Bradleigh-Ann Walker
Staff Writer
Star of cult sci-fi show The X-Files Gillian Anderson is reviving her love of science fiction, which started with her love for film and continued into her now iconic role of Dana Scully in the classic Fox show which ran for nearly a decade.
Now, Anderson is taking the next step—becoming an author.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Simon & Schuster is introducing a new imprint later this year for literary and speculative fiction called Simon451, an ode to Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451.
Anderson’s series, written with New York Times bestselling author Jeff Rovin, is called EarthEnd Saga and will debut through the new venture.
The protagonist of the first novel A Vision of Fire is child psychiatrist Caitlin O’Hara whose life is changed when she starts treating one particular young girl.
“Over the course of spending time and helping her and investigating the origins of the girl’s trauma, Caitlin begins to realize that the girl’s behavior is tied to much greater forces in the universe, and as the story unfolds, she must prevent destruction on a grand scale,” Anderson explained.
She also opened up about where her love for science fiction began, and what the writing process was like.
“I don’t think I realized or even admitted to myself how much I like science fiction films, which literally began with Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” she said. “I enjoy writing, but don’t usually allow myself the time, and I don’t think I’d ever think to write something in this genre without the prodding of someone like Jeff. But I realized I had ideas hidden within me for a series and a lead character, in this case, a heroine. After nine years of living in a semi-science-fictional universe [while on The X Files], I think I now have an ingrained knowledge and rhythm for it.”
Until the publication of the novel, Anderson is still busy with several TV roles.
Her new NBC drama Crisis premieres on March 16, and she’ll be guest starring in the network’s thriller Hannibal this spring. In addition, she begins shooting for the second season of psychological thriller The Fall in the UK later this year.
Look out for A Vision of Fire when it is published in October.
