GBBP 89: John Jackson Miller

Today, we’re chatting with John Jackson Miller, who has written for some of the biggest geek franchises ever. He’s perhaps most well known for his work in the Star Wars and Star Trek universes, but he’s also played in the Halo, Mass Effect, Indiana Jones, and Planet of the Apes sandboxes. Talk about crossing the streams.

In the Star Wars galaxy, Miller is one of the few writers who has stayed on board after the Disney purchase and franchise “reboot.” His novel Kenobi, which is now under the Legends banner, is one of the seminal looks at that character. James Arnold Taylor, who has played the character of Obi-Wan more than anyone else, is on record (on this very show!) as wanting that novel to be the basis for an Obi-Wan standalone movie. Miller also wrote the very first novel of the new canon – A New Dawn – which, among other things, shows how Kanan and Hera first met. He also wrote the 50-issue run of the Knights of the Old Republic comic from Dark Horse (recently reprinted by Marvel).

His newest books are set in the Star Trek universe, and they’re a wonderful tribute to the franchise and celebration of its 50th anniversary. The Prey trilogy spans 100 years, from the days after Star Trek III: The Search for Spock to the current post-Nemesis Next Generation-era in the novels. From a literary standpoint, it’s also an incredible achievement. The trilogy runs more than 1,000 pages, and all three books come out in three consecutive months (September, October, and November of 2016).

On this episode, we talk about his career, the similarities and differences in working for the different Star Wars “regimes,” the Prey trilogy, the challenges in writing for established franchises, and his personal writing routines and habits.

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