#next thing you tell me el regalo will get its own offshoot too

[titles-for-tangents]

STRAP IN KIDS, THIS ONE’S GOT LORE

I cannot begin to tell you how fantastic this news is, because Beagle’s been unable to publish this one and has had it on the backburner for over fifteen years now. I’m Afraid You Got Dragons was originally supposed to have an Amazon release date of August 16, 2007, but as one reviewer in 2009 noted, “When this book first appeared in catalogues, I tried to order it. After some effort, I spoke with the publisher,” - alternatively listed across the internet as Puffin, Penguin Books, and Firebird - “who said that Beagle had withdrawn the book and it was never published. What a terrible shame! With that content summary, it would have been a fantastic Beagle story. Hopefully he will reconsider.” I wonder if we’ll get the original text or if he’s rewriting it? Either way I hope that Amazon reviewer hears the good news soon.

Per the 2007 description on Amazon:

“Dragons are common in the backwater kingdom of Bellemontagne, coming in sizes from mouse-like vermin all the way up to castle-smashing monsters. Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax (who would much rather people just call him Robert) has recently inherited his deceased dad’’s job as a dragon catcher/exterminator, a career he detests with all his heart —in part because he likes dragons, feeling an odd kinship with them, but mainly because his dream has always been the impossible one of transcending his humble origin to someday become a prince’’s valet. Needless to say, fate has something rather different in mind...”

Like described above, The Bookseller notes a similar premise and that Gollancz will publish it alongside Saga Press (S&S) in 2024. AM HYPE

For the sake of media preservation here is the original, rad as hell cover art by Justin Sweet:

And the full version via John ONeill at blackgate.com:

I can’t wait to see what the new art will look like. All of the cover art for Beagle’s books is so contemplative and beautiful.

ONeill further notes that since the book was never published, no physical copies of it exist. He states, “The closest I’ve come to finding an explanation is this brief note at the bottom of an excerpt from the novel at Green Man Review, quoting a defunct section of Beagle’s website:

“’The story was originally supposed to be a 40,000 word novella, no longer. But it grew. The first draft came in at more than twice that: nearly 90,000 words…I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons was originally contracted to Firebird Books, and announced for a Summer 2007 release — but completion of the final draft was delayed as the manuscript insisted on growing, and because of time lost to unavoidable family issues, so the book was rescheduled for Summer 2008. Before it could be turned in, however, a serious business conflict came up between Peter and Penguin USA over the 40th Anniversary Edition of The Last Unicorn. This ultimately led Peter to conclude that after many years of association with Penguin imprints it was time to move on. Since Firebird was a Penguin imprint, that meant pulling I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons.’

“The site also notes that publication is likely in 2008 or early 2009 from Conlan Press, where ‘Peter will have the control over the book that he wants.’ But that never happened.”

ONeill wrote that article back in 2015, the same year Beagle sued his former manager at Conlan Press for a litany of serious claims. Six years later in 2021 Beagle finally regained the rights to his intellectual property, and if his bibliography on Wikipedia is to be believed, he’s been on a spree ever since following up on his various, previous works. I’m not just referring to The Way Home, the sequel novella to Two Hearts; Beagle is supposedly rewriting and expanding The Folk of the Air and turning his novella The Unicorn Sonata into a 4-part book series. HOLY SHIT. And we get an announcement the never-before-been-published I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons IS GOING TO GET PUBLISHED?!

The fact that A Fine and Private Place and The Innkeeper’s Song are getting reissues too is incredible; it appears Neil Gaiman will do a forward for the former, which he’s previously gone on record to describe as his, “I’d-wish-I’d-written-that-first” novel. Which is to say he must be over the moon. Hopefully we’ll see other future reissues too, like Tamsin, Return, and A Dance for Emilia.

Me when I finally get a physical copy of I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons:

Brace yourselves, Beagle fans, we have some big news coming today.