Osage Nation stars in the New York Times bestseller ‘Robopocalypse’

It’s the future and humans are dependent on robots and machines. Zero Hour strikes and the robots rise up, killing everyone in sight. New York, Tokyo, London, nowhere is safe. Who will save humankind? The Grayhorse Army.

The Osage Nation is one of the protagonists in the New York Times Best Selling, “Robopocalypse,” which features Osage characters from the Grayhorse Indian Village.

The book chronicles the survival, and battle, stories of its characters from all walks of life as they struggle to survive the robot uprising.  

Optioned by DreamWorks before the book was even published, the film version is set to be directed by Steven Spielberg and is scheduled for a release date of summer 2013. Writing the screenplay is Drew Goddard, writer of Cloverfield and Buffy the Vampire Slayer among other works.

The Osage News spoke with "Robopocalypse" author, Daniel H. Wilson, on why he chose the Osage Nation as his inspiration for tribal relations, what he knows about the film coming out, and why he described Osages as dancing the In-Lon-Schka with their eyes closed?

Osage News: What was your inspiration to use the Osage Nation as the basis for tribal governments/ tribal society in your book?

Daniel H. Wilson:I grew up in Oklahoma where sovereign tribal governments are the norm. In the back of my mind, I always thought that if the larger United States government were ever to falter, these smaller governments would be able to keep functioning. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Robopocalypse was the perfect opportunity to explore this idea. I considered a few different tribes, but the Osage Nation had the best balance between urban and rural areas. Tribal boundaries are often overlayed on top of existing cities, but that’s where the machines are attacking first. On the other hand, I didn’t want to set this novel on an isolated reservation. As it turned out, Grayhorse provided the perfect setting because it serves as a spiritual home to return to in a time of crisis, and it’s also rural enough to be safe from crazy machines.

ON: I've read you are from Oklahoma around the Tulsa area. Have you ever been to our tribal campus or the village of Grayhorse? 

DW: Growing up in Tulsa, I had heard of Grayhorse and I’ve had Osage friends, but never made it out to visit. I suppose Ponca City is about as close as I’ve made it!

ON: Are you Native American? If so, what tribe?

DW: I am a member of the Cherokee Nation, although I am nowhere near full-blood. I’m thankful that in Oklahoma I had the chance to learn about my heritage, even without strong family ties to the tribe. I remember Archie Mason coming out to Owen Elementary and playing the flute for us in third grade! Later, I was part of the Native American People club at Booker T. Washington High School and then the American Indian Cultural Society at the University of Tulsa. I’ve been to the odd powwow, but I admit that I don’t have near the knowledge about my roots that I wish I had.

ON: As with most works of fiction, there are some inaccuracies to the use of some of our traditions, words etc. in the book. Where did you get your information or where did you do your research for your book?

DW: Any inaccuracies are my own fault, but I did my best to get it right! My only hope is that the good outweighs the bad, and that Osage readers can enjoy the book and its American Indian heroes. A great research resource for me was Dr. Peggy Hill, a biologist at the University of Tulsa and the faculty leader of the American Indian Cultural Society while I was in school there. Peggy is the one who first explained Grayhorse and the Osage to me. However, some of the themes in the book were also based on the trials and tribulations of other tribes. For instance, the existence of gangster culture at Grayhorse was inspired by the plight of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota.

ON: I have read that the rights were bought by Dreamworks for a feature film to begin filming Jan. 2012. Did you have a hand in the screenplay and will you have a hand in the casting?

DW: The rights to Robopocalypse were optioned by DreamWorks and Steven Spielberg announced that he is going to direct the movie. The screenplay was written by Drew Goddard, who cut his teeth on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lost. Obviously, I’m beyond thrilled! Although I’m not a part of writing the screenplay or casting, I was consulted early on about what the robots would look like and how they would act. It’s hard to believe, but the filmmakers have been doing intense pre-production for over a year now, and some of the pre-visualization (videos, artwork, and computer generated models) is mind-blowing. These machines are going to be realistic and terrifying and surprising – I can’t wait to see the finished product!

ON: Out of the Osage characters, which one is your favorite and why?

DW: Lonnie Wayne Blanton is my favorite Osage character, although Cherrah is a close second. Lonnie Wayne is an older guy who is very straightforward and doesn’t mess around – basically, a cowboy. He’s old-fashioned, but also willing to adapt in order to survive, and that means keeping society functioning smoothly as well as fighting the machines. I love the contrast that Lonnie brings between high-tech and low-tech; urban and rural; and cowboys and robots. For example, Lonnie ends up tracking quadruped walking robots through the same woods where he might have gone deer hunting the season before.

ON: Is there anything you would like to add for our Osage readers?

DW: I just want to thank everyone for reading the book, and to apologize for anything that I got wrong! Also, I should mention that Robopocalypse is the second book I had published this year. My other book, called A Boy and His Bot, was released in January and has a Native American boy as the protagonist. It’s a terrific middle reader novel for kids 9 to 12 and I’m really proud of it.

ON: If asked, would you accept an invitation to visit our tribal campus or our In-Lon-Schka dances held in June every year?

DW: Absolutely! And if there is a sequel to Robopocalypse, you can bet that I’ll be out there doing my research. You’ll have to chase me away.

Thanks so much for the interview! You can follow me on twitter @danielwilsonpdx. And my latest news is at www.danielhwilson.com

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