A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, authors of Star Wars novels received royalty checks for their work. But that practice apparently ended around 2012.
Now, the empire is poised to strike back, as a group action by authors of the Star Wars adaptations and other franchises are going public. They claim that Disney has refused to pay royalties on book contracts since it absorbed Lucasfilms in 2012 in a $4 billion deal, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
These writers say Disney has either delayed dealing with their complaints or stiffed them on checks that rarely total a few thousand bucks apiece. And the Star Wars franchise isn’t the only source of trouble.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America association claims other authors of books tied to projects from Indiana Jones to Buffy the Vampire Slayer came forward with similar stories of non-payment, all under...
Now, the empire is poised to strike back, as a group action by authors of the Star Wars adaptations and other franchises are going public. They claim that Disney has refused to pay royalties on book contracts since it absorbed Lucasfilms in 2012 in a $4 billion deal, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
These writers say Disney has either delayed dealing with their complaints or stiffed them on checks that rarely total a few thousand bucks apiece. And the Star Wars franchise isn’t the only source of trouble.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America association claims other authors of books tied to projects from Indiana Jones to Buffy the Vampire Slayer came forward with similar stories of non-payment, all under...
- 12/19/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Alan Dean Foster, a novelist who has written several “Star Wars” books, says Disney owes him years of royalties for his work but that the company stopped paying when it acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.
Foster ghostwrote the novelization of the original “Star Wars” that was credited to George Lucas back in 1976. Two years later, he wrote “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye,” a sequel to the “Star Wars” book.
Both books are still in publication, and in an open letter published by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Foster says his requests for overdue royalties have been ignored and that Disney is requiring he sign a nondisclosure agreement before negotiating with him.
“All these books are all still very much in print,” Foster wrote. “They still earn money. For you. When one company buys another, they acquire its liabilities as well as its assets. You’re certainly reaping the benefits of the assets.
Foster ghostwrote the novelization of the original “Star Wars” that was credited to George Lucas back in 1976. Two years later, he wrote “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye,” a sequel to the “Star Wars” book.
Both books are still in publication, and in an open letter published by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Foster says his requests for overdue royalties have been ignored and that Disney is requiring he sign a nondisclosure agreement before negotiating with him.
“All these books are all still very much in print,” Foster wrote. “They still earn money. For you. When one company buys another, they acquire its liabilities as well as its assets. You’re certainly reaping the benefits of the assets.
- 11/20/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Alan Dean Foster, the legendary science fiction writer behind the novelizations of the original Star Wars, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and the godfather of the original Star Wars Expanded Universe with his authoring of the first sequel in the franchise, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, says he hasn’t been paid royalties owed to him by Disney since the megacorporation’s acquisition of those series’ rights.
In an open letter posted by (and added to by) the Science Fiction Writers of America, the writer, who is living with an advanced form of cancer, says that Disney has not paid royalties for the Star Wars books, which are still in print, and that they haven’t even issued a royalty statement for the Alien novels. He also said that Disney refuses to negotiate with him unless he signs a non-disclosure agreement prior to negotiations. These...
In an open letter posted by (and added to by) the Science Fiction Writers of America, the writer, who is living with an advanced form of cancer, says that Disney has not paid royalties for the Star Wars books, which are still in print, and that they haven’t even issued a royalty statement for the Alien novels. He also said that Disney refuses to negotiate with him unless he signs a non-disclosure agreement prior to negotiations. These...
- 11/20/2020
- by Jim Dandy
- Den of Geek
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (Sfwa) is demanding Disney pay overdue royalty fees to one of its members, Alan Dean Foster, best known as the writer of the original “Star Wars” novelization, published in 1976, six months before the release of the film, under the title “Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker.” Foster’s writing career with “Star Wars” continued with 1978’s “Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” and, most recently, the 2015 novelization for “The Force Awakens.” The author also contributed the novelizations for “Alien,” “Aliens,” and “Alien 3.”
In a letter written to Disney (as published on the Sfwa website), Foster claimed the studio stopped paying him royalties on his first two “Star Wars” books and all three “Alien” books after it acquired Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox, respectively. The author said he’d “never been paid royalties on any of these, or...
In a letter written to Disney (as published on the Sfwa website), Foster claimed the studio stopped paying him royalties on his first two “Star Wars” books and all three “Alien” books after it acquired Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox, respectively. The author said he’d “never been paid royalties on any of these, or...
- 11/19/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
This post is sponsored by
In The Relentless Moon, space wants to kill you, but that’s par for the course for Mary Robinette Kowal’s punch card punk Lady Astronaut series: Ten years after a massive meteorite obliterated most of the Eastern Seaboard, the International Aerospace Coalition is trying its damnedest to cooperate long enough to get humanity to a new home, first on the Moon, then eventually on Mars. The nascent lunar colony is subjected not only to the typical dangers of trying to create a new civilization where one step outside without your suit and you’re dead—but combine sabotage from the terrorist group Earth First with a polio epidemic, and humanity’s chances look increasingly slim.
But what makes The Relentless Moon, the third installment in the series and one theoretically designed to work as a standalone, so particularly compelling is how on top of all of those challenges,...
In The Relentless Moon, space wants to kill you, but that’s par for the course for Mary Robinette Kowal’s punch card punk Lady Astronaut series: Ten years after a massive meteorite obliterated most of the Eastern Seaboard, the International Aerospace Coalition is trying its damnedest to cooperate long enough to get humanity to a new home, first on the Moon, then eventually on Mars. The nascent lunar colony is subjected not only to the typical dangers of trying to create a new civilization where one step outside without your suit and you’re dead—but combine sabotage from the terrorist group Earth First with a polio epidemic, and humanity’s chances look increasingly slim.
But what makes The Relentless Moon, the third installment in the series and one theoretically designed to work as a standalone, so particularly compelling is how on top of all of those challenges,...
- 7/9/2020
- by Kayti Burt
- Den of Geek
Tor Books & Den of Geek Present:
TorCon 2020
In partnership with Tor Books, we are proud to announce the launch of TorCon, an all-new virtual convention that brings all the fun of panels directly to the fans. From Thursday, June 11th through Sunday, June 14th, Tor, Tor.com Publishing, and Den of Geek will be presenting eight panels featuring over twenty of your favorite authors across different platforms, in conversation with each other—and with you!
Join authors including Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, Nnedi Okorafor, Christopher Paolini, Brandon Sanderson, V. E. Schwab, and many more for four days of pure geekery, exclusive content, sneak peeks, and more… all from the comfort of your own home!
Check out the lineup below, featuring moderation from Den of Geek Books Editor Kayti Burt and Den of Geek Contributor Natalie Zutter, and save the date to stay home and geek out with us!
Thursday 6/11:...
TorCon 2020
In partnership with Tor Books, we are proud to announce the launch of TorCon, an all-new virtual convention that brings all the fun of panels directly to the fans. From Thursday, June 11th through Sunday, June 14th, Tor, Tor.com Publishing, and Den of Geek will be presenting eight panels featuring over twenty of your favorite authors across different platforms, in conversation with each other—and with you!
Join authors including Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, Nnedi Okorafor, Christopher Paolini, Brandon Sanderson, V. E. Schwab, and many more for four days of pure geekery, exclusive content, sneak peeks, and more… all from the comfort of your own home!
Check out the lineup below, featuring moderation from Den of Geek Books Editor Kayti Burt and Den of Geek Contributor Natalie Zutter, and save the date to stay home and geek out with us!
Thursday 6/11:...
- 6/3/2020
- by Kayti Burt
- Den of Geek
Kayti Burt Apr 2, 2019
Nominees include Black Panther, Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, The Expanse, Doctor Who, and more.
The Hugo Awards are amongst speculative fiction storytelling's most prestigious honors. Given out annually since 1953, the Hugos are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention (aka WorldCon), and are presented at the annual event. This year's WorldCon, WorldCon 77, will be held in Dublin on August 15-19.
Earlier today, the Hugo Awards finalists for 2019 were announced—alongside the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and the 1944 Retrospective Hugo Awards nominations.
read more: Den of Geek's Best Fiction Books of 2018
If you're a fan of inclusive science fiction, the nominations are pretty exciting—which hasn't always been the case in recent years.
Finalists included some of the books, TV shows, and movies that Den of Geek has written about over the past year,...
Nominees include Black Panther, Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, The Expanse, Doctor Who, and more.
The Hugo Awards are amongst speculative fiction storytelling's most prestigious honors. Given out annually since 1953, the Hugos are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention (aka WorldCon), and are presented at the annual event. This year's WorldCon, WorldCon 77, will be held in Dublin on August 15-19.
Earlier today, the Hugo Awards finalists for 2019 were announced—alongside the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and the 1944 Retrospective Hugo Awards nominations.
read more: Den of Geek's Best Fiction Books of 2018
If you're a fan of inclusive science fiction, the nominations are pretty exciting—which hasn't always been the case in recent years.
Finalists included some of the books, TV shows, and movies that Den of Geek has written about over the past year,...
- 4/2/2019
- Den of Geek
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has announced the nominees for the 54th Annual Nebula Awards, including the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation, the Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book, and for the first time, the Nebula Award for Game Writing. The awards will be presented in Woodland Hills, CA at the Warner Center Marriott during a ceremony on the evening of May 18th.
2018 Nebula Award Finalists
Novel
The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager Us; Harper Voyager UK)Blackfish City, Sam J. Miller (Ecco; Orbit UK)Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (Del Rey; Macmillan)Witchmark, C.L. Polk (Tor.com Publishing)Trail of Lightning, Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga)
Novella
Fire Ant, Jonathan P. Brazee (Semper Fi)The Black God’s Drums, P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com Publishing)The Tea Master and the Detective,...
2018 Nebula Award Finalists
Novel
The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager Us; Harper Voyager UK)Blackfish City, Sam J. Miller (Ecco; Orbit UK)Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (Del Rey; Macmillan)Witchmark, C.L. Polk (Tor.com Publishing)Trail of Lightning, Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga)
Novella
Fire Ant, Jonathan P. Brazee (Semper Fi)The Black God’s Drums, P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com Publishing)The Tea Master and the Detective,...
- 2/20/2019
- by Glenn Hauman
- Comicmix.com
Alana Joli Abbott Feb 10, 2020
Our ongoing roundup of the best serial fiction out there has just been updated with lots of new entries!
Serial fiction has come a long way since Dickens was writing--and publishing--it in the 1800s. Whether they draw on the style of Dickens, modeling after that popular serial storytelling venue (your television), or playing a game of exquisite corpse, serials have come back in a big way, bringing bite sized chunks of prose to your e-reading device. Some are written by a team of writers in Hollywood style, some by a single author emulating that screen narrative format, and some by one author after another (and no one knows where the story will end until it does). Each of these writing styles brings a unique serial reading experience in a fantastic variety of genres. Whether your taste runs to historical fiction (Julian Fellowes's Belgravia), urban fantasy...
Our ongoing roundup of the best serial fiction out there has just been updated with lots of new entries!
Serial fiction has come a long way since Dickens was writing--and publishing--it in the 1800s. Whether they draw on the style of Dickens, modeling after that popular serial storytelling venue (your television), or playing a game of exquisite corpse, serials have come back in a big way, bringing bite sized chunks of prose to your e-reading device. Some are written by a team of writers in Hollywood style, some by a single author emulating that screen narrative format, and some by one author after another (and no one knows where the story will end until it does). Each of these writing styles brings a unique serial reading experience in a fantastic variety of genres. Whether your taste runs to historical fiction (Julian Fellowes's Belgravia), urban fantasy...
- 12/16/2015
- Den of Geek
Alana Joli Abbott Oct 11, 2018
Our ongoing roundup of the best serial fiction out there has just been updated with lots of new entries!
Serial fiction has come a long way since Dickens was writing--and publishing--it in the 1800s. Whether they draw on the style of Dickens, modeling after that popular serial storytelling venue (your television), or playing a game of exquisite corpse, serials have come back in a big way, bringing bite sized chunks of prose to your e-reading device. Some are written by a team of writers in Hollywood style, some by a single author emulating that screen narrative format, and some by one author after another (and no one knows where the story will end until it does). Each of these writing styles brings a unique serial reading experience in a fantastic variety of genres. Whether your taste runs to historical fiction (Julian Fellowes's Belgravia), urban fantasy...
Our ongoing roundup of the best serial fiction out there has just been updated with lots of new entries!
Serial fiction has come a long way since Dickens was writing--and publishing--it in the 1800s. Whether they draw on the style of Dickens, modeling after that popular serial storytelling venue (your television), or playing a game of exquisite corpse, serials have come back in a big way, bringing bite sized chunks of prose to your e-reading device. Some are written by a team of writers in Hollywood style, some by a single author emulating that screen narrative format, and some by one author after another (and no one knows where the story will end until it does). Each of these writing styles brings a unique serial reading experience in a fantastic variety of genres. Whether your taste runs to historical fiction (Julian Fellowes's Belgravia), urban fantasy...
- 12/16/2015
- Den of Geek
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