Will Shand

The book is based on the original Beowulf, but not quite. Chunks of the original plot survive and the main characters come from the original, however there isn't a lot that stays the same after that. NQB looks at the old story with a modern eye. Why should Beowulf be the hero and Grendel the villain?
In a world where humans have steadily encroached upon all the other species and have had such a significant effect on the environment, advancing the argument that he does what is best for men and this is why he is the hero just doesn't carry the same weight.
So, I got interested in the whole character of Beowulf and he emerged a much darker and ruthless figure. He is clearly, in NQB a villain, and a very modern villain insofar as he understands the ethical issues that confront him, but prefers to ignore these in order to fulfill a traditional role.
That all sounds a bit serious! To some extent I just wanted to play around with an old story and liven it up a bit.

I really like the idea of just being able to write a story and then put it out for people to read. E publishing is very simple and direct. It means that anyone can just write and share without having to worry if the content fits a genre, or is fashionable. It's very simple and direct.