Tor lands first adult sci-fi from Paolini

Pan Mac imprint Tor has landed a first adult science fiction novel from Christopher Paolini, a departure from his bestselling Inheritance Cycle fantasy series.

World rights for To Sleep in a Sea of Stars were acquired by publisher Jeremy Trevathan, with editorial director Bella Pagan, from Simon Lipskar of the Writers House Literary Agency. It will be published by Macmillan internationally under Tor, with the UK release in September 2020.

The publisher said it was “an intergalactic scale, where incredible events have world-shattering consequences”. The synopsis explains: “During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, xenobiologist Kira Navárez finds an alien relic that thrusts her into the wonders and nightmares of first contact. Epic space battles for the fate of humanity take her to the farthest reaches of the galaxy and, in the process, transform not only her – but the entire course of history.”

US author Paolini published his first novel, Eragon (Corgi), in 2003 at the age of 19. His Inheritance Cycle, consisting of Eragon and its three sequels, have sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide, Pan Mac said. 

Paolini said: “I am extremely excited to be working with the awesome folks at Tor Books to publish To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. This book is my love letter to the genre of science fiction. With it, I wanted to capture the sense of wonder I feel when looking at the stars . . . or when thinking about the future of humanity as it expands beyond Earth. I’ve been working on this story for over six years, and I can’t wait for people to read it!’

Trevathan added: "Christopher Paolini’s new science fiction novel is a complete triumph; everything you’d expect from a writer of his stature and more. We are delighted to be embarking on this publishing adventure together."