With the Minecraft movie hitting theaters in 2019, it’s no surprise that the insanely popular video game has sparked another tie-in: books! Mojang, publisher of Minecraft, announced Minecraft: The Island, the first novel inspired by this iconic world: “Think cuboid Robinson Crusoe, but madder: a hero stranded in an unfamiliar land, with unfamiliar rules, learning to survive against tremendous odds.” Max Brooks, author of the acclaimed oral history of the zombie war World War Z, will write the novel, which will be published by Del Rey.
“I’m very excited to be part of this new venture,” Brooks said in a press release. “Finally I can justify all those hours I’ve spent playing Minecraft.”
Lydia Winter, Brand Director of Mojang, echoed the sentiment: “From our first meeting with Max, we knew he would be a perfect fit for our first foray into novels based on Minecraft. His enthusiasm and understanding of all things related to the game bring out the sense of wonder and possibility that so many players love about Minecraft—ourselves included.”
And on the publishing side, Keith Clayton, VP, Associate Publisher at Del Rey, said, “We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the fantastic team at Mojang on what will be the first ever official Minecraft novels, and we’re so fortunate to have someone of Max’s incredible talent and passion on board for the launch of the series.”
