Nextbrick Interview: Allan Bedford, Author of The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide
Nextbrick had the pleasure to correspond with Allan Bedford, author of The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide, currently available from No Starch Press (and Amazon, of course).
We purchased a copy sight unseen a few weeks ago and were very impressed, so thought it especially serendipitous when we got the opportunity to speak to Mr. Bedford. If you'd like to get an idea of what The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide has inside, there's a nice introduction with samples on Mr. Bedford's blog.
Now, the interview!
Nextbrick: What inspired you to write a book about how to build Lego? Doesn't that imply there's a 'right way' to build?
Allan: My inspiration for the book came partially from the fact that there wasn't one out there already. Let me back up a bit. When I get interested in any new hobby or pastime I usually look for the equivalent of a 'Dummies' style book to get me started. I like getting a good grounding in the lingo, the background and the conventions of anything that interests me. In the case of LEGO building there really wasn't a book on the market that filled this need. So I wrote one. :)
Lots more from Mr. Bedford after the jump.
Allan continues... My interest in writing goes back many years. I've written several feature length screenplays (none produced) and also a wide variety of non-fiction material, from computer software instructions to how to make homemade fishing lures. My interest in LEGO building goes back much further and is, as it is for many people, one of my fondest childhood memories. I started with my first LEGO set back around 1975. So in my mid-30s I realized two things. First, as noted above, there wasn't a LEGO-related book out there like what I wanted to read. Second, I was in a position with both my writing and LEGO background to create such a book. And thus was born "The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide".
In terms of is there a 'right way' to build LEGO the answer (at least in my mind) is 'yes' and 'no'. There a few things that are universal... such as overlapping bricks to make stronger walls, or learning how to think in three dimensions to create something like a LEGO sphere. Those things are in the book. They will give people that 'grounding' that I spoke of earlier. But then there are also the interpretive aspect of writing about a subject like this. Interestingly, the original title for the book was "The LEGO Builder's Reference Guide". And it was going to be just that; a textbook-like approach to the subject that would have tried to capture the 'right way' to build things. As I developed the structure and content of the book that framework loosened up a bit. The title changed and so did the 'right way' mentality.
What I ended up writing was more of a 'field guide' to the LEGO system. It became much more about my own feelings and ways of looking at LEGO building than it was about trying to be the one and only definitive text on the subject. In fact, I look forward to other future books about LEGO building. I personally feel this hobby is under represented in terms of the amount of writing that's been done about it. We just now have a quarterly magazine (www.brickjournal.com) whereas other hobbies have dozens and dozens of books and numerous monthly magazines. I think the hobby still has a great deal to be explored and written about. So ULBG is certainly not the one right way to think about the hobby. It's simply one way but hopefully it's a way that some people will find interesting and useful.
Nextbrick: Have you gotten much feedback after the book's release from other builders about new techniques you hadn't considered before?
Allan:I've had great feedback since the book was released but not really a lot from experienced LEGO builders. In fact, most of it has been from parents (and grandparents) writing to either ask a question or to thank me for presenting the information that's contained in ULBG. I've even had two different emails from two different female builders, each in their 50s. I distinctly remember one of the emails as she was utterly thrilled that she finally understood how to build a roof without using any sloped roof bricks!
The reader emails have been genuinely rewarding to me. It seems the book has found the audience I imagined it was meant for. It seems to really be connecting with parents and kids who spend time together building LEGO models. And if that ain't a good thing then I don't know what is. :)
That said, I have had a few emails from adult LEGO builders and it's been almost entirely positive. I haven't had any negative comments to speak of.
Nextbrick: Do you think there's a stigma attached to [being one of the] adult fans of Lego?
Allan: No, not at all. If anything, I think there's a 'cool' factor. When I tell people that I'm an adult LEGO builder their eyes light up and a smile is presented right away. So many people of a very wide range of ages have good LEGO memories that I think they are even a bit envious sometimes that we (the enthusiasts of this hobby) get to build with huge quantities of bricks... much more so than were available to us as kids. Afterall, the difference between playing with something like LEGO as a kid and building seriously with it as an adult is that the adult usually has a bigger allowance to spend on their hobby. :)
Thanks again to Mr. Bedford. We encourage you all to pick up a copy of his book from Amazon. We're almost certain you'll find it useful, no matter what your level of Lego expertise.