Whether it’s on your screen or the page in front of you, Dishonored presents an exceptional, ever-changing world for you to explore. Set in the months preceding Dishonored 2, The Corroded Man shines a new light on familiar characters, and provides fresh insights into their minds and lives. The first book in the three-part series arrives tomorrow, and we spoke with author Adam Christopher about working with Arkane and helping to set up the story of Dishonored 2.
What’s your history with Dishonored? Were you a fan before this project?
I’m absolutely a fan of Dishonored – I wouldn’t call myself a hardcore gamer, but I’ve been an avid console gamer for about twenty years. These days I tend to game less as I have books to write and deadlines to meet! But Dishonored is my favorite console game, hands-down, and I must have played it through about four or five times, each time trying for a different chaos strategy.
When I was offered the tie-in books, I went back and replayed the game another couple of times, this time taking notes as I went. That was quite a different experience, because in the back of my mind I knew I had to not only remember so much detail, but get anything I used in the book absolutely right! But being a fan helped, because I love the world and the story of Corvo – and now Emily.
How does The Corroded Man bridge the gap between the first game and the second one?
The Corroded Man is set a few months before the start of Dishonored 2 – some of what happens at the beginning of the new game is foreshadowed in the book – but with several flashbacks to scenes across that 15-year gap, during which time Corvo trained Emily in the skills and talents he has as a master assassin and spy. So while the main story features Emily as a 25-year-old Empress, we see some of that decade and a half of training, and get a few hints about what Corvo and Emily have been up to. The Corroded Man is Emily’s first real test of her skills – after all that training, it’s time for her to put them to use to save not just Dunwall, but the world itself.
Writing The Corroded Man was a wonderful experience, not just as a novelist but as a fan of Dishonored. I flew out to Arkane Studios in Lyon, France, on a couple of occasions to meet with [Creative Director] Harvey Smith and the team, and to also play Dishonored 2. This was particularly important given that Emily is, essentially, the main character in The Corroded Man. As she is also a playable character in Dishonored 2, I had to learn about her as an adult, how she spoke, acted, etc. I had the full script for Dishonored 2, along with all of the game designs and artwork to refer to, which was a big help.
Once I had the basic bones of the story down, the next step was to write a detailed outline for Harvey to approve. This is standard for tie-in fiction – although I’m the writer, the characters and setting don’t belong to me, and it’s very important to make sure my story fits within the universe that Arkane, in this case, has created. The outline was revised a few times, then approved, and then… I began to write!
Favorite character to write?
Emily, absolutely! When I play-tested Dishonored 2, I played as Emily. It never even occurred to me to play as Corvo! She’s brilliant and seriously kick-ass. I love the character and I loved writing her.
Do you have a favorite scene in the book?
That’s a really difficult question! I loved writing the whole book… but there is a bit toward the end when Corvo springs into action, which was my moment to try and directly translate what a player can do in the game onto the written page. It was difficult, because if you’re not careful it just becomes a list of moves, and took several drafts, but I think I got it. I imagined the scene as if it were part of the game: If I was playing Corvo, how would I get past this barrier? How would I deal with my opponents? How would I use my powers, and the landscape and buildings, to get to the next stage of the mission?
There is a danger with a novel based on a game that it becomes too game-like, but here I just let rip. It was fun. I hope fans like it.