More Nochnoi Dozor News

Glubina is a new fan site dedicated to Russian sf/f films. It archives articles from the Russian press. This talkshow transcript contains a lot of good information straight from Lukyanenko's mouth. He says there will be one more book in the Nochnoi Dozor series, but only one; he doesn't want to be "one of those writers who pulls the veins out of his work". He also said that the third movie, the one to be co-produced with Fox, will not use the same storyline as the third book, Sumerechnii Dozor. Instead, there'll be a whole new storyline as Russian and American Night Watches join together to fight crime in both Moscow and the US. The Russian actors will keep their iconic roles; Lukyanenko will create brand new American characters for the American actors. Sounds like fun to me!

I also learned the amusing fact that in Night Watch stories written by one of Lukyanenko's friends, the Samarkand Night Watch shares its building with the Day Watch to save money on the lease!

Nochnoi Dozor has its controversial side, too. Apparently the movie has brought out the moonbats and created new business for professional fortunetellers, witches, and psychics. Lukyanenko was careful to say that he doesn't believe in magic, that he likes to make up his magic rather than research the occult, and that really believing in magic is not healthy. (He's a psychologist, and before he became a full time writer he worked at the Alma-Ata mental hospital. I know this because one of his old coworkers actually called in.)

One listener asked pretty much the same question, mentioning that he writes about magic, and asking if he was a believer. Lukyanenko turned the question to something not previously covered. "I am Orthodox. I was baptized three years ago. I wrote the books _Cold Shores_ and _The Morning Comes_ on the idea that Christ died in infancy, and an ordinary man took his place. It was necessary for me to immerse myself in the Bible. And after writing them, I understood that I was ready to accept the faith."

Cool, eh?

The interview also provided some reliable Lukyanenko "potions": pickle juice or brine for wives to use on husbands' hangovers, meeting the wife at the door with chilled champagne as a love potion for husbands to use.

Finally, Lukyanenko provided a recipe for a "Twilight Chicken" casserole (no measurements in the transcription, I'm afraid). First, put some of that cooking parchment in the pan. Cut raw potatoes into circular pieces and use them as the first layer of the dish. Then cut your chicken up into small pieces; that's the second layer. Make a sauce out of mayonnaise, sour cream, and herbs and spices, and pour it over everything. Put cranberries on top of that. Then another layer of potatoes. Then grated cheese on top (parmesan is best). Bake in the oven till it's done.

The cranberries sound weird, but we do eat them with turkey....