Blood and Metal. Those three little words conjure up much in the mind of even the casual reader of David Gonterman. An ongoing fanfiction saga in the mid-90’s, it became the source of much disconcertion for the author. What began as just a series of stories between him and the friends he was making on the Internet grew into something far larger than himself, being read by countless people in its original form and in altered, MiSTed presentations. When the plug was pulled, it was assumed that the story of David Kintobor, Freedom Fighter was never to be touched upon again.
In 2009, that all changed.
With two full novels under his belt, Davey still felt he had something to prove. The cloud of that story still hung over him, popping up on the first page of any casual Google search of his name. He wanted to prove that, fourteen years on, he had improved in his storytelling skills. And what better way to do that than to revisit the original story he had conceived? To tell it in a new way, without the Sonic the Hedgehog elements?
Inspired by the short lived “9-12 Project,” a brand new version of Blood and Metal was made available to the public. Eric Krockett, the man-turned-wolf with a robot arm, arrived in the world of Maatla, ready to save it from tyranny while also showing it a proper slice of Americana. Some of the changed elements were easily noticeable, such as a “King Acorn” and the princess’ last name being Knothole. But others, including the opening scene of Eric getting the robot arm, were presented far differently than the fanfiction original.
The idea of turning a fanfic into an original piece of work might seem crazy, but in some ways, Davey was ahead of his time. Only a couple years later, author E.L. James, who had written a fanfic based on the Twilight series, would turn that piece of prose into the original Fifty Shades of Grey. But while some noticed its release, Blood and Metal did not make the splash Davey was hoping for. Perhaps this is why the third novel, Eric and the Last Night of the Kings, has not yet been finished. Would that book finally end the story of Blood and Metal? Perhaps, perhaps not. Who is to say just how long this story was meant to go for? But for an epic now over 20 years in the making, the hope is still there that one day, the final chapter can be told. Until then, the one named Krockett will continue to travel the unknown plains, looking for some peace of mind as he rides his motorcycle…