Earth came under attack by three different intelligent alien species: the Bakma, the Ithini, and the Ceratopians. This issue, we're going to be examining the Ceratopians - the brutes of the Alien War. The format of this newsletter will be done in a different way. As opposed to an article, we're going to be asking questions to author Lee Stephen himself. Read on as Lee gives his insight into the Ceratopian species, why they're here, and what Hero has in store!
Q: Describe to us how you envision the Ceratopian species and how you came up with the concept.
LS: I have always been fascinated by prehistoric life. One of the most exciting things I could think to do would be to participate in an actual fossil expedition. There's just something exhilarating about uncovering massive creatures from long ago. When I created the Ceratopian race, I wanted to pay tribute to those monsters of prehistoric Earth.
They're referred to as Ceratopians because that's what they resemble the most: ceratopians. For those who don't know, "ceratopian" means "horned face," and it's the area of dinosaur classification where you find triceratops, protoceratops, etc. Now obviously, the Ceratopian alien species isn't a walking Earth dinosaur. The features are based on them fairly heavily, though. If someone wants the best example of what a Ceratopian looks like, look no further than at the pentaceratops. It's a five-horned dinosaur with three horns on its actual bone frill. That'll give you a pretty good idea of "horn dispersion" when it comes to the alien race.
But beyond horns and a frill, the similarities end. There's no beak, but rather teeth in a forward-facing mouth. Eyes are more forward-facing, too. It definitely has the build of a predator. Ceratopians are also quite large, averaging about eight feet in height. They don't mess around.
For those visual people out there, I do plan to have official art done for every alien encountered in the series, from Ceratopians to necrilids. That time just hasn't come yet.
Q: Alien conspiracy has been one of the most discussed topic on the boards. People want to know what relationships the alien species have with one another. Is there anything you can tell us about that now?
LS: That is definitely the big question right now for the series, and it all originates with, "what is this war all about?" This is a mystery that is still unraveling in the story, though during the first two books, the primary focus has been on the characters themselves. You're going to see that start to change in book three. The goal is for readers to be able to look back at books one and two, and see where things were alluded to before they were revealed. So far as the Ceratopians specifically are concerned...there's not much I can say about it right now. Believe me, I want to. But it will come when it comes.
I will say this: you will understand the Ceratopians much more in Hero. Obviously, Khatanga wasn't the last we've seen of them. That goes without saying.
Q: Is it safe to say that, because the Bakma and Ceratopians use different weaponry, they must be working independently?
LS: Believe it or not, that question has already been answered in the books. In fact, there's one statement that already defines the Alien War itself.
Q: What is that statement?
LS: Readers will have to find it for themselves.
Q: Can you give us a hint as to where that statement is in the series?
LS: It's in both books, actually.
Q: Is there nothing you can tell us to help us pinpoint where this is located?
LS: I don't explain things outright in text. At no point in the series do I break out of character to explain something. All information, regarding everything, is delivered to the reader within the contextual flow of the story. The same goes with the Alien War and its purpose. There is one statement in the story that literally breaks down the purpose of the war, while still holding true to what's going on in the story at that time. If you want to find it, the natural thing to do is to eliminate the places you know it isn't. Then skim back over the places that are left. It's in there, in a surprisingly not-hidden way. To say it outright here cheats the reader out of that "aha, I found it!" moment. It is not hard to find, and there's a ton that can be deduced from it.
There is no doubt in my mind that fans have read it, and probably acknowledged it for a moment before the story sucked them back in and it became lost. Believe it or not, I wrote it that way. It's there, not necessarily hidden, but placed where it was very intentionally. I'm not saying that someone can figure out the full scope of the Alien War through it, but they could definitely come up with some ideas.
Q: Talk a little about neutron weapons.
LS: Neutron weapons are altogether different from plasma technology in that their damage is from force of impact instead of searing heat. Readers have to keep in mind, so far they've only seen neutron blasters through the eyes of Scott Remington. Scott is anything but a scientist or a technician. There is a reason neutron blasters work the way they do, and there's a reason they're called neutron blasters. We just haven't gotten there yet, frankly, because Scott doesn't know. He didn't get into college on academic scholarships!
For the sake of the story, though, here's what we know. The final end of neutron rays are bursts of concussive energy, at least as best we understand it now. Imagine having someone hurl a log at you. That's about how it would feel. If you get struck by a neutron ray, you're leaving your feet and going a ways.
I really can't tell you how anxious I am to start explaining technology! You guys just got stuck with a jock for a protagonist.
Q: How did the events of Khatanga affect the Fourteenth?
LS: In more ways than I can say. First there are the personal impacts. That was the mission where Scott really unhinged. That was also Esther and Maksim's first taste of combat. For the Fourteenth, it was an utter disaster. It even affected their relationship with the Eighth, William and Derrick's unit. For a simple mission in a small, unknown town, Khatanga left impacts that will be felt for books to come.
Q: Give us one thing to look forward to in Hero concerning the Ceratopian species.
LS: Peeling away the first outer layers of their mystery. That relates to every species in the Alien War.
Q: You said earlier that right now, the purpose of the Alien War has already been alluded to. Will it be possible for readers to definitively piece it together by book three?
LS: Yes.
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions! I'm sure we'll talk about the other species and creatures as the newsletters continue.
LS: Looking forward to it!
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