Lords of Kobol Ch-ch-ch-changes!

UPDATE: A lot of the info in this post is now obsolete or just plain wrong.  For the latest info and ETA on Colonies of Kobol, read this post.

In this post, I'm going to lay out the future of Lords of Kobol, as well as Colonies of Kobol, my plans for writing it all, my plans for releasing it all, and more.

First off, Lords of Kobol - Book Four - Tales from Ancient Days is dead.  It has been unpublished.  Simply put, I've found it a distraction from the narrative through-line between the trilogy and Book Five.  I never intended to write a Book Five, so having a disconnected, alternate universe Book Four wasn't really an issue six years ago when it was published.  At any rate, it's gone and sequestered to the back of Book Three as Lords of Kobol - Alternate: Tales from Ancient Days.  It's bonus footage, if you will, on the Blu-ray of Book Three.

Also, Book Five is dead.  Long live Prelude.

Since Book Five is a prequel to the trilogy, retitling it Prelude was an obvious decision, plus it mitigates the confusion caused by Book Four.

So, again, if you visit my page on Smashwords, you will no longer find Book Four and you will see that Book Five has been renamed.

Now, on to Colonies of Kobol.

If you haven't been following me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, etc., shame.  Secondly, you may not know that I've been doing a Battlestar Galactica rewatch and reread.  I started with the original series back in the spring, followed by Galactica 1980.  Then, I tackled the BSG-verse in chronological order.  First, I read Lords of Kobol - Prelude, then Book One, Two, and Three.  Then I watched Caprica, followed by Blood & Chrome.  As of this writing, I'm at the beginning of Galactica itself's second season.  As I watch each episode, I take notes and livetweet info about the show, both what's on screen and behind-the-scenes.  I also tweet about connections to my Kobol books.  Just look for the hashtags "#BSG #TotalReWatch."

Obviously, the main purpose behind the rewatch and reread is to get my head into the universe so I can start writing again.  I'm making notes, making outlines, and - believe it or not - I've already started writing some scenes that got into my head because I was afraid they'd leave me if I didn't put cursor to screen, as it were.

Volume One will begin with the end of Earth and the fleeing of the Final Five.  It will be followed by a few other books about different colonies, primarily in the years after the flight from Kobol (beginning with the first settlements on Gemenon).  The Earth part of the book is largely outlined already and I like it.

Volume Two deals with the middle ages, sorta, of the Colonies.  Lots of growing pains as humanity rules itself for the first time in millennia without gods watching over them.  (Fans of the original series may like that logo as it's the symbol for Galactica.  Here, it's the seal of the Virgon Empire.)

Finally, Volume Three will take us up to the Fall of the Colonies, fill in some blanks that surround Caprica and Blood & Chrome, and so forth.  I don't want to spoil anything, but part of what I've already written is in the final pages of this book.

Do I have a timetable on when these will be finished?  Well, no.  If I start in earnest in early 2017, maybe it'll be done and ready to publish in 2018.  I can't be more specific than that.  (Writing the Lords of Kobol trilogy took about six or so months, but the words just flowed, man.  Writing Book Five [Prelude] took a couple of years because I fell into a creative funk for a bit.  Who knows if that'll hit me again.)

Is there anything after Colonies of Kobol?  Well, YES.

I'm calling these the "Marble Editions."  I intend to provide author's commentary on the books by means of a link at the end of each chapter that will take the reader to the back of the book, where there will be details on why I made certain choices, images from the writing process, and more.  (I will probably publish this as one, big-ass book.)

Naturally, after those "Marble Editions" will come these "Marble Editions":

Same deal: author's commentary, images, and more woven throughout via links at the end of each chapter.

OK, now here's the big deadline I've set for myself.

March, 2019.

Why then?  The final episodes of Battlestar Galactica aired in March, 2009.  I figure ten years is enough time for me to write all I'm going to write and close out the universe for good.

Stay tuned for more!

"Lords of Kobol" and "Colonies of Kobol": Big Plans Ahead

I have plans.  That's not to say they will be fulfilled as they are in my head presently, but I do have plans.

"If wishes were horses ..." something, something.  Is there a similar saying for plans?  "If plans could stand, I'd have a mansion."  There.  Just made one up.

Oh.  Right.  "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."  Yeah, OK.  Same diff.

At any rate, it's no secret that I plan to get back to the BSG/Kobol-verse in the near future.  I've teased my next series, Colonies of Kobol, for the last couple of years.  Well, now I have a plan.

If you don't mind a few minuscule spoilers, hit the JUMP and I'll fill you in.

Welcome!

First thing's first: my name is Trey and I'm a dork.

A few years ago after watching the end of Battlestar Galactica, I knew there were some things I wished had been explored further.  Though I enjoyed the end very much, I understood that the producers and writers didn't necessarily want to answer every question posed.  So ...

I decided to explore the ancient history of the show.  Since I like mythology, that era had some of my biggest questions.  I pondered it for a couple of months and then I thought I would undertake the writing of that history.  Fast forward a couple of years, I've got three books on the matter, spanning more than five thousand years ... the end of which is set some two thousand years before the show and yet inextricably tied.

First, let me say that if you haven't seen all of Battlestar Galactica, perhaps this isn't for you.  (Caprica isn't as necessary to see for these books.)  Skip down to Displaced and read that non-BSG scifi book.

Next, check out this "video" I posted which sort of sets up the books.  After you've read the books, please know that you can hang out here on the blog and check out all sorts of "bonus materials," almost like a DVD. Pictures, maps, commentary and much more.


"But wait," you're saying, "how do I know these don't suck?"  Well, I appreciate your candor.  Feel free to read this collection of reviews to assuage your concerns.

Lords of Kobol - Book One: Apotheosis can be downloaded in just about every imaginable format for FREE at Smashwords here.  Also available at iTunes, Kobo, and B&N.  All for free.

Basic synopsis: introduces you to the gods at the height of their power, as well as the creation and later exodus of the Thirteenth Tribe.

For Book One, here's the post detailing the map in the book, along with a larger version.

Lords of Kobol - Book Two: Descent can be downloaded in just about every imaginable format for FREE at Smashwords here.  Also available at iTunes, Kobo, and B&N.  All for free.

Basic synopsis: primarily a flashback to the gods' descent from Mt. Olympus and the beginning of their reign over mankind, strife between Prometheus and Zeus, etc.

For Book Two, here's a post on the map I made for that book and here's one about asteroid impacts.

Lords of Kobol - Book Three: The Final Exodus can be downloaded in just about every imaginable format for FREE at Smashwords here.  Also available at iTunes, Kobo, and B&N.  All for free.

Basic synopsis: the end of the Lords' dominion, rise of Cylons, the "Blaze," Tomb of Athena and the exodus of man.

For Book Three, here are a few maps (including the City of the Gods), propaganda of the gods and details on the Book of Pythia.

Trilogy-wise (all with major spoilers), here's a post of deleted scenes, a glossary of terms and, finally, an article to address the questions of how I tied the books to the show.  Here's that huge post on the theology of the show and my books.  It includes Book Four spoilers, so beware of that.

That's the trilogy.  But wait, there's more ...

Lords of Kobol - Book Four: Tales From Ancient Days can be downloaded in just about every imaginable format for FREE at Smashwords here.  Also available at iTunes, Kobo, and B&N.  All for free.

Basic synopsis: this is tough.  Essentially, I wanted to explore some things I couldn't in the original trilogy.  This is a completely different version of the story and told in a Tolkien-esque fashion.  There's more mysticism, mythology and so on.

For Book Four, here's the map for this book and here's an article addressing how I tackled certain show-related questions in this volume.

*** For all of the Lords of Kobol books, here's a huge post that outlines the theology of the two TV shows and the four novels.  Please, only read that after you've read the books.  And seen the show.  It's in-depth and addresses many questions.  Very important. ***

Lords of Kobol - Book Five: Of Gods and Titans can be downloaded in just about every imaginable format for FREE at Smashwords here.  Also available at iTunes, Kobo, and B&N.  All for free.

Basic synopsis: we go back to the trilogy with this prequel that details the creation of the Titans and how Zeus and his Olympians overthrew them.

For Book Five, here are the maps, designing the Caesar's seal, the look of Cylons, world-building with language, mythology, real-world theology & history, and a glossary of terms.

ALSO (and trilogy-wide stuff is discussed), there's the prequel trap, the problem with BSG, my workspace, BSG theology 1, BSG theology 2, and a finale Q&A.



BUT WAIT; THERE'S MORE.

Not only have I written these four BSG-related books (free to download, I remind you), but I'm in the process of publishing non-BSG works, too.

Displaced can be downloaded in just about every imaginable format for $2.99 at Smashwords here.  Also available at B&N, Kobo, iTunes, and Amazon.

Basic synopsis: Baltimore cop wakes up in his car on a farm far from home.  Lots of weirdness happens after that.  (Prehistoric animals, robots ... you get the idea.)  Sci-fi, action packed, kind of a mystery.  Think Lost but set on a farm and with a more solid ending.

For Displaced, here's a post with a map of the farm and here's one with another spoilery map and a size comparison chart for the various animals.

Diary of a Second Life can be downloaded in just about every imaginable format for $2.99 at Smashwords here.  Also available at Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble.

Basic synopsis: three centuries after an apocalypse wrought by the undead (yes, zombies), a teen named Wess Marin decides he must leave his insular community in order to survive.  This book details his attempts to leave the past behind and maybe even cure the evil that has destroyed the world.

For Diary of a Second Life, here's post number one on the illustrations, post number two on the illustrations, the original outline and plan for the novel, an article explaining the science of my zombies compared to other fictional zombies and a post on the real-world geography in the book.

Sexcalation, my very adult erotica novel, can be downloaded in just about every imaginable format for $3.99 at Smashwords.  Also available at Amazon, iTunes, Kobo and Barnes & Noble.

Basic synopsis: semi-autobiographical account of a guy getting laid, getting married, trying to get laid with his wife and then the couple becoming involved with the sexy couple who moves in nearby.

(Read the Sexcalation blog, the porn-laden Sexcalation Tumblr and Sexcalation Twitter, all of which are basically inactive at this point.)

The Red Kick, my superhero erotica series, can be downloaded in one compilation for $3.99 from Amazon, Smashwords, iTunes, and Barnes & Noble.

Issue #1 is FREE and can be downloaded from Smashwords.

Basic synopsis: a masked citizen works as a stripper to learn the evil plans of her city's ne'er-do-wells and then gears up to fight them.  Fun "Batman"-style "BIFF! POW! BANG!" narrative both for the fighting action and the bedroom action.



There you have it.  Please, commence the downloading and then the reading.  Feel free to let me know what you think by leaving comments below, following me on Twitter, following me on Tumblr or by 'liking' my Facebook page.

And, please, whenever you buy and download my stuff, don't forget to rate and review.

Thanks for your time.

"Lords of Kobol" Finale: Questions, Answers & Trivia

This is the end.  My only friends, the end.

As promised, I'll be answering some questions and dropping some last-minute trivia here in this last post related to the Lords of Kobol series.

There will be a few SPOILERS, so just in case, we'll dive in after the JUMP.

Book Five: BSG Theology 2 - The Song

Continuing from yesterday's post on how Book Five fits in with the Lords of Kobol trilogy and the greater universe of the show, this one deals with the last two or three chapters only.

Heavy SPOILERS.  Everything after the JUMP.

Book Five: BSG Theology

My SPOILER-heavy dissections of Lords of Kobol - Book Five: Of Gods and Titans continue ...

As the title promises, this is about The One True God, its Messengers and the greater Galactica universe.

Since it is so SPOILER-laden, we'll commence after the JUMP.

Mapping Kobol, Part IV

Since the world as depicted in the trilogy is the same as what was depicted on the show:

... I saw no need to alter it for the purposes of this story.  The lands are the same shapes, the mountains and rivers run the same lengths, the nations have the same borders.  Cities are in different places, though.  And there are a few other plot-driven alterations you may notice.

Click on the below pic for a much larger and full-color version of the map you'll find in the beginning of Book Four:

Time to Start Reading Book Four

Well, I didn't see this day coming.  I had a trilogy in mind for Lords of Kobol (once I realized what I was writing was too long for just one book) and once Book Three was done, I was done.  You know?

Two years ago when I was trying to pin down the Lords of Kobol in my mind, I had some cool ideas.  Some really good things I would have loved to put into the trilogy, but given the choices I made, they just wouldn't work.  Over the last two years, the really good stuff kept coming to mind and I couldn't shake it.  Once the trilogy was finished, I decided to exorcise those demons and put those thoughts down on paper.

It helped a bit knowing that some people who read Book One didn't care for my decision regarding the Lords' nature.  They wanted their gods to be more godlike and for things to be much more mystical.  You people should be very happy with this.

So what made these thoughts work now in Book Four when they wouldn't work when I started Book One?  Read chapter one of Book Two.  I'll write more about that in a future post on the theology of it all, but suffice it to say, that chapter made me rethink a bunch of things.

Regardless, Book Four is ready to go.  The language of it all is similar to Tolkien's The Silmarillion (and there are some influences, obvs) so you might have to slow down to grasp it all at first.  It creates an interesting flavor.  Makes it feel old and mythical.  Kinda weird when I had to write about DNA, space travel and computer viruses, though.

As for the story, don't worry that I've just fancied up the words and changed the nature of the gods.  Nope.  Except for the specific things mentioned in BSG that transpired on Kobol, all of the situations and circumstances surrounding these characters and events have changed.  Often drastically.  (SPOILER-wise, the only thing to look out for is a Book One spoiler in the Preface.)

It's a totally new story.  An alternate universe companion novel to the trilogy.

It's interesting and it's actually pretty frakking good.  I hope you like it.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

Coming Soon - The Fourth Book in the Trilogy

Wait, what?

Yes.

Don't get me wrong: the story I wanted to tell in Books One, Two & Three is wrapped up in those three books. However, years ago as I pondered the Lords, I had several unused thoughts and concepts.  Once I went with the Lords being (REDACTED), there was no way those unused concepts could be adapted.

So, for two-plus years, I've had some good ideas banging around in my brain trying to be used.  Even as I edited and made ready to publish the trilogy, those concepts were screaming inside and became nagging doubts.  I thought the best way to exorcise those thoughts would be to put them down on the page.

Thus, Lords of Kobol - Book Four.  It does not supplant the trilogy in any way.  It acts as an alternate universe version of the story.  A sort of "road not taken."

I'll get into the style of the book later on, but suffice it to say: this one is very different.