As many of you may know, I’m a huge fan of Chuck Wendig. Wendig gave me one of my favorite Star Wars characters of all time, as well as one of the first openly queer protagonists and same-sex main romances in the space opera series. Unfortunately, Wendig’s political views and dedication to inclusion drew some trolls, and his outspoken attitude on Twitter caused him to be let go from the Star Wars comics he was writing last year.
However, it seems as though he’s landed on his feet. His upcoming book Wanderers (which we previewed here) has been optioned prior to its July release by QC Entertainment, a company that also teamed up to produce Get Out and BlacKkKlansman.
Sorry, trolls, but Wendig won’t be going anywhere.
Here is the logline provided by Deadline when they broke the news:
A decadent rock star. A deeply religious radio host. A disgraced scientist. And a teenage girl who may be the world’s last hope. Shana wakes up one morning to discover her little sister in the grip of a strange malady. She appears to be sleepwalking. She cannot talk and cannot be woken up. And she is heading with inexorable determination to a destination that only she knows. But Shana and her sister are not alone. Soon they are joined by a flock of sleepwalkers from across America, on the same mysterious journey. And like Shana, there are other “shepherds” who follow the flock to protect their friends and family on the long dark road ahead.
For on their journey, they will discover an America convulsed with terror and violence, where this apocalyptic epidemic proves less dangerous than the fear of it. As the rest of society collapses all around them—and an ultraviolent milita threatens to exterminate them—the fate of the sleepwalkers depends on unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic. The terrifying secret will either tear the nation apart—or bring the survivors together to remake a shattered world.
I had the privilege to be sent an ARC of Wanderers, and while my full review will go up closer to the book’s release, I can say it’s easily my favorite work of Wendig’s so far. Stephen King-ian in the best way and a fascinating character study, my biggest recurring thought has been that it would make a stellar limited or ongoing series. I can hardly wait for July 2 so that I can talk to everyone I know about how fascinating this book is.
Also, in general, good for Wendig for having his work be part of a bidding war and getting nabbed by such a high profile company. His removal from Marvel for being vocally political was ridiculous.
Wendig’s previous works besides Star Wars include the Miriam Black series, Zer0es, Invasive, and the Atlanta Burns books, as well as the Star Wars: Aftermath trilogy. Wanderers will be released on July 2, and I’d recommend pre-ordering now, to get ahead of what is sure to be a binge-able series.
(via Deadline, image: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)
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