Alastair Reynolds secures £1 million contract for his next 10 novels

[Werthead]

SF author Alastair Reynolds has signed a £1 million ($1,634,500-odd) contract to stay with Gollancz for his next ten novels, to be published over the next ten years. This is one of the biggest SF contract deals I've heard of, maybe the biggest since Arthur C. Clarke's staggering deal in 1997 for 3001: The Final Odyssey. Given the state of publishing in general and SF in particular, this deal is a colossal show of faith by Gollancz and its parent company, Orion, in Reynolds' work.

Well-deserved, as Alastair Reynolds is definitely one of the most interesting, innovative and constantly entertaining SF writers out there, and also appropriate as the news comes in the tenth year since his first novel, Revelation Space, was published. His next novel, Terminal World, will be published by Gollancz in October.

 

[Rodders]

That's great news for us Reynolds fans. At least we're guaranteed 10 books.

 

[chopper]

crikey. live in hope, etc.....

 

[ktabic]

Excellent stuff, really enjoyed his books so far. Looking forward to more already

 

[Tillane]

Best news I've heard all day. Just the idea of ten more novels from one of my favourite authors...bliss.

 

[Nada]

Beside it being good news, a small quirky thought that navigated in my head: isn't that cheap?

I mean, Reynolds is a professional writer and sells well, it is not a newbie. 1Million for 10 years is 100,000 a year, which could be slightly less if some delay in the book schedule intervenes (a couple of year delays would result in an 80ish thousands a year).
Given that I am not familiar with typical salaries in UK, 80-100 thousands a year seems like a not-too-big manager salary and a bit cheap for a famous writer.
Or not?

 

[blacknorth]

Nada, surely it's a contractual advance - he'll get his royalities too if the sales warrant it.

My respect for Gollancz has dissipated somewhat.

 

[Ursa major]

Best news I've heard all day. Just the idea of ten more novels from one of my favourite authors...bliss.

Even if a couple of them turn out to be too much like Diamond Dogs for my liking, that would still leave eight that I'd probably really like.

Beside it being good news, a small quirky thought that navigated in my head: isn't that cheap?

I mean, Reynolds is a professional writer and sells well, it is not a newbie. 1Million for 10 years is 100,000 a year, which could be slightly less if some delay in the book schedule intervenes (a couple of year delays would result in an 80ish thousands a year).
Given that I am not familiar with typical salaries in UK, 80-100 thousands a year seems like a not-too-big manager salary and a bit cheap for a famous writer.
Or not?

Setting aside whether this is simply an advance (which, of course, it will be), it is sad to note that this (not-really-guaranteed) sum for someone who is truly creative is on a par with the truly-guaranteed pay of someone whose name I can't recall whose main job is to read an autocue on a BBC channel that few people watch. (But then no-one can claim that we live in a sane world.)

 

[Tillane]

Even if a couple of them turn out to be too much like Diamond Dogs for my liking, that would still leave eight that I'd probably really like.

Agreed. Heartily. And, according to the BBC's article on this, Reynolds reckons he can already see "seven or eight" possibilities for new books, so he should have no problem keeping his end of the contract.

But then no-one can claim that we live in a sane world.

Given that a certain Michael Owen (soon to leave my beloved Toon) has been collecting more than Reynolds' proposed annual salary on a weekly basis - mostly for sitting on either bench or treatment table - I second that statement, Ursa. He's cheap at a twelfth the price.

 

[Rodders]

I'd imagine that this would just be an advance on what projected book sales would be. £100, 000 a year is a bit more than the national average salary and even a successful writer needs to provide for his family. There are no guarantees in life that his next books would have been a massive hit. This deal would still mean that he's not going to have to worry about money for a while and concentrate on writing lots of loevely stories.

Fair play to the guy and bring on his next releases because i cannot wait.

 

[Allegra]

Given that a certain Michael Owen (soon to leave my beloved Toon) has been collecting more than Reynolds' proposed annual salary on a weekly basis - mostly for sitting on either bench or treatment table - I second that statement, Ursa. He's cheap at a twelfth the price.

Yeah, feet are so much more expensive than brains, even though they can stink or grow fungus. In any alien's point of view, men on Earth must be truly, hopelessly insane.

That aside, I really have to crack open Prefect very soon: if I like it, I'll have 10 more to read and another 10 more to look forward.

 

[Rodders]

Let us know what you think of the prefect as well Allegra. I know you won't be disapointed.

 

[Allegra]

Sure, Rodders.

 

[Rodders]

I am lead to believe that this is the blurb from AR's new book. (it's from the Facebook AR appreciation society group.)

Spearpoint, the last human city, is an atmosphere-piercing spire of vast size. Clinging to its skin are the zones, a series of semi-autonomous city-states, each of which enjoys a different - and rigidly enforced - level of technology. Horsetown is pre-industrial; in Neon Heights they have television and electric trains . . . Following an infiltration mission that went tragically wrong, Quillon has been living incognito, working as a pathologist in the district morgue. But when a near-dead angel drops onto his dissecting table, Quillon's world is wrenched apart one more time, for the angel is a winged posthuman from Spearpoint's Celestial Levels - and with the dying body comes bad news. If Quillon is to save his life, he must leave his home and journey into the cold and hostile lands beyond Spearpoint's base, starting an exile that will take him further than he could ever imagine. But there is far more at stake than just Quillon's own survival, for the limiting technologies of the zones are determined not by governments or police, but by the very nature of reality - and reality itself is showing worrying signs of instability

 

[Rodders]

Apparently, this will be the cover art.

Teahouse on the Tracks (Alastair Reynolds)

 

[chopper]

that looks awesome, both me & mrs chopper are making appreciative noises right now!

 

[Ursa major]

With a cover like that, I'd be tempted to check out a book even if I hadn't heard of the author.

(Let's hope the bookshops realise this and don't simply present prospective purchasers with a view of the spine.)

 

[chopper]

just occurred to me: with that kind of contract and interest, isn't he worth his own half-acre on the boards now?

 

[Rodders]

I would've thought so. Didn't someone say that they needed five open threads before they'd consider an author for thier own board. (I've seen Zima Blue in the shops. I'll get that and start another thread.)

 

[clovis-man]

Apparently, this will be the cover art.

Teahouse on the Tracks (Alastair Reynolds)

Wonder if there is any sort of connection to Donald Fagen.

Teahouse On The Tracks lyrics - Donald Fagen lyrics