ChronoRadio: Alan Dean Foster
A Review by Jay Mustered

In this interview edition of ChronoRadio, Nathan Butler interviews the first writer in the Star Wars universe, Alan Dean Foster. As one of the shows recorded during ConCarolinas 2004, it also contains the cast of Requiem of the Outcast (ROTO)--Ron, Rich, and Janine.

Quickly we learn that Mr. Foster is a Monty Python fan, as well as a world traveler and a former teacher. For those not familiar, Mr. Foster wrote the A New Hope (ANH) novelization and the first Expanded Universe (EU) novel, Splinter of the Mind's Eye. As someone around at the beginning, we hear stories about how things were: Lucas; models; the novelization; etc. He wrote The Approaching Storm because he was interested in doing a bridge novel, not some meaningless derivative book. He also believes that prequels are hard to write--no dramatic tension. Questions abound on continuity, creativity, working on commission, novelizations, anti-heros, Riddick (quite a bit about Riddick) as well as a variety of other questions. This interview will be finished in ROTO:SE #1.

This interview is one of the best I have yet heard from either CR or ROTO, with good, prepared questions, well-answered by Mr. Foster, and everyone is on their best behavior.

The main negatives are the drawbacks of both live recording and the size of the cast. At times, some of the questions are hard to make out (due to the live recording), or the cast talks over themselves. But have no fear, Alan Dean Foster is easy to hear.

If you have any interest in writing, Star Wars, Chronicles of Riddick, Mr. Foster, or his books, you should find this interview engaging.