There was flu here at Casa Larbfeld South this weekend, so FAF is taking another holiday. SORRY. But you’ll get lashings of fan art this coming Friday.
I’ve never seen the Manual of Aeronautics art reveal voting so close! I might have to actually count the votes by hand, AND THIS WOULD BE HARD.
So let’s just say this: today we do the Stormwalker, and in a couple of weeks the Clanker uniforms (AKA Cosplay Color Guide). And I’ll keep the Sultan’s Elephant in the running for the next vote.
Okay? Okay.
Then here is . . . the Cyklop Stormwalker, revealed!
Image by Keith Thompson. Click here for the BIGNESS. You know you want to.
As you may know, the images for the Manual were first created as world-building exercises. In other words, they started life guides for my writing and Keith’s future illustrations, and only later became fodder for The Manual of Aeronautics.
I first saw this one very early on, about halfway through Leviathan. Until that moment I hadn’t realize how cramped the Stormwalker would have to be, especially with five people riding around in it. Seeing this cutaway changed the whole way those interior scenes were written, because it was so cramped. (No crossing of legs or waving of arms. Just constrained movements and facial expressions?)
But seriously, just imagine riding around in this thing for weeks on end. It would be super oppressive and make everyone cranky. I hope I got that across.
BONUS WRITING ADVICE: I recommend that all you aspiring novelists to create visual aids like this. Even if your book is set in a regular civilian house, making a floor plan can be incredibly useful. Even if your readers never see these plans, they’ll sense whether you know how your world is put together or not.
For example, seeing this cutaway made me add the bit where Volger sticks his head out and then prods Alek with his feet. So it was good not only for atmosphere, but also for a moment of comedy between the two.
Note that this isn’t the only image of the Stormwalker in the Manual. There will also be:
1) Two outside images, comparing Alek’s Hapsburg House Guard Stormwalker to the standard Austrian Army issue.
2) An interior image, showing how the controls work!
Okay, see you Friday, and probably before then. The cover of part 2 of the Uglies manga Cutters should be here soon.
Wow, this is so amazing! I voted for the uniforms, but this is great too. I’ll have to re-read the series again when the manual comes out!
Barking spiders this is trollin awsome
What else is there to say
Maybe how awsome it is ! Scott you need a day or some thing named after
You
Weeeerrrrroooooo
Did i mention how awsome this pic is man
Thats so cool! I love it. Now I just need to reread the book with this in mind to make it more epic.
Awesomeness!!!!!!! The interior is very similar to how I envisioned it.
yessssssssssssss
cool!!!
DONE WITH PRETTIES.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! The Stormwalker AND the fact that the Cutters cover is comin’ out!!!!!!
I never thought there would be any humor in Volger’s life.
That’s awesome, though I did want to see the uniforms. 🙁 Oh, well! Patience is a virtue that Scott is apparently trying to train us in. xD
Oh my freaking AWESOMNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Five unwashed bodies in a cramped stormwalker for five weeks….GAH! My brother smells bad after two DAYS without a shower! Eew!
Barking spiders, this is pretty amazing. Can’t wait for the Manual!!!!!!!
@10
AHAHAHAHA!!!! i was totally thinking the same thing.
didnt Dr. Barlow ride in the stormwalker with alek, deryn, clopp, and tazza all at once??? PRETTY CRAZY
Pretty detailed! But I wonder how you can move in there…
That description makes me want it to be August already.
Huh. I really imgained it differently. Maybe I should just stare at it more, I don’t htink myy mind quite gets what it’s seeing.
Wait. Where’s the access hatch from the bottom? I think Deryn or Alek climbed up a ladder near the end of the 1st book, through a hatch on the bottom. Apparently in that shot the crew was seen standing up inside of the walker.
@16-Maybe it’s hidden. Also, the person was Deryn. YAY HEROINES.
@15-Me too. I thought it’d be WAAAAAAAAAAAY bigger.
Wow! This is so amazing! And on my birthday 🙂 Thanks for the present!
the second uglies manga is called CUTTERS???? what happened to the first, like, 3 months of shay being pretty? What’s the 3rd one going to be about? will there be 3 or 4? toooo mannnyyyyy quesstionssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the stormwalker-thing was cool.
I am sure I can name every character in there correctly. TOP: Volger is put the hatch; Klopp is just behind Alek, who is at the controls. BELOW: Bauer is polishing off the munitions, and Hoffman is the bro hiding behind the protective plate.
Scott, who should make characters profiles. I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT VOLGER AND BAUER. SCHEISSE MAN!
Wow. Just wow. I voted for the uniforms, but this is awesome! I always thought that there’d be room to breathe in a stormwalker, but apparently not. I’d get so claustrophobic in that thing…
WHOS EXCITED FOR UNIFORMS???
me.
*falls off chair and onto the floor in fangirly joy* YES. This is so~ awesome!! :DD
@Rue – I AAAAAAAAAMMM!! :DD
yay:) 25!
oh, yeah, and thanks for this one! I voted for it!
By the way, I heard that Newkirk’s first name is Eugene. Is that correct, anyone?
wow… i always, like, wanted my own Stormwalker, and now that i see this one, even though it’s kinda cramped, i want it even more!
i voted for the uniforms, but this is awesome! its so cramped in there now, i cant imagine it with Dr. Barlow, Deryn, and Tazza in there too.
me neither, but i think this is the standard military issue, not the Hapsburg House issue, which i’ll bet is bigger
Although I see it’s cramped, stormwalkers weren’t made for luxury (well maybe Alek’s family stormwalker was) but clankergurl98 made a good point. (@29) The military ones only need to be efficient, not roomy. Plus the more compact they are means they are a smaller target. Regardless… not like they can be missed but still…
And I might be missing out on something but…. Cutters is going to be coming out? I mean, I just figured Shay’s Story was it for the entire UPSE series.
On the oh-so-vague topic of Shay Story/Cutters:
Can I vote for a Leviathan manga series, told from the point of view of any one of the amazing supporting characters?…On second thought, seeing scenes in a different style than the illustrations might ruin the affect a little. Unless Keith does the art, then it would be awesome (of course)….But that seems like a lot of work….
How about a live-action movie with Scott as screenwriter?
@31: Last idea: Wonderful!
I voted for the uniforms but the Stormwalker is still so AWESOME! But now I gotta re-imagine all the Stormwalker scenes. XD
@26-Yes. It is correct.
Newkirk’s full name is Eugene William Newkirk.
And now we know why Newkirk is only referred to by his last name throughout the entire series.
@36-Eugene is NOT a bad name! Neither is William! So don’t say that!
why must everyone pick on poor Newkirk? 🙁
Sometimes I want to say “sorry” to Newkirk. Haha, imagine. Me saying sorry to a fictional character! …but I still want to do it.
@38- Someone needs to say sorry to Newkirk. I dunno. He just seems like one of those people that needs an apology.
yaaaa!!!! stormwalker! its so awesome i love it!
@35: Thanks! i’ve been wondering about that
@31: i argee with @32!!!!!
This makes me stupidly, unspeakably happy.
It’s so cramped….<3
A manga of Leviathan? Or movie with Scott as the writer? Barking spiders, yes! But the manga would have to be by Keith…. And what supporting character would it be about? Bovril? It should still be from Deryn and Alek's POV.
@43-Maybe Newkirk’s POV or Barlows or Volgers or even Captain Hobbes! Or maybe they could do a manga about JASPERTS POV!!!!!
@39-I agree. I mean, he’s not even THAT wimpy! If he was a REAL wimp, he wouldn’t have joined the barking Air Service anyway! (wait…did his mom make him? Dunno.)
I’m trying to let my nails grow but it’s hard cause I have a terrible habit of nibbling them short. 🙁
…last comment:TOTALLY RANDOM. sorry.
Poor Newkirk
No. I say NO to a movie with a script written by scott westerfeld. There would be TONS of vital parts that would bw cut out. It should be a tv show. ( just as long as they dont slaughter it like the secret circle…)
@49-I agree. I’m actually KINDA fine with a movie, as long as its not like the Percy Jackson movies. Which it might be. So I think a TV show is better.