Military-thriller authors face a difficult challenge. Readers in that genre are especially astute about technical details, which makes crafting a great read very challenging. In this interview, military-thriller author Anderson Harp talks about the “bad child” aspect of military thrillers and why he writes in this very demanding genre.
“I enjoy storytelling,” said Harp. “Always have. I have come to appreciate the art of storytelling. Joseph Campbell and his concepts of mythology fascinate me. I would have greatly enjoyed sitting just behind Bill Moyer when he interviewed Campbell at the Skywalker Ranch.”
It is that fascination with storytelling, combined with an interest in military history and current events, that led Harp to the concept for his thriller, “Retribution.” He said, “The human condition is most complex. We are fragile creatures. When one dies, at least as to your body, it is an irreversible state. So what drives an eighteen-year-old jihadist to strap thirty pounds of plastic explosives to himself? He must have unquestioned belief that his actions lead to something better. This is nothing new. We know of Kamikaze pilots. They were determined to die for their emperor and to protect the homeland. Likewise, some may have heard of the Nazi’s Leonidas Squadron. In 1661, the Dutch used gunpowder to blow themselves up to stop an advancing enemy. An enemy that is willing to die for his cause is, as we well know, a dangerous and deadly tactical weapon. And a weapon such as this is not new.”
Harp is naturally curious and when he looks at facts, he starts asking questions. “Is it fundamentalism that drives the jihadist? Or more? Is it a combination of deep poverty, hopelessness and peer pressure guided by a religious zeal? And what of the bin Ladens who have access to wealth and comfort? Why do they do what they do?”
In looking specifically at the jihadists, Harp added, “Is the family a factor? The Arab world has strident beliefs. Much of the beliefs arise from tribal customs created by survival in harsh climates. The father dominates. There may be several mother figures. Is the relationship to the father a factor? Is it a matter of pride within the tribe? Just pure peer pressure? What drives one to the most extreme? It is an issue and my characters in “Retribution” explore this.”
Harp also said that “Retribution” came from his experiences of being a Marine, serving around the world, seeing world events change and seeing our nation’s response to these events. “It came from sitting on Delta, reading a thriller, and saying ‘what if?’”
Where some look at the past and see only events that have taken place, Harp sees lessons and questions for the future. He said, “‘Retribution’ is also a product of seeing future potential events starting to unfold and understanding where they may lead. For example, Saudi Arabia controls roughly twenty-five percent of the world’s oil. And the nation is changing the way it picks its Kings. The Council of al-Bay’ah was formed to approve the selections. A Council always is apt to add debate. Saudi Arabia is the center of much. It is struggling with individual rights, and a society of the very, very rich and the very poor.”
A large part of the military thriller allure is the technical aspect of weapons and strategy and therein lies what Harp calls the bad-child aspect of the genre. “A reader can tell you when the wrong caliber is being used fairly quickly,” said Harp. “And it is because the reader loves the story. So it takes commitment [to write a military thriller]. It helps to have served and have been in command centers sometimes during world events. Likewise, visits to present day installations such as the U.S. Army Sniper School, or the International Sniper Competition or MarSOF give insights. Training in weapons both in the past with the Marines and present with facilities such as Legion’s Operation Training Group give one the sense of what is going on. And then, staying on top by sources such as AUSA, the Marine Times, Early Bird, and Jane’s let the writer know what both the commanders and troops lose sleep over.”
While many of today’s top sellers are military thrillers, the competition in this genre is just as fierce as in other genres. Harp commented on the difficulty of finding a publisher. “Like many of my fellow writers, I am a charter member of the ‘rejection’ club. I qualify for the t-shirt. I think it topped a hundred. I was considering using them as wallpaper but the room was too small. And then, without an agent, I received an email one day from one of the top senior editors in the business saying he had found my work and loved it. Perseverance should be an alternative definition listed by Webster for writing.”
The military-thriller genre may seem at times to push the boundaries of reality, but many times what was once farfetched becomes reality. Harp enjoys the potential to be on the covert intelligence cutting edge. He said, “The military-thriller can be known to help. Insights into the threats, via fiction, can give insights into the real world as surely as something, sometimes, from an intelligence agency.”
More information
Learn more about Anderson Harp at www.andersonharp.net.
