Stephenie Meyer announced she will release a new Twilight book this summer, ending days of speculation that began when the author posted a mysterious countdown clock on her website last week.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will publish Midnight Sun, a retelling of her young-adult hit Twilight told from the point of view of Edward, the sparkly vampire and love interest to Bella, the human teenager who narrated the original novel.
“It feels strange to be making this announcement when the world is suffering through a pandemic, and no one really knows what’s next,” Meyer said in a news release. “I thought seriously about delaying this announcement until things were back to normal; however, that felt wrong, considering how long those who are eager for this book have already waited.”
They’ve been waiting for a long time. A draft of the first part of the novel was leaked in 2008, after which Meyer announced she was delaying the book indefinitely. After the countdown clock appeared on her website last week, one Twitter fan (jokingly?) threatened to riot if Meyer didn’t announce the publication of Midnight Sun.
“I know how much I personally need distractions right now, how much I need something to look forward to, and most of all, how much I need more books to read,” Meyer said. “So, I hope this book gives my readers a little pleasure to anticipate and, after it arrives, a chance to live in an imaginary world for a while.”
Midnight Sun is slated for publication on Aug. 4.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
