Monday 23 July 2012

A Clarification....

A question I keep getting asked is how many Peter Grant books are there going to be and whether it is a trilogy, a quadrology or whatever. For clarity I'm going to answer this in two ways...

1) The Peter Grant books should be thought of as an ongoing series of detective novels in the manner of Ian Rankin, P.D. James or Ed McBain's 87th Precinct. There are some elements and story lines that carry over and develop from book to book but it is not a trilogy in the fat fantasy series sense.

2) Currently I am working on book 4 which should be completed before Christmas and published, probably, in the spring. So far Gollancz (Orion) have commissioned me to further write 5 and 6.

Assuming that people continue to buy the books I plan to keep writing them until I run out of ideas or I can afford a yacht(1). I plan to write some non Peter Grant books at some point but I'm having far to much fun with the Folly at the moment to quit.

(1) And I'm not talking about some dinky dinghy with sails I'm talking about a fuck-off oligarch, James Bond villain yacht here.

34 comments:

Rebecca said...

I love your books, so I hope you continue writing them even after you can afford the yacht. Since boats are notoriously expensive to keep, it might not be a bad idea. Also, you will probably want to do at least a little something sometimes when on your yacht, and being out in the middle of bodies of water drastically reduces your options. But what a fabulous work environment that would be!

So, I really hope you get your yacht...but still continue to write. Very much looking forward to 4, 5 and 6.

Unknown said...

Yay! Finding out that there's going to be more Peter Grant books has completely made up for today being Monday.

Unknown said...

Excellent news as I'm having a lot of fun reading them. Good luck on the yacht front!

Evil Edna said...

excellent, look forward to filling a bookcase.EE

Anonymous said...

And I for one intend to keep buying them until you can afford a yacht!

Pilgrim Jake said...

I wont pay for a yacht .... But may be the jib sheet.

carol said...

Awesome on focusing on it as a detective series, and glad to hear you are having fun writing, as I am having fun reading. I fully support the super-villain yacht(s) idea, but maybe you should aim higher--perhaps an island with a secret lair?

Some readers I know in the book world get caught up in the idea of 'series completion' and if a storyline is an arc through a particular number of books, they won't read until the next one is out/series is done. Call it 'Jordanphobia,' if you will.

olracUK said...

whilst it would be very greedy even needy to expect a book a year (hear that GRR Martin) I'm enjoying Peters adventures. But I'd also love to hear Abigail's stories. Or historic WW2 ones.

So I hope my pennies help towards that helicopter carrying boat. But I'd love a lift if your heading to the med.

Anonymous said...

So happy to hear there will be more time to spend with Peter, Nightingale, Lesley, and the rest of the gang.

Janet said...

Best. News. Ever*.





*Well, nearly ever! I'm so pleased!!

Unknown said...

am loving the books and as long as you continue to write them i will buy them

Leslie said...

Four more days. The waiting is killing me.

olracUK said...

So the TV producer in me is saying stand alone episodes with a satisfying pot closure but hint at longer story arc to keep punters next week. just in case this weeks story wasn't so hot.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ben,
Will your Rivers of London short stories "The Home Crowd Advantage" and "The Domestic" ever be collected? I have been getting the Kindle version of your stories, I'm trying to collect that way what with limited space, but that means I miss out on such exclusives.

Ben Aaronovitch said...

The short stories will be collected, anthologised and added to as spots become available.

Cheryl said...

Ha!! Love the yacht comment. I also love this series and am very glad to hear there'll be at least a couple more books.

Rachel Green said...

You write them, I'll buy them. Brilliant.

Harlequin said...

Thank Goddess for that. A friend read the WU hardback whilst staying here (she's an absurdly fast reader) while I was still on the first couple of chapters of my Kindle copy. Although she frequently emitted squees and loved all three books she didn't think that WU properly rounded off the trilogy.

Unknown said...

Good to know there's more in the pipeline but can't possibly wait until the spring - pull your finger out and write faster ;-)

Glad to hear that you're enjoying writing them because I'm certainly enjoying reading them.

Good stuff, many thanks.

Andi said...

Just finished WU and now on tenterhooks until the next book is published. I must also say, while reading especially this latest instalment, I couldn't help wondering if there are already any plans to turn the series into films or at least TV movies. All the stories and characters seem like they would translate very well to the screen. I'd watch! :-)
Thanks so much for writing and all my best wishes for the future from Berlin, Germany.

MattWPBS said...

Just read all three in two weeks, outstanding work. Only disappointment is that I've got to wait for more to be written! Hopefully these will keep coming like Brookmyre or Pratchett, write faster Ben!

Celt said...

If i had the money,i would personally buy you a Yacht,to make you keep writing these fabulous books :-)

John New said...

Glad to know more books coming. Loved the first 3

John New said...

As my hard back copies don't have the two bonus short stories is there a way to buy just those, perhaps via e-books or Kindle?

I saw your earlier reply but it didn't give a suggestion on where to get them from.

Amanda said...

Are there plans to offer the Peter Grant books in an audio format?

Ben Aaronovitch said...

Hi Amanda

The situation is that there is a UK Audio of all three books available and that Del Rey is planning either their own version or to acquire the existing British version for release in North America.

DTV have released one in German if that's any help?

olracUK said...

Just back from a Greek holiday and say Oligarch envy in practice. €3m yacht parked by smugglers bay when along comes €6m Sun Seeker with 2 jet skies.

Better keep writing I say.

Colin Yarwood said...

Found Book 1 on a bookshelf in Crete in May...loved it - other half could not get what I was raving about.... bought book 2 on return home and 3 the instant it was available - finished it in a spookyish village in Haute Marne... now the other half is hooked too! Unique in our house! Yes, keep writing them, the mix of humour, classics, urban myth and not so simple humanity is briliant... Not supportive of the yacht idea, sorry but there will then be too many distractions not conducive to books 66...92 but, if you have to have, one so be it!

Unknown said...

I'm sorry but you need to write faster!!!

Alexis said...

I have all three in audio which is great. Listening isnt the same experience as reading so I can do other stuff whilst I listen. What is also great is that I miss stuff so listening again is like the first time only better! Am currently listening again from the beginning. Thanks Ben

Ian Monroe said...

Finishing up the third book now. They're just fun to read and populated with characters I like.

Charles Stross suggested the series on his blog when I was wondering what to read while waiting for the next Laundry book. In a way the books can't be more different, they mainly intersect in the 'magic is run like a boring civil service' dept.

I was assuming it was going to be an on-going series, so it's good to see that that's the case. The last never-ending series I read was "The Cat Who..." books when I was in grade school. :) Nice to start a new one.

Unknown said...

Just finished book 3 while on hols, disappointed that I couldnt already buy number 4! Looking forward to its release, and now 5 and 6! :)

Unknown said...

I've read all 3 books and have really enjoyed how they've developed. It's fascinating to see how national/geographic differences can influence the book covers, for me, the books are poorly represented to an American audience, their covers don't capture the essence of the books at all in my opinion.

Unknown said...

oh geez, I have just finished book three - what am I going to do with myself until spring?! :D