Dean Wesley Smith on Brute Force

By Loren Coleman

Dean Wesley Smith wrote the prequel tie-in novel for the upcoming Xbox release of Brute Force—a game of clandestine ops, treacherous politics, and heavy firepower. I recently had the chance to talk with him about the novel, his work with the Xbox crew, and some of his thoughts on this quite explosive (literally) Microsoft title.

Coleman: I read Brute Force. It felt like you had a lot of fun writing this book.

Smith: I had a blast, and I'm glad that shows through the book. Not only did I get to work with the game designers, but I also got to run their characters through problems before the game even started. The universe of Brute Forceis a really big one, and the designers gave me permission to expand it even more in the novel. It was a lot of fun, both writing [the book] and working with the folks at Xbox.

Coleman: How did you expand the Brute Force universe? Was it lots of little pieces, or was it something like the under-mountain city?

Smith: Oh, I would say lots of little things and a few big things—like Name, the secret city, and a few of the races. Things like that.

Coleman: You've done a lot of game universe and media tie-in novels, haven't you? Star Trek. Spiderman. What do you find so appealing about tie-in novels?

Smith: I'm a kid at heart, basically. I started off watching Star Trek when I was in high school, back in the sixties, and reading Spider-Man comics. I think I'm just about the luckiest kid alive.

Coleman: And, for this one, you got to come in to the Microsoft campus and meet the Xbox team. What was your visit like?

Smith: Oh, they treated me like gold. A number of them ran me through some of the early stages of the game, what the characters would look like, and the settings on some of the planets. Then, we just sat around and talked about what would be good to put in the novel. I came away from the meeting impressed at the knowledge, the intensity, and the love for gaming they all had.

Coleman: Now, this is a prequel, right? Everything takes place before the game starts?

Smith: Yes, a prequel. There are a number of characters in the book that never make it to the game. Actually, three of the team in the game start out on two other teams in the book, and the book explains all the background these characters have and the positions they are in when the game starts. It also explains a lot about the bad guys and the political structure of the universe. The reason we decided to do a prequel was to give fans more background, more knowledge about the universe ofBrute Force, before they ever started playing.

LC: I loved the politics. A real "trust no one" kind of paranoia. Can fans expect a lot more of that in the game as well?

Smith: From what I know, yes. I took the basics of the politics directly from the game, so unless the game has changed since I worked with them, it will have all the same political structure.

LC: Are all of your (surviving) characters part of the upcoming game release?

Smith: Yes. And, the team on the game has one more new character not in the book. But, the book tells the story of three of the team members and the missions leading up to the missions in the game.

LC: There were some pretty violent missions. You seem to think that Brute Force is going to live up to its name.

Smith: Oh, yes ... and fantastic worlds and reasons for the fighting. Working your way through this universe will seem like living there. And, if you're a member of one of these operations teams, you had better be one of the best, or you won't survive.

LC: What was your overall impression of the universe of Brute Force?

Smith: Huge was my first impression. This is a giant, well-developed science-fiction universe that spans a lot of history and space. And, as a science-fiction reader, I haven't seen too many other universes that are as well thought out. I walked into it cold, and by the time I had finished the novel and spent a lot of time in the universe, I didn't want to leave.

LC: So, you're saying that you wouldn't mind being invited back?

Smith: Of course! I'd write more in this universe any time they'd ask.