Acclaimed Canadian sci-fi author Peter Watts, who has worked with both Relic and Crytek on game stories, was earlier this week arrested at a US border crossing, and charged with assaulting a federal officer.
It’s a serious charge, one that carries a mandatory two-year jail sentence if he’s convicted. In his defence, Watts claims not only that he is innocent, but that US officers beat him, attempted to withhold his Miranda Rights and seized a whole ton of his stuff.
Messy.
Back in the 90s, Watts worked with Relic on the story for what would later become Homeworld, and has most lately been employed by Crytek to lend a hand with the writing for Crysis 2.
Dr Peter Watts, Canadian science fiction writer, beaten and arrested at US border [Boing Boing]
Azazel
Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 6:07 PMHoly shit, this guy’s one of my favourite writers, does excellent sociopaths and one of the best takes on the vampire mythos I’ve seen in a while. So of course I’m naturally, selfishly, hoping this won’t screw up the release of his next book and that cool little first person retelling of The Thing he was doing.
Fracture
Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 7:25 PMAmerica ladies and gentlemen! .. beatings : beatings : BEATINGS!!! BEATINGS!! YOU GOING TO GET BEAT!
rpgplayer83
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 4:04 AM@Fracture
For points.
Daniel Bower
Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 7:27 PMGod damn Homeworld was awesome
WTHfor
Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 9:29 PMIt freaks me out that I knew that the victim would tell the opposite story before I read this article.
On Youtube you can watch dozens of examples of cops sadistically beating and tasering citizens for no apparent reason – and then charging *them* with assault. They charge the victim to switch the blame so that the cop can plausibly claim that the victim was hurt during the assault (which never took place) on the cop. There’s a power-crazed thug mentality on the rise amongst US cops.
Dominic Davies
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 5:37 AMYoutube informs your idea that there is a ‘power-crazed thug mentality on the rise’ for US policemen? Congratulations.
They are the same as anywhere else, doing a thankless job for shit pay so that jackasses like you can spout nonsense without fear of being bashed.
Sure some are thugs, but don’t confuse internet sensationalism with the truth.
I hope the truth comes out and whoever is in the wrong here is punished.
Azazel
Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 10:25 PMDaniel, Watt’s script for HW2 was unfortunately never used. You can read about some of it here http://forums.relicnews.com/showpost.php?p=1334114&postcount=182
Anonymous
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 1:49 AMHoly cow Azazel, thanks for that, that’s amazing. I was a huge fan of all the HW games – I did do lots of cheating at the end though, it was a little too difficult for me :)
Dominic Davies
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 5:41 AMHe is a genuinely entertaining writer:
‘Nor was I finally dumped across the border in shirtsleeves: computer seized, flash drive confiscated, even my fucking paper notepad withheld until they could find someone among their number literate enough to distinguish between handwritten notes on story ideas and, I suppose, nefarious terrorist plots.’
His account is fun to read.
Andrew Mills
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 12:09 PMAbuse of power is a sad thing.
RocK_M
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 8:51 PMThe amusing part here is the guards probably thought he was just an easy nobody crossing the border and would make for an easy target…
Of course it all changes completely when your said target happens to be a very popular SF writer for novels and games =P