The New Publishing Math: Trilogy = Four...

After finishing the third book in Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy, I was really excited to find that Extras was coming out, a fourth book in the once-was-a-trilogy- now-is-a-series. Now it's being reported that Christopher Paolini's best-selling Inheritance trilogy will have a fourth book, officially changing it from a trilogy to a "cycle." At 5 p.m. EST today a video will be available on Paolini's website offering an Exclusive Message about this development, which I'm sure will be very exciting to fans of the fantasy trilogy series cycle.

I probably shouldn't admit this in cyberspace, but I gotta say that Christopher Paolini is not exactly a favorite of fine. Every time I hear him interviewed I sort of get this powerful urge to kick him in the shins. Does he have to use 15-syllable words I must look up? Did he really say that if they're looking for a family to live alone in a biosphere for five years he and his parents and sister are so there? Does he really think having his work edited feels like splinters of hot bamboo being driven into his tender eyeballs?

Maybe I'm being too grumpy. I've never met him, and he may be a perfectly nice young man with whom I'd enjoying having a beer (or forging a sword). But for now I can only suppose he's some sort of eccentric young genius who I could never possibly understand.

I'll be sure to check out his video.