[Dan Wells] After the trilogy (SPOILERS)

[Inkthinker]

So, anyone have any idea if we'll see the future of John Cleaver? We're essentially left with the implication that he's being offered an opportunity to become a government-sanctioned demon-hunting sociopathic bad-chull, with Brooke to lead him to the next one based on her retained Nobody memories.

Is that story too... well-traveled? I could see it working well in a pitch (the "meets" are easy, it's Dexter meets The X-Files, or maybe the third season of Supernatural), but it's possible Dan hasn't got much interest in following that story any longer. Lord knows, he's probably tired of the Dexter comparisons, and we don't lack for stories about demon-hunting in modern supernatural fiction.

Now that John has a purpose, and the sacrifices of Marci and his mother have given him a sense of emotional value and personal worth, is there anything more to say with the character?

I'm also kinda sorry we didn't get more of Max (his whole arc kinda flattened out with a sour ending) or some closure with that jerkass Rob.

I'm curious to know if you guys would like to see more, or if there's any more that really needs to be seen?

Edited August 31, 2011 by Inkthinker

[Ryan]

IIRC, Dan posted on his blog something to the effect that he'd like to tell more stories in this world with these characters, but hasn't made public any specific plans. My impression of the ending is that he was leaving his options open for future books, but that for the moment at least he has other projects he'd like to pursue. That sounds about right to me; I want to see what else Dan comes up with, but I also hope we get to see more John Cleaver at some point.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

When I met Dan at CONduit (cuz I'm awesome like that, or just lucky) he said that he does want to revisit this world, but not necessarily from John's perspective. He said that the perspective of a sympathetic demon might being hunted might be interesting to see, but the problem with that is that if John is doing his job right then the demon would never know that they are being hunted at all. But it is something he wants to do at some point. It kind of comes across the way that Brandon talks about sequels to Elantris; it's something he wants to do, but there are other priorities that come first.

[Inkthinker]

It might be interesting to have the main character be a demon who discovers who John is before John realizes it... Brooke knows about demons and has some undetermined knowledge of their identities gleaned from Nobody, but since they're often (well, 2 out of 3) body-snatchers it's entirely possible that one could encounter either or both of them without them realizing it. And that's presuming that Brooke even sticks around, rather than transcribing everything she can about Nobody and then going into hiding, far away from John and anyone else.

So you could have a sympathetic demon that gets lucky, learning about John on the hunt and being forced to view John as the villain (not hard). We know that the demons are capable of acting in sympathetic ways (see Crowley), and it's possible that there's one who's "need" is something that allows them to act in a manner beneficial to humans or society at large.

I could dig that story, it'd be a neat twist.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Inkthinker

[RedBeardRaven]

I would enjoy another book from John's perspective. Although, I feel that it wouldn't be the same as John is changing into an emotional person. For me, if the next book would not follow this arch then it would feel as a betrayal to the last book.

John would have to then be confronted with his dark thoughts and rationalizing them while also sifting through new emotions. There wouldn't be so much Mr. Monster business going on or if there was then over 2/3 of the book would end up being all internal.

This would be on top of the awkward situation that Brooke and John would be placed into. But this does bring up an interesting idea. Brooke has this new found knowledge and first hand experience with the demons. Having her accompany John who would probably be some sort of traveling mortician/pathologist for/with the FBI would be nice because of our knowledge of how John's mind works and seeing it from the third person. Plus the difference of John/Brooke being on the offensive (leaving town and acting in new locations) while having the backing of a federal agency. All of this could make for another type of horror/suspense story coming from Brooke's perspective in the Cleaver Universe.

[J.H.McMullen]

The two obvious ones to me are to do it from Brooke's perspective--she's essentially saddled to someone who doesn't work right, and her knowledge (possibly outdated because she probably carries the image of him from the end of Mr. Monster, not what he becomes by the end of the third book) informs her actions, or from an agency person who is assigned to work with them.

The sympathetic demon one I wouldn't have come up with, but it's a nice twist: we already know that demons can become more human-like, more emotional, as they spend time on earth. (What if being sent to eart is actually meant for them as a time of rehabilitation, meant to make them more human-like? Store that: I don't think it works here, but there's something interesting about being sent as a demon but the intent is that you grow out of it.)

I think that body-snatchers are more likely to be caught -- they have to commit murders -- but they might not make the majority of demons.

[Inkthinker]

It might create an interesting element of tension for the Demon to be stalked by John without the Demon understanding the danger he's in, while the reader is fully cognizant of it.

[Aradel]

The demons would eventually catch on that somone (John) is exterminating them, so having a book about a demon who is aware of being hunted could work that way. If it's done right, we as readers won't know where or even who John is (if he uses a false name and disguise). I like the idea of watching from the perspective of a demon who checks under his bed for humans at night.

[Commander Spoonface]

I'd like to see more exploration of the different types of demons and the powers they have. I wonder if each one has a totally unique power if there are groups that all have the same one...