Jimbo: Today is an exciting day for those of us here at Jimbo's Science Fiction and Fantasy Reviews (and hey, there may be only one of me in meatspace, but at Jimbo's I'm Editor in Chief, Head Writer, Vice President for Marketing, Head Cook and Bottlewasher, so _I_ qualify as a "we".) Seriously, I'm geeked. It's not everyday that you get to interview an author whose work you've been reading since you were in high school, especially when you're in your mid-forties. Seriously, I picked up Highlander Gambit right when it came out right at the end of my senior year of high school. I've been a huge fan ever since. It actually hurts a bit to mention a Battletech novel because of some unfortunate things that have happened lately, but everything in its turn. First off, let's just greet one of my favorite Science Fiction authors. Hello, Mr. Pardoe. Say hi to all of the fans out there!
Blaine Lee Pardoe (BLP): Greetings! It’s great to get a chance to connect with you. I’m used to hearing from fans that they read me when they were kids – in a way, we grew up together. I’ve been writing military sci-fi for a long time.
Jimbo: I know there has been some controversy lately, but first thing's first. You're an author, so let's talk about what you've been up to lately. I know, I'm a day late and a dollar short, but let's talk a bit about your most recent release, A Most Uncivil War Book 2 in the Blue Dawn Series. Now we have a very strict policy against spoilers her at Jimbo's that we follow at least nienty percent of the time on a good day. So, without revealing anything the spoiler haters will want to beat me up over, tell me a bit about about A Most Uncivil War and the prequel, Blue Dawn.
BLP: First and foremost, this is a political thriller – an alternate history where radical progressives have violently overthrown the US government. I guess you would call this as conservative political thriller. They implemented Social Quarantine Camps, socialized businesses, allowed for bands of Social Enforcers to doll out their own form of justice…essentially smothering any opposition. America has been rebranded as Newmerica. The police agencies of the nation are federalized in the NSF – the National Security Force. America’s history, identity, even its national anthem is gone. There is no voice of opposition, they have been smothered and driven into silence.
The series is about a group of individuals that rise up five years after this coup to attempt to return to some sense of normalcy. The first book, Blue Dawn, sets the stage for the start of an uprising with the restoration of an American President. In A Most Uncivil War, free elections are called for which triggers a violent response from Newmerica. This is the start of a second American civil war. The next book in the series comes out shortly, Confederacy of Fear, which will take the civil war to new and dangerous levels. I am working on book five of the series right now.
The series presents readers with what the nation would be like if the progressives got everything they wanted. Big government becomes huge government. Citizens are encouraged with reparation points to turn in their neighbors for even the slightest transgression. The divides that rip at our country now are torn wide open in the series. Someone called these books a “wake up call,” and in many respects they are.
Jimbo: Those sound like a lot of fun, and also highly topical. Can you tell me how much of the story you took from the current day's headlines? Quite frankly, I'm a guy with a history degree and what I see from the left reminds me a lot of things I've read about in both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. What do you think?
BLP:
I try and avoid direct comparisons to the Nazi’s or Stalin, but they are often unavoidable. What makes the series work is that it is all based on proposals and statements by progressive leaders. All I have done is take them to the next level. For example, President Obama had suggested the nationalization of police forces at one point. AOC has called for ‘retribution’ against Trump supporters, to the point where she said they are keeping lists of who to target. ANTIFA and other entities are very much like the Brown Shirts in Germany before WWII. So the real world plays a big part of the Blue Dawn series.
Much of what I am going for is a French Revolution vibe. The French Revolution was popular at the time, but eventually the extremists ran out of targets for their rage. When that happens, they began to turn on their own. Look at that they did to Robespierre. When you are dealing with extremists, they have to have a target or they are no longer valid. This plays out in the novels.
The books are alternate history. They are designed to make you think. Some conservatives that have read them say that get angry seeing what a progressive US might look at. Good! Fiction should spark good discussion and debate.
JImbo: I agree. Quite frankly I'd like to see more high schools and colleges teaching Erich Fromm's Escape from Freedom and less teaching The Communist Manifesto. But enough about that. Having heard about your recent troubles I was afraid you might give up the publishing game. There seems to have been a lot of hate headed your way. Then I heard that you have a new project coming out with Creative Juggernaut and WarGate Publishing. I'm excited! No one wants to see one of their favorite authors driven from the field. So, what can you tell me about the upcoming novels in the Land & Sea series? Do you have a release date yet? I'm told that the first three books will be Splashdown, Riptides, and Storm Surge. I'm definitely looking forward to these. As a matter of fact, Galaxy's Edge referred to Land & Sea was "Tom Clancy with mechs." I need some spoiler-free details about this if you wouldn't mind. What can you tell me that you won't get in trouble for releasing?
BLP:
Well, first of all, I will always be writing. I retired early from corporate American to do just that. I would have been happy to write BattleTech, but the license holder decided, after 37 years, to end that relationship. I ignore most of the hate – because it comes from a minority of fans. Besides, it is time to look to the future, which for me is Land&Sea and Blue Dawn.
I was stunned and honored with the reference to Tom Clancy from WarGate after they read Splashdown, the first book of Land&Sea. This book shares a lot of hallmarks with Clancy’s political thrillers. To fully understand the new threat in the series, you need a big ensemble cast and to craft the story on a global scale. The first three books do just that.
These are some of my best characters I’ve created. There is a lot of meat on their bones. Their arcs are huge, some going far beyond the first three novels that kick off the series.
Land&Sea is enormous in scale. The first three books have a diverse cast of characters that have neat connections with each other that readers will see over time. This isn’t all about blowing stuff up, politics and other contemporary issues come into play. It’s set in 2039 – so it’s near future. There are some new technologies, but much of it is like what we see every day now. I want the readers to feel comfortable, before I make them uncomfortable.
The series is pure military sci fi at its core – much more reality based than BattleTech. We have Mecha in the form of ASHUR rigs, Augmented Soft/Hard Unconventional (Combat) suits. Our ASHURs make sense in the context they are presented in. They are similar to what you saw in the film, Avatar, but a little smaller and with some interesting combat systems. Semi-autonomous drones, especially GRD’s (Ground Robotic Drones) play key roles on the battlefield as well. Management of the battlespace is critical.
The enemy is something unique and cool. I won’t tell much about them until the first book, Splashdown, drops – but I assure you, this is not your typical experience in military sci-fi. There’s almost a horror factor that comes into play when characters are dealing with unknowns – and I wanted to put the reader through that same experience.
The first three books set the stage for the universe for readers. Book four is already done in draft and I am working on book five right now. With the first three books done, fans will not have to wait for years for the next one. We hope to have six books, if not more, the first year alone! Needless to say, this series will make a big splash when it comes out.
This war is a global one. It is massive in scale and we will get to see a lot of different responses to the threats from different countries. Not to mention we get the military hardware the ASHURs from different countries as well.
I am looking forward to other authors contributing to the series as well.
Jimbo: That sounds awesome, but from what I hear there's more. Did I read something about both Role Playing and Tabletop War games associated with this? I love both and I know what you can do with a gaming property. What can you tell me about those?
BLP:
I actually did the initial design of the RPG and the tabletop game. It’s moving into full blown development shortly. The goal here is to have the tabletop game focus on small unit actions. For Brent Evans and the rest of the team, we wanted to make sure that people could create RPG characters and could have them take part in the tabletop game. A lot of game systems don’t design that integration from the ground up, but we are.
Some of the miniatures are done and in production. We will be making an announcement shortly about being able to purchase those. Working with the team at WarGate, you will see some other franchise related products that are going to be available soon.
We have some other related projects in the works that fans will be surprised and delighted with…things that go beyond the novels and games. Brent Evans, who started Creative Juggernaut (our gaming company) has been compiling a lot of artwork for that we will be leaking out to the new fans of Land&Sea.
Jimbo: Okay, so now that we've had a chance to establish some bona fides for those that haven't read you in the past, can you tell us where to find your work? Drop a link or two.
BLP:
You can go to Amazon.com and search for my name. That will get you to my sci-fi, military history, true crime, and other book genres I write in.
If you want to know more about Land&Sea, you can connect with us at our blog: https://creativejuggernaut74396517.wordpress.com/ or www.creative-juggernaut.com or at WarGate https://galaxysedge.us/wargate-books-to-publish-nyt-bestseller-blaine-l-pardoe-and-brent-evans-landsea-trilogy/
I can be reached at www.blainepardoe.com
On Twitter: @bpardoe870
And on Facebook.
Jimbo: Thank you, Mr. Pardoe. I'd hate to let everyone know what a great author you are and leave them hanging about where to find your work. But on to other things. You were recently cancelled by Catalyst Games Lab, which has announced that they will no longer publish any new writing from you. Before we get into whys and wherefores, let's get into ramifications a little bit. I mean, my father was a McCoy and my mother was born a Wallace. I've been a fan of the Northwind Highlanders (and their creator) for over twenty-five years now. They're a mercenary unit from Scotland. If you wouldn't mind can you tell us about what it means to you both on a personal level and a business level to lose those opportunities?
BLP: Personally it was a blow. I trusted Catalyst and thought that we are on friendly terms. I felt betrayed. I also was infuriated. The President of Catalyst assured me he would be telling the fans about it – but he never did until I went public. I was always active and engaging with the fan community. I went public to explain to the fans why they weren’t going to see products that they knew I had written. I had included a lot of fans in my fiction, and they deserved to know why they won’t be seeing their names in print.
Financially, it didn’t mean that much to me. Writing BattleTech was never about the money. Ultimately though, it was focused on gaming-readers. It isn’t the 1990’s any longer. People reading BattleTech fiction are those that are playing the game. In reality, with all of the new book deals, I stand to make more money since I was cancelled.
That’s why I am excited about working with the team at WarGate. First, they are very fan focused. They have a subscription service where fans are treated as insiders who get books well in advance of the public. They respond to their fans quickly and effectively. The guys I am working with are fun to talk to and seem to have a good pulse on military sci-fi market. That brings me to the second point – they are not limited to gaming reader community. WarGate targets the huge military sci fi market – which is far larger than BattleTech.
It really opens up a lot of fantastic opportunities to push myself and the stories I write. All Wargate is focused on is producing top-notch products and taking care of their fans.
Jimbo: Okay, so I've seen a lot of offended people talking about your cancellation. No one seems to know what the specifics are though. The thing is, when I was going to school for history they taught us to view the primary sources - what was written or recorded at the time of an occurence- instead of taking the word of someone who wasn't there and has no direct knowledge of what happened. So tell me, Mr Pardoe: What got CGL so fired up that they cut ties with one of their best authors? Please be specific so that we can make up our minds based on the details.
BLP: I was told, directly from Catalyst’s President, that it was because an online stalker, who I have a protective order against, had complained to Fanatics, the license holder. That was the primary reason – or so I was told. I was told some of my political views were offensive. Some of their other authors and artists, however, espouse radical left-wing views – from support of ANTIFA to wishing all conservatives rot in hell. When all was said and done, I am the only contractor that they took action against. That confirms for me that this was about my politics, and not anything else. CGL sided with the small group of woke readers.
It amazes me that Catalyst would side with a person that threatened my life, whom a Virginia court and law enforcement have validated was a threat. They made a poor business decision, and upset their fan base in the process.
JImbo: And for this you got cancelled. Is Freedom of Speech not a principle we should all keep in mind? Does this seem fair to you?
BLP: Fair isn’t a concept when you are dealing with the woke mob. Freedom of Speech is subject to mob-censorship. These folks do not want dissenting voices. You are not allowed any opinion other than those they endorse.
The woke mob is into slapping labels on everything I have ever posted. Some of their labeling is based in pure stupidity. For example, when I saw a picture of Joy Behar of the view, I wrote, “You could throw her in a pond and skim ugly for a week.” Was it funny? Absolutely! It was intended to be humorous. They labeled it as a “Misogynistic” attack. Apparently you can’t comment about figures in public…that, or a lot of lefties think Joy is sexy. I refuse to apologize for being right.
I was shocked that my editor at CGL felt the need to send me a message calling my work “drivel” after my cancellation. The same man told me months earlier that my novel, Hour of the Wolf, was the biggest selling novel in Catalyst’s history. I was under the impression we had a great relationship, but in reality, his politics came first. For me, it told me how deep the woke problem is at that publisher.
Worse was that many of the crazies felt the need to justify what they did. They did so by attacking any fan that disagreed with my cancellation. It’s not enough that they won, they demanded everyone applaud their actions. The only word I can come up with for them is sick.
JImbo: It's crazy. So, how have you been treated by the fans on either side? Have your detractors at least kept it civil, since that's what they've always expected from conservatives? Have those who support you made their voices heard?
BLP: Easily 99% of the feedback I have been sent personally has been positive and supportive. Online, less so; though the vast majority feel this was a bad call on the part of CGL. A vocal minority of fans have said it is great to have me censored and removed. Being loud online does not make them right, it just makes them loud.
Strangely, a number of these people have ‘demanded’ that I remain quiet about this. I refuse to comply with those requests. I invested 37 years of my life to supporting that franchise and its fans. I find it amusing that they desire me to self-censor and go away, after they have attacked my values, ideals and me personally. I assure you, I will never buckle to these people.
Most fans can separate an author’s political views and the products they create. After all, as a writer, I am simply producing a consumable entertainment product. It is content. I strongly feel that if you don’t like my views, then you don’t have to buy my stuff. That system has worked for centuries. There’s a lot of authors whose stuff I read who are crazed communists. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy their stuff. Now, however, we have people who actually believe if you don’t like someone’s views, they shouldn’t be allowed to create. It’s called censorship at the source. They are embracing the very existence I detailed in the Blue Dawn series.
I have moved on to bigger and better things with WarGate books. The fans that I have cultivated over the years are welcome to join me on this venture. It will be refreshing change of pace from BattleTech. I am no longer burdened with almost four decades of canon. I am creating the canon from the ground up. I no longer have people looking over my shoulders and telling me to make changes based on their politics or perceptions of diversity. I get to write stories – great stories. I get to forge new heroes and antagonists. I get to create really neat gaming products that tie into the fiction.
Between the Blue Dawn series and Land&Sea, I have enough to keep me writing for the rest of my life. All the cancel-culture crowd has done is put me in a position to be more successful on every level.
Jimbo: Well, hopefully a chance to air things out here has helped. Having been through the fire though, how does it feel to know you'll be getting your work out there again soon?
BLP: It is fantastic. What many people don’t understand is that I am storyteller at heart. I like creating great and memorable characters. I enjoy writing good and compelling stories. Getting Land&Sea out there through WarGate is exciting and I am looking forward to the entire series connecting to a new fan base. We have had hundreds of people sign up at our site to keep in contact with us about the new universe.
I have no desire to be that guy that is a poster-child for woke censorship. What I want to do is write great books and stories – and WarGate is enabling that.
Jimbo: Okay, last question: I always feel like I forgot to ask something that the author wanted me to. So what did I not ask that you wanted me to, and how would have answered it if I did?
BLP:
“Are you working on some other things besides Land&Sea and Blue Dawn?”
Yes, I am. I just sold a story to Baen Publishing for an upcoming anthology – which is great. I have another series that I have ready in proposal form, once we get past the launch with WarGate. My daughter and I are working on another true crime book too. I even have a weekly show on https://www.thenexgenusa.com/ where I talk to other authors about their latest books. I even just did a piece for a Netflix series about a true crime case my daughter and I wrote about. There is a lot going on right now and I have to admit, it’s exciting stuff.
JImbo: Thank you for that, and for taking the time for the interview. It has been a real honor getting a chance to talk with you, Mr. Pardoe. If we ever bump into each other at a con the first drink's on me.
The Blue Dawn books are available for purchase at the following links:
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