[Abyss]

From Reddit ... brace yourselves this one's good....

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****** I don't think there are any real spoilers in this post, but mods please change the flair if you disagree. I'm about 25% through NLF, so no spoilers beyond that please and thank you.******

Last night I went to the launch of No Life Forsaken, at Munro's Books in Victoria (Canada). Steve had planned on doing a reading, but opted for about 90 minutes of Q&A and essentially just chatting instead.

If you've watched any of his interviews before, it wasn't dissimilar from a given one of those: questions about inspiration, his approach to writing, the ttrpg background of the world and stories, favourite characters, etc. He comes across as a very genuine guy, and he stuck around for a bit after to shake hands and sign books.

Some highlights and interesting bits:

- Walk in Shadow is very close to hitting the publisher's desk. It's going to be a large book.

- There is a non-zero chance that Kallor might get his own book (?!)

- A standalone, non-Malazan book is being published by Subterranean Press; it's science fiction.

- Legacies of Betrayal (Witness #3) is all, or almost entirely, focused on marine squads.

- Witness #4 is (at least tentatively) titled The Last God. Karsa will make an appearance.

- The third collection of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach is still coming, likely after Walk in Shadow and Legacies of Betrayal.

- Ian Esslemont's fifth Path to Ascendancy book is very nearly ready for publication.

- After the current in-progress series are finished (Witness, Kharkanas, B&KB, PtA), both authors will be done writing stories in the Malazan world.

- After completing The Crippled God in 2011, Erikson took a week off writing, read the collected works of Shakespeare, and then started work on Forge of Darkness. Unreal.

It was a great way to spend an evening and I hope he does more of these with Munro's. I'm happy to try and answer any questions.

[worry]

Fantastic (tentative) title to Witness #4.

[Abyss]

worry, on 05 February 2026 - 06:38 PM, said:

Fantastic (tentative) title to Witness #4.

And i'm giggling that Karsa might maybe just show up by then.

[ArchieVist]

Don't forget this detail that appeared in the comments from another attendee:

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One more thing to add about The Last God:

Somebody asked if Kruppe was Azathanai, and Erikson said no, but when the questioner followed up by asking if he was just a regular person, Erikson stated he can't answer that, as it's a topic in The Last God.

[Abyss]

ArchieVist, on 05 February 2026 - 07:46 PM, said:

Don't forget this detail that appeared in the comments from another attendee:

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One more thing to add about The Last God:

Somebody asked if Kruppe was Azathanai, and Erikson said no, but when the questioner followed up by asking if he was just a regular person, Erikson stated he can't answer that, as it's a topic in The Last God.

Mind <- BLOWN!

[QuickTidal]

I think we all know he's fat greasy dragon.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

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After the current in-progress series are finished (Witness, Kharkanas, B&KB, PtA), both authors will be done writing stories in the Malazan world.

Please, sir, may we have some more?

[Abyss]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 06 February 2026 - 04:30 PM, said:

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After the current in-progress series are finished (Witness, Kharkanas, B&KB, PtA), both authors will be done writing stories in the Malazan world.

Please, sir, may we have some more?

There's the hint about a Kallor book. Obvs either author could plan that as part of their current sets, but even so..

[worry]

I wonder if ICE will include any Shal-Morzinn content in Path to Ascendancy before it's all over.

[ArchieVist]

A few years ago, Erikson said he was working on an Avas Didion Flicker novella, putting the assassin/poet in a kind of Hercules Poirot English manor murder mystery. I'd still like to see that.

Also, Esslemont has mentioned he'd like to do science fiction next. I wouldn't mind reading that either.

[Abyss]

ArchieVist, on 06 February 2026 - 05:22 PM, said:

A few years ago, Erikson said he was working on an Avas Didion Flicker novella, putting the assassin/poet in a kind of Hercules Poirot English manor murder mystery. I'd still like to see that.

Also, Esslemont has mentioned he'd like to do science fiction next. I wouldn't mind reading that either.

I ack i'm in a minority but i enjoyed the hell out of A KNIFE and wouldn't mind seeing more hard sf out of SE. I'm in for whatever he writes, but from what we've seen between KNIFE and WILLFUL CHILD i suspect that if he dug in we could get the Malazan sf equivalent and i'd love to read that.

ICE has only written (published) Malazan so far, i'd be open to whatever he cared to try.

[Tsundoku]

QuickTidal, on 06 February 2026 - 03:10 PM, said:

I think we all know he's fat greasy dragon.

Loved his cameo in D&D: Honour Among Thieves.

[Abyss]

Tsundoku, on 06 February 2026 - 08:50 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 06 February 2026 - 03:10 PM, said:

I think we all know he's fat greasy dragon.

Loved his cameo in D&D: Honour Among Thieves.

HE WAS SO CUTE

[amphibian]

Thank you for the big update. I am a long way behind on Malazan universe books and will enjoy catching up with so many ahead.

[Keysi]

 Abyss, on 06 February 2026 - 04:43 PM, said:

 Whisperzzzzzzz, on 06 February 2026 - 04:30 PM, said:

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After the current in-progress series are finished (Witness, Kharkanas, B&KB, PtA), both authors will be done writing stories in the Malazan world.

Please, sir, may we have some more?

There's the hint about a Kallor book. Obvs either author could plan that as part of their current sets, but even so..

I've always wanted a book/s on the human First Empire and Dessimbelackis and First Heroes (someone once mentioned Steve riled this out, anyone got a link to the primary source for this by any chance please?), but hey if there's a Kallor book then maybe that thag will have stiff to do with those. Also, a Kallor dedicated book is even better anyway so fuck yeah.