Cover for The Collapsing Empire, My New Book, Out on March 21, 2017

Posted on May 24, 2016    Posted by      68 Comments

All the details are over on Tor.com, right now.

“But Scaaaaaaalzzzi, clicking through is sooooooooo much woooooooooork!”

Oh, fine. Here.

Cover artist? Sparth, aka Nicolas Bouvier, whose work will be familiar to you if you, you know, play video games at all.

But seriously, go over to that Tor.com link for more details.

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68 Comments on “Cover for The Collapsing Empire, My New Book, Out on March 21, 2017”

  1. Answering questions I’ve seen about the book, which I will update as we go along:

    1. It’s a new universe, not in any universe I’ve previously written.

    2. No, it’s not intended as a metaphor or analogy for the current situation in the US/World; I thought up the title and the idea years ago.

    3. It’s not finished yet, but will be (knock wood) within the next couple of months.

    4. It’s meant to be the first book in a possible series, but I will, as is my usual practice, write it to be enjoyed as a stand alone.

    5. This is important: The marketing copy I gave to Tor for the book (and which you see at the link) is preliminary and while the basic concept is correct, some details may change a bit. See number 3.

    6. Yes, there will be an audiobook version. No, I don’t know who is narrating it yet.

    7. As far as I know (but don’t hold me to it), it should be available worldwide in English on release day BUT I cannot be blamed if your country is shunned by books distributors for reasons surpassing understanding. Yes, Australia, I’m looking at you.

    8. No, I won’t give you a sneak peek. It’s possible, though, that I might read something from it at upcoming events. Possible. Not guaranteed.

    9. Yes, this is the first book in the contract of mine with Tor. Only 12 more to go after this one!

    10. Yes, it’s very likely I will tour/do appearances/etc with this book, but obviously there are no details on that yet.

  3. I have to admit that I was hoping to see more of John Harris’ work on your book covers.

  4. So…does any of your writing teach me how to time travel to March now? ’cause this sounds really really good!

  5. Congratulations! Is this the new space opera series not connected to OMW that you mentioned when you announced your contract? Excited to check it out either way.

  6. Glad I clicked through – the synopsis sounds marvelous, and the “unobstructed” art is gorgeous. The Flow! An Empress! Can’t wait.

  8. What, no pre-order link?!? Well, I guess we can just blame Amazon for not being on the ball here…

  10. Let me pause a moment to just step outside my quiet & professional work environment. (closes door) Whoo-hoo! (jumps around like crazy) Wow! Something cool and new to read! (opens door and goes back in.) Checking iBooks, it’s not posted there yet. So, scheduling it on my calendar to check hourly till it *is* posted.

  12. 2017? But, I want to read it now!
    (Crazy Eddie/Alderson points?)
    Will the audio book be released at the same time?
    (My iPod is already autographed).

  15. [Deleted because not on topic. Also, folks, you really overestimate the amount I care or think about the Puppy dudes – JS]

  17. what an awesome way to start my Tuesday! Can we wannabe writers steal…I mean borrow your concept of The Flow to solve hyperspace travel in our yet to be written novels?

  19. Really excited!

    This sounds like a more serious/dramatic tone than some of your other space opera books. Will it still include your hilarious banter and dialog?

    Not that a change in style is a bad thing. I just think you are really, really good at dialog.

  27. Wow just wow. I think I just read my best news of the week. Potentially I don’t get out too much. But wow I am ecstatic! Someday I really hope to het a signed copy of anything TM Scalzi. Sigh

  30. Oh geez. On the one hand I normally reject anything with characters called ‘Empress’ or some such. On the other hand I’ve enjoyed the hell out of everything so far, and The Flow is a genuinely new and interesting premise. I thought I was going to hate stories about people with green skin but loved it, so there’s that.

    What to do, what to do…

  31. I’m really (really) looking forward to reading this book! And if this any indication of what’s to come with your Tor partnership, a Scalzi book will have a guaranteed place in TBR stack for quite some time. Congratulations, John, and thanks for the good reads past, present and future.

  32. A hands on empress, space opera, and a science solution to travel. Very cool. Found it on Amazon. I have to ask: does it have a diverse cast? Will PoC exist and have any major parts in earths future in The Collapsing Empire?

  33. Wil Wheaton for the audio!

    I know you may not have control, but pressure from somewhere made them rerecord Ghost Story with James Marsters. No disrespect to Mr. Glover’s initial performance, but JM is the voice of Dresden. Same here.

  34. For some reason, Amazon only has the Kindle version available for pre-order. When they have the hardcover available, I’ll pre-order it. :-)

  38. You certainly know how to make a guy happy on a long Tuesday. Very much looking forward to this John.

  39. Looks like the cover artist graduated from the JJ Abrams school of orbital mechanics ;)

    Sounds an interesting premise, and deliberately avoids the “one planet makes one thing” trap by building it into the background.

  40. DOOOOD!…..I can’t wait!! No……REALLY!….. I CAN’T WAIT!!!!! (Think about it, John. What will those poor, deprived, put-upon Puppies bitch about until March 21, 2017? You haven’t given them any juicy SJW plotline details that they can claim are portents of The End Of Civilization As We Know It (TEOCAWKI), or are subliminal messages that will take over our minds and make us vote for Hillary or Bernie (Personally, I’m voting for Joe Walsh again, so…whatever)).

  42. Woo Hoo!! Something to look forward to in the waning days of winter!!

  43. Awesome! The Flow sounds a little bit like the wormholes in Toby Buckell’s Xenowealth series or the jump gates in Mark Van Name’s Jon and Lobo series. (‘Guess that means I’m a geek for these stories. :-) Can’t wait to see what you do with this concept, John!

  44. I like the premise, the characters, and that cover art is the bestest I’ve seen on your books in ages. TYPE FASTER, WRITER MONKEY.

  45. New Scalzi novel:

    [much glad rejoicing!]

    … 10 months from now:

    [… big sad eyes]

  46. The words are still being written but the artwork has already been selected.
    In Eric Flint’s 1632 series, the Grantville Gazette books have the cover art done, then Eric has to write his story to “match” the artwork.
    John, maybe you should try that as a writing challenge. Although it would be a total cheat to pick an artwork that was so generic in nature you could write anything.
    On the bright side, now that I’ve caught up with your writings (except for finding the Sagan Diary) this one may have to be bought as a hardcover.

  51. KiwiSteve:

    It’s not actually that much of a challenge, and I’ve already done it, for The Ghost Brigades, whose cover was done while I was still writing. It’s why there was a planet with a ring system and a space station in it.

  57. Is it standard for the art to be done so far in advance of the final manuscript?

  59. And to think, I was contemplating suicide but now I have a reason to go on a little longer

  60. Will Subterranean Press be able to offer a special Collector’s edition as they have with many of your other books, or does the Tor contract prohibit that?

  61. Premise amazing, artwork stunning, the wait agonizing. However, Tor calls this an interstellar epic on the cover so does that mean it will be a BIG book? Bigger than usual, bigger than TEOAT? Epic means bigger, right, right!?? We wants many pages we does…..

  65. The description of the flow prompts me to ask a question that I honestly don’t intend to be hostile or confrontational, but do you ever feel bad or guilty about all the laws of physics that you break in your stories? I remember a comment from Gary Larson that he always felt guilty about showing humans and dinosaurs in the same comic. Didn’t stop him, of course.

    I’ve always wondered if hard sci-fi writers stick to that because they’re afraid their old science teachers are gonna whack ’em in the head with a ruler. Or the ghost of Albert Einstein will pop up one day and open up a can of whoop-ass. Which I would pay to see, for the record.

  66. It comes out on my 50th birthday!
    The true gift will be to have the time to read it Harry Potter style.
    As one gets older the gifts one wants are not able to be purchased.

  67. Just curious, as I’ve recently started my own little library of signed books, but any chance of a signed edition being sold online? While I’d love to come to a signing, I live abroad and can’t do it.

    Regardless, can’t wait for the book.

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