*makes lightsaber sounds*
*then runs around the room like an X-Wing*
*then explodes like the Death Star*
Hey, so, uhh.
I kinda didn’t think Star Wars: Aftermath was going to make list. In part because why would I assume that, and also in part because most books come out on Tuesday and this book came out on Friday and it was also a holiday weekend and, and, and.
Apparently, that was wrongo of me.
Because Aftermath debuted on both the New York Times list and the USA Today list at number four. Which is extra funny because it’s a pair of fours which is like Force and because my tweet wanting to be hired to write Star Wars in the first place was on September 4th and because the book then came out exactly one year later on September 4th and also because I actually apparently have the Force. *shoots lightning into the sky*
I continue to have people tell me that they really love the book and that they want action figures of Mr. Bones or want to hang out with Sinjir and it makes my heart sing because I’m hyper-geeked to have been able to ignite my own star in the sky of that universe. Good stuff.
Some more quick Aftermath-links for you:
Sci-Fi Now reviews the book, saying:
“Coupled with Wendig’s elegant prose, and you have a journey that is both breathtaking yet restrained, throwing you headlong into a story that reaches it’s crescendo at around the half-way point and maintains this pace throughout, while subsequently making it clear that all these events are just the beginning.
The clues for what lies ahead are there for those who want to look for them (especially during the intriguing final chapter), but for others this is Star Wars fiction at a high standard done well. The Force is strong in this one indeed.”
Drew McWeeny did a cool post at HitFix talking about the 11 things you might learn in Aftermath that links you up to the world of The Force Awakens.
The Mary Sue did a post about the, erm, fan outrage.
Ben Kuchera wrote a neat thing at Polygon about how his favorite thing about the books are the self-loathing totalitarians — an Empire in disarray and under the gun.
(Note, if for some reason all this good news chafes you because of how much rage the book stirs in you, you may want to consult Molly Templeton’s AFTERMATH NERD RAGE bingo chart for ease of emotional use.)
Also, if you want a chance to win this and other books by other awesome authors, note that Kevin Hearne is having a contest drawing for those who donate to UNHCR before 9/20 — you may, in fact, win a copy of Aftermath that he has personally annotated (!). Go check out the details.
Finally, if you’re done the book and require another sci-fi read about a scrappy band of ragtag miscreants who go up against a giant Empire (this one being the United States government) to battle a deranged self-aware NSA surveillance system then — *clears throat* — might I gently point you toward Zer0es? *prod, prod*
Courtney Runion Hunt says:
Congratulations! What wonderful news. My husband is reading Aftermath now (I have to wait my turn 🙂 He LOVES it.
September 10, 2015 — 4:46 PM
Katharine Ashe says:
WOW! FANTASTIC!!! Congratulations!!!!
September 10, 2015 — 4:51 PM
Alix Rendell (@AlixRendell) says:
Chuck, I am a few pages into ZEROES and lovin’ it so far. I’ve read a half dozen of your non-fiction books and loved those as well, at least when I wasn’t laughing myself into a coma.
So let me be the first to say, with regard to placing so highly on these two prestigious measuring sticks, I can think of no one more deserving.
Carry on, Sir.
September 10, 2015 — 4:52 PM
Rekka says:
Awesome! I bought two copies this morning!
September 10, 2015 — 4:53 PM
Damian Trasler says:
Very congratulations. I am so looking forward to reading your prose in the Star Wars universe – like driving through Mos Eisley on Boonta Eve with your Landspeeder on fire and four drunk Jawas fighting you for the steering yolk. But in a good way.
September 10, 2015 — 4:54 PM
Todd Moody says:
Congrats, Chuck! I’m listening to it on Audible. Got the hard copy in the mail yesterday! How many did you sign? I am thinking about a blog post that relates fame to the shortness of a signature. =)
September 10, 2015 — 4:56 PM
writerSeth says:
Congrats Chuck! I can’t wait to read it! Really looking forward to seeing where the Star Wars Universe is going. I’ll always love the EU, but there’s always room for new ideas.
September 10, 2015 — 4:59 PM
Indiana Jim says:
I have a lot of fellow Star Wars fans who like to complain about you, Mr. Wendig. Personally I can’t wait to read something that flies in the face of convention. I will do this. SOON.
September 10, 2015 — 5:01 PM
alexia chamberlynn says:
Congrats! Super exciting.
September 10, 2015 — 5:08 PM
patrksean says:
i just started reading it. I have the audiobook, and the narrator’s style takes a little getting used to (it is essentially a dramatization), but I love your approach to the material. I can understand how some readers might be put off with your more immediate writing style, but I think that it creates a sense of action and immediacy, which is a good thing. It breathes a little life into the franchise and adds style.
In other words, players gonna play, haters gonna hate, you just gotta shake em off.
September 10, 2015 — 5:13 PM
leandrajwallace says:
Congratulations!! That’s awesome news!
September 10, 2015 — 5:18 PM
Alison DeLuca (@AlisonDeLuca) says:
I’m so excited for you and to read this book! *flails about, hits self in face with arm hangie-down flab*
September 10, 2015 — 5:19 PM
kimberleycooperblog says:
Congrats! Really pleased that there’s been such a positive response.
September 10, 2015 — 5:28 PM
elctrcrngr says:
I knew Aftermath would make the NYT list as soon as I found out you were writing it. So, no overjoyed feelings of surprise for me, I’m afraid
September 10, 2015 — 6:15 PM
elctrcrngr says:
That said, I am still very happy for you. Many well-earned congratulations!
September 10, 2015 — 6:18 PM
BillyHigginsPeery says:
My favorite bit from the Allan West post was, “Is there all of a sudden way more LGBT people in our population than we once thought?” because the answer is simple enough: yes. Yes, there are way more gay people out there than he thinks. Than a lot of people think, probably.
Tbh as a gay man my biggest concern with the novel is still that one sentence where there’s like a semi-colon, a colon, and a fragment after the semi-colon. I stg I’m thinking about sending that to some grammar columnist. Grammar Girl? Does Grammar Girl accept submissions? The OED? I NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH.
September 10, 2015 — 7:19 PM
Katherine G says:
I haven’t read Aftermath yet, though the quote from the scene where someone has to explain to the Imperials that they are the bad guys is making me want to read it sooner rather than later.
That said, I just finished Zer0es, and I don’t even usually LIKE thrillers, but Zer0es was awesome. I stayed up all night and finished it in one sitting. So yeah, Wendig fans, if you finish Aftermath and are looking for something to read…
(Caution: you may end up having dreams about Reagan. This may or may not be a plus, depending on your reaction to her. I’m down with it.)
September 10, 2015 — 8:32 PM
Elizabeth Mallory says:
So many congratulations!!! This makes me so happy!!!! It feels like I hit the list myself 😀 Gotta make my spouse read it now!
September 10, 2015 — 8:37 PM
Katherine G says:
“My favorite bit from the Allan West post was, “Is there all of a sudden way more LGBT people in our population than we once thought?” because the answer is simple enough: yes.”
My thought exactly. Mr. West probably doesn’t notice it because any LGBT person in his vicinity probably makes an immediate effort to NOT be in his vicinity any more.
September 10, 2015 — 8:37 PM
Nox says:
I saw that Aftermath was #4 on the NYT Bestseller list while I was in the elevator up to my boring day job this morning. Congrats!
September 10, 2015 — 9:28 PM
Varina Suellen Plonski says:
Chuck, you are da bomb and da man and all those other “you are’s” that mean you are the coolest of the cool. I read the excerpt and was as hooked as the first time I saw that Imperial cruiser coming at me out of the screen so many yars ago. And when I actually have money again I’m going to buy your contribution to the most awesome and epic of stories. (Let me just state for the record that unemployment farking SUCKS.)
Bravo, sir. Well done!
September 10, 2015 — 11:59 PM
humphreyswill says:
Congratulations, this is amazing! I’ll be buying this once I’m through with Zeroes (brilliantly awesome and compelling btw), which I expect to finish on the bus to London today.
September 11, 2015 — 4:28 AM
Joe Turner says:
Congrats Chuck. It’s about time you made the list. I’ll be sure to check out Aftermath Asap, but my current ToBeRead list is threatening to topple over and crush me as it is.
September 11, 2015 — 5:48 AM
springinkerl says:
This is some excellent and awesome feedback to an excellent book. But this…
“Coupled with Wendig’s elegant prose, […]”
this made laugh. Out loud. I LOLed.
Seriously?
Your prose is certainly a lot of things… quaint and witty, succinct and gritty, punchy, fast-paced, unconventional. Sometimes sloppy, sometimes snarky. I could go on.
But it’s not “elegant”. Not at all. Really.
September 11, 2015 — 6:09 AM
Laura J. Quinn says:
Congratulations, sir.
I can un-ironically say that I am super geeked about your book making list and we couldn’t be happier for you!
You’re no longer going places. You’re there. In the sky, among the stars. The only thing left to do now is discover new alien lifeforms and convince THEM to buy your books.
September 11, 2015 — 7:34 AM
JB Schroeder says:
Thrilled for you, Chuck!
September 11, 2015 — 8:18 AM
Robert Sadler says:
Seems like every book you release hits new highs, Chuck. Congrats.
September 11, 2015 — 8:28 AM
katemcone says:
Huzzah! This is fantastic news! And TAKE MY MONEY because I want a Mr. Bones action figure too!!! Also, yes, Zeroes is next on my list to buy.
Congrats again — this is thrilling!
September 11, 2015 — 10:11 AM
David says:
Is it true Aftermath is the first of a Trilogy? When do the others come out? Great job with the book. Im a long time EU reader and find it amazing that we get a chance to go back and start anew with story lines and characters. To paraphrase Chritopher Walken, what this world needs is MORE STAR WARS!
September 11, 2015 — 10:52 PM
Suzanne Joshi says:
Congratulations, Chuck!
September 12, 2015 — 12:34 AM
Laura W. says:
My dad, who owns all the Star Wars books and is a huge scifi geek, and who is also a conservative, sexist, homophobic, Republican white middle-aged man who owns the biographies of both Bush and John McCain, texted me your post about the nerdrage/fanrage/bigotrage over Aftermath and a positive review considering the gay character in the book. At which I was pretty sure the universe was going to implode, because, like, what the HELL was happening???
Seriously, I think that book did more to sway my father to a more positive view of gay people than anything else in the last thirty or forty years.
My dad really, REALLY loves Star Wars, is what I’m trying to say.
September 16, 2015 — 12:57 AM
terribleminds says:
🙂
September 16, 2015 — 6:56 AM