The Collapsing Empire: Done!

Posted on October 5, 2016    Posted by      84 Comments

Finished literally ten minutes ago. So there’s that one more done.

I’ll have more to say about it sometime soon, but I wrote 7,500 words in the last 24 hours and my brain is scrambled and I still have to get ready for NYCC, to which I am traveling tomorrow. But I will say this now:

  1. It’s good!
  2. It has one of my favorite characters I’ve ever written, named Kiva Lagos. She swears a lot.
  3. It’s got explosions and assassinations and political intrigue and really big spaceships and even a little bit of sex because I thought that would be fun. Basically it brings the “opera” to space opera.
  4. Even though my brain is currently the consistency of fried ricotta, I’m already thinking about book two in the series, which I think I will call — are you ready, this is an exclusive! — The Last Emperox.
  5. (Yes, “emperox.” I can make up words. I’m a science fiction author, damn it.)

I think you’re gonna like this one. I certainly enjoyed writing it.

More about it when I’ve stuffed my brain back into my head.

Until then: Yay! I guess I can still write novels!

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84 Comments on “The Collapsing Empire: Done!”

  3. I really hope its’s good, I have it preordered since I knew it was in progress. :D

    Will you refund us if it turns out to be “No Mans Sky” ? lol

    Grats Mr. Scalzi, looking forward to read it.

  10. I’m curious about how you write (you may have answered this elsewhere): you say that you wrote many thousands of words since yesterday, and now the book is “done”. Now, obviously there will be proofreading and polishing – but do you find that your first finished drafts are extremely close to the final version? I can’t think of anything I’d write where I’d really consider my first finished draft to be anything closely related to “done”, but of course different people write differently, and I don’t write fiction nor anything remotely similar to novel-length, which may be important considerations. And “done” is a fluid concept.

    Just intrigued, in any case. Looking forward to the book.

  12. Warren Terra:

    I’ve never written multiple drafts. I edit as I go along. When I’m done, I usually send it off very shortly thereafter.

    Marc Sobel:

    You may already pre-order.

  13. Is it common to have cover art ready to go like that before a manuscript is complete or are you just really behind on finishing this book?

  15. I was getting Scalzi withdrawal! I’m so glad this is done, go enjoy some well deserved time to yourself!

  19. So is Kiva Lagos the same character who did all the swearing in the prologue you read at WorldCon? (My memory for names is like fried ricotta ALL THE TIME.)

  20. Looking forward to it! I’m one of those weirdos that only buys mass market paperbacks, so it’ll be a bit I’m sure before I pick it up. Any idea when Tor has that slated?

  25. Well done!
    For us mere mortals who aren’t your family/proof readers/editors/agents/publishers/random person at printers, we’ve got 167 days to go until the 21st March (soooo long).

  26. Forget debates, elections, beauty contests, pie eating contests (I know you love pie!) and ‘The Internet,’ you WIN today!

  27. German Amazon already has the paperback listed for March 23 2017. With a spiffy greenish cover. Is that correct?

  30. Big congratulations John. As much as I enjoy your writing here, and I do, I absolutely love your fiction. Will be looking forward to waking up to this book on my reader on March 21st.

  36. Looking forward to the book, but I’m not sure I can sign off on “Emperox.” Unless, is there bovine DNA in play somehow? Or is it a crossover with The Far Side? Then we’re cool.

  39. I am really looking forward to this, whenever it actually comes out. I have no idea about the lag time of a novel like this, but I suspect at least a year to eighteen months. Anyway, bravo John; you are one of my three favorite SF authors, and I eagerly devour whatever you send our way. I only wish there were a few more like you. I am forced to read crime fiction and thrillers between good SF. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

  46. Hats off in amazement and congratulations.
    Well, in my case a red-white-blue “USA” baseball cap… inside labels shows as Made in Bangladesh.
    .
    I admire you and your work so much!

  47. John, we love you dearly and await your newest work in breathless anticipation, but ’emperox’ sucks. It just does. When you recover from your current state of cottage-cheese-brain I think you’ll agree ;-)

  50. Yet another thing to interest me in March. Already preordered, I look forward to seeing if you do put the ROX in Emperox.

  52. Will preorder now! Sounds like my kind of good reading. Missed your reading at WorldCon in KC this year because they scheduled you against someone else I really wanted to hear; sounds like I shouldn’t have.

  53. Is this going to be a fixed length series with a defined ending or an open ended serial like Old Mans War?

  55. So if you can knock off book two and the haiku real quick you’ll be in the running for the first Hugo for a series.
    (This book already pre-ordered).

  56. If this is the book you read from at WorldCon a couple of months ago, you already had me hooked at that point. And since I generally prefer nonfiction, that’s quite an accomplishment.

    Mazel tov on putting this one to bed, sir. And speaking of bed, I strongly recommend that you curl up with a Scamperbeast or two for about the next 14 hours. The purring will realign your synapses and untangle your nerves so you can dive right on into the next book.

  57. Well done you. I’m not sure I understand objections to ’emperox,’ seeing that there are so many words ending in ‘ox,’ from ox itself to jack-in-the-box, which reference all manner of things such as gold-mining, towns in Virginia, prescription medicines, food & information containers, and disfiguring ailments. Personally I think of Gravox, a powder which makes a quick & tasty gravy when hot water is added to it.

  58. Hey, congratulations! That must feel pretty good. I love that nice “I just made a thing!” feeling… I bet Patrick’s excited to get his hands on it!

  59. Re: Cover art. I like it. Judging by the cover I will read it. :)
    (Also judging by the author.)
    PS: Why do artists insist on showing ancillary craft approaching the mother ship with their rockets powered up, in acceleration mode? One would expect deceleration on approach. Unless the intent is to ram the mother ship.

  60. Basically it brings the “opera” to space opera.

    Arias or GTFO. =) Kidding, of course! I’m looking forward to this!

  63. Hmmm. A kick-ass strong female character who swears a lot…did working with John Ringo rub off on you? I am teasing of course. I know you had Jane Saigan way before your project with the John Ringo; I just couldn’t help but think of Faith with the character description you gave above. No offense to any of your work Scalzi, but Faith is one of my favorite female fictional characters. It has to be a toss up between Faith and Lisbeth Salander from the “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” series.
    I really look forward to reading your latest work. When will it be available?

  66. I’m glad I caught that box of green in the middle of the comments where you talk of your writing process. I had been trying the fast-drafting method the last year (basically, get the writing down fast, regardless of how crappy it is) and fix it in revisions. But it’s always felt unnatural to me. I wrote my first few books like you do, and that was more my style. I should try to go back to that, but just be quicker about it (because NaNoWriMo is coming up and I like participating). Anyway, exciting that another book is done and just in time for you to travel! I missed commenting on the post the other day but I got the Dispatcher audiobook and I’m looking forward to listening to it. Have fun in NY!

  67. Cool! Now you have time to clean the gutters like you’re wife’s been bugging you to do. After all, Winter is Coming.

  71. I was already sold, but the descriptions in the post just set me to slavering zombie fanboy mode.

  73. Gosh, just this morning I responded to a Sub Press email about you and ordered a copy of it! A little serendipity in the morning.

  81. Basically it brings the “opera” to space opera.

    So the plot makes no sense, the characters are utterly unconvincing, and everyone TAKES!……… A!……… VERY!……… LONG! ….. TIME! …… TO! …… DIE..

  84. The Collapsing Empire … to be followed by The Collapsing Writer?? ;) At least you get some time off now, hopefully, and we get something to look forward to :).

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