42 Days of 666: Day 22 with Sam Sykes

For the next 42 days we're going to be counting down to the release of SEAL Team 666. Why 42? Because it's the answer to the universal question.

Today we have Sam Sykes. I've known Sam for a few years now. He's one of the new generation of fantasy authors who is going to own the genre in a few years. Once George RR Martin's books have been completely mined by HBO, they'll go looking for Sam and learn about the Aeon's Gate Trilogy. 

Here are the usual questions:

1. What’s your favorite military movie, book or television show?

Man, I'm torn between Platoon and Apocalypse Now. I loved the latter's poetry, but the former had a stronger character plot, I think.

Oh shit! Does Hot Shots Part Deux count? Probably not.

2. Why is it your favorite? Here’s where you can ramble a bit.

 Ever since one of my best friends got back from the military (Marine Corps, two tours in Iraq, one in Afghanistan), I've started to look at military movies in a different way. As a young(er) man, I used to watch for explosions, eruptions, blood, gore and the like.

It's only within the past ten years that I've come to learn the difference between action and military. What I'm interested now is how the unique situation of combat life affects a man or woman, how the small, fleeting instants can make up the majority of their experiences and how everything can change so suddenly.

Military movies are one of the few movies where sudden, sweeping plot changes are a crux. For that reason, I think Platoon is my favorite. It's a much better instance of things changing so rapidly and meaningfully, which is so far from what I usually write that it's intensely fascinating.

3. What themes are overused? And is it overused, or just truthful observation?

Overused? I think if you make a genuine movie, you can't really overuse a theme. I wonder, sometimes, if we put soldiers up to a culture of hero worship, though. We give a shit about them in we're shaking their hand, hearing that they were in the military and we're saying "thank you for serving our country."

I'm sure they appreciate it, but the vast majority of the public doesn't really seem to care about the rest of the soldier's life: what he goes through when he gets back, when he's trying to readjust to civilian life, how his interactions with people have changed forever.

Soldiers, above all else, are people. Humans. I'd like to see films that reinforce that.

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Thanks, Sam!

And everyone please don't forget to Pre-order SEAL Team 666 from your favorite store:

Powell's ~ Amazon ~ B&N ~ Indiebound ~ Overstock ~ WalMart ~ Books-a-Million ~ Mysterious Galaxy ~ Poisoned Pen ~ Dark Delicacies ~ Hastings Books and Music