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Life Is More Serenity For Writer Chris Roberson

by Vince Brusio

What’s it like to watch your favorite TV show, and then get paid to write about it? Believe it or not, yes, you can get compensation to concoct adventures pertinent to an imaginary universe, so we posed such questions to writer Chris Roberson, who appears to have landed his dream gig on the upcoming Serenity: No Power In The ‘Verse #1 (AUG160010).  In this PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview, Chris goes into the mechanics of how the book left the Earth’s gravitational pull when Dark Horse Comics decided there had to be more stories after the critically acclaimed  Leaves On The Wind.

Serenity: No Power In The ‘Verse #1 (AUG160010) is in comic shops October 26.

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Article Image 1e1dPREVIEWSworld: How did you get this project off the ground? Serenity is a big toy to play with in the sandbox, with a considerable fan base. How did you move the needle to show you were the guy that could fly the spaceship without bumping into a wormhole? 

Chris Roberson: I was just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, I think. The Aliens mini-series I did a couple of years ago was my first time working with Dark Horse and editor Scott Allie, and it was just a great experience in general. So when that book was wrapping up Scott asked me if I had any affinity for Serenity, and whether I’d be interested in scripting the follow-up to the Leaves On The Wind mini-series that Zack Whedon and Georges Jeanty had done. I like to think that I was restrained and cool when I shouted “YES!”, but that might just be wishful thinking on my part.

PREVIEWSworld: Tell us about your affection for Serenity. What is it about this property that energizes you? What possibilities does it present?

Chris Roberson: I’m a huge fan of science fiction and space opera, but also a big history buff, so when the first episode of Firefly aired it was like the show had been tailor-made for me. The fact that it was made by the guy responsible for two of my all-time favorite genre shows to that point (Buffy and Angel, naturally) only sweetened the deal. But as much as I love the historically-inspired backstory and the inventive science-fictional setting, it was really the characters that captivated me. Getting the chance to help chart their future adventures is an incredible honor.

PREVIEWSworld: Without spoiling the book, what teaser information can you give us about your storyline? Any Easter Eggs carefully lodged into a nook or cranny?

Chris Roberson: We’re picking up threads from the TV show and the movie, but also things that were introduced in Leaves On The Wind. The Verse is just such an expansive and compelling setting that there were lots of places that we could have chosen to visit, but it was the characters’ relationships with one another and how those have evolved that we decided to focus on.

PREVIEWSworld: Have you seen the artwork for this book? What were your initial reactions to the pencils?

Chris Roberson: I was thrilled to learn that Georges Jeanty would be returning to do the art duties for this new mini-series, and every page that I’ve seen has been a knockout. This book is going to look gorgeous!

PREVIEWSworld: How do you come away from this project as a writer? Did you try something new? Realize a dream? Binge on the TV show for 48 hours straight before you hit your script and this somehow made you Super Serenity Scribe of the century?

Chris Roberson: I’d actually just finished one of my regular re-watches of the whole series and the movie when I was offered the job, and in the time since then … I’ve watched the whole thing through again several more times! Getting paid to watch one of your favorite shows and then go off and make up new adventures for the characters is a pretty great gig if you can get it!

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