my style. This was a outcome of osmosis or (my most well-liked time period) “bleed-over” from no matter fiction I used to be studying. Now, as an alternative of studying army fantasy and sci-fi, I spend most of my time studying or listening to audiobooks on non-fiction subjects or literary works. These embody All Quiet on the Western Front (one of my favorites) and I Claudius for literary fiction.

As for non-fiction, I just lately learn President Barack Obama’s memoirs, The Promised Land, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, SOG: The Secret Wars of America’s Commandos in Vietnam, and am at the moment working by Julius Caesar’s Commentaries.

What books are in your TBR pile proper now?

Two books I’ve began and have but to complete are Nero’s Killing Machine: The True Story or Rome’s Remarkable 14th Legion and When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler. The former (Nero’s Killing Machine) is a sequel to Caesar’s Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar’s Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome, which I like to recommend for anybody all in favour of Roman army historical past. There is loads of knowledge on battles, however I discovered the tradition and nature of the boys Rome requested to combat and die on their behalf to be compelling. Few (if any) army cultures of the trendy world can evaluate to the brutality and self-discipline of the unique Empire Without End. As for the later, Colonel Glantz (creator of When Titans Clashed) has a longstanding fame for being an authority on what Russians name “The Great Patriotic War” and Americans like me name the “Eastern Front” of World War Two, even supposing Colonel Glantz was a US Army officer, not a Russian.

The guide will be difficult in its droves of technical and strategic data, however the extra one listens or reads, the extra one begins to grasp the Eastern Front was a beast in contrast to something we Americans can really comprehend. Battles of really apocalyptic proportions have been waged in Russia and Eastern Europe between 1941 and 1945. Personally, I discovered it awe-inspiring to listen to of the braveness and dedication the Soviet individuals mustered in opposition to a foe that ensured Slavs understood German victory meant the annihilation of their racial and cultural identities.

What scene in your guide was your favourite to write down?

The manner I method a narrative is often round a set of goals, the “this needs to happen before the story can end.” In Empire, the definitive second for me was what I envisioned upon beginning the Primer Trilogy, the ultimate moments of The Capitoline Wolf, a component close to the center of the guide. Any followers of Roman historical past ought to be capable to grasp what I’m getting at with the symbolism. And anybody who isn’t acquainted ought to nonetheless be impressed. I nonetheless suggest wanting up the real-life model of the Capitoline Wolf, although. In my opinion, it makes the story ten instances higher.

Do you’ve any quirky writing habits? (fortunate mugs, cats on laps, and so on.)

Though removed from atypical in nature, I’ve discovered that my worldbuilding borders on obsessive after I talk about it with different authors. Before I really feel assured writing a couple of given tradition, area, or nation in my books, I spend days (or weeks) writing paperwork on the whole lot from how they costume to what type of leisure they get pleasure from.

As my work modernizes (contained in the Breakdown Universe, that’s) I discover myself spending extra time describing TV channels, musical kinds, client merchandise, and different issues that I didn’t should do in earlier tales. Because I might depend on issues most readers might perceive in Lords of the Dead. Empire and its sequel actually are half of the “New World,” although, so I wanted extra knowledge on what individuals would name issues or how I might mesh historical past with my fictional future.

Do you’ve a motto, quote, or philosophy you reside by?

I’ve at all times preferred “Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you,” however because the originator of that quote was identified for his disdain of fiction, I’ve kept away from together with it in any of my works.

If you could possibly select one factor for readers to recollect after studying your guide, what would it not be?

To a historical past buff like me, the aim with The Breakdown Universe and all its hooked up titles was to impress the concept that our world is constructed on shaky foundations. During the epoch of the Greek metropolis states or the Roman Empire, no Greek or Roman would have probably believed that their nation would fall. They might need understood it intellectually, however not in a right away sense. Most nations seem to operate that manner, as politics (the current tense of historical past) is at all times based mostly on widespread assist and perception. If anybody realizes the sport is up, then it truly is. That is barely half the story, although.

Where Lords of the Dead describes the dying of what individuals in my universe name the “Old World,” we see the reorganization and rebirth of civilization inside Empire. Here, humanity and their inhuman allies take their first steps in studying how one can work collectively. So, regardless of how dangerous issues look within the current, there may be at all times a lightweight on the horizon. And simply the identical for individuals who imagine the great instances won’t ever finish. Our world is an ouroboros, a snake consuming its personal tail. That in thoughts, it’s finest to know whether or not you’re on the tail or the jaw.