New writer for next book

I was told by someone that a 4th book is being written to continue the series. The new author is apparently very close in style to Stieg. Is this true? Apparently there are adverts for it on the London tube?!

Posted by Jules i London , 24 August 2010

I think that at this moment it's impossible because of copyrights.

Posted by Taclem in Uppsala , 25 August 2010

Oh god, please let this be untrue.

Any time a 3rd party comes and writes a book 'in the style of' another writer, it seems to decimate the series.

[Take, Eoin Colfer's 'And Another Thing' for example]

Plus, the series was nicely finished off in my opinion, I could find no loose ends or unfinished plot lines.

Posted by BornToBeDigital in London , 25 August 2010

Unfinished, as in what was the reasoning or the back stories behind Lisbeth's tattoos? I felt sure that was a thread being developed for a fourth book.....

Posted by Anne in Austin TX , 28 August 2010

Unfinished, as in what's the story about the twin sister. I kept expecting her to come to the fore, but now think maybe that was planned for a later book

Posted by Jadie in Canberra, Australia , 31 August 2010

in my opinion is it as unfinished as it can be!! there is a maine-plot about the relationship between salander and blomkquist and i think it´s beyond all bearing that we can´t get this story go on. i´m obsessed of this three books and i want nothing more that the story goes on... the scipts are there!

Posted by Jennifer in Heidelberg, Germany , 31 August 2010

a fourth book was already started on larsson's laptop when he died, so obviously there is more to tell and wrap up. His partner has the computer but is battling his father and brother in the courts for the rights. I definitely need more.

Posted by Rachel in New York , 31 August 2010

whatever about the familial squabbles, this 4th book needs to be completed/published!!!!!!!

Posted by , 1 September 2010

yess the swedes should just realise everyone (stieg included) would have wanted this thing to get out so why not just do it before someone just steals it from his pc

Posted by benwasheare , 4 September 2010

It doesn't sound as if the fourth book is finished. While many (as I do) would love for it to be published; who will finish it and copyright issues are real and can take time, so I can understand why it might be taking time to publish book four

Posted by jparkman in Vancouver , 6 September 2010

I think book 4 is "half way" complete - he wrote the beginning and he wrote the ending. Just not the middle part.

Unfortunately this is an even more difficult situation than just having a hired gun write another book.

Continuation novels (further books in any series written by a different author) have never been very successful, at least not critically.

From James Bond, to Dune, The Godfather, HG2G, Bourne - only a handful of these books have pleased fans.

With the theoretical 4th Millennium novel, you have the problem that the style of any author hired to complete the novel (ie. write the middle section) would inevitably clash with Larsson's own, and thus the book would feel like a patchwork.

Continuation novels are, essentially, glorified fan fiction. Is that something we want?

Posted by DouglasJ in Scotland , 6 September 2010

The perfect guy to finish the Millenium series would be John Grisham. His early books -- The Firm, Pelican Brief, Client -- are Larsson all over. And Grisham himself has clearly run out of his own ideas.

Posted by Henry Plantagenet in Baltimore , 7 September 2010

The perfect person to finish the series would be Larsson's partner- apparently she was involved in the writing process and may know where the series was intended to go. She essentially holds all the cards.

That said, what would the author WANT? I think it's best we leave the books as if, rather than risk ruining a fine series and spoiling a good author's name.

Posted by ben in sydney, australia. , 7 September 2010

*as is

Posted by ben in sydney, australia. , 7 September 2010

Jules - "Apparently there are adverts for it on the London tube?!"

The adverts are for a completely different book/author, who's being marketed as the 'new Stieg' because the writing style is similar.

Posted by CJ in London , 7 September 2010

*I think the book's called The Snowman, by Jo Nesbo

Posted by CJ in London , 7 September 2010

The last I read, Larsson's partner has his computer(s) with his unfinished work. She was completely stiffed by his family and is pretty outraged about it. They got all of his estate's money when they had been estranged from him for years. She had spent many years with him as his partner - including through the writing of the books - and she got nothing. So she's now saying, "You want the unfinished work? Pay me - pay me big-time!"

I don't believe that the 4th book is a continuation of the Millenium series. I read that Larsson had planned 3 trilogies, so this book was the start of the 2nd trilogy. I'd love to see another Swedish thriller/mystery writer get to take the material and complete it. There are certainly a number of talented people in that field in Sweden.

Posted by SteveA in Oakland, CA , 7 September 2010

Steig and his partner worked together on many things that he put his name on--let her finish it as I think she had a lot to do with the writing f the first three anyway, and then let us decide if it works. I would imagine that the average reader would not be able to see the difference.

Posted by Ben W. in Chicago, IL , 7 September 2010

I think the partner of Steig could write the 4th book but his family wont let her due to they are greedy.

Posted by Greg G. in New York , 7 September 2010

I suspect that any attempt to continue the books will not satisfy every reader, but that if there is money to be made on a "sequel," or a "prequel," then litigation will move forward on the matter. This process may not happen until interest in the current series dies down. If the series remains a cultural favorite, the continuation may never happen. What we will see, as one of the posts above mention has already happened, are books in this genre that borrow Larsson's formula.

Posted by Mae in Fay, NC , 10 September 2010

I don't know where you're got this information from, but there was nerver a 4th book on the way. sorry...

Posted by Louise Dahl in Struer, Denmark , 13 September 2010

The next book is not The Snowman. Jo Nesbo is a Norweigian author and The snowman has nothing to do with this series.

Posted by E Burke in Edmonton AB , 17 September 2010

I heard on the BBC that there was a 4th book, 100 pages finished, but his Father has said it won't be published.

Posted by J. Rios in Otsego, MI , 17 September 2010

Stieg Larsson Fourth Book: Unfinished Manuscript Is Shrouded In Mystery MALIN RISING | 07/12/10 02:22 PM

Holmberg said that Larsson was 320 pages into the fourth book and had planned to complete it by December.

"The plot is set 120 kilometers north of Sachs Harbour, at Banks Island in the month of September," Larsson wrote in the e-mail, which Holmberg made available to The Associated Press. "According to the synopsis it should be 440 pages." Larsson had wanted all his books to follow a theme about women

Posted by Leo in Cottage Grove OR , 18 September 2010

I was thinking that too. But it would be like replacing someone to write under Michael Crichton now that he's passed -- not going to happen. I don't think anyone can replace Larsson. I think his family doesn't need to put out another book becuase they stand to make a HUGE profit from the upcoming American movie with rights to DVD sales and rental income.

Posted by Janet Vasquez in Bronx, NY , 22 September 2010

It is frustrating and terribly sad. I feel like I have got to know the characters and want to hear more - especially the loose ends and relationships with central characters.

On a lighter note: Do we know anyone who could hack into his computer and get that script? Maybe there is a publishing firm in Sweden that could help out, I think there is a progressive one starting with M- or something?

Posted by Richard in Sydney, AUS , 11 October 2010

I hope Eva, his partner can find a way to get the other books out to the fans, but it doesn't look good. Neither Larsson's family nor Eva seem inclined to compromise in the slightest.

Posted by lord koos in seattle , 19 October 2010

I need Lisbeth and Plague to team up and do a HT on Larsson's PC....I need those Books NOW!!!!

Posted by one of us in indianapolis , 21 October 2010

I have just finished reading the trilogy and literally could not put the books down. I do hope someone continues this series because there are many unanswered questions. I want to read more about Lisbeth!

Posted by Debbie in Wilmington , 25 October 2010

If Stiegs Father and brother want to tie the hands of his life partner who was with him and knew him and both his writing style and where he was going with the 4th book, they will be the losers in all of this. Their greediness will cost them more than money in the long run. It is too bad the Stieg did not think ahead and leave a will that dictated his wishes in the matter of his manuscripts and any future books. If his life was in often danger I would have thought this would have crossed his mind....if only to protect Eva AND his work. Or did he over estimate his family???

Posted by Trudy in Midwest USA , 2 November 2010

Larsson has created a whole gallery of characters surrounding Blomquist and Salander - the scene was deliciously set for continuing the series. Consider: Bublanski's team, Sapo's team, Vanger family, Millenium employees, Morning Post employees, Camilla Salander, Sahlengrenska employees, etc But I do agree it wouldn't exactly be the same without Stieg at the helm - I'm a bit torn on this one.....

Posted by Stonegiant in Stratford Upon Avon , 6 November 2010

#1 Steig/Eva spent much of their adult lives in a serious sense of danger, often changing addresses & hiding-out; how/why is everyone so accepting that he died of a heart attack? Was there an autopsy? Would a man of his caliber be so naive as to never have a will or his wishes documented SOMEWHERE?? #2 Why would the #3 Swedish film so deliberately

twist/change the final scene of Salander & Blomquist to something so ridiculous, rather than that of the #3 book? Really infuriating, since the rest of the Swedish work was so excellent!!??

Posted by deanna scudo in Sarasota, FL , 22 November 2010

Unfinished plot lines? What about Camilla?

Posted by eileen in rochester ny , 22 November 2010

that book just HAS to be written!!! y cant they just get ova their little disputes and give us the book???

i WANNA read!!!!!

PLEASE! ITS KILLING ME!!!!

there's heaps of unanswered questions!!!!

STEIG, y did u hav to die??

i mean, it was probably cos HE ate too many snadwiches and drank WAY too much coffee!!!

anyone wud keel ova if u drank THAT much coffee!!!!

Im telling u.....

Posted by girl_interrupted in melbourne, australia , 23 November 2010

I need there to be another book or I'll f***ing write a screenplay for another movie cuz I can't stand not knowing whats nexT! The end of the third was a pathetic ending for a series and I wanna see what happend

Posted by Eddie JB in Bratt. Vt , 24 November 2010

There's so much more to these characters, i personally wanted Lisbeth and Mikael to get together properly, but even without that there are whole periods of her life that are unknown to us and thats just one character. I read there were 10 planned initially and that the 4th (as its been mentioned) was partly written - I so hope the family can sort things out, although it does seem quite hostile. I dont think ive ever read a book where I feel i need to know so much more about a character, i am obsessed, metaphorically speaking, with Lisbeth!! she's certainly got under my skin

Posted by The girl with an obsession in UK , 26 November 2010

I feel exactly the same as The girl with the obsession above. Usually when I finish a really good book, I feel at a bit of a loss but quickly move on to something new. I feel like I can't move on from this series, though!

Posted by Ro in Ireland , 31 January 2011

I'd love to see the story continue, as well, but someone else finishing the books just wouldn't be the same. I think the three that exist make a nice story arc, and as for "what happens next?" that's what fanfic is for! Use your own imagination.

As for the assassination rumors, I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. There's a pretty good biography of Larsson out ("The Man Who Left Too Soon") and even though it's poorly edited and full of typos, it's a pretty good account of his life. It's made quite clear that Larsson didn't take care of himself physically, smoked heavily and drank more than a bit, too (though he wasn't an alcoholic). You treat your body like that, and deal with the stress that he must have been under, likely getting death threats for his work for Expo, and it's really not a surprise that he died so young.

Posted by Linnea in Minneapolis , 13 April 2011