Readers globally find Junkworld: The Ballad of Leroy Brown a riveting read with suspenseful surprises in every verse – Beyond Epic MK Stangeland Jr.’s first novel, inspired by Real Steel and Battlebots.
Stangeland, who’s been writing regularly since college, says Junkworld was mainly inspired by the 2015 Battlebots revival and the 2011 Hugh Jackman movie Real Steel, unofficially also known as ‘Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots: The Movie’.
“The Underground Robot Combat League, Leroy and his ‘combat cohorts’, and all the associated components that drive the core narrative were inspired by the robot fights of those two projects, robots being put in a ring where they try to smash each other,” says the author.
Those influences combined with inspiration sparked by the work of another writer online, who created a setting similar to Junkworld itself for an online game – a junkyard planet where discarded robots try to make a new life for themselves. Stangeland was inspired to create a character of his own that could fit the setting, with backstory inspired by Battlebots and Real Steel.
“…I thought the character I’d created and his basic story had promise. So later, when I was looking for story ideas, I took this robot I’d created, and I created a new planet with the same underlying premise – junkyard planet for discarded machines just trying to make a new life for themselves – adjusted the setting to better fit the needs of the story (and avoid just ripping off the planet wholesale), and them moved and adjusted story elements as needed to improve the overall narrative. Everything else flowed from that,” Stangeland went on to say.
Junkworld is a planet for discarded machines. Fresh off his latest victory, it is here that champion fighting robot Leroy Brown inexplicably finds himself. Certain his presence on Junkworld is a mistake, Leroy makes it his mission to go home.
Enter the Top Dog. A tyrant determined to conquer all of Junkworld, the Top Dog demands Leroy’s capture for reasons known only to himself. This mysterious focus on Leroy ensures it is only a matter of time before Leroy’s mission to return home intertwines with the fight against the Top Dog.
But just when Leroy Brown shows he may be the best hope Junkworld has, his entire world threatens to collapse – with devastating consequences.
Dust and Blood Author M.E. Krueger says, “Junkworld is a riveting read that teases the reader’s adventure; the future world and battles Stangeland creates are beyond epic.”
Author MK Stangeland Jr. hails from the Midwest and is available for media interviews and speaking and may be reached at michael@beyondpublishing.net
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