COSMOBALLISTICS Armored Soldier Valkyrion

Authors Thinking Like Scientists~Do readers do the same?

Do you make science fiction stories? What is the difference between making a “science fiction story” and making a “science fiction universe”? It is this question which I often ponder. You see, the wonderful administrator at a science fiction website’s forums had, quite some time ago, cleanly denounced Armored Soldier Valkyrion and it hit me pretty hard. Ever since then, I have struggled to understand why SF people would have problems with Valkyrion. The answer, quite pathetically, always seemed to come to some very unflattering descriptions of mainline SF supporters (if there is such a thing). Clearly, that would be, as my dear Admin put it, “defensive,” and a different answer must be the right one.
But is that really true?

“Science fiction,” for you historians out there, pretty much evolved from nerdy-ass scientists getting bored of writing theses upon physics, mechanics, electrical builds, and biology. They took their in-depth, nothing-spared-mention style built in the halls of scientific study and started writing stories about what would happen if the vaccuum-tube computer came to life and spawned children and took-over Yale University before aiming to rule the world but was defeated when the Nazis joined the Royal Air Force to defeat it and force it to live its years on Mars, instead. Now, this sounds like it could be a two-hour motion picture nowadays, but with everything backed-up by hard science, it filled two or three E.E. Smith-style books, each at three-hundred-plus pages. Damn, that’s some serious shit.

Over time, some authors became enamoured with the technology and decided to screw the explanations that detracted from telling a story. If a rocket launch at Cape Canaveral works (and we all know it does), then why waste your time reading about why? Just launch the fucking rocket and go to the Moon! See you tomorrow!—This attitude was a new breath for a genre called “science fiction” which was often unapproachable by all but the diligent readers of the planet Earth just because two different things were going-on at once and in-full—“science” and “fiction.” So one got prominence—the “fiction” story—and the science was simply de facto, existing because (duh) it exists. The stories became easy to approach, less reliant upon science, and eventually, written by authors who knew little about science itself but could bullshit their way through a story by just keeping a limiter on how crazy the “futuristic machinery” was going to be.

The two above descriptions are the most basic lines in science fiction—that is, “hard” science fiction and “soft” science fiction. Some like only one, some like the other, but most self-professed fans see the merits of both. Like any production, of course, it must be done well. Just because somebody liked Ridley Scott’s production of “Blade Runner” does not mean that they would enjoy his work on “Alien,” pure and simple. So when I ask a person in-charge of a science fiction community for their opinion, I understand that not all SF may be his or her cup of tea.

But when your sorry ass criticises my work without addressing a single part of the story (“soft” SF) or the universe in which it operates (“hard” SF), what am I supposed to do except wonder what biases, prejudgments, or just fucking laziness drove you to express that opinion?—With twelve books already in-print, Valkyrion moves across the line between “hard” and “soft” at will, and that makes it hard for people who hold prejudices to get-into it while making it very easy for open-minded people to get into it.

Do you like humanoid combat machines—Valkyrions? Read “Girl’s Squadron War Chronicle.” Are you biased against “dem thar Jap robot story” and want something that echoes our own world? (Why are you reading fiction?)—Read “Mountain Fox.” How about in-depth descriptions of the weapons the air force uses?—There’s “Cosmoballistics” waiting for you there, professor. Not very much into science but love a good SF story?—“White Rose” kicks some serious ass and has romance around every corner.

But don’t you dare judge a book by its cover. Science fiction has its roots in intelligence and processes of analysis. Euclid would kick you out of his school if you decided to assume that a cube supports itself “uh, because its a cube.” Carl Sagan would laugh your silliness aside, pat you on the back, and give you a kind “y’know, that’s a good theory, but we should look closer” and hopefully, make you feel really dumb. So take a good, long look at Valkyrion. I do not mind if you do not like it, but I would enjoy the chance to discuss it with you.

Why?

Because I write science fiction.

Until next time,

Adam Schiller

Valkyrion website redesign!

XD The website has just had a massive overhaul thanks to Adam!! :) It makes me so happy to see it all decked out for White Rose. Go Valkyrion!!

~Stacy

White Rose finally finished and APE 2008

It’s been a huge for Valkyrion since we’ve posted last. Aside from financial troubles and stuff, we’ve successfully completed ArmoredSoldier Valkyrion: White Rose, our first full color graphic novel (thanks to Christan Kaw’s wonderful coloring). It takes on the main story of Valkyrion with ace pilot Plato Auralion and PURE leader Trindat Stavchyn as they battle for what they hold dear and change the course of their world forever.

It’s really awesome. Too bad there’s only five of the first run of this issue and we’re only giving them to big companies (I don’t even get a copy yet!!). People will still be able to order it off of  Indy Planet soon but currently the link isn’t up yet. Doukeshi Production’s website is going to be given a big update soon in celebration of White Rose. From what I’ve seen of what Adam’s doing with it, it’s a major improvement (especially since the website has been giving me trouble all morning. :D Neither of us are web designers but we try our best.

The big thing that’s going on at APE though is that there are free copies of the the Source Book, Anetai Taisenki (Girl Squadron War Chronicle), KAZUMI Project/Technical Manual, and lots of others. If you can spot me, I’d be giddy to autograph it too but we didn’t get a table this year so you’d have to find the girl in blue with red hair and glasses walking around to do it. I’ll be wearing a retarded hooded sweatshirt with a patch sown on with the Doukeshi logo on the hood, probably…. :P If you find me you can buy copies of the RPG and stuff from me. I’ll have everything including the band new Rated X book Valkyrion X.

Yeah, we made a Valkyrion Sex book called Valkyrion X too. It’s pretty cool, very hardcore. You can get it if you find me at APE or e-mail us to order it.

I’ll keep making Valkyrion! Please tell me what you think about it!!! XD

The hardest working independent comickers around?

Whew. Let me tell you, if you’ve never made books one-hundred percent on your own, you don’t know what it’s like. I just finished a minor update to the website, and by “minor,” I mean “added the fact that, yes, there is a new Armored Soldier Valkyrion book available for purchase from Doukeshi Productions.”

It’s worth a good laugh every now and then to think about how much work we really do around here. In less than a year, we’ve released seven books. That number will increase next month, and likely the month after that. Not bad for a couple of social misfits armed with nothing except hot blood and a never-say-die attitude, is it?

So, without further ado, the new book is entitled “Planetfall.” It tracks the Neo-Tactical Armored Corps’ Seventieth Armored Cavalry as they are sent on a pioneering mission to Venus alongside the Transatmospheric Defense Corps’ heralded Delirium Squadron. Aiming to set-up a mobile base of operations in distant orbit in case the Second Birth do in-fact win the Galactic War and force Earthians out of their home, the odds are certainly against success. But as if this was not enough of a daunting task, P.U.R.E. Russia has some plans of their own, sending the bloodthirsty Sergeant Verx Beter after the pioneer shuttles and giving him free rein to use every tool from cannons to plastic explosives to the talents of P.U.R.E. Japan’s best vaccuum-fighter pilot in order to ensure that Earthians remain exclusively on Earth.

I sincerely hope that you enjoy it.

—Adam Schiller

ArmoredSoldier VALKYRION: E.C. 999 (update)

Well it has been a while since I’ve posted, huh? The newest news with E.C. 999 is that we changed the release format again. :) Don’t worry, we didn’t extend it again. We will be releasing E.C. 999 in a double issue standard-size saddle-stitched book (regular comic book with tons of pages) from what we’ve discussed. The art is nearly done (in the next few days?) aside from the ever important cover. So, the book will definitely get sent out to get printed this month. When it will be available for sale though… that’s up to the printing place I suppose…

:/ Prince of War II and the new Designworks books should have been available a month ago… X/ available and shipped and in our hands a month ago… arrg

Anyway…. I’m also working on an illustration project on the side along with some request art for Ada… So I’ve been pretty busy… O.o; but I’ll be working harder! :) Have fun! Work hard! See you next time!

~Stacy

ARMORED SOLDIER VALKYRION: E.C.999 -- Page 50 is finished!!!

    Today is the fifty page day for E.C.999 as I have reached page 12 in issue two. Is the book out yet? No. The book will be at least 100 pages when it’s finished but man, fifty is a nice number to think about isn’t it? It seems like only a short while ago I was getting so excited about the first few pages of this comic book… but now that I’m working on issue two with an kick-ass faster page rate and fuck-you-awesome better artwork I don’t spend much time to get excited about how many pages I’ve done unless you count those zoned-out moments where I’ll be cross-hatching for hours, but I have so many random thoughts during that time to keep myself from falling asleep that it never really hits me very hard.

    I’ve done so many pages of comic books that never went anywhere. Well over one-hundred — I would guess by how full that box is — but with this comic I really feel like I’m where I want to be with my artwork. I really feel like this is a work that is really something great. With every page I’m more excited wanting to see what happens next; to see where life takes my main character. I can’t wait for it to be done so I can share it with all of you.

    This is the marking point of page fifty. The comic has taken off and going at high speed to the finish line. 

(  ‘  ‘) {…) 

~Stacy 

c(^ ^ c ) ~ I went outside today.....

    With the E.C.999 graphic novel, I’ve had my hands full lately… :) issue two -of the four issue book- looks and feels really great. I’ve really been having a blast working on it… so much in fact that I’m missing the really great spring weather outside…. All I know is that in Valkyrion it’s still winter… and it’s snowing where Plato is right now… but outside my window? Beautiful spring breezes… Great setting for drawing brutal war, huh? ;D I better work faster so Plato and I can be in the same season! …. ;D

~Stacy