I wrote this the other day on Facebook because people kept interrupting unrelated posts to ask so I spilled the beans. Posting it to the blog too-
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Because I can’t promote anything without people asking me “when’s the next Monster Hunter” (and I’m not a one trick pony, I’ve got a bunch of different series ongoing, so this is pretty much constant) I guess I need to throw something official out there to get people off my back.
MHI #9 and #10 are getting written back to back in 2026.
There is something very special planned for the release of these two, which I can’t talk about yet. Which is why I’ve not talked about it yet. Which is why it doesn’t do you any good to keep asking me about it.
And if you want to guess why these are special, #9 is tentatively titled Monster Hunter Trespass, and #10 is Monster Hunter Omega… Yes. Omega. Which for those you who’ve followed my career since the beginning, that means what you think it means.
Now do you get it?
So preemptive, FAQs-
No. I can’t tell you what I’m doing for the release yet. That’s for business reasons.
Why did I write three books in 2024 that weren’t in the series you in particular wanted, and why am I writing three more books in 2025 that also aren’t the one you in particular want? Well, this is a three part answer.
Artistically, because I felt like it. Most long series start to suck. You all thought of a different series when I said that. When authors flog the same horse over and over eventually the horse gets tired and dies. MHI has made it 8 books, 4 spin offs, 2 anthologies, (and has 2 more books, 4 more spin offs, and 2 more anthologies actively in the works) and not gotten lame because I go write other stuff, and then when I come back to the universe I’m excited to be there.
Business wise, normally MHI books have been spaced out about every 2-3 years. (they were closer at the beginning of my career because I only had a couple universes to bounce between. Now I’ve got a LOT) This time has been longer because other books moved ahead in the queue. First, I really wanted to finish Saga of the Forgotten warrior, so that the final book would come out about 10 years after book 1, and it could be a complete epic fantasy series, which is kind of a big deal right now.
Next, during that time frame three other publishing houses which operate in entirely different markets than I usually do approached me about doing stuff that is totally outside of my main publisher’s business plan, so I ended up writing a non-fiction book about a topic I’ve been passionate about for thirty years (gun rights). Then I wrote a progression fantasy for Aethon so I could try my hand at KU (which I believe is currently the biggest pot of money in the genre fiction market), and finally a brand new publishing house (Ark) really wanted me to be one of their flagship authors, and they’re doing all sorts of neat unique stuff, which I’d really like to try.
(for those of you who’ve followed me for a long time you might have noticed a trend, I really hate getting stagnant. If you’re not learning or improving, you’re dying. This is how I come at everything, shooting, painting, gaming, cooking, hell I started Jujitsu at 49, whatever business stuff. Writing is the same. I can’t stand when people stop learning and get set in their ways)
When publishers offer to throw bags of money at me to do something new which I think sounds awesome and has great potential, I’d be stupid not to try it. Sorry that means you have to wait the same amount of time between books as most normal writers make you wait, but at least the other stack of books I wrote in that time period are actually pretty good too.
And third, personally, I had some really trying things happen after Bloodlines came out which I have never talked about online, which killed my enthusiasm for a long while, but I got through it. And what that was is frankly none of your business (I came back from it and wrote a bunch more books since so quit yelling at me).
But anyways, next question. Is it really MH Omega? Yes. Does that mean it is the end of the series? Not the end of the MHI universe, but it is the end of the mainline OZP storyline which began in MHI. Which I’ve devoted a significant chunk of my life working on, so you can see why I want to make sure it’s good, and do something special for the release. There are still a bunch of other MHI stories I’d love to tell, but that main story arc has an end. This is the one I’ve been planning on since the beginning.
(Another reason I wanted to finish Saga first was to see if I could stick the landing on a big series. Which I did. I nailed it. That was a learning experience. Believe it or not, I’m actually kind of analytical about this stuff and good writing isn’t just a magic faucet that can get turned on and off at will)
Okay, that’s pretty much all I can tell you about that for now.
Next question, from the perpetual whiners (who probably aren’t fans anyway, but just want to derail every promotion posts to be dicks on the internet) but but but it’s been THREE AND A HALF YEARS since the last MHI (one and a half years since Fever, but I’m sure that won’t count with these guys) this makes you just like George R.R. Martin! REEEEEEE
First off, I’m sorry you don’t understand how math works, because one of these things is not like the other (seriously, I’ve written 28 books since his last one came out. Chill). Second off, cinch up your Depends, because as I explained above to the normal honest fans, it’s gonna be a bit longer. Third, I haven’t been leading anyone on that it is just around the corner. In fact, this post here is the first I’ve nailed down anything because I hate making promises when shit happens and tomorrow I could get run over by a truck.
Okay. That should about cover it I think. Now when I get asked this six times a day I’m just going to point them to this.
Will be sad to see the end of Owen’s story, as I tend to get attached to characters rather than authors.
As for all the other writing done in the meantime, I believe it was Laurell K. Hamilton who has said that the next book she writes is the one who’s character is loudest in her mind. Nothing wrong with bouncing between series.
My thoughts on when the “next book” is coming from any of my favorite authors:
Is he/she still alive?
Is he/she still writing?
If the answers are “Yes and Yes”, I’m happy.
If the answers are “Yes and No”, I’m less happy.
If the answers are “No and Yes”, I’m intrigued.
Nothing else matters.
> seriously, I’ve written 28 books since his last one came out
Yes, but he did open an excellent hipster craft cocktail bar in Santa Fe (Milk of the Poppy).
[taps impatiently]
When is your bar opening, Larry?
I have learned patience. 2 years is as the blink of a cosmic eye…
“it’s been THREE AND A HALF YEARS since the last MHI this makes you just like George R.R. Martin! REEEEEEE”
Yeah. Nobody cares what Martin does. Only sock puppets and pink-haired neckbeards.
Carry on, good sir. I’ll throw money at you when you’re done writing it.
Thanks so very much for the update, Larry. It shows how MUCH you actually care about your fan base. Agatha Christie came to hate Hercules Poroit so much toward the end of her long career she refused to write more, despite the clamor for her most popular detective. Understood.
I’m enjoying the other series, so I don’t care what you write. I’m still gonna whine that it isn’t fast enough, but that’s just me being greedy.
Eh, love most of the MHI books, but the arcs gotta end sometime. And the MHI universe will go on if people drive dump trucks of money to your door. Maybe. But you can’t fault your fans for your great writing, skills. That’s on you!
We’ve known from the start that Owen had an expiration date.
But now that there’s a number on it, It’s kinda sad. Especially now that he has a kid.
It’s been a lot of fun, I’m looking forward to seeing how it shakes out. Also, I can’t decide whether I want Stricken to survive or not.
I get what you are saying about staying fresh. It’s how I approach building guns. I spent a year really down in the weeds building the best ARs I could for different purposes. Right now, I’m focused on building a 2k11, mainly because while I have it, I can’t justify spending that kind of money on a Stacatto. Plus, you learn a lot when you do it yourself. In a few months, I’m thinking I’m going to build a precision bolt gun. Diving into different things that present different challenges is how one grows their craft. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have read of yours, which is just about everything. Saga of The Forgotten Warrior is one of my favorite fantasy series, and you absolutely stuck the landing. I look forward to your future projects!
Don’t you have some minis to paint? Imma need you to be really creative and excited to write, so maybe paint a bit? Please?
I still have no idea why The Wife is so damned excited about reading the entire MHI series, given she’s not in to guns, but she is. She once said “I don’t really like guns, but the way he describes them even I’m excited about them in this book.
We’re currently listening to The Monster Hunter Files whenever we drive somewhere together. We’re waiting on Graveyard of Demons in Audio to drop.
I just finished re-reading the Jake Sullivan saga, and remembered that there was a story in the second “Target Rich Environment” collection, so I had to read that. Which took me to the first collection along with all of the MHI origin stories.
It made me wonder if I’d missed another MHI book since we live out here in Tiny Town™ Wyoming, and the only bookstore in town is:
A) Run by leftists, and
B) Is oriented mostly towards tourists rather than locals.
Heck, they won’t even order the last Kurt Schlichter book for me, much less any of yours.
But I am glad to learn that I haven’t missed one, and that the last two (suppresses a sob) will be coming out soon.
You can’t blame us for wanting more MHI books. It means you did a good job with them.
Thanks for the update. I’ve always liked Sanderson’s book progress meters on his website, even if “completion percentages” is completely arbitrary. Something similar might keep us MHI junkies off your back.
Did my first jiu jitsu class last night at 44 and felt like father time, respect for starting at 49.
No. Keeping ‘progress meters’ updated would take time and attention away from writing. Might also interfere with the writing.
I remember one of Jerry Pournelle’s ‘Chaos Manor’ columns where he described a ‘background printing’ function on his writing computer. When the computer was idle, it would run the print job. When not idle, it stopped.
Printers in those days were noisy impact units, that hammered a ribbon against the paper to make symbols.
Every time he’d hit a key, the printer (in another room, but audible) would stop. Seconds after he stopped typing, it started up again. He found it nearly impossible to concentrate on writing with that printer figuratively looking over his shoulder, holding its breath every time he applied fingers to keys. He stopped using the ‘background print’ function.
This post provides all the information I need. Books are under construction, and they’ll be done when they’re done. Monster Hunter is on the way to its planned ending.
“First, I really wanted to finish Saga of the Forgotten warrior, so that the final book would come out about 10 years after book 1, ”
It couldn’t possibly have taken a decade for Saga of the Forgotten Warrior to have come out. I was 45 when it started and if it took a decade then I would be…… well crap.
Psyched to hear you branching out into new worlds and genres and wont change how much I love the works you’ve done.
Many of your books are like old friends to me. They are not just fun to re-read but trigger memories of what I was doing and going through at the time. Some books make me feel and smell the moon dust and diesel fuel, others make me remember moldy old cube farms, BO stanky cruisers, sterile rooms and equipment. Good, bad, in-between your writing has been with me for a decent chunk of my life and I’m happy to hear you doing what you enjoy how you enjoy it.
Heck yeah bud, rock on.
Having read (I think) every book you’ve published, and also being a fan of your blog, I’ve enjoyed everything you’ve published. I started reading MHI around when it was first published and like everyone am eager for the next, and then last, installments in the main storyline. All that to say, thank you for the many years of enjoyment and many more to come. P.S. I agree you nailed it on the finale of Saga – many, many writers don’t.
I always appreciate the updates.
Any non-Utah convention appearances on your calendar that those of us who like to get the occasional autograph or perhaps a charity auction game of Gritty Cop Show should be on the look-out for?
Totally understand if you have too much going on, but it’s always good seeing you at cons.
Was wondering when you’re post here again, glad you’ve got a lot of books still to be made
I loved the last of Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, I don’t see enough Wuxia glazing in western novels
Speaking of, reminds me of Nick Cole, the guy who made Strange Company and also made Forgotten Ruin with Jason Anspach
From what I know, you’re gonna make some short stories with Sgt Thor as a protagonist
Like Monster Hunter International, I want more Forgotten Ruin
If only because lots and lots of firepower VS fantasy isn’t something I see enough of
Though MHI is Urban Fantasy, though admittedly I want more big battlefields, whilst Forgotten Ruin and the other “Wargate Genre” books are Portal Fantasy and maybe “Military Fantasy”
Anyway, would love to see you writing down Sgt Thor soon
I am now fighting off a swarm of horrible puns for the future titles but am prepared to wait, as thunder and lightning literally clash around me…
I’d say the biggest difference between GRRM’s failure to complete and MHI is that the stories in MHI are pretty stand alone. You can pick up any book and read it, and it will be exciting. It isn’t (and never has been) billed as an epic series. GRRM was building towards a conclusion that never arrived. If there were no more MHI books, well, no different that any other snapshot of someone’s adventures.
To carry the analogy further, we didn’t need LOTR to “complete” the story of The Hobbit. It was pretty stand alone and if LOTR had never been written, it would still have been a fun book. But if Return of the King wasn’t published, LOTR makes no sense.
Just my 0.02.
These days I mostly just go for fanfics in relation to ASOIAF
They can somehow keep track of all the events, characters minor and major, factions background and present and all the worldbuilding….probably helps to have the wiki
I think GRRM’s problem isn’t that he can’t keep track
It’s because he is not sure whether to give the characters the bittersweet ending they can get after all their suffering or to give out the really dark horrible ending he has in mind
Plus, he knows we know that he was already planning on Bran to become their God Emperor who can see past and future and present after much devastation involving Dany burning King’s Landing and going extra crazy
Thanks for the update. Look forward to reading both books when they come out.
YEAH!!! Thanks for letting us know when! I’ve read every thing i can get on Audible (fiction only) and am impatiently waiting for the last three audio books to be released (yeah, i could just read them, but I’ve also go a busy life.)
How about Target Rich Environment 3? something with the Crimson Pact stories in it? Please?
I Love MHI and have gotten everything i can of it and i feel MHI just isn’t your best. How about more Lost Planet Homicide?
As a compliment, your rather large output of stories is just not enough and i want more!! Put it out – on Audible please – and I’ll buy it no question asked.
Keep up the great work and we’ll continue to complain about how you just don’t write enough or fast enough.