Became an American Retro Novelist - Chapter 214
Only Noblemtl
214.
The Nebula Awards select various award winners based on the length and genre of the novel, but the most prestigious award among them is inevitably the ‘Best Novel’ award.
Science fiction novels have been a genre that many commercial writers have attempted to tackle, and literally a slew of works have been published every year.
Among them, there are about six works that could be candidates.
The final vote will be held with the nominees to determine the best science fiction feature film of the year.
And my work, the ‘Losers’ series, was selected there.
A series that continues with ‘Country of losers’ and ‘Universe of losers’.
The moment I heard the news of the award from Simon, a thrill ran through my body.
I wrote the novel with the goal of winning an award, but when it actually happened, I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe what was happening to me, so much so that I slapped myself several times.
[The awards ceremony will be held on April 26th at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, California.]
“Of course I should attend. Is it okay if I bring my partner?”
[Oh, I’m planning to attend separately as the author’s attendant, so that’s okay.]
“? No. Alexa.”
[ah.]
There was a slightly awkward silence.
Immediately after that, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
The ‘Losers’ series is a novel that brings the future I saw and experienced into the past and mixes it with my own imagination and the perception of people at that time.
He won with a novel that tells the story of losers.
I thought it was really ironic, and then I said to Simon:
“Thank you so much for your help, Simon.”
[Hey, what is it? It was possible because the author wrote it all.]
“But I still applied the brakes appropriately.”
Part 2 in particular made me feel like I wouldn’t have been able to fully convey what I wanted to without Simon’s help.
As a writer, I was someone who expressed my own world, but I always needed someone to watch over me so that I wouldn’t get stuck in a narrow-minded perspective. And as I grew and progressed as a writer, Simon, who grew with me, took on that role.
‘I never thought I would get along so well with the first editor I met after returning.’
I hope that you will continue to help me write good works in the future.
[······Thank you, author.]
“I am more grateful, Simon. Please take care of me in the future.”
[Of course! There are still the Hugo Award results to come up, and I’ll work hard on my work with DC Comics! Oh, and let’s just tell the results of the awards to people around us. The SFWA side will tell you in advance, but they asked us to do our best.]
“I will do that.”
There was no reason to spread the rumor since the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), the association that runs the Nebula Awards, had even made a separate announcement.
Anyway, I hung up the phone, grateful for the fact that I had received such a prestigious award.
I looked up at the night sky.
The sky in 1986 was surprisingly starless.
‘It must have been hidden among the clouds and smoke.’
I felt the passage of time.
As I briefly let the cool breeze blow, I realized how thrilling my accomplishment was.
Nebula Award.
For writers of all genres, it was a dream come true. I felt as if I had grabbed the stars of the galaxy with my novel.
Of course, because of that, it ended up being different from the original history.
Originally, the 1986 Nebula Award winner was ‘Ender’s Game’. It was a good work, but my award changed history, and unfortunately, it did not win the Nebula Award.
But that didn’t mean I could give up the award or choose not to write a novel. I just wrote a novel based on my memories and abilities. I decided to enjoy this result and continue to remember the greatness of ‘Ender’s Game’.
Anyway, it was such a happy thing.
My work proudly made it to the Nebula Awards, which is full of award-winning works such as the Dune series, Ringworld, Rendezvous with Rama, and Foundation’s End.
‘Ah, in times like this, dancing is the way to go.’
Since time immemorial, humans have always expressed their joy by dancing.
I walked along, my hips swaying, and just then I ran into John Smith, who was coming out to greet me.
“······.”
“······.”
“Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t come home until late.”
Don’t apologize.
If you apologize, I’ll be more miserable. Don’t do it.
please.
***
Monday comes after the weekend.
The first words spoken at the morning meeting of team leaders were as follows:
“‘Kung-Fury’, please give it to us.”
The one who said that was the editor-in-chief of Hero 1. He had the longest career after the director, and he was a very picky person when it came to hero comics, so he was the first to make the request.
Everyone’s eyes widened, but Team Leader 1 didn’t even pay attention.
“If there is no set team.”
“······That’s true, but I’d like to ask why.”
“Because I wanted to. Is there any other reason?”
“What about the other team?”
“I, I want to take charge of it too.”
“Us too.”
“······We’re not a hero team, but we’d like to do it.”
Every team leader wanted to take on this project.
Editor-in-chief Robert, surprised by this first-time occurrence, looked at each team leader’s face to make sure they were sincere in what they said.
Then he let out a long sigh and opened his mouth.
“······You killed me?”
“Really.”
“The new writer is really no ordinary person.”
“We need to continue to produce writers who can write stories like this. How long are we going to rely on guys like Frank and Alan?”
“Okay, let’s put off the company critiques for later. Right now, it’s time to decide who will be in charge of the new writer’s work, ‘Kung-Fury.’ Then, the second question. What do you think about the ‘suicide’ that appears in the latter half of the work that was left despite our demands?”
Opinions were divided on that issue.
“We have to save it.”
“I was honestly convinced by this.”
Editor-in-Chief 1 and Editor-in-Chief 4 said that if the drama is this great, it has no choice but to continue like this.
Even though he used the socially taboo subject of ‘suicide’ to tell the story of a protagonist who travels back in time, the new writer succeeded in persuading the people here who have high standards.
“I am a little······worried.”
“But it was cool.”
Even the 2nd and 3rd editorial team leaders, who could not shake off their worries, stopped at saying that it was difficult to judge. The reason why even they showed signs of agreement was because Joe’s suicide was structured in a way that made it all the more emotionally relatable.
But I couldn’t shake the thought that it was even more dangerous.
Depicts suicide as a noble and determined act?
I wonder if there will be any censorship on this?
DC Comics required that all completed manuscripts be submitted to a review board for review before publication.
The reason why comics are particularly sensitive to censorship is because the medium is now widely perceived as a culture for ‘children’. America has never been lenient when it comes to matters related to children.
But, the editor-in-chief thought.
‘Kung Fury is definitely not a film aimed at children.’
Rather, it was a work aimed at adult readers, whose importance in today’s market is growing.
They would certainly understand and enjoy the dark comedy that underlies this work. The literary tone underlying this work, on the other hand, is a challenge to the superhero genre.
So there were several things the company had to consider.
“If you were to draw, who would you consider drawing?”
“There’s a friend of mine who did the ‘Double Spy’ comic at Heaven’s Comics. I think his drawings would be good. His drawing skills have completely changed before and after ‘Double Spy.’”
“No, I think it would be less refreshing to continue with the same artist’s work. If it were me, I would want to try drawing for John or Chris.”
“John Byrne and Chris McCady?”
“They both have great paintings.”
“John is currently playing Superman, and Chris is a rookie about to debut? They are so different.”
“You can’t judge them based on their resumes alone. You have to look at their skills. In my opinion, they are definitely rising writers.”
4 Robert’s eyebrows twitched at the editor’s words.
“No, then maybe their drawing styles are similar?”
John Byrne has been one of DC Comics’ signature artists, both then and now. His directing skills, which are aesthetically pleasing and clean, as well as his understanding of the comics medium, are well-known in the industry.
On the other hand, Chris McCady was an unproven newcomer, but he was a promising artist who had studied painting professionally at university. And compared to John Burns, he tended to paint more flashy pictures that were in line with the latest trends.
A stable veteran or a spirited rookie?
Robert, who had been thinking hard, soon opened his mouth.
“Considering that the new writer has absolutely no experience writing comic stories, it would probably be John Byrne.”
“······Director.”
1 The editor-in-chief opened his mouth.
“I think Chris McCady is right. This is that kind of novel.”
‘That kind of novel’.
Robert couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking that the expression was very fitting.
But it was true.
‘Kung Fury’ was a work with a completely different content and development from existing superhero works. In some ways, it felt like a separate genre that contained the writer’s personal feelings, even though it only used the ‘superhero’ material.
That’s why DC Comics needed this one.
Robert was not happy with the company’s situation, which was criticized for its rigid atmosphere and lack of novel attempts compared to Marvel Comics. He wanted to show that it was just a prejudice, and that DC Comics could try more diverse things than you think.
“Go like this.”
The subject of suicide is kept, and the illustration is left to Chris McCady.
And while we continue to communicate with hard-boiled publishers, we try to keep confirmation of comic stories written by new writers to a minimum.
“This is a story about a world stained by the government’s ‘censorship’ and ‘control,’ so why do we have to go out of our way to touch this work like the government does?”
Anyway, it is the public that will evaluate.
If the suicide depicted in this work were truly socially condemnable, the public would have censored it, but if not, it would have simply been accepted as a narrative device in the work.
And Robert thought that, given the power of the piece, the latter reaction would certainly become the mainstream one.
“Let’s just give it a try. Kung-Fury.”
“······But, over there.”
“huh?”
“So, in the end, where does the responsibility lie?”
“Oh, you didn’t mention that.”
3 Robert smiled and replied to the editorial team leader’s words.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“yes?”
“suddenly?”
“No, it’s been a long time since you stopped editing! Just give it to us!”
“No. This is the first time in a long time that my creative soul has been ignited.”
Robert, the editor-in-chief of DC Comics, who laughs heartily and displays his lust for power as he pleases.
There was nothing each editorial team leader could do in the face of such lowliness.
***
Time passed quickly.
DC Comics was very meticulous in giving me a hand in deciding who would be involved in sketching, inking, coloring, and text work, and I started working on the story manuscript according to the guidelines they provided.
Actually, when I first heard the name ‘Chris McCady’, I wondered who he was, but after seeing his paintings, I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to work together. I’m not an expert in this field, so I can’t go into detail, but I felt that the paintings themselves had power.
‘It could be that he has the skills, but he was not lucky enough to see the light in his past life.’
Like Alexa Flair and Doofy Kingston.
Just as I met good people and received awards I never received in my past life, it would be a good thing if he took on my work and became known.
So, for the first time in my life, I was assigned to work on an original comic story.
Distributing the lines and actions to be included on each page according to the cut and writing them down appropriately was a completely different task from writing a novel, but since it was basically a work of thought and writing, it was manageable.
And there, the influence of Robert, the editor-in-chief of DC Comics, was also great.
He said that he was personally interested in my work and that it had been a long time since he took charge of it, and despite being very busy, he did not spare any advice or help in organizing the comic story.
So, a few days later, work began on the first issue of ‘Kung-Fury’ according to the novel.
I was standing in front of a hotel, waiting to attend the Nebula Awards ceremony.
“······.”
The Claremont Hotel is located relatively close to Sacramento, the capital of California.
Above the main entrance of the pristine white hotel, which looked like it could be found in any beautiful European mountain and water place, there was a banner that read, “21st Nebula Awards Ceremony.”
I looked back at the person standing next to me, feeling my heart pounding.
It was Alexa Flair.
When I asked her if she could attend the awards ceremony with me, she came here without a second thought.
Her appearance in a pure white party dress must also be a reason why my heart is pounding right now.
“Are you ready, God?”
“Of course, Alexa.”
I slowly raised my arm, and she placed her hand there gracefully.
We were about to confidently enter the hotel······but soon stopped.
“Oh, I have to wait for Simon.”
“oh.”
I was trying to make a really cool entrance, but it was a failure from the start.
214.
The Nebula Awards select various award winners based on the length and genre of the novel, but the most prestigious award among them is inevitably the ‘Best Novel’ award.
Science fiction novels have been a genre that many commercial writers have attempted to tackle, and literally a slew of works have been published every year.
Among them, there are about six works that could be candidates.
The final vote will be held with the nominees to determine the best science fiction feature film of the year.
And my work, the ‘Losers’ series, was selected there.
A series that continues with ‘Country of losers’ and ‘Universe of losers’.
The moment I heard the news of the award from Simon, a thrill ran through my body.
I wrote the novel with the goal of winning an award, but when it actually happened, I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe what was happening to me, so much so that I slapped myself several times.
[The awards ceremony will be held on April 26th at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, California.]
“Of course I should attend. Is it okay if I bring my partner?”
[Oh, I’m planning to attend separately as the author’s attendant, so that’s okay.]
“? No. Alexa.”
[ah.]
There was a slightly awkward silence.
Immediately after that, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
The ‘Losers’ series is a novel that brings the future I saw and experienced into the past and mixes it with my own imagination and the perception of people at that time.
He won with a novel that tells the story of losers.
I thought it was really ironic, and then I said to Simon:
“Thank you so much for your help, Simon.”
[Hey, what is it? It was possible because the author wrote it all.]
“But I still applied the brakes appropriately.”
Part 2 in particular made me feel like I wouldn’t have been able to fully convey what I wanted to without Simon’s help.
As a writer, I was someone who expressed my own world, but I always needed someone to watch over me so that I wouldn’t get stuck in a narrow-minded perspective. And as I grew and progressed as a writer, Simon, who grew with me, took on that role.
‘I never thought I would get along so well with the first editor I met after returning.’
I hope that you will continue to help me write good works in the future.
[······Thank you, author.]
“I am more grateful, Simon. Please take care of me in the future.”
[Of course! There are still the Hugo Award results to come up, and I’ll work hard on my work with DC Comics! Oh, and let’s just tell the results of the awards to people around us. The SFWA side will tell you in advance, but they asked us to do our best.]
“I will do that.”
There was no reason to spread the rumor since the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), the association that runs the Nebula Awards, had even made a separate announcement.
Anyway, I hung up the phone, grateful for the fact that I had received such a prestigious award.
I looked up at the night sky.
The sky in 1986 was surprisingly starless.
‘It must have been hidden among the clouds and smoke.’
I felt the passage of time.
As I briefly let the cool breeze blow, I realized how thrilling my accomplishment was.
Nebula Award.
For writers of all genres, it was a dream come true. I felt as if I had grabbed the stars of the galaxy with my novel.
Of course, because of that, it ended up being different from the original history.
Originally, the 1986 Nebula Award winner was ‘Ender’s Game’. It was a good work, but my award changed history, and unfortunately, it did not win the Nebula Award.
But that didn’t mean I could give up the award or choose not to write a novel. I just wrote a novel based on my memories and abilities. I decided to enjoy this result and continue to remember the greatness of ‘Ender’s Game’.
Anyway, it was such a happy thing.
My work proudly made it to the Nebula Awards, which is full of award-winning works such as the Dune series, Ringworld, Rendezvous with Rama, and Foundation’s End.
‘Ah, in times like this, dancing is the way to go.’
Since time immemorial, humans have always expressed their joy by dancing.
I walked along, my hips swaying, and just then I ran into John Smith, who was coming out to greet me.
“······.”
“······.”
“Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t come home until late.”
Don’t apologize.
If you apologize, I’ll be more miserable. Don’t do it.
please.
***
Monday comes after the weekend.
The first words spoken at the morning meeting of team leaders were as follows:
“‘Kung-Fury’, please give it to us.”
The one who said that was the editor-in-chief of Hero 1. He had the longest career after the director, and he was a very picky person when it came to hero comics, so he was the first to make the request.
Everyone’s eyes widened, but Team Leader 1 didn’t even pay attention.
“If there is no set team.”
“······That’s true, but I’d like to ask why.”
“Because I wanted to. Is there any other reason?”
“What about the other team?”
“I, I want to take charge of it too.”
“Us too.”
“······We’re not a hero team, but we’d like to do it.”
Every team leader wanted to take on this project.
Editor-in-chief Robert, surprised by this first-time occurrence, looked at each team leader’s face to make sure they were sincere in what they said.
Then he let out a long sigh and opened his mouth.
“······You killed me?”
“Really.”
“The new writer is really no ordinary person.”
“We need to continue to produce writers who can write stories like this. How long are we going to rely on guys like Frank and Alan?”
“Okay, let’s put off the company critiques for later. Right now, it’s time to decide who will be in charge of the new writer’s work, ‘Kung-Fury.’ Then, the second question. What do you think about the ‘suicide’ that appears in the latter half of the work that was left despite our demands?”
Opinions were divided on that issue.
“We have to save it.”
“I was honestly convinced by this.”
Editor-in-Chief 1 and Editor-in-Chief 4 said that if the drama is this great, it has no choice but to continue like this.
Even though he used the socially taboo subject of ‘suicide’ to tell the story of a protagonist who travels back in time, the new writer succeeded in persuading the people here who have high standards.
“I am a little······worried.”
“But it was cool.”
Even the 2nd and 3rd editorial team leaders, who could not shake off their worries, stopped at saying that it was difficult to judge. The reason why even they showed signs of agreement was because Joe’s suicide was structured in a way that made it all the more emotionally relatable.
But I couldn’t shake the thought that it was even more dangerous.
Depicts suicide as a noble and determined act?
I wonder if there will be any censorship on this?
DC Comics required that all completed manuscripts be submitted to a review board for review before publication.
The reason why comics are particularly sensitive to censorship is because the medium is now widely perceived as a culture for ‘children’. America has never been lenient when it comes to matters related to children.
But, the editor-in-chief thought.
‘Kung Fury is definitely not a film aimed at children.’
Rather, it was a work aimed at adult readers, whose importance in today’s market is growing.
They would certainly understand and enjoy the dark comedy that underlies this work. The literary tone underlying this work, on the other hand, is a challenge to the superhero genre.
So there were several things the company had to consider.
“If you were to draw, who would you consider drawing?”
“There’s a friend of mine who did the ‘Double Spy’ comic at Heaven’s Comics. I think his drawings would be good. His drawing skills have completely changed before and after ‘Double Spy.’”
“No, I think it would be less refreshing to continue with the same artist’s work. If it were me, I would want to try drawing for John or Chris.”
“John Byrne and Chris McCady?”
“They both have great paintings.”
“John is currently playing Superman, and Chris is a rookie about to debut? They are so different.”
“You can’t judge them based on their resumes alone. You have to look at their skills. In my opinion, they are definitely rising writers.”
4 Robert’s eyebrows twitched at the editor’s words.
“No, then maybe their drawing styles are similar?”
John Byrne has been one of DC Comics’ signature artists, both then and now. His directing skills, which are aesthetically pleasing and clean, as well as his understanding of the comics medium, are well-known in the industry.
On the other hand, Chris McCady was an unproven newcomer, but he was a promising artist who had studied painting professionally at university. And compared to John Burns, he tended to paint more flashy pictures that were in line with the latest trends.
A stable veteran or a spirited rookie?
Robert, who had been thinking hard, soon opened his mouth.
“Considering that the new writer has absolutely no experience writing comic stories, it would probably be John Byrne.”
“······Director.”
1 The editor-in-chief opened his mouth.
“I think Chris McCady is right. This is that kind of novel.”
‘That kind of novel’.
Robert couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking that the expression was very fitting.
But it was true.
‘Kung Fury’ was a work with a completely different content and development from existing superhero works. In some ways, it felt like a separate genre that contained the writer’s personal feelings, even though it only used the ‘superhero’ material.
That’s why DC Comics needed this one.
Robert was not happy with the company’s situation, which was criticized for its rigid atmosphere and lack of novel attempts compared to Marvel Comics. He wanted to show that it was just a prejudice, and that DC Comics could try more diverse things than you think.
“Go like this.”
The subject of suicide is kept, and the illustration is left to Chris McCady.
And while we continue to communicate with hard-boiled publishers, we try to keep confirmation of comic stories written by new writers to a minimum.
“This is a story about a world stained by the government’s ‘censorship’ and ‘control,’ so why do we have to go out of our way to touch this work like the government does?”
Anyway, it is the public that will evaluate.
If the suicide depicted in this work were truly socially condemnable, the public would have censored it, but if not, it would have simply been accepted as a narrative device in the work.
And Robert thought that, given the power of the piece, the latter reaction would certainly become the mainstream one.
“Let’s just give it a try. Kung-Fury.”
“······But, over there.”
“huh?”
“So, in the end, where does the responsibility lie?”
“Oh, you didn’t mention that.”
3 Robert smiled and replied to the editorial team leader’s words.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“yes?”
“suddenly?”
“No, it’s been a long time since you stopped editing! Just give it to us!”
“No. This is the first time in a long time that my creative soul has been ignited.”
Robert, the editor-in-chief of DC Comics, who laughs heartily and displays his lust for power as he pleases.
There was nothing each editorial team leader could do in the face of such lowliness.
***
Time passed quickly.
DC Comics was very meticulous in giving me a hand in deciding who would be involved in sketching, inking, coloring, and text work, and I started working on the story manuscript according to the guidelines they provided.
Actually, when I first heard the name ‘Chris McCady’, I wondered who he was, but after seeing his paintings, I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to work together. I’m not an expert in this field, so I can’t go into detail, but I felt that the paintings themselves had power.
‘It could be that he has the skills, but he was not lucky enough to see the light in his past life.’
Like Alexa Flair and Doofy Kingston.
Just as I met good people and received awards I never received in my past life, it would be a good thing if he took on my work and became known.
So, for the first time in my life, I was assigned to work on an original comic story.
Distributing the lines and actions to be included on each page according to the cut and writing them down appropriately was a completely different task from writing a novel, but since it was basically a work of thought and writing, it was manageable.
And there, the influence of Robert, the editor-in-chief of DC Comics, was also great.
He said that he was personally interested in my work and that it had been a long time since he took charge of it, and despite being very busy, he did not spare any advice or help in organizing the comic story.
So, a few days later, work began on the first issue of ‘Kung-Fury’ according to the novel.
I was standing in front of a hotel, waiting to attend the Nebula Awards ceremony.
“······.”
The Claremont Hotel is located relatively close to Sacramento, the capital of California.
Above the main entrance of the pristine white hotel, which looked like it could be found in any beautiful European mountain and water place, there was a banner that read, “21st Nebula Awards Ceremony.”
I looked back at the person standing next to me, feeling my heart pounding.
It was Alexa Flair.
When I asked her if she could attend the awards ceremony with me, she came here without a second thought.
Her appearance in a pure white party dress must also be a reason why my heart is pounding right now.
“Are you ready, God?”
“Of course, Alexa.”
I slowly raised my arm, and she placed her hand there gracefully.
We were about to confidently enter the hotel······but soon stopped.
“Oh, I have to wait for Simon.”
“oh.”
I was trying to make a really cool entrance, but it was a failure from the start.
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