Here’s Why I Can’t Answer Certain Questions You Have About My Books

Hi everyone –

I have been deluged with questions since Spy School Revolution came out, and while I have been doing my best to answer them, I have noticed that there are categories of questions that come up again and again.  So rather than answering them repeatedly, I figured I’d try to address them in a blog post.

Category One:  Questions about what is going to happen in future books

This is the type of question I get asked the most and there’s a simple reason why I feel it would be better not to answer them: Because it will ruin future surprises in the books for you — and this ruin some of the fun of reading those books.

You hate spoilers, right?  Well, asking me to tell you who Ben Ripley will end up with — or whether or not a character you like is going to reappear in a future book — or really anything about the future of any series — is asking me to spoil something for you.  I know you want to find out what’s in store, but I promise you, the less you know about what’s coming, the more fun the read will be.

Category Two: Questions about things that didn’t get answered in the books

If I didn’t share a piece of information with you in the book, that wasn’t an oversight.  It’s because I didn’t want to share that piece of information.  Often, this is because I’m saving it to reveal in another book.

For example, I know there are some questions left at the end of SSR.  But if I had wanted to answer those questions, I would have.  I promise, they will eventually be answered — although I think most of you could probably make very educated guesses about what happened.

Category Three: Questions about obscure things

An author can’t possibly tell you every single thing that happened to every single character over the course of their lives.  Honestly, we can’t possibly even imagine all those things.  We have to leave many things out of the story.  So if you’re writing to ask what happened to a character after the Moon Base Alpha series ended — or what a character likes for breakfast — or when a character’s birthday is — or whether someone likes cats or dogs better — the answer is honestly: I don’t know.  Whatever you imagine the answer to be is good enough for me.

Category Four: Questions about what my characters look like

I get a lot of requests to specifically describe characters which is because I didn’t specifically describe many of them in my books.  That’s because, frankly, I don’t think extremely specific character descriptions are very helpful.  My own experience is that, no matter how specifically a character is described, I probably imagine them the way I want to anyhow.  So I’m pretty sure that you do the same.  Therefore, whatever you imagine a character to look like is what they look like.

Now, this doesn’t really work for graphic novels or movies.  You will very obviously see the characters in the graphic novels, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that is the only way they can look.  It’s just one version.  The chances are very slim that any character will look exactly as you imagined them in the graphic novel — or the movie.  There is nothing i or anyone else can do about this.  That’s just the way things are.  Try not to be disappointed.

And finally, this is probably the question I get asked more than any other, even though it is answered elsewhere on this site:

Category Five: Questions about how many books will be in each series

I can’t answer a question I don’t know the answer to.  And right now, I do not know how long each series will go.  Sorry.

 

49 thoughts on “Here’s Why I Can’t Answer Certain Questions You Have About My Books

  1. Hey mr gibbs I’m a big fan of your books I and I was wondering what book did you enjoy writing the most like what was your favorite book you’ve written

  2. Cesar –

    Like most authors, I don’t have a favorite book of my own. When you spend several years working on every single book you write, it is very hard to say that one is better than any of the others.

  3. I have a story about your books so I was a Harry Potter fan and I judged your books by their covers *never do that* but then I started reading them and I passed my brothers in reading the books and I finished all of the books before them. KEEP DOING THE GOOD WORK YOU ARE DOING!!!!

  4. Have you ever gotten a really good idea from a fan and incorporated it into the books? Also is Ben, Teddy, Charlie, Dash, and Greg in the same timeline(before Greg went back in time.)?

  5. David –

    As a general policy, I do not solicit or accept ideas from fans.

    I do not consider that all my books are in the same universe.

  6. David –

    Recently someone asked me what my third favorite dinosaur was. I wouldn’t say that question was crazy, but it was certainly original.

  7. Hi
    I’m a big fan of your books. You are a great author I love The fun jungle series and The spy school series. You are awesome
    -Sara

  8. Mr. Gibbs what will the next fun jungle book be coming out.i have a siged copy of charlie thorne and the last equation that i tresure

  9. beckham –

    I will not be releasing any information on the next FJ for many months, as i am still working on the book.

  10. Hey Mr. Gibbs
    In ESS Alexander was riding a boat while fleeing, but in SSAS he afraid of the ocean. Did something happen to him during the time?

  11. Hi –

    As far as I recall, Alexander has never been afraid of the ocean. Seasick, maybe. But not afraid.

  12. For obvious reasons, you try to keep your personal life a secret. For your sake, i will not share my discoveries here

  13. Dear Mr. GIbbs,

    Out of these book series,(assuming you have read them,) which do you prefer? Keeper Of The Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger, Percy Jackson and The Olympians by Rick Riordan, or Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling?

  14. Are the first years, Dashiell and Violet, wet met in Spy School the same characters from the MBA series?

  15. Dylan –

    SS takes place in the current day and the first years are in the same class. MBA takes place in 2041 and Dashiell and Violet are siblings separated by six years. So now, they are not the same characters.

  16. Do you have any ideas for the new title of FJ9 ? I’m sorry if I ask too many questions about FJ9, I’m just very very very excited about the book.

  17. david –

    Do not expect me to announce the title of FJ9 for several months.

  18. Hi Mr. Gibbs,
    I was wondering if you had a favorite childhood author growing up? If so, who?

  19. Taylor –

    I had many favorite authors, such as Ellen Raskin, Donald J Sobel, Roald Dahl and Shel Silverstein.

  20. Hello Mr. Gibbs, First things first, I just want to say that I am a huge fan of the SS series and although I haven’t read ur other series, I assume they will be as good as the SS series. Second, at some point in either the SS series or the Charlie Thorne series will one or the other will at least be mentioned?

  21. S –

    I am not planning a crossover between any of my series at this time — although if I were to ever plant a mention of one series in another, I prefer tonot make those public and leave it to my fans to notice them.

  22. I love your books so much and I’m wondering how to get the 2nt and 3rd musketeer books

  23. Agent Word –

    All the Musketeer books (and any book I have written) is available wherever you buy books. If you go to the Books page on this very site, each book has its own page with a link to purchase. (Though I encourage people to shop at your local, independent bookstore. If they don’t have a book that you want, you can just sk them to order it for you. They will be happy to do that.)

  24. Hi Stuart, I’m a big fan I’m just wondering if there will be another fun jungle book? Also is there ever going to be cross references like Ben is friends with Teddy? I sure hope so! Ps right me back! Thanks

    James Kelley

  25. James Kelley –

    If you look in the upcoming releases box on every page of this website, you will find the answer to your first question.

    As for your second question, I have no plans for a crossover at this time. If you are looking for actual cross references, at least one might have appeared in one of my books at some point.

  26. To those who continue to ask about crossovers, there are some cameos from different places and whatnot in both SS and FJ, but no plans for Teddy and Ben meeting are in place. Mr. Gibbs, you can correct me if you’d like. Also, I love your books. Keep up the amazing work.

  27. A thought crossed my mind when I was reading SSPX. Was it intentional to make Project X the 10th book because “X” is the Roman numeral for 10? I didn’t know if it was a little Easter egg or just a coincidence.

  28. Soph –

    That was completely my intention. It was not a coincidence. Very astute of you to notice that.

  29. Hey Stuart Gibbs, I love your books and I have every book you make on my bookshelf. I love what you do. Keep doing the good work. Thanks.
    P.S. Can´t wait for the new funjungle book.

  30. Vedant Bhatia –

    I do not use AI to do any of my writing. I do not use it for my books and I do not use it to respond to comments.

  31. Dear Mr. Gibbs-
    I am writing a book about detectives and I want to ask you if it is okay for you me to like add references to your books and that the characters from SS and my book be in the same universe and at one point meet.

  32. Celto –

    If you are doing something just for fin, that’s fine. But, sorry to say, my characters are my intellectual property, so you can;t put them in a story that you are hoping to publish. You can mention my books themselves in a book or story (James Patterson has done that) but can’t have my characters appear.

  33. hi Stuart Gibbs
    I love your book and have every single one!
    I can’t wait to read, ALL EARS, and SPY SKI SCHOOL GN!
    do you have any hints on what Spy school 13 is ?

  34. Christopher G –

    Details on SS13 will be coming soon. Stay tuned to my blog for details.

  35. Dear Mr Gibbs-

    Okay, but can I mention the characters and have my character have some of your characters traits (like my main character is also dorky like ben but isn’t a math genius but is smart and can figure out the bad guys plot)

    I await your response
    Sincerely
    Celto

  36. Thank you and can I add references to your character and sahil hey exist in the same timeline and Erica and my character are cousins or friends
    Thank you

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