British novelist recruited for Doom 4

 

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Posted on 15 Jan 2009 at 17:03

An award-winning British novelist has been recruited to write the storyline for the forthcoming ID Software game Doom 4.

Graham Joyce's novels range from fantasy and science fiction to horror, and include The Tooth Fairy, Indigo andThe Facts of Life.He's a winner of multiple British Fantasy Awards, an Imaginaire Award and a World Fantasy Award, but has now switched his focus to the popular Doom franchise.

"I'll be working on the computer game Doom 4 for ID Software - I've been playing Doom for some years," he confirmed.

Joyce also admitted to being a keen Doom fan, and is relishing the prospect of dictating the storyline for the next instalment of the game.

"Okay, here's a secret: I don't actually tickle the keyboards into simulating lines of deathless prose for the full eight hours per day. No. The creative batteries do run low at moments, it has to be said, and to recharge them I might walk the dog; pluck the lute from the wall (okay, guitar); read lines of the Sufi mystic Rumi; or I might casually mangle a few demons in Doom," the author wrote on his website.

Joyce also joked that writing for the game will give him a perfect excuse to indulge in gaming, without kids reporting his gaming habit to his wife.

"Over the years I've been grassed up by the savages more than once, who, with their ears pressed to the door, can hear the blast of explosions and the groans of demons atomised before my cannon fire; whereupon they instantly report me to their mother."

"I can hear their excitable voices on the other side of the door: mum, he's not writing he's playing computer games! Now, since I've been hired to contribute to the storyline of Doom 4 I can say what was always true anyway. I'm working.

"You see, for a writer, lots of stuff that doesn't look like working is actually working. Looking out of the window, for example. Balancing a pencil on the edge of the desk in order to find its exact fulcrum. Playing Doom. Lots of things."

The game's last instalment, Doom III, differed greatly from the first two in the series with its vastly improved graphics and storyline, yet the game was also criticised by many gamers.

Author: Dawinderpal Sahota