We managed to speak with Greg Cox, the man behind the latest installment to the novelization of the Terminator series… “Cold War”.
Cold War is a must for any fans that are interested in apocalyptic winter and the mighty T-600.
We read the book and enjoyed the ride, so now we get to ask all the little questions which keep our metal obsession alive and bloody well.
First thing’s first… which is your favorite Terminator movie?
I’ve enjoyed all of them, and the tragically short-lived TV series (TSCC), of course, but if I was stuck in a fall-out shelter after Judgment Day and could only take one DVD with me, I would probably choose T2. Great special effects, a great villain, and Linda Hamilton’s most ferocious performance as Sarah Connor.
How long have you been writing?
I sold my first couple of short stories back in the early eighties, when I was still in college. And my first science fiction novel came out in 1991. I’ve been writing full-time for over ten years now.
What made you choose to follow Park Ranger Molly Kookesh and Submarine Captain Dimitri Losenko?
Using Losenko, who appeared briefly in the new movie, was Halcyon’s idea. We wanted to make sure we had at least a couple characters from SALVATION in the book, and the idea of viewing Judgment Day from a Russian prospective was intriguing. The Alaskan Resistance was my idea. I just thought a snowy Northern setting would be a nice change from the movies and TV shows, which were usually set in and Southern California. Once I settled on Alaska as my setting, a tough Native Alaskan forest ranger just seemed like the perfect heroine.
Did you find it hard to embue your novel with the feeling and structure of a story like the Terminator, knowing that it’s the creation of someone else?
Not really. Almost all of my books are based on popular movies, comic books, and TV shows: ALIAS, BUFFY, C.S.I. DAREDEVIL, DC Comics, FANTASTIC FOUR, THE 4400, GHOST RIDER, ROSWELL, STAR TREK, UNDERWORLD, XENA, ZORRO, etc. I’m very used to to writing in other people’s universes!
– what draws you into it?
I’ve been a big movie fan my entire life. My not-so-guilty secret is that I would be lining up to see the new TERMINATOR and UNDERWORLD movies even if I wasn’t a professional tie-in writer. As a hardcore fan, I’m still amazed that I actually get paid to write about Daredevil or John Connor. I also like the variety that comes my way. At this point, I’ve written science fiction, horror, mysteries, espionage, superhero action . . . and even a historical romance! It’s probably only a matter of time before I get to write a western, too. Writing in lots of different genres helps to keep the job fresh and interesting.
Do you have a favorite genre?
At heart, I’m a horror guy, although I also enjoy science fiction, fantasy, and mystery novels. Needless to say, writing COLD WAR gave me plenty of chances of indulge my inner horror fan. Nuclear war and Terminators lend themselves to nightmare scenarios!
Did you feel any stress or pressure while writing Cold War, what with the large fan-base the movie has gained… ?
I was excited to get a chance to write my first TERMINATOR novel, but I wasn’t stressed. After writing at least fifteen STAR TREK novels and short stories, I know all about vocal fan bases!
What is your favorite book?
Of my own? Or by another author? It’s hard to pick a favorite among my own works, although I’m very happy with how COLD WAR turned out.
Growing up, DRACULA had a huge influence on me. Some of my favorite authors these days are Richard Matheson, Tim Powers, Graham Joyce, and Kim Newman.
What’s your favorite comic?
THE AVENGERS was the first Marvel comic I ever got hooked on, to the extent that that I made a point of never missing an issue. I also have an irrational fondness for the Spectre, Dr. Strange, Dr. Fate and all the “spooky” superheroes. If ever they do a DR. STRANGE movie, I would kill to do the novelization!
I’m biased, of course, but I really enjoyed the movie. I was in the middle of writing COLD WAR when the movie came out so I was practically taking notes when I finally got a chance to see it. I paid special attention to the whole LOOK of the film, which I thought was very impressive. They did a great job of creating a blasted, post-apocalyptic landscape. (Of course, I was probably the only person in the theater who thought that Captain Losenko was the hero of the movie!)
Who, ideally, would you like to see direct the next installment of Terminator?
That’s not my call, of course. But if McG is not available, maybe the guy who directed THE DESCENT? That was a pretty intense horror flick.
Who/what are your influences?
I grew up on Matheson, Robert Bloch, Theodore Sturgeon, Fritz Leiber, and that whole WEIRD TALES crowd. Not to mention John Wyndham and H. G. Wells. And some of my past instructors include Norman Spinrad, Suzy McKee Charnas, David Hartwell, and Vonda McIntyre.
What is the first word which springs to mind when you think of the Terminator?
Unstoppable.
How important to the storyline do you think it is that gore and brutality are a very present mainstay in Terminator?
Well, they’re called Terminators, not “Rough-You-Up -ators.” It’s hard to avoid extreme violence when writing about brutal killing machines programmed to destroy all human life. Death and carnage are hard-wired into the very concept . . . especially after Judgment Day.
Molly reminded us a little of Sarah Connor,- the strong female lead doing whatever is necessary to protect the people she loves (including shrugging off the loss of a toe!). Was there ever the possibility of Molly and her “fly-boy” living happily-ever-after?
Molly was definitely supposed to be a no-nonsense heroine in the tradition of Sarah Connor. But (SPOILER ALERT!) I realized early on that, realistically, there was no way Geir was going to survive that final battle with the Hunter-Killer. It’s a miracle he lasted as long as he did!
Will you be making a return to writing another Terminator novelization?
I don’t have anything in the pipeline right now, but I had a great time writing COLD WAR and would be more than happy to return to the War Against the Machines one of these days.
Do you have anything in the pipeline that people should keep an eye out for?
I have a couple of new books coming out in 2010. FINAL CRISIS, a novelization of the DC Comics miniseries, comes out in July, while STAR TREK: THE HAZARD OF CONCEALING is set in the timeline of the new STAR TREK movie. That’s due out around the end of August. I also have a bunch of short stories in the pipeline, including a longish story in an upcoming anthology titled STAR TREK: SEVEN DEADLY SINS. (I got “Sloth.”)
Thanks for the interview Greg