Some of you might know that back in the early ’90s I wrote seven Indiana Jones novels, starting with The Last Crusade, then backtracking to the 1920s when Indy was just starting his career as an archaeologist. A few years ago, I was asked by LucasArts and Del Rey Books to write another Indy novel. I thought it was going to relate to the new movie, but instead it turned out to be connected to the sketchy story of a new Indiana Jones video game. I took the project and developed the story into a novel, much of which naturally diverged from the game scenario. It was a novel, after all.
The game and the novel, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, were supposed to come out in June ’08 simultaneously with the new movie. But that didn’t happen. As my editor at Del Rey said, no video game has ever been finished ahead of the deadline, and many are delayed. And so it was with the Staff of Kings. Consequently, the novel was also delayed, first to the fall of ’08, then the spring of ’09. Then, I was told of a shake up within LucasFilm and the game was pushed back to June of 2010.
(There is actually synchronicity coming here. It just takes some explaining to get to it.)
Then another twist. In March, I heard rumblings that the game was coming out this June. I figured it was a false rumor, or wishful thinking by fan-aticals. 😉 Then last week I was told by my editor that yes, the game indeed was being released in June using the old game platform, rather than the long-planned new version. At the same time, LucasArts cancelled my novel because it wasn’t scheduled for publication for another year and would miss out on the publicity related to the game release. Ironic, since I’d completed the novel ahead of my deadline.
Since I’ve gotten numerous inquiries from Indy fans about this novel, I told the web master of an Indy fan site about the turn of events. He wrote back Wednesday evening saying that he and others wanted to start a letter-writing campaign and petition drive to get LucasArts to release the novel.
So here comes the synchronicity. I was thinking about that idea Wednesday evening when another e-mail arrives with a request that I write a letter and sign a petition to keep UFO Hunters on the air for another season. Of course that caught my attention, not only because of the matter of a petition, but also because of my recent involvement (or lack of it) with an episode filmed on Andros Island. So it was synchronicity of dual (or dueling) petitions.
Here are the links: UFO Hunter campaign
and the online petition.
I requested that no petition for the Indy novel be made public until June 1. That’s an astrological thing, and also puts it closer to the release of the game.
Rob
UPDATE 6/1/09: Here’s the Indy petition. Feel free to sign!
Wow! Seventy-one signers on the petition after one day! Thanks all.
Sorry, David. Nothing new. If there's any interest in publishing Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, I haven't heard about it.
Rob
Just wondering if their are any updates regarding the book being published.
I wrote Howard Roffman, president of LucasFilm, responding to his comments about the book. Here's his response:
Dear Rob,
I'm glad that you wrote to me. Upon checking further, I see that I was given some inaccurate information. I am truly sorry if I created any impression that you did not deliver on time, and rest assured that I will not make any such implication in any further correspondence with fans.
You've done great work for us and I would not want to see anything disturb the good relationship we have enjoyed.
All the best,
Howard
Thanks for that. That is incredible, Joe. That novel was completed in the fall of 2007, then re-worked in early '08 following editorial notes from the editor Shelly Shapiro. I submitted the book May 28, 2008. She called it greatly improved in an e-mail.
At first, I was told the game and book would come out in June of 2009, then later was told it was delayed until June 2010.
I wrote S.S. in February '09 about news that the release date for the game was June '09. On April 3, she wrote back and said the game was still coming out in June 2010. So the manuscript rested on the editor's desk for more than a year. It seems that the book publisher was unaware of what the game publisher was doing–even though it was on the Internet, including a trailer.
I'm sending your e-mail to the editor asking for an explanation. I'm also going to write Howard Roffman and explain my side of the story.
You could write the editor in chief of Del Rey Book, if you like. Here's the address:
Betsy Mitchell, Editor in chief
Del Rey Books
1745 Broadway
18th Floor
New York NY 10019
Hi Rob, Lucas Licensing returned my check, with a note from President Howard Roffman. It reads, in part: "Unfortunately, the novel was not completed in time to publish when the game released and the publisher made the decision to cancel the book." I'm not ready to give up; is there someone at Del Rey I could appeal to?
Thanks, David. I hope the letters trigger a change of heart. – Rob
Just sent my two page letter off to Lucas. I really want to get your book published. Big fan of your work!
Lol! Thanks, Joe. I don't know if that check will impress them, but at least you will make your point. Let me know if they cash it! I'm sending a copy of your note to my editor at Del Rey. I think she'll get a kick out of it.
My theory is that Lucasfilm was counting on gamers to pick up the book when they bought the game, and since last minute scheduling changes prevented the book from appearing on store shelves in time for the game's release, the marketing gurus determined nobody would buy it. My letter attempting to persuade them otherwise should be arriving in their mailbox any day now. I even enclosed a check for twenty bucks, just to prove that there is still an audience out there willing to open their wallets for this book. Fingers crossed!
It's hard to figure. Keep in mind the Lucas rejected several scripts by top screenwriters over the years before he found the one he liked for Kingdom of the Skulls. But in my case, it's not a matter of the manuscript being rejected. It's something else.
You'd think a completed novel would at least be marketable as a pre-order book. You make just as many copies as fans want. Then you have a rarity as a collectible. Regardless, in today's e-book age. A completed book can make money for lucas and you without printing costs. Oh well, I guess good business practices are not lucasarts fortay.
Thanks, Chris.
Hopefully we can get your novel published so we can all read about how you tried to make sense of the dubious issue of Mayans in Panama. I figured you would have a problem with that cause in previous Indy novels you wrote about the Mayan civilization with obvious knowledge on their culture. I know Indy is fiction but the legends the stories deal with should try to fit with actual history. Anyway i may write a letter and hopefully others on theraider.net will write letters as well.
Chris,
The Mayans in Panama…boy, I had trouble with that twist in the tale. I had to make up a scenario about why it was there.
Ultimately, it fit into the story, since this pyramid was unusual and unknown–outside the realm of the known Mayan territory, which I emphasized. But it was a stretch and extended beyond the boundaries of what George Lucas usually favors in Indy sagas. In other words, if it's a legend, it's a supposed to be based on reality, not a fabricated tale.
I see the petition has 523 signatures now. I don't think that's going to impress George and company. But it can't hurt. More effective might be snail-mail letters.
If anyone who wants to send one, here's the address:
George Lucas
Lucasfilm
P.O. Box 29901
San Francisco, CA 94129
Thanks, Rob
I´m a big fan of novels that came out in 90´s, written by Rob MacGregor na Max McCoy. I´m also reading one of them at the moment : ) They are simply fantastic nad really entertaining – that´s why I signed the petition.
The petition is at 497. Here's still hoping for the book to be publihed and hoping that the recent Indy 5 news didn't have anything to do with the cancellation.
THE PETITION IS BACK UP!!!!!
Hi Rob, i emailed you the other day and signed your petition. Hopefully Lucasarts will reconsider. Hopefully your version of the story left out some of the silly elements of the video game such as Mayans in Panama.
the website hosting the petition was hit with a virus. As soon as the problem is resolved, the petition will continue.
Now don't be too hasty – looks like the website may just be down for maintenance. I'm waiting to hear back from the site administrator.
Besides, shutting down a petition could be construed as a violation of one's first amendment rights. Which would look very negative, so I think its all ok. Unless the publisher may have noted otherwise to the author…
The petition online and the facebook petition group are both gone courtesy of Lucas and his lawyers.
Good luck Rob, btw I love your work. Sorry you have to encounter grief like this.
Now over 400 signatures – almost 500 in just one day!
Petition just jumped to over 300 signatures!
The petition is up to 130 signatures. Maybe if we play our cards right, we can get Hitler to sign it. That guy will sign ANYTHING! 🙂
I sent the petition to the Indy editor at Del Rey tonight. She wrote back: "That's kind of cool."
Yeah, it would be kind of cool if they published the book, too.
118 and counting… I predict a surge of signatures after the game premieres next week. Keep' em coming, folks. 🙂
today i went to my bookstore and asked about the Staff of Kings novel and was told that it wasn't in the system and not even on Amazon.. and then i came here and found out the story. i'm now on the petition!
Thanks, Shipwreck. Fortune and glory, yes, and getting the novel back on track. – Rob
Here’s to fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory…
I wish I could remember… maybe I should get in touch with my cousins and see if they still have them.
Thanks for the answer! :o)
They were marketed as adult novels, though they were – and still are – popular among teens. There were other, shorter stories, written by other authors, that were young adult novels.
May I ask, were those Indian Jones novels geared towards a younger audience or an older one? Because I have distinct memory of reading several Indiana Jones novels as a teenager in the early 90s (books were a big relief on many a road and camping trip, but I can’t remember the details other than I really enjoyed them and then passed them along to some younger cousins since I thought it would help motivate them to read more.
Good luck with the latest, hope it pans out!
Got it & working on it!
Hope you get my e-mail
I tried to find a contact email on your site, but didn’t see one. Can you drop me an email with more info about this issue? I think I understand what you’re referring to, but want to be sure.
– Trish
Very strange “issues” that began when I was pregnant with my daughter – which she does not know about. Now she posted something very strange the other day that has me worried. Do you happen to know anyone in the field that I could talk to?
I will check out the program on the History Channel – thanks for the tip.
It’s on the History Channel. Great show. A nice balance between huh and oh wow – ie, skepticism and belief. What kinds of “weird goings on?”
Wow! Indiana Jones? Love those stories. I have to ask about the UFO Hunters – is that on television? I’ll check out your link – I’m doing a little investigating since I’ve had some really weird goings on…
Thank you, Gypsy Woman for the kind words on your blog. – Rob
https://thegypsytraveljournal.blogspot.com