Jenna Wrenn spoke to author Gail Simone about her latest novel, “Red Sonja: Consumed,” and her journey with the character over the years.
About Gail Simone & “Red Sonja”
Gail Simone is perhaps best known for being the longest running female author on Wonder Woman comics. However, Simone has penned another female-led comic series, “Red Sonja,” for years. Simone’s work on “Red Sonja” has now moved from comics to her latest novel, “Red Sonja: Consumed.”
Released in November 2024, “Red Sonja: Consumed” takes the battle hardend warrior into a new format, with just as much grit and guts as the comics.
In her interview with Temple of Geek, Simone discussed “Red Sonja: Consumed” and her journey writing for the character over the years.
Interview with Gail Simone
Jenna: Your new novel, “Red Sonja,” released this month. What can you tell fans about it?
Gail Simone: It’s a weird thing, I’ve been asked to do novels for some great publishers for a long time, but I think I had a serious case of stage fright. It just seemed such an insurmountable task. But it turns out, I love it. I would never give up comics, but writing prose is very exciting.
This is the story of one of my favorite characters ever, Red Sonja, who is boozy, bawdy and altogether not in the mood for any shit from anyone. It’s a story of pushing away from others, even when they mean only good things. Sonja has to face her past, and regrets, and she’s not great at that.
But the short pitch is, she steals something from someone who trusted her, and the world decided to hunt her down and get it back.
It’s fun and sometimes heartbreaking.
JW: Tell us about your journey writing the character over the years?
GS: Well, I famously turned down Red Sonja the first few times I was offered her, I just didn’t think I had anything to add. Some of my favorite writers had already written her beautifully.
It turns out my mom was a fan and insisted. So I tried it. By the end of issue one, I wanted to write her forever.
This has no continuity from the comics or previous stories, it’s all fresh. And it’s a much grander scale than any single comic could be. I think it’s a pretty deep delving into who Sonja is, and how she remains unique in a field of a million imitators.
JW: You have written Red Sonja comic book runs. Did you face any challenges shifting from writing the character in different formats from comic to novel?
GS: No, I feel like I know the character’s heart. She just has more to interact with!
JW: Do you find one format easier to convey your story than another?
GS: Well, a comic is a much smaller commitment in time, a novel is a whole different beast. But my dream in life was always to be a storyteller. As long as I get to tell stories, and people like them, that makes me pretty joyful, really.
JW: How has working on the Red Sonja novel been different than anything else that you’ve created over the years?
GS: This is a little weird to say, but there’s such a long period of time involved, you can’t help but doubt everything at some point in the journey. Fortunately, reviews have been great, other writers have expressed kind encouragement, and most importantly, readers seem to have loved it.
JW: When you write, do you write with a specific demographic in mind?
GS: Not particularly, unless, you know, I’m writing My Little Pony or Strawberry Shortcake (both of which I have written). However, when I do write all ages, I don’t really believe in talking down to young people, so even my general audience comics tend to skew a little saucy. Secret Six was general audience, and I still get people who have been a little shocked.
It’s because I am a terrible, terrible person. And I think comics are meant to be a little unsavory, for the most part.
JW: Does this vary depending on if you’re writing comics or novels?
GS: It might if the novel wasn’t Sonja. Sonja lends herself to violence and sex, she’s a bad influence in all regards.
JW: Did you draw inspiration from your comic runs and the character’s history while working on “Red Sonja?” Or did you go into this project with a fresh page?
GS: No, we actually were asked to avoid previous continuity, for a lot of reasons, but primarily so people could jump in and not wonder what the hell is happening.
JW: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
GS: The big one is this: finish something. Finish something. Write that ten times. It is better to finish a page than to abandon a novel. Finishing, even if you tear it up after, teaches you a thousand lessons every time, about your strengths and your weaknesses.
Every great writer I know failed a bunch of times before they found their own personal formula. A novel in a desk drawer, forgotten, tells you to try a short story instead.
You can follow Gail Simone on Instagram, Twitter, and Bluesky.
