Friday 13th marks the publication of Gideon Cain - Demon Hunter, an anthology of stories featuring, well, what it says in the title. The first tale in the book is by me. Here's the official blurb:

PRESS RELEASE

GIDEON CAIN - THE DEMON HUNTER

Airship 27 Productions & Cornerstone Book Publishers have teamed up with noted fantasy, science fiction author, Van Allen Plexico to bring to life a brand new sword wield adventurer; Gideon Cain – The Demon Hunter. Originally conceived on an internet forum, this swashbuckling, globe trotting avenger is the result of half a dozen creative minds pooling their ideas and imaginations into bringing forth a tortured hero cast in a classic pulp mold.

During the famous Salem Witch Trials (1692-93) British born Puritan soldier, Gideon Cain aided the inquisitions, believing them to be just. Soon thereafter, God revealed to Cain that he and the righteous citizens of Salem had been duped by a cunning, ageless demon from Hell known as Azazel. The guilt of his actions weighs heavily on his conscience and rather than be driven mad by it, Gideon chooses to make atonement. Taking up his sword, the blade inscribed with holy runes, he bids farewell to his wife and children and departs on his sacred mission. Now he wonders the earth doing God’s work and destroying evil in whatever shape or guise it appears; his one consuming goal, to find and destroy Azazel.

Airship 27 Productions is thrilled to be bringing pulp fans this great new character written in the tradition of Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane. Here are seven exciting, action packed tales of the Demon Hunter by Scott Harris, Brian Zavitz, K.G.McAbee, Ian Watson, James Palmer, David Wright and Van Allen Plexico. Design and interior illustrations by Art Director Rob Davis with a painted cover by Davis and Shane Evans.

The book also features a special introduction by co-creator, Kurt Busiek. (Marvels – Astro City)

Airship 27 Productions, Pulp Fiction for a new generation.\


ISBN: 1-934935-74-3
ISBN 13: 978- 1-934935-74-3
Produced by Airship 27
Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers

Release date: 08/13/2010
Retail Price: $21.95

An exclusive-to-the-PVB preview of the opening scenses is hidden away at The Hooded Hood's Homepage of Doom - Gideon Cain Preview Comments are welcome.

Which is odd, because usually I'm not into those kinds of stories - I can't really sympathize with the hero. But that preview made me curious nonetheless.

How come the press release lists you as Ian Watson and not I.A. Watson?

Interesting start. I imagine that Gideon believes strongly in the concept of "Bad Cop" where interrogation is concerned.

~Hat~

The folks editing this volume (the White Rocket books people) know me as Ian (that's what they write on the cheques, after all) and I guess they were just careless - or else it's a deliberate mistake.

The preview on my site gives a better idea of the character, I think.

http://www.chillwater.org.uk/writing/gideon%20cain%20-%20the%20girl%20in%20the%20glass%20coffin%20-%20preview.htm

That's the preview I read. I don't usually like those I'm-better-than-everyone-else kinds of characters (Gideon Cain) is what I meant, because they're too difficult to relate to. Of course, if someone paid *me* to write one, I probably would too.

Cain's puritanism did make for some interesting character choices when I was writing this. For starters, he's married, so although pulp fiction tends to demand beautiful damsels with torn bodices the hero's got to resist temptation. And Cain has to be dour and stern about evil but at the same time he's got to show Christian charity.

A couple of the writers of the stories decided to do the "Cain goes against type" stories where he defends the persecuted witch or befriends the native shaman. I preferred throwing him into the situations that tested his faith hard and made him take hard decisions. So there's a bit where he encounters a rather desperate whore and has to decide how to react to her, for example. Should be denounce her for her deeds and have nothing to do with her or should he show compassion and try and help her despite her sins?

I wrote this story very quickly in response to a request from the editor. Since then I've been far more involved mapping out the "series bible" and doing background guidelines for the other writers so I feel I know the character better now. It hopefully shows in my (twice as long) story for volume 2, which I think is improved on this one.

That said, there's muttering about this one getting nominated for the Pulp Awards. I think that'll be nominations in both the novel and short stoy categories then.

An interesting look at a "righteous" man in wicked times. I've never read any Solomon Kane, but I'm somewhat familiar with the character. It seems like he'd be a fun subject for further pulp fiction riffing.

I've already written a longer tale for volume 2.