Back in 2014, I wrote about author M.J. Gallagher’s attempts to turn the Final Fantasy series into a giant novel, and said “it’s not going to win many literary prizes”. I am here today to eat some shit.
[referenced id=”685453″ url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/12/fan-is-turning-final-fantasy-vii-into-a-giant-novel/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2014/12/15/sbdmtleyod8nxfgq1ls8-300×168.jpg” title=”Fan Is Turning Final Fantasy VII Into A Giant Novel” excerpt=”You’ve played the game. Now read the novel.”]
After completing two of the three volumes (which is still coming) of his Final Fantasy VII Unofficial Novelisation, Gallagher got to work on The Nibelheim Incident, a story that while related to the novelisation project is actually a standalone, original title.
Anyway, late last year The Nibelheim Incident won the KupoCon Crystal Award for best community project, where it was both nominated by and then voted for by Final Fantasy’s community. That, under any kind of definition, constitutes a literary prize. Congratulations are in order!
While it’s not strictly for the piece I was talking about in 2014 — and which I was actually showcasing since it looked like a cool project, and threw that line in as a dumb quip! — I think it’s close enough. Also cool: there’s an audiobook version in production that’s being narrated by Liam Mulvey, the voice (and motion) actor for Libertus in Final Fantasy XV.
I’m also going to take this opportunity to point out that while this stuff has all to date been Final Fantasy fanfic, and thus free to read, Gallagher’s latest book is actually available for sale, and is an exploration of how Norse mythology inspired so much of Final Fantasy VII’s own lore.
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