Rich Man’s Sky, one of five 2022 Best Novel finalists currently competing for the Prometheus Award, will have a sequel.
Actually, two!
Wil McCarthy’s imaginative and kaleidoscopic story, set in the next generation or so, follows four billionaires who lead private space efforts to expand throughout our solar system as threatened governments strive secretly to stop them – violently, if necessary.
Many of the Best Novel finalist-selection judges, when reading Rich Man’s Sky, wondered if the story might be set up for a sequel – since quite a few different locales and characters were fascinatingly introduced in space, on the Moon, near the Sun and heading to Mars.
Yet, several subplots were set up but not resolved, while several central characters – including at least one of the four billionaires – were introduced but not at the center of the story.
The happy news is that the judges were right, and then some: Baen Books, publisher of McCarthy’s Best Novel finalist and many other McCarthy novels, reports that the author recently submitted the sequel, which is now being edited.
Titled Poor Man’s Sky, McCarthy’s sequel is tentatively scheduled for publication by Baen Books in January 2023.
In a recent email interview, McCarthy confirmed that the sequel will focus more on one of the billionaire future-tech entrepreneurs and another Moon-based religious character who were introduced but were not developed as much in Rich Man’s Sky:
“I can tell you that Sir Lawrence and Brother Michael do indeed play prominent roles in Poor Man’s Sky,” McCarthy said.
“What really inspired me with Rich Man’s Sky is that literally everyone had a different idea about how things should be, and in their own context, all of them were right,” he said.
McCarthy’s ambitious and solar-system-spanning plan, though, is for a complete trilogy, Baen Books’ assistant editor Sean C.W. Korsgaard says.
The final novel, titled Beggar’s Sky, is being written and has no firm publication date penciled in yet, but might be completed next year and scheduled for publication in 2024.
“At this point, Beggar’s Sky is only about 10 percent of a… (rough) first draft, so I’ll refrain from commenting on what may or may not end up in it,” McCarthy said.
See the press release describing all five Best Novel finalists.
For more about Wil McCarthy’s writings, high-tech business ventures, life and career, see the recent Prometheus “Meet the Authors” blog about him.
For a parallel author’s update, read this Prometheus blog post about fellow 2022 Best Novel finalist Karl Gallagher, who’s also writing sequels to his Best Novel finalists.
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