We are very pleased to have Peter F. Hamilton return to SFFWorld. We reviewed his latest novel, EXODUS: The Archimedes Engine, when it came out in hardback in September, and with the imminent publication of the paperback, we had the chance to talk about it!
Hello Peter. Welcome back to SFFWorld.
We’re talking with the imminent release of EXODUS: The Archimedes Engine, which we reviewed. It’s a little different from your usual books, in that it’s connected to a game someone else’s work.
So: What first attracted you to this project? How involved were you with the game developers, if at all?
I was brought on board early in the development process as a consultant for the world building of the Exodus universe, including the various Celestial species and their worlds and technology, weapons, ships… a long list. Some of the submissions I sent in were collaborative, building on outlines provided by the developers, while some were all my own creations. The bulk of that phase was written over a two-year period leading up to when I started writing the novel itself. So clearly there was a huge level of involvement. The only thing I didn’t contribute to directly was the story of the game, although I did help with several settings in the game.
Did you find working with collaborative ideas refreshing or restricting? How much leeway were you given when writing the book?
I’m coming down firmly on the side of refreshing. It was a way of working I’d never experienced before, which was interesting for me. Especially as the games studio kept sending me fantastic artwork of the concepts I’d written. To see my original ideas in visual form was very useful, particularly as the artists had often built on my descriptions. As to writing the book, there were no restrictions other than maintaining the universe’s continuity. Given I’d helped build that universe, the process was the same as my previous books.
Judging by the size of the book, EXODUS has been a long time in the writing. What was the timeline?
It took about two years, including going through the edits. That’s usual for me, given most of my books are this size.
What are you most proud of in writing this book? (I did once have a writer answer that question with “Getting it finished!” This may not necessarily be your experience! *grin* )
Getting it finished is a great and very honest answer.
Given the novel is supposed to serve as an introduction to the Exodus universe for potential gamers, I was happy to incorporate so much of the lore -no FTL starships, no AI, the whole concept of the Celestials, etc- within the story itself.
I understand the book is a duology, with the second book on its way soon. How much did you know about how the second book was going to go as you were writing this first book? Was it all outlined from the start?
It is a duology, but it’s one story. So I know how it was going to end before I started writing book one. I always make a lot of notes before I write any book, simply because I have to have an ending that I know works.
What can you tell us about the second EXODUS book at this stage?
It’s called The Helium Sea, I’ve finished writing it, and I’m currently going through the edits. No spoilers, but does conclude all the plotlines and characters (those that survive) you’ve been following in book one. At the same time I’ve left it open for me to come back to the Exodus universe in the future if they ask me to. That’s somewhat inevitable given the size of the Centauri Cluster where it’s set. There’s so much in there that we haven’t seen yet.
What do you think you have learned as a writer from this experience? Would you like to do it again some time?
I think it’s shown me I can collaborate with others, providing I start early enough in the project. And yes, I would do it all over again if I’m asked.
And away from EXODUS, what’s next for you (apart from possibly a nice break!)
My agent has submitted a proposal for a couple of books to my publisher. I’m currently witing to hear back from them. Assuming they say yes, one will be set in a new universe that I’ve spent a few months making notes on; while the other will probably be revisiting an earlier series.
As ever, lovely to talk to you. Thank you, and all the best.
Peter’s latest novel, EXODUS: The Archimedes Engine, is out in paperback on the 19th June.
Thanks to Peter and Olivia-Savannah at Tor for sorting this out.
