So, here’s the Very Important News about my 2016 novel release:
Currently, there isn’t one. Not a new one, anyway.
Which isn’t to say I’m not writing a novel in 2016. In fact, I’m writing two(!). Merely that Tor has decided to wait until 2017 to release the next new one.
Why the wait? Among other things, because Tor just dropped a ton of money on me so we want to make sure we debut this next novel, the first in the new contract, just right. I’m on board with this plan — note the “we” in that last sentence — since (again, among other things) I actually want to try to earn out the silly large chunks of money Tor has dropped on me. I also don’t mind the extra time it gives me to write/tweak the novels I’m currently working on.
Note that 2016 isn’t the first year without a new Scalzi novel: 2009 and 2010 were likewise new novel-free. And then came the nice run of Fuzzy Nation, Redshirts, Human Division, Lock In and The End of All Things. We did all right after the last pause, is what I’m saying. I think we’ll be okay with this one too.
(For those curious about the novels I’m currently working on: One is a YA, and the other is a space opera, planned to be the first in a new series, the latter being the one that will likely be the 2017 release. For more details on these, you’re just going to have to wait. I know, I know, waiting sucks. I’ll make it worth it, promise.)
Does this mean that there will be no fiction work from me in 2016? Not at all. Here’s what you’ll definitely see on tap for 2016 (i.e., done and awaiting publication):
* The paperback release of The End of All Things, currently scheduled for May 31st.
* The novella “The Dispatcher,” which will debut first as an audiobook through Audible, and then later in printed/eBook form through Subterranean Press. This is my first foray into contemporary fantasy, and I think you guys are going to enjoy the hell out of it. No solid release date yet but almost certainly in 2016.
* A short story called “On the Wall” which I co-wrote with my pal Dave Klecha, which is part of the Black Tide Rising anthology, co-edited by John Ringo, for Baen. Yes, that John Ringo and that Baen. Pick your jaws up off the floor, people. I’ve made no bones about liking Baen as a publisher, and I’ve noted for a while that John Ringo and I get on pretty well despite our various differences and occasional snark. Also, it was a ton of fun to write in his universe and with Dave. The BTR anthology comes out June 7th.
There’s also a strong likelihood I will have something else released from Subterranean Press in 2016. More details on that when everything’s hammered out. Plus! I may have a short story or two out in ’16, pending scheduling. Again, more information on that later if something positive happens in that direction.
All of which is to say that you won’t lack for fiction from me in 2016. It’ll be there.
Would you ever consider writing a short story for one of Weber’s Honorverse anthologies? I’d enjoy reading your take on that SF universe.
I heard you read from “The Dispatcher” on your tour, and am excited to get to hear the rest of it! It’s a really neat concept. I’m having to cut back on my book-buying budget a bit due to med bills but my brother was awesome and gave me an Audible subscription for Christmas, so hooray! Heck, if the release date timing works, I may give him a copy for his birthday ^^
For those who didn’t see our illustrious host on his last tour, he read from “The Dispatcher.” IMO it offered everything we like about his writing. So much so, in fact, that I’ve been wondering ever since just when it would be released.
Kufat:
In general I don’t write for anthologies, so it’s unlikely. I wrote for this one specifically to see what co-writing would be like, and because given the (incorrectly) oft-assumed bad blood between me and Baen in general, I thought it would be useful to bury that particular assumption (and also because John Ringo invited me, which I thought was a gracious gesture).
My reaction is the same as the title of this blog.
Oh, I’ll buy and read the new novels when they’re released, but I’m not exactly counting the days. I hope you mostly stick to SF but if the YA gets decent reviews and sounds good, I’ll read that too. Fantasy, I’ll probably skip.
Thanks for reminding me about Lock In. I’ve been meaning to pick it up for a while now. Got lots of Amazon GCs for Christmas, so now it’s in my Kindle to-read pile.
:-)
Have to admit that I am selfishly disappointed. Thought a “Lock In” sequel would be out in ’16. But when I went to pre-order on Christmas Day and couldn’t find it, I suspected that it wouldn’t be. Well, something to look forward to in ’17 maybe?
Can we help out by camping on your lawn? We can even pitch in for a porta-potty. Consider the advantages: “encouragement”, first readers, cheering squad,… Well?????
We will even be enthusiastic about the musical interludes on your new axe!
When the will book about uses for a goat see the light of day?
Imagine Luke Sykwalker’s face, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I was really hoping for a sequel to Locked in, or maybe a sequel to Redshirts this year. Hoping your TV shows come out this year?!?
We read the paperback of “the end of all things” a while ago. We got it through Amazon from England. It’s a large format paperback, which we like since our eyesight is not so good with tiny print.
Why do they release hardcover first and then wait a long time to release the paperback? Since we mostly read in bed, the paperback is easier for us.
Assumed no books in 2016 cuz you were too busy taking cat pictures. Good to learn otherwise. As usual, you write it and I’ll read it–you never disappoint.
Any plans for fantasy novel? I’m pretty interested in seeing what you would do in that genre. I really enjoyed ‘the God engines’ and plan on checking out ‘the dispatcher’ too. But a full length Scalzi fantasy novel might be the excuse I need to go back to the genre.
Oh, John Sclazi, nooooo! :)
Actually, it sounds like a fun story all round, with Mr. Ringo’s invitation and the co-writer aspect. I’m not sure why people would think you have an issue with Baen, they publish books, you write books, seems like a good match, so what’s the issue (apart from fairly terrible cover art, but even with that, it gives them an identity and you can spot their books from 10 paces)?
I guess I’ll have to wait impatiently for new novels, but the Dispatchers sounds intriguing.
Really looking forward to The Dispatcher. The hint you gave us at your read at The Last Bookstore in L.A. was pretty tempting.
I quite enjoy all your audiobooks (just finished listening to The Ghost Brigades the other day). Do you have a narrator picked for this 2016 audiobook? I’m excited to listen!
I, for one, am GLAD you have no books coming out this year! (Because I’m behind on your existing catalog. Gives me time to catch up. I look most forward to your space opera!)
S. J. Pajonas:
I don’t pick out the narrator, Audible does (although Audible has been very good about listening to my suggestions). Audible is still in the process of picking a narrator. I can’t say anything about that, except to say that I know of at least one person they are considering, and if that person says yes, it will be pretty damn cool.
Heh. Amusingly enough, I just finished reading your “10 Things to Remember About Authors” post and the comments following it (got there as I so often do, by following a link in a different post of yours), so even if I were the sort to berate you for not releasing a novel in 2016, I’d know better. As it is, you shared a lot more about the reasons for no 2016 novel than we have any right to expect, along with giving us other reasons to eagerly anticipate what the year will bring instead.
Purely, totally selfishly, I am very much looking forward to reading more about the Lock In characters and universe. But you know, if that takes a few more years to hit the market, well, that just means I’ll have to explore some other writers in the meantime. Wow – what a hardship, eh? Funny thing is, there’s this blog I read where the host regularly posts these “Big Idea” pieces by other writers, and I’ve got a TBR list a mile long from those (currently reading Saturn Run, as it happens).
So enjoy your 2016, sir, and thank you for giving us a glimpse of what we can anticipate in the months to come. May you enjoy health and happiness in ample measure to facilitate the creative process.
I hope this leisurely schedule gives you plenty of time to post regular pet pictures.
(We have fish. I’m pondering blogging about Scamperfins.)
I am of the firm opinion that novels – and other creative endeavors – should take as long as they take, period. Hell, I am still waiting for GRRM’s Winds of Winter, not to mention David Gerrold’s next Chtorr novel – I think I can be patient and wait until 2017 for your next offering. It sounds like the delay on your next novel is more business scheduling and marketing as opposed to writing, which of course is understandable, but my point still holds, I think :-).
The Dispatcher sounds very intriguing. Especially as I am in fact a police dispatcher and happen to love urban fantasy. Is it too much to hope that it is that kind of dispatcher and not in fact a person who dispatches(kills) people?
Darn. This makes me regret plunging through “The End of All Things” in just three days.
Looking forward to all the upcoming works, but really glad to hear “The Dispatcher” will be out in 2016 after hearing you read the snippet at WorldCon.
No new novel doesn’t bother me as much as the fact that, with no new novel for you to tour on, I’m going to miss my annual autumn “drive down the mountain to Raleigh, NC for Scalzi + used bookstore crawl + great restaurant ME day.” Darn you. :)
Given how business-like you are about writing and delivering, we can at least be sure of 2017 :). In the meantime, what is happening with ‘The High Castle’ please? is that permanently on hold? And might some of your other books be made more available? – eg, getting ‘Hate Mail’ into e-form for the UK Kindle?
2016 is shaping up to be a terrible year for new books. You’re the third author I read who has announced that they won’t be releasing any new novels until 2017. I’m going to spend the entire year going through my shelves for old stuff I haven’t read in a while to fill in the time. Life is hard, is it not?
Scott:
This will be an excellent time to take a chance on some new authors!
New space opera? Count me in! Going to try and make a serious dent in my reading list in 2016 to prepare.
This is just bad planning, John. Obviously you should’ve had yourself cloned years ago. How else are you supposed to satisfy the hordes of Scalziheads who thirst for at least four or five longform works per year? At least create an OldManScalzi, a SpaceOperaScalzi and an SJWScalzi to take the pressure off Scalzi Prime.
Scamperfins! Love it. I think I shall post pictures of my Scamperfowl (e.g. chickens)
“I wrote for this one specifically to see what co-writing would be like, and because given the (incorrectly) oft-assumed bad blood between me and Baen in general, I thought it would be useful to bury that particular assumption (and also because John Ringo invited me, which I thought was a gracious gesture).”
Darn. I so wanted to call you “Darth Scalzi”. Oh, well…
I suspect this is all predicated on you spending more quality time with the scamperbeasts™.
I’m going to echo Not the Reddit Chris S’s “Oh John Scalzi, Nooooooooo”, but without the smiley.
I doubt anyone who reads Whatever is actually surprised that you’d publish something with Baen, but I’m really baffled by what you saw in Ringo’s Black Tide books to invite your attention. I enjoyed a lot of Ringo’s earlier books so I gave these a shot. I waded through the first one and a half and found they were some of the more misogynistic and dumbly jingoistic things I’d run across outside of a Redit thread. The jingoistic “America, Fuck Yeah” bits often didn’t even make sense within the context of the story.
I sort of view them as a reverse World War Z. Max Brooks created a zombie apocalypse where he wasn’t worried about the mechanics of of the origin, but rather an interesting examination of the fallout. Ringo created a zombie apocalypse with a carefully thought out and detailed origin story, and then proceeds to ignore the entire setup to write about how sexually desirable teenage gunbunnies are.
So I’m morbidly curious what attracted you to this anthology over other opportunities.
Ryan H:
Because I felt like it.
Fair enough! I mean, that’s the only reason needed to justify any creative output.
I’m not sure how to write this. I don’t want to imply that you need anyone’s permission (let alone mine) to write anything. Or that you have any obligation to defend what you write to random posters on the internet. I’m just really baffled by this particular choice, and this seemed like the place to express that bafflement.
I’m just glad I’m not the only one who got tired real fast of “adult men find buxom teenage girls hot.” It’s not exactly a shocking revelation.
I read the whole series and overall liked it fine, but I kind of envy you not having finished it. The ending was rushed and ignored some important plot threads, and also threw in the dumbest idea of the entire series at the last minute. I mean, you think Emma Watson manning a gatling gun on a helicopter was dumb? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
That said, I’m looking forward to the anthology. It’s an interesting world, despite being Yet Another (Not Really)-Zombie Setting, and I’m curious to see what other authors do with it.
OK, I’m a little intrigued. As a lay person in the world of authoring, publishing, and their associated contracts: Is there a difference between “to earn” and “to earn out”?
PS — Oxford comma intentional.
Can’t say I’m surprised your writing a story in an anthology co-edited by John Ringo. I’ve almost been expecting something like this for a while given the number of times you’ve mentioned Baen and Ringo. Sounds like an interesting read.
Thanks for the publishing schedule update. Good to know what to expect. As always you’ve got the business part of your writing firmly in place. Congrats on having new experiments and experiences. Good for the brain and I’ll bet it helps keep the creative juices flowing.
Dear Sir Scalzi, would you ever consider writing The Beginning Of All Things? Say about how the CU came to be and how things with Earth got so screwed up? I enjoy those parts of the universe that happen on Earth (as well as your way of writing about Earth in the Android’s Dream). The characters like Albert Birnbaum, the ‘yapping in the brush’ dude, and Dirk Moeller, the ‘medium rare’ junkie and a real fart, well these sidekicks amuse me immensely. I’m dieing to know the early history and the first encounters of the third kind, and yes, the politics! You are so good at making up political conflicts that actually rival the real politics these days (which should be counted as an accomplishment!). Anyway, good luck on your quest to perfection in 2016!
Talitha Kum:
At this point, no plans for OMW prequels.
Peter M, et al:
I can’t speak to the rest of the contributions, but as for my and Dave’s, neither teenage girls nor their potential hotness is a matter under consideration.
Re no prequel, Definitely a bummer.
I can’t speak to the rest of the contributions, but as for my and Dave’s, neither teenage girls nor their potential hotness is a matter under consideration.
I’m sold, then. Not that I wasn’t already.
I’ll also second the interest in an OMW prequel, on the off chance you ever find yourself thinking about it but decide, “I can’t do it for only one sale. If only a second person had expressed interest!”
I understand that one of my constant detractors is asserting that the reason the first book of my new contract comes out in 2017 and not 2016 is because I turned in a manuscript and it was terrible and now Tor is trying to salvage things. This is the same person, if memory serves, who asserted that Lock In was a failure and Tor was planning to dump me, shortly before Tor, in fact, handed me a multi-million dollar contract, which included a sequel to Lock In.
Now, as then, his head is up his ass and he’s speaking on things he knows nothing about. I haven’t turned in a manuscript; there’s no manuscript to turn in. They (remember I’m working on two) haven’t been written yet. To be clear, the only thing I’ve turned in to Tor since submitting my manuscript for The End of All Things is my contract for the next set of books. That was accepted without any additional revision, I would note.
For the avoidance of doubt, you should assume that any speculation about me or my career coming from that quarter is based on equal parts of ignorance, craven maliciousness, and pathetic longing for my attention, and almost certainly false. Anything said by that person about me is likely to be incorrect, down to and including indefinite articles.