The Brittle Riders - Book Tour and Giveaway

After humans circumvented anti-AI laws and made new species to fulfill roles of menial laborers, sex slaves, and shock troops those creations eventually rose up and killed every man, woman, and child on the planet. This is the world if Frankenstein's monsters ruled the Earth.
 
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The Brittle Riders
Book One
by Bill McCormick
Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy
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In a far future, Earth had already been visited by an alien race called the Sominids, who came here for the express purpose of drinking and having sex with everyone they could. When one of their infamous parties resulted in the moon being cut in half and killing everyone who happened to live there, they quietly left. Their encounter with the Sominids had taught the human race many things, primarily that faster-than-light travel did not exist. Denied the stars, the human race began to dwindle in numbers and terminate all of their space programs.
 
A thousand years later, a scientist named Edward Q. Rohta circumvented anti-AI laws, laws which had been on the books for millennia, by creating organic creatures to provide manual labor. Instead of dying after ten years, as promised in the company brochure, they would develop flu-like symptoms and go into hiding. Eventually, fed up with the mistreatment they suffered at the hands of humans, they rose up and killed every man, woman, and child on the planet. This is the story of what happens next. The Brittle Riders; Apocalypses are funny that way.
 
A very unique tone and world, reminiscent of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY meets a MAGNIFICENT SEVEN/DIRTY DOZEN - type setup, but with a look, flavor, and lexicon all its own. In a world where studios and streamers are looking for IP that's expansive, both narratively and in terms of ancillary possibilities (prequels, offshoots, video games, etc.), (The Brittle Riders) certainly seems to offer up a number of possibilities. - Garrick Dion – Producer
 
 
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​In the village of Go-Chi, an unusual clan gathers. They will not draw stares. They will not get acknowledged. To do so would invite death or worse. When five of the wastelands' unrumored show up for drinks, you do exactly what the innkeeper did. You serve them drinks and hope, like Zanubi, they pay. He's in luck; they will... later.
N'leah and R'yune are the first to arrive at the haven bar. She spins a chair around, so her wings won't get caught. R'yune grabs a couple of more chairs as Sland enters. He screams an order for three flagons of skank and sits down. N'leah smiles at the uneasy innkeeper. It is not the kind of smile that will endear her to him. It is, however, the kind of smile that makes him check his purse. R'yune growls loudly. Of course, being mute, that's about all he can do.
As the innkeeper, a small furry haven-lord delivers their drinks, Geldish rides in on BraarB, holds up two bony fingers, and waves them in the poor Brand's face. The innkeeper quickly moves to retrieve two more flagons. When he returns, BraarB grabs his bar rag, wipes the even mists from her breasts, and hands it to N'leah so she can do the same. The innkeeper wisely holds his tongue. He needed a new bar rag anyway. He does not want his bar rag to need a new innkeeper. Besides, it will make a great souvenir if he gets it back. Novelty items have never hurt the innkeeping business.
Geldish grins inwardly at the scene. He is enjoying the discomfort. They know it is rare for the fringe to enter Go-Chi. It is still rarer for a Rangka to join them. However, it is now time to get this meeting underway. Before he can begin, Sland shifts uncomfortably.
"Speak, you fucking sack of bones," he decides to get this over with so he can get back to the hunt. "I have traveled far to be here. Why have you summoned us? And for what reason?"
N'leah glances over at her new skank companion and smiles. This smile would endear her to anyone. She turns to face Geldish.
"What he lacks in subtlety, he makes up for in truth. Why are we here?"
He lets the question hang unanswered for a moment. So he answers. He wants them to see the flame in his eyes. He wants them to contemplate who and what they are questioning. He wants them to think—to think long and hard about the flames. To think long and hard about how those flames came to take the place of eyes and what it means now that they have. His pause has accomplished its goal.
"To kill Xhaknar's army, bring water to Go-Chi, and to make many goldens."
Each of them looks like they are trapped in a tiny room with an extremely large problem. Truth be known, they are. Most of their skank ends up on the floor, either from oral and nasal projection or dropped flagons.
Any hope this is some sick, elaborate joke dies in the flames of Geldish's eyes. Quite a lot could die in those eyes. Humor is definitely on that long list. Two full epi-cliks go by without a muscle being twitched. It's almost as if the air had been sucked from the room. It could have been, and Geldish wouldn't have cared one bit.
Of course, it would absolutely ruin everyone else's turn.
The innkeeper sees what has happened and runs over with a round of new drinks. These are finished in one gulp by everyone except Geldish. He sips his slowly.
BraarB inhales deeply, "Well, okay, anything else?"
"Well, it seems we could do with more skank." Geldish grins outwardly. It is not the type of grin which inspires humor or warmth.
 

BILL McCORMICK is an award-winning and critically acclaimed author of several novels, graphic novels, and comic book series, and has appeared in numerous anthologies. He began writing professionally in 1986 for the Chicago Rocker Magazine in conjunction with his radio show on Z-95 (ABC-FM) and went on to write for several other magazines and blogs. He wrote a twisted news & science blog at WorldNewsCenter.org. It provided source material for his weekly radio show on WBIG 1280 AM, FOX!, which aired from 10/2010 to 8/2022. Bill is a big fan of music and this rainbow-haired goddess who married him just for fun. You can find out more about him at BillMcSciFi.com.
 
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Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
When the aliens from the second Horzukan system took me aboard their ship, the QZT Zinglepuff, I was subjected to a series of ….. oh, wait, never mind, that’s why I love extreme hot sauces. I was a child of indeterminate birth. I have certificates of live births from Berwyn, Illinois and County of Cork, Ireland and a mention in a book that my chubby ass first popped out in Soldier’s Grove, Wisconsin. Since I was born in an era where the Catholic church was snatching up babies from single moms to resell them for profit, Google “Catholic church selling orphans” (without the quotes) to be horrified, blurring my place of birth was a good idea. I was raised by my grandparents. They loved, but didn’t understand, me. My grandma, like all good Catholic girls in her day, never went to school, and my grandpa dropped out in the third grade. I, however, was an “A” student who loved reading and learning.
 
When I was four, my grandma went to a used book sale to get me something to read, i.e., shut me up. Keep in mind she had no context for what was, or was not, age appropriate. Knowing what you now know, you will not be surprised to find out she bought me a collection of classics. Robin Hood, Arabian Nights, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, and so on. Great stories, one and all, not exactly geared at a four-year-old kid.
 
With the help of my trusty dictionary, and the persistence only a child can have, I read every one. By the time I was in fifth grade, I was reading at a Senior in College level. I was, as you might imagine, annoying as heck.
 
I was also kind of isolated, with few friends, so I began filling in the gaps with stories I had made up. I had my first play performed at West Leyden High School, and it involved aliens. I went on to write lots of nonfiction for music magazines, sports blogs, and anywhere else that would publish me.
 
In 2010, I’d lost my job, my wife, and solid reasons to live. I decided I couldn’t afford therapy, so I started writing the stories that were trapped in my head. In 2011, Bewildering Stories sent me a lengthy rejection letter for my story, Vorbliss (too many F-bombs and sexualizing nuns was a no-no), but thought I was the funniest author who’d ever submitted. My second submission, And the Beat Goes Phut, about a techno apocalypse, got published, got fan mail, and I was off to the races.
 
In 2019, I quit working for strangers and began writing full-time. I have a roof over my head, hot and cold running water in the kitchen and the john, and a new wife who never loses that new-wife smell. I love her stupid amounts, and she helps keep me sane.
 
What is something unique/quirky about you?
As well as being an author, I have been a stripper and a nude model. Although not all at the same time. Publishers get weird about that stuff.
  
Who is your hero, and why?
This may sound trite, but my wife is my hero. She’s taken all that life could throw at her and come out stronger and more loving than you could imagine. We didn’t meet until I was fifty years old. And I knew that day I couldn’t lose her, that she was going to mean everything to me.
 
What kind of world ruler would you be?
A fun, inclusive one. I believe in God, and I believe that God is love, so I’d want a planet that would be secure and pleasant for everyone. I couldn’t imagine kicking innocent humans off our planet, so I’d do all I could to ensure there were safe places for all. I’d definitely be leading the “tax the rich” flotilla. I have no problem with people getting wealthy, but hoarding wealth at the expense of the rest of the planet is on my “do not do” list.
  
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I like to cook. I’m actually not half bad at it. While comfort food is my go-to when I’m cooking for myself, I can whip up a meal worthy of anything a chef at a five-star resort could muster. The first time I cooked for my wife, we’d barely been dating two weeks, I knocked out a Pork l’Orange with a citrus gravy for the potatoes and asparagus. She swooned and told her friends and random strangers that I could “throw down” in the kitchen. I also love to read. Not just sci-fi, but non-fiction, biographies, and anything else that catches my eye.
 
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’d been writing non-fiction for years, but that was always tied in with my radio shows or other things. But I knew I’d arrived when I was sitting in a bar one day, and I introduced myself to a dude sitting next to me, and he said, “The writer?” Why, yes, Venom (his nickname), that’s me.
  
Do you have a favorite movie?
Wizards by Ralph Bakshi. Up until then, fantasy movies were testosterone-driven affairs. Manly men with swords saving damsels in distress or fighting something and then saving the damsel in distress. So, seeing a movie with a female narrator, two evenly matched antagonists, a scantily clad damsel who could take care of her own damn self, evil characters who changed sides, and was unafraid to add politics to the mix, was revelatory to this young mind.
 
Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?
Trick question: I have had several companies nibbling around The Brittle Riders. To the point we now have a tone reel for investors, a pitch book for those who haven’t read the novel, and a complete script that has been vetted by industry professionals.
  
What inspired you to write this book?
I used to tour with a lot of bands. No matter the genre, we spent a lot of time on buses traveling through farmland. After a while, I began to wonder what would happen if the animals I saw could talk. Then what would happen if they had access to weapons? I initially wrote a twelve-hundred-page book about all this, and to be fair, it sucked. Even the cliches were wrapped in cliches. Think Sword of Truth, Shield of Valor kind of crap. Years later, I found my notes, decided the characters were interesting, even if my original story wasn’t, and took another swipe at it. I’m glad I did.
 
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Brittle Riders?
Absolutely. One of the things I tried to do was create diverse characters with little or nothing in common other than their status as outcasts. I figured that way, the backstories for each would keep readers interested and allow the characters to develop along paths that readers might not expect.
 
Geldish, the leader, lost his flesh in a battle centuries ago and is only now strong enough to seek revenge. While his species was once numerous, there are now only four left, and there is no way for that number to increase. BraarB, part centaur, part armadillo, watched her family and friends get killed and then ended up being a queen’s assistant. While raised in a land of peace, she became a skilled killer and ambassador. R’yune, a wolfen, was born with a deformed tongue and couldn’t speak. His pack cared for him but treated him as something lesser, even though his grades and weapons skills were above average. He left his pack to become a hunter for the ruling class after deciding if he couldn’t get respect, money would suffice. N’leah, a succubus, was kidnapped around her fifteenth birthday and sold to be a sex slave for indolent members of the ruling class. By her fortieth birthday, her sharp tongue and sharper claws had worn out her welcome, and she was scheduled to be killed. R’yune discovered this, killed her assassins, and escaped with her into the wilderness. Sland was the son of a clan leader of the Badgebeth. Looked down on because he was perceived to be stupid, he attempted to prove his worth by leading a hunt for a dangerous predator. However, because he accepted money from outsiders, his father banished him. Also, by accepting that money, he exposed his clan to the ruling warlord, who hunted them down and killed many.
 
Also, since they were living on the fringes of society, I modeled their social mores after modern societies that are estranged from our contemporary civilizations. Basically, they are capable of extreme violence when needed and wear only the clothing necessary to survive. An early scene in the book sets the tone when N’leah helps BraarB wipe the evening’s moisture off her breasts while they’re sitting in a bar drinking skank. They don’t care what outsiders think; they look out for each other.
  
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Given the nature of my job and affiliation with a FOX-attached radio station, I had to watch what I said about politics and so on. But when writing, I could do a deep dive into anything I wanted. With The Brittle Riders, I was able to assign a type of society to each culture, ranging from agrarian to technologically advanced, and then pick apart how each society could interact with the others. It also allowed me to look at how each society affected the citizens living in them.
 
Moreover, it allowed me to create a benign, for now, system of banking and finance. One that benefited society but still held practical approaches to loans and so on. Since I’m inherently lazy, it was originally conceived as a way for me to avoid creating multiple banking systems, one for each society. However, based on emails I’ve gotten, it’s spurred a lot of serious thought from people who are smarter than me.
  
Who designed your book covers?
Funny story. The first cover was designed by me and everyone, even me, hated it. So I hired Jiba Molei Andreson, a world-renowned artist from Liberia currently teaching in Chicago, to come up with something new. His cover, featuring N’leah kneeling in the wilderness, got me a ton of Internet likes but, eventually, was deemed porn by Amazon’s ethics cretins. Attempts to argue that were met with derision, so I hired Bhri Stokes to take a stab at it. Her cover, of an apocalyptic landscape, color matched for each book, was well received. Then, when the series started getting interest from film companies, my publisher decided to up the ante by re-editing the series and hiring Ian Bristow to create the tinted and twisted lab setting. That is the cover you have now.
  
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
Yeah, I learned to be terrified of theoretical geneticists. While the mutant creations in my books exist thousands of years in our future, these maniacs are thinking about how to create them now. Granted, they claim their research is for information purposes only, I am baffled to think what beneficial information can be gleaned from learning how to splice a cow’s DNA into a human’s.
 
 How did you come up with the name of this book?
I wanted it to be the anti-fantasy name. No screaming testosterone, no fragile femmes, no magic swords, nothing that would suggest “more of the same.” That same philosophy is why we did the cover sideways in every iteration. The image is as bent as the story.
  
Do your characters seem to hijack the story, or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
Since I never plot or outline, other than specific scenes where I need a desired outcome, the characters don’t hijack my story as much as they co-author it.
 
One of my wife’s favorite stories involves us sitting on my porch while I described a lengthy argument I’d had with a character who felt I was stunting their development and how, when all was said and done, the character won.
  
Convince us why you feel your book is a must-read.
I figured out a biologically feasible way for lesbians to get pregnant without men. I’ll admit, it can’t be done now, but it has given several readers goals in their careers.
  
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I do a ton of research. Once I have an idea of what kind of book I’m going to write, I delve deep into the unknown, seeking plausible scientific methods to get things done. Also, if I know there will be battle scenes, I research military histories. Additionally, I interview as many experts as I can who can help me make things right. From theoretical geneticists, to combat nurses, to military strategists, to people who know stuff I don’t, I do extensive research before fingertips hit the keyboard.
 
Do you see writing as a career?
I hope so. It’s all I do.
 
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Bring on the noise. I listen to a wide variety of music, mostly upbeat, while I type.
  
Do you write one book at a time, or do you have several going at a time?
I tried writing multiple books simultaneously and got confused. Since I write by the seat of my pants, I need to remember plot points and character developments, which all get blurred when you’re working on several books at once.
 
​Tell us about a favorite character from a book.
Fiben Bolger, from David Brin’s Uplift series, is one of my favorite characters ever. I once had a conversation with Mr. Brin and wanted to know why Fiben had not been given his own title. Apparently, if you want to irritate Mr. Brin, ask him that question. Seemingly, I was not the first. Even so, despite public demand, he has not written a Fiben-oriented book.

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