Twihards around the world are finally going to get another taste of the vampires they love. Stephenie Meyer announced today that the long awaited prequel, Midnight Sun, the original Twilight book told from Edward Cullen’s perspective, will be released on August 4, 2020.
The Announcement
Meyer had a simple countdown clock posted on her website that reached zero today. No hints were dropped, and fans were so desperate to find out the news, the site crashed due to online traffic overload.
Meyer penned a personal message to fans on her site:
First of all, I hope that you and your families are all safe, healthy, and in a good place. That’s the main thing.
Second, I’m happy to announce that Midnight Sun is finally (very close to) ready! And will be in bookstores on August 4th. I hope this announcement doesn’t seem ill-timed; I really considered delaying the release until the world was back to normal. However, 1) who knows when that will be? And 2) you guys have waited long enough. Much longer than long enough, actually.
I don’t know how everyone else is coping, but right now books are my main solace and happiest escape. Personally, I would be nothing but delighted if one of my favorite authors announced something new for me to read. (No pressure, Laini Taylor.) So, I hope this announcement gave you some pleasure and something fun to look forward to.
Working on a book for more than thirteen years is a strange experience. I’m not the same person I was then. My children have all grown up. My backgot weird. The world is a different place. I can only imagine all the things that have changed for you. But completing Midnight Sun has brought back to me those early days of Twilight when I first met many of you. We had a lot of fun, didn’t we? Throwing proms and hanging out in hotel rooms and reading on the beach (while getting the most epic sunburns of our lives). We made hilarious t-shirts and fabulous websites. We found kindred spirits that are still in our lives now. I hope going back to the beginning of Bella’s and Edward’s story reminds you of all that fun, too.
Stay tuned this summer—we have lots more fun things planned. Music (of course), contests, information on the book tour, and more will be posted on this page. I hope to see all of you soon! It’s been too long.
Stephenie
https://stepheniemeyer.com/midnight-sun-2020/
Why Did the Book Release Take so Long?
Meyer was working on this book back in 2008, but due to it being leaked illegally on the web, she abandoned the project and put it on hold indefinitely. She was devastated that someone would do this and when questioned about it back then, she had this to say:
I did not want my readers to experience Midnight Sun before it was completed, edited and published. I think it is important for everybody to understand that what happened was a huge violation of my rights as an author, not to mention me as a human being. Unfortunately, with the internet, it is easy for people to obtain and share items that do not legally belong to them. No matter how this is done, it is still dishonest.
So where does this leave Midnight Sun? My first feeling was that there was no way to continue. Writing isn’t like math; in math, two plus two always equals four no matter what your mood is like. With writing, the way you feel changes everything. If I tried to write Midnight Sun now, in my current frame of mind, James [a vampire tracking Bella] would probably win and all the Cullens would die, which wouldn’t dovetail too well with the original story
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/aug/31/leaked.book
Twilight Isn’t Just a Book for Fans
The last book in the series, Breaking Dawn, was published back in 2012. Since then, Twilight fans or Twihards as they are called, have been eagerly waiting to be part of Bella and Edward’s world once again. But we aren’t just talking a small following of fans:
a world that went on to net $3,345,177,904 in gross sales for the saga’s film adaptations, holds the top five places of the highest grossing vampire movies and has sold over 100 million books worldwide in 37 languages.Â
https://vamped.org/2015/10/05/ten-years-of-twilight-visit-to-forks-washington/
Forks Is the Ultimate Twihard Experience
I was so intrigued by the Twilight phenomenon, that back in 2015 I ventured to Forks, Washington, the setting for Twilight. Meyer chose this setting for her books because the large annual rainfall suited her vampire’s lifestyle.
This little town, with only one traffic light, was bombarded annually with thousands of fans seeking out key locations, memorabilia, and experiences, desperate to feel closer to Edward and Bella. They had to adapt quickly and put their marketing hats on and innovate.
I didn’t just go for a quick tour in Forks. I interviewed the mayor of Forks, Bryon Monohan and a member of the local Chamber of Commerce. I was also fortunate to speak with Staci Chastain, a local entrepreneur and former organizer for their annual Forever Twilight in Forks Festivals. I even stayed in a Twilight themed hotel room!
Forks still hosts annual events and I have no idea on how strong the fandom still is 15 years later after the first book release. They also opened a Forever Twilight in Forks Collection, a gallery dedicated to the movie, characters and props.
What Now?
Will the release of another Twilight book inject life back into the intense fandom that once was? Will it influence a new film in the Twilight Saga? No one knows at this point, but I am excited to see where this goes!
Make sure to check out my adventure to Forks and my extensive photo gallery.