Interview with Frank Creed

Continuing our coverage of Frank Creed's just-released technothriller Devil's Hit List, we're sitting down with the man for an interview.

Greg Mitchell: Here we are, for Devil’s Hit List: Book Three of the Underground! Did you ever think you’d make it this far when you sat down so many years ago to begin this series?

Frank Creed: I hoped to make it this far. I really had no notion of what it would be like to be published so many times. You learn so much with every book release.

GM: What’s Devil’s Hit List all about?

FC: The hottest new thing on the street isn't a drug-it's a virtual reality experience that makes crack cocaine look like cotton candy. There is, however, one side-effect: it's lethal. When the One State contracts the Ash Corporation to produce Virtual-e, a highly addictive entertainment intended to reduce global population levels, Calamity Kid and his crew are tasked to stop its introduction in North America. But how far can the Underground heroes get when battling the combined forces of global government and mega-corporation? That’s the back cover copy. The series is about the notorious Calamity Kid and the crew, and their continuing struggles in the cracks of the Underground. The overall story is more about the character than the action.

GM: Is this what you always imagined Book Three would be about, or did it change over time? Care to discuss any old ideas that didn’t make it into the final cut?

FC: I’ve worked out of a writer’s notebook created mostly in the nineties. I’ve had a rough outline for these first three books for a long time. One leftover idea I’ve not yet shown is human trafficking.

GM: These books take place in a cyberpunk version of the Biblical account of Revelation and the Tribulation. According to most interpretations of the Scriptures, the Tribulation is a 7 year period, marked by 3 and a half years of peace followed by 3 and a half years of hell on Earth. Where are we at in the timeline by Devil’s Hit List—or do you even subscribe to that timeline?

FC: If indeed that timeline proves to be accurate, Flashpoint starts at the beginning of the last three and a half years. I eventually want to show the second coming and deal with the rapture, but those would likely come in the last book in the timeline.

GM: So what prompted you to combine something like the role-playing game Shadowrun with Biblical End Times prophecy? Do you consider yourself a student of eschatology?

FC: I followed eschatology for a few years after being saved. I bought, and never wound up playing the Shadowrun RPG. I’ve read almost all the Shadowrun novels though.  Cyberpunk just seemed the perfect genre for end times fiction because it’s near-future sci-fi. Many think the end times are upon us, so one get to twist the modern world to fit—or not fit—what we believe prophecy to say.

And I’d like to point out here that the Jews in Christ’s time were looking for their Messiah to come as a king, and lead them out from under the Roman yoke. They missed Jesus. Can you imagine? We really need to keep a wide open mind about what exactly we think prophecy says.

GM: I know there are at least two more books coming out in the Underground series (because I’m writing one of them :p). Do you have any idea how long the series will go or do you prefer to be surprised?

FC: The Underground could go on a long time, and I hope it does. Reality is that Christian cyberpunk is not paying the bills. I’m toying with another universe that would be much more subtle in its Christian content. I may have to write novels in such a place out of necessity, and who knows what the Boss will do with it.

GM: A lot of the themes that you deal with in the book—such as transhumanism—are actually rooted in today’s headlines. Do you feel that we are headed for the sort of dark humanistic world of the Underground?

FC: I’ve read a lot in the cyberpunk genre, and have seen many things come true. The rise of what I call the mega-corp is a cyberpunk staple, and something we will see. The wealth of nations, the power of bio-ethics, and security forces bigger than most country’s standing armies.  As corporate and government power tangle, I see wide cracks in society into which those we now call the “uninsured” will fall into. How frankensteinish transhumanism will get in the coming decades, one can only guess.

GM: Thanks for stopping by, as always, Frank. Any parting words? Plug your books, man!

FC: Each of the Underground books is written to be a stand-alone novel. While everything is explained to the reader, one can best appreciate the characters by reading Flashpoint and War of Attrition first. And I’ll let Calamity Kid sign off . . . “Y’all ain’t ace enough to trump the King of Kings.”

GM: Fitting words! Thanks to Frank for another great interview and thanks to everyone for dropping by.

And don't forget--a HUGE announcement is coming your way on Halloween morning!! You won't want to miss it, "Coming Evil" fans!

"Apocalypse V" - the cat is out of the bag!

Well, I've been sitting on this news for awhile (since Christmas, when all this started) and I'm near ecstatic to finally be able to share it all with you.

I am officially writing "Apocalypse V" for Cloud Ten Pictures!!

Wait.

"What's Apocalypse?" you ask. For shame. For. Shame.

Allow me to educate thee.

Back in 1998, when "The Coming Evil" was still forming in the murky depths of my monster-laden imagination, I was easing into the Christian film industry. I had already met Rich Christiano (who I later collaborated with on the novel "Time Changer") and was even an extra in his End Times/Revelation flick "End of the Harvest". At that time, I was pretty much soaking up every Christian film experience I could, trying to see what had come before and figure out how I was going to be different and add my two cents to the whole thing. As you may or may not remember (or you may be trying to forget) there was a sort of "Millennium Fever" at the turn of the century, and between the "Left Behind" books, and "The Omega Code" movies (the second one had Kyle Reese, yo!), and Rich's own "End of the Harvest", there were a LOT of "End Times" flicks. I'd kind of grown sick of the whole thing, which is one of the reasons I stressed to everyone that "The Coming Evil" was NOT an "End Times" story. But, my church was having its first ever movie night and what are they going to show?



Another End Times flick called "Apocalypse". Well, good grief. So I watched, prepared to roll my eyes and tear the flick a new one.

However, much to my surprise, I found that I actually really enjoyed it. Yeah, it was shot on video and had the budget of a Craft catering table (perhaps a very small one), but there were characters that I was invested in (Leigh Lewis as Helen Hannah is an underrated gem. She appears in all the movies--mine included, I hope!!--and turns out quietly compelling and commanding performances every time), and a bad guy who was so awesome in his zany over-the-top evilness (Len Parker. Watch the movie, he's great) that I found myself wanting to know more.



I put "Apocalypse" out of my mind, moving on to begin writing my non-End Times Christian extravaganza in "The Coming Evil", but was curious when, a year later, the sequel "Revelation" came out. I watched it, because I'm a sucker for sequels, and REALLY enjoyed it. The production was elevated exponentially and they brought in a great director (some new guy named André van Heerden) who really gave it a very polished look (despite the still limited budget). Plus: Jeff Fahey! You mean, "Psycho III" Jeff Fahey?! Yes, I do! There was action, some great genuine character-driven humor on the part of Tony Nappo's character "Willie Spino" and a big boost in the mythology. What? A mythology? Well, now you've got me hooked.



Soon after that, part 3 was released. "Tribulation" with "Silver Bullet"'s Gary Busey! Hecks, yes! I really, really loved part 3. It had the occult, psychic phenomenon, a definite horror slant and continued to push the mythology and expand the characters. By this point, I was ready to jump in to write my own. It was still '99, I think, and I was convinced I could push the continuity even further. I was ready! But...alas, I had no idea what to do about it...



A couple years later (2001, I think), "Judgment" was released and, I'll tell you, I was a bit disappointed, at first. Coming off of "Revelation" and "Tribulation", I was expecting explosions and psychic enforcers and demons. But...I got a courtroom drama. It felt like a very quiet note to the end series on and then "Apocalypse" faded from the public eye...

So, it happens that last Christmas, my brother (a writer and mythology nut in his own right--go check out his stuff) and I decided, just for kicks, to pop in "those Apocalypse movies" and watch them again. I found myself JUST as entertained, if not more. Even "Judgment" shone through and I really understood all that movie had to offer--including Leigh Lewis' best performance to date (I think) and an exceptional full orchestral score. The "End Times" movie craze had thankfully slowed down (too much of a good thing, you know?), but I found that, even without that hysteria of impending global disaster, these movies still held up. Because, like I said, there are characters to believe in. Plots to follow. Villains to boo. It's FUN, man! Suddenly, all of my old ideas about how I would contribute to the series came flooding back in a wave of blissful nostalgia, and after a casual comment from my brother that Wikipedia said there was a proposed "Apocalypse V" on the horizon, I decided to seize my chance to make one of my dreams come true.

Out of the blue, I cold-wrote Cloud Ten and told them of my love of the series, a few of my credentials as a writer, and expressed my desire to try out for Apoc 5. I was thrilled and subsequently terrified when, the very next day I believe, that "new guy" director André van Heerden--now the CEO of Cloud Ten and the director on the last three films--wrote me back and asked for a pitch.

What?! Really?!

I spent all Christmas break cramming in everything I loved about "Apocalypse" and turned it in. And I had a BLAST doing it. What's more, Cloud Ten was interested. From that point on, André and I conversed quite a bit, eventually bringing in Paul Lalonde (head honcho at C10 and the co-creator of the entire franchise!!). We had lots of talks, going back and forth on the different characters we loved and how we might bring them back and use them again. We worked out story points and plot twists and I signed a contract and eventually turned in a first draft.

And they accepted. I "got the job". I'm writing "Apocalypse V".

:)

Needless to say, the process to produce a movie is a perilous one and anything can happen along the way. But, for this one moment, I've achieved a dream as a fanboy crossing over into the series he follows so closely. It's a treat and I promise to do my level best to turn out the best "Apocalypse" yet.

-Greg (a bit excited)

PS--Now, for your viewing pleasure, feast upon the trailers for all four "Apocalypse" movies and get ready for Part 5. Written by me! :p And, of course, if you like what you see below, go buy the movies!