The Dark

Steven Erikson, David Keck, Mark Paxton-MacRae have created this brand new scifi serial. And from what I read on the malazanempire.com forums, it looks pretty good!:-) Here is some background info:

The Dark:

Space is dark...silent...lethal.

Ships stay quiet when they can and when they can’t, it’s because they’re too damned big. Either way, no spotlights shining on white hulls, no glowing nacelles. Nobody hails anybody. Space is an unlit sea and everything swimming in it is hungry. Planet systems mean resources and, unless someone says otherwise, it’s there for the taking.

It’s been decades since the last independent nation on Earth was absorbed by the Community of Aligned Nations (aka. Generica). The solar system has been colonised, more or less, and things are going swimmingly for the genetically optimized citizens of Generica; until, that is, the aliens arrive to obliterate most everything.

Mysterious aliens. No one has actually seen them, just their massive, all-devouring ships, and no two of those alike. There has been no communication either, and Generica’s increasingly desperate pleas to negotiate go unanswered. It’s war; and for humans, it’s going very badly indeed.In the unlit labyrinth of undifferentiated asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, three old ships from a long-defunct independent republic drop out of deep-freeze and begin waging their own kind of war against the aliens. Crewed by misfits, genetically randomized (normal folk), these ships, the Widow, Wolf and Recluse begin an unrelenting campaign using stealth tactics, snatching small victories where great navies find only destruction. Like the hunter subs of the first cold war, they lurk in the dark, communicating with no one (not even, no especially not, Generica), with no base to call their own, and each operating with fierce independence.

This is the story of one of those ships: Recluse. Damn-near invisible in space, powered by a throbbing fusion reactor, and inhabited by a crew for whom cabin-fever is a way of life. Each is a study in paranoia, neuroses and just plain weirdness. These men and women are our heroes.

Here is what the creators have to say about the Dark:

The Dark is an independently written and produced sci-fi serial, available strictly through the web to our loyal subscribers. It's been a group effort, from the beginning, and we are proud to be involved in this original web serial that was developed in Rick's Garage, a coffee shop called Bar Italia and a speakeasy dubbed 'The Smiling Fist.'

Over the past three years we have worked hard to bring you these two free, proof-of-concept videos, to deliver a taste of what we're about. We're trying to keep this independent, to remain in control of the story. We want to maintain the vision and send out a great tale where the edges aren't rounded down by constant abrasion with formulaic TV production, middlemen or bland committees. However, an ongoing serial requires moolah, kash, cheddar to make it real.

This is where you come in. The vision is there, the story is there, the talent is there. We're asking you, the reader, to support us in our vision and help create some great sci-fi moments with non-run-of-the-mill stories sparked with characters as deep as space and often just as dark.

The Dark is crafted to fit into a new universe of original web entertainment. It's cheap, too. US $20 one time and then around a US $1 an episode when the show goes live.

Our mission is to tell a great story, and we want you to be a part of it … a lot. So, we're also looking for feedback as well as your dosh. In the spirit of the web, we want our viewers and our loyal subscribers to be part of the process. Enter The Forum. Here the actors and writers will offer up contributions. We're even planning to publish live webcasts of the filming process and off-screen discussions. Through input on The Forum subscribers may end up contributing to the actual content of the series. Talk to us. We'll listen. Luck out and you might get to climb into a freezer on an episode. And that's just the beginning …

We loved making these promos, and we fervently want to make the full series come to life. So have a look. We think you'll find a reason to keep watching as we roll out fresh episodes; hopefully enough to enlist and purchase a subscription.

Welcome to The Dark, the new high definition digital edge in space fiction.

Intrigued!?! I know I am! Truth be told, I've been curious about this ever since Steven mentioned it in our very first interview last January.

The first two episodes are available for free on www.thedarkfiles.com. The site contains a ton of info, as well as other interesting things. Check it out!;-)

I'll give you my two cents as soon as I've had the opportunity to download and watch the two opening episodes!

To Steven, David and Mark: Best of luck in this new endeavor. Hopefully this post will help put asses in the seats!