Rush have always been known for their literary (read: nerdy) lyrics, but they're going to take wordiness to a whole new level with their upcoming album, Clockwork Angels, which will get its own novelization courtesy of sci-fi writer Kevin J. Anderson.
Classic Rock Magazine [via AUX] notes that the author took to Facebook to explain that he and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart are good friends, and that Rush's 1984 album Grace Under Pressure helped to inspire Resurrection, Inc., Anderson's first novel. He and Peart have been planning to collaborate for years, and now they are finally realizing their goal.
"I'm writing the novelization of Rush's forthcoming album," Anderson explained. "I worked together with Neil to flesh out the epic story told over the course of the music, as well as the artist Hugh Syme, whose paintings fill the CD booklet. In a young man's quest to follow his dreams, he is caught between the grandiose forces of order and chaos. He travels across a lavish and colourful world of steampunk and alchemy, with lost cities, pirates, anarchists, exotic carnivals, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life."
The story will be drawn directly from the album's words, and Anderson revealed, "I'm writing the chapters now, incorporating the lyrics into the narrative, and having a fantastic time."
Listen to the album cuts "Caravan" and "BU2B" below for some idea of where the story might be going.
This is hardly the first time Anderson has written a spin-off novel, as he has turned Star Wars, Starcraft, Titan A.E. and The X-Files into books.
Expect Rush's Clockwork Angels to arrive sometime this spring.
Classic Rock Magazine [via AUX] notes that the author took to Facebook to explain that he and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart are good friends, and that Rush's 1984 album Grace Under Pressure helped to inspire Resurrection, Inc., Anderson's first novel. He and Peart have been planning to collaborate for years, and now they are finally realizing their goal.
"I'm writing the novelization of Rush's forthcoming album," Anderson explained. "I worked together with Neil to flesh out the epic story told over the course of the music, as well as the artist Hugh Syme, whose paintings fill the CD booklet. In a young man's quest to follow his dreams, he is caught between the grandiose forces of order and chaos. He travels across a lavish and colourful world of steampunk and alchemy, with lost cities, pirates, anarchists, exotic carnivals, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life."
The story will be drawn directly from the album's words, and Anderson revealed, "I'm writing the chapters now, incorporating the lyrics into the narrative, and having a fantastic time."
Listen to the album cuts "Caravan" and "BU2B" below for some idea of where the story might be going.
This is hardly the first time Anderson has written a spin-off novel, as he has turned Star Wars, Starcraft, Titan A.E. and The X-Files into books.
Expect Rush's Clockwork Angels to arrive sometime this spring.
