In news that is good for a number of reasons, Angry Robot Books has announced that award winning author, Wesley Chu, has been offered a rather hefty new six figure deal.
Oh, you want to know why I said ‘a number of reasons’? OK. Well, the first and primary reason is that we here at Fantasy-Faction are BIG Wesley Chu fans. The second reason is somewhat indirect I guess, but it is that this deal seems to suggest that Angry Robot’s new owners aren’t being stingy with the purse strings. A few months ago, just after Strange Chemistry folded, a number of people in the SFF industry were suggesting that Angry Robot Books wouldn’t be far behind the young adult label. Again though, this deal would suggest that the company’s new owners trust the imprint and it’s great for us genre fans, because it means Angry Robot is back on track and doing what they do best: securing authors who are producing fresh, innovative work.
Here’s what top man at Angry Robot, Marc Gascoigne, had to say: “Wesley Chu’s Tao series has been a runaway success for Angry Robot, and we’re delighted that he has re-signed for us for this brand new trilogy of novels. He manages to combine lofty science fiction themes with pure Hollywood pacing, and quite frankly his novels just rock. With Angry Robot recently moving to new owners, Watkins Media Ltd, we’re delighted to have the resources to take Wes’ sales to a whole new level. His world domination is now only a matter of time.”
The deal is for three science-fiction novels and Angry Robot have said it is a record deal for them (perhaps their first six figure deal? They didn’t elaborate). For those who have read and enjoyed Lives of Tao (8/10*) or The Deaths of Tao (9/10*), you will be excited to know that this deal is for a series of books set in the same warring Genjix and Prophus universe; although the publishers have been quick to stress that this will be a standalone series: The Rise of Io. So, if you’ve not read Wesley’s work before you can start here too.
Fans of the Tao books will be quick to point out that the final book in the Tao series isn’t even out yet, but shouldn’t worry because The Rebirths of Tao, is still on schedule for April 2015. This new series, due the second/third quarter of 2016, is actually set 8 years after the events of that book. Here’s a few more details if that doesn’t quite do it for you too:
Ella Patel – thief, con-artist and smuggler – is in the wrong place at the wrong time. One night, on the border of a demilitarized zone run by the body-swapping alien invaders, she happens upon a man and woman being chased by a group of assailants. The man freezes, leaving the woman to fight off five attackers at once, before succumbing. As she dies, to both Ella and the man’s surprise, the sparkling light that rises from the woman enters Ella, instead of the man. She soon realizes she’s been inhabited by Io, a low-ranking Quasing who was involved in some of the worst decisions in history. Now Ella must now help the alien presence to complete her mission and investigate a rash of murders in the border states that maintain the frail peace.
With the Prophus assigned to help her seemingly wanting to stab her in the back, and the enemy Genjix hunting her, Ella must also deal with Io’s annoying inferiority complex. To top it all off, Ella thinks the damn alien voice in her head is trying to get her killed. And if you can’t trust the voices in your head, who can you trust?
On the deal, Wesley Chu has said: “Batteries recharged. OS upgraded. Sharks with frigging lasers fed. It’s time to kick some ass! When I first made my strategic alliance with the metal overlords to take over the world, I didn’t think humanity stood a chance. Now with Watkins Media joining the team, victory is inevitable! Still dibs on New Zealand!”
It’s nice to see Wesley Chu at one with his publisher and it was also great to see other renowned authors, such as Kameron Hurley, being quick to congratulate Wesley and Angry Robot too. We too would like to wish them both the best with this new deal – an awesome team 🙂
Geoff Matthews
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
[…] that although we’re still waiting on the third book in the series, Angry Robot have already signed up Wesley up for a whole new trilogy (and they’ve paid a six figure sum for it too! Nice, […]