What If… A Dream Spawned Through Fandom. But Can This Steampunk Collaboration Be Realized?

We all have those dream projects that exist only in our minds… Sometimes they’re our own projects that we’re pursuing, chasing to become a reality. Other times they’re projects inspired by the great works of others, the idea may be yours… but the dream comes from uniting those that inspired it.

Today I’m not here to make any announcements or share upcoming news, instead… I’m here to share with you an idea that was born out of fandom. What if you were to take those people that you admire and respect, because of what they do so well, and bring them together with the intention of sparking a new project. A project built upon their vast experience, leveraging all of their strengths to bring a beautifully rich world to an entirely new audience. However the last thing I would want to see would be a literal translation of an existing novel, instead this would need to be a brand new story set within a world that already has a cult following behind it.

When I initially picked up the first book in this series, I’ll be honest, I didn’t know very much about it at all. But what I did know, was enough to peak my interest to run out and grab a copy. How could I pass up a book that had been described to me as being a “Steampunk adventure set during the American Civil War, with zombies”? That’s right, I’m referring to Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century series (Boneshaker, Clementine, Dreadnought, Ganymede, The Inexplicables, and Fiddlehead). Please keep in mind, this isn’t a review of the series so I’m going to refrain from delving in too deep. However for those of you that may not be familiar with the series, here’s a quick glimpse into the world…

“Stonewall Jackson survived Chancellorsville. England broke the Union’s naval blockade, and formally recognized the Confederate States of America. Atlanta never burned.

It is 1880. The American Civil War has raged for nearly two decades, driving technology in strange and terrible directions. Combat dirigibles skulk across the sky and armored vehicles crawl along the land. Military scientists twist the laws of man and nature, and barter their souls for weapons powered by light, fire, and steam.

But life struggles forward for soldiers and ordinary citizens. The fractured nation is dotted with stricken towns and epic scenes of devastation—some manmade, and some more mysterious. In the western territories cities are swallowed by gas and walled away to rot while the frontiers are strip-mined for resources. On the borders between North and South, spies scour and scheme, and smugglers build economies more stable than their governments.

This is the Clockwork Century. It is dark here, and different.”

By the time that I picked up Boneshaker, there were only 2 other books in the series and I read through them all as fast as I possibly could. I’m an avid reader, when I have the time to actually sit down and read. However it isn’t every day that I find an author that has the ability to draw me into every single page and not let go. Through this series of novels, we’ve traveled across an expansive, fully realized, and intricately detailed steampunk America of the 1880’s. Each book in the series is told from a different characters point of view, sometimes they’re familiar friends and other times they’re being introduced for the first time. Either way, we’re never left feeling as if a character didn’t belong in the universe. In fact I’d say it’s because of Cherie’s ability to create such complex characters, complete with their unique voices, we find ourselves identifying with them faster than we’d expect.

It’s through Cherie’s strong storytelling ability that I don’t have any question or doubt that an original story set in this universe could be written with the intention of being developed into a videogame. The only question becomes, who would we see develop such a game?

From the very moment that I had the thought that a videogame lived within this universe, there has only been one developer that has come to mind for the project. I’m sure there are plenty of developers out there that would do a great job at bringing this world to life, however every time I think about it I still come to the same conclusion… Rockstar San Diego. Red Dead Redemption was a masterful piece of storytelling and gaming, told through the eyes of John Marston a former outlaw who’s being pulled back into a life he’d rather forget.

“America, early 1900’s. The era of the cowboy is coming to an end.

When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is sent across the American frontier to help bring the rule of law. Experience intense gun battles, dramatic train robberies, bounty hunting and duels during a time of violent change.

Red Dead Redemption is an epic battle for survival in a beautiful open world as John Marston struggles to bury his blood-stained past, one man at a time.”

The level of detail and depth of storytelling were perfect, they didn’t leave any detail to chance. They truly crafted an experience that you could get lost in, spending hours in the game without thinking twice about it. Even after everything was said and done, the story had been completed and all of the side quests had been achieved, I still found myself roaming the vast countryside and enjoying every moment. This isn’t something that can be said about most games, that’s a testament to what they do and how they do it.

Let me ask you this… If Cherie Priest were to write an original Clockwork Century story and it were to be adapted & developed by Rockstar Games, would you play it? The way I see it. This would have the potential of becoming an amazing videogame series that would not only serve as a perfect compliment to the novels, but would appeal to an entirely new audience of fans.

Let us know what you think in the comments… Am I crazy or is this a genius level idea that needs to be pursued?

Update 3/27

Within minutes of sending out the article link via Twitter, Cherie Priest tagged it as a favorite & retweeted it out to her all of the fans that are following her. As exciting as it was for me to see that someone I admire so much retweet & favorite anything I had to say, what was more exciting is she is in support of the idea! This could become one of those projects brought to life through the will & determination of the community…

Update 3/30

Think Rockstar Games will accept the challenge? Let us know what you think and leave a comment below… While you’re at it tweet Rockstar Games & Cherie Priest, let them know you’d love to see the project become a reality.  #TheClockworkCenturyGame