After humans circumvented anti-AI laws and made new species
to fulfill roles of menial laborers, sex slaves, and shock troops those
creations eventually rose up and killed every man, woman, and child on the
planet. This is the world if Frankenstein’s monsters ruled the Earth.

The Brittle Riders

Book One

by Bill McCormick

Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy

In a far future, Earth had already been visited by an alien
race called the Sominids, who came here for the express purpose of drinking and
having sex with everyone they could. When one of their infamous parties
resulted in the moon being cut in half and killing everyone who happened to
live there, they quietly left. Their encounter with the Sominids had taught the
human race many things, primarily that faster-than-light travel did not exist.
Denied the stars, the human race began to dwindle in numbers and terminate all
of their space programs.

 A thousand years later, a scientist named Edward Q. Rohta
circumvented anti-AI laws, laws which had been on the books for millennia, by
creating organic creatures to provide manual labor. Instead of dying after ten
years, as promised in the company brochure, they would develop flu-like
symptoms and go into hiding. Eventually, fed up with the mistreatment they
suffered at the hands of humans, they rose up and killed every man, woman, and
child on the planet. This is the story of what happens next. The Brittle
Riders; Apocalypses are funny that way.

 A very unique tone and world, reminiscent of GUARDIANS OF
THE GALAXY meets a MAGNIFICENT SEVEN/DIRTY DOZEN – type setup, but with a look,
flavor, and lexicon all its own. In a world where studios and streamers are
looking for IP that’s expansive, both narratively and in terms of ancillary
possibilities (prequels, offshoots, video games, etc.), (The Brittle Riders)
certainly seems to offer up a number of possibilities. – Garrick Dion –
Producer

 

What is something unique/quirky about you?

As well as being an author, I have been a stripper and a nude model. Although not all at the same time. Publishers get weird about that stuff.

Who is your hero, and why?

This may sound trite, but my wife is my hero. She’s taken all that life could throw at her and come out stronger and more loving than you could imagine. We didn’t meet until I was fifty years old. And I knew that day I couldn’t lose her, that she was going to mean everything to me.

What kind of world ruler would you be?

A fun, inclusive one. I believe in God, and I believe that God is love, so I’d want a planet that would be secure and pleasant for everyone. I couldn’t imagine kicking innocent humans off our planet, so I’d do all I could to ensure there were safe places for all. I’d definitely be leading the “tax the rich” flotilla. I have no problem with people getting wealthy, but hoarding wealth at the expense of the rest of the planet is on my “do not do” list.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

I like to cook. I’m actually not half bad at it. While comfort food is my go-to when I’m cooking for myself, I can whip up a meal worthy of anything a chef at a five-star resort could muster. The first time I cooked for my wife, we’d barely been dating two weeks, I knocked out a Pork l’Orange with a citrus gravy for the potatoes and asparagus. She swooned and told her friends and random strangers that I could “throw down” in the kitchen. I also love to read. Not just sci-fi, but non-fiction, biographies, and anything else that catches my eye.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’d been writing non-fiction for years, but that was always tied in with my radio shows or other things. But I knew I’d arrived when I was sitting in a bar one day, and I introduced myself to a dude sitting next to me, and he said, “The writer?” Why, yes, Venom (his nickname), that’s me.

Do you have a favorite movie?

Wizards by Ralph Bakshi. Up until then, fantasy movies were testosterone-driven affairs. Manly men with swords saving damsels in distress or fighting something and then saving the damsel in distress. So, seeing a movie with a female narrator, two evenly matched antagonists, a scantily clad damsel who could take care of her own damn self, evil characters who changed sides, and was unafraid to add politics to the mix, was revelatory to this young mind.

Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?

Trick question: I have had several companies nibbling around The Brittle Riders. To the point we now have a tone reel for investors, a pitch book for those who haven’t read the novel, and a complete script that has been vetted by industry professionals.