Utah author Marc J. Gregson on his debut novel Sky’s End—Part One of the Above the Black series
After Marc J. Gregson’s young adult novel Sky’s End dropped in January, it shot up the New York Times’ YA bestseller list. A surreal experience for an author whose book had uncertain beginnings that parallel the journey of the story’s protagonist.
“I feel like this book mirrors my artistic journey a little bit more than some of my other books,” says Utah author Gregson. Sky’s End is his sixth book but first-ever published work. After his fifth novel was rejected, Gregson was feeling frustrated. “So I wanted to write a character who was down on his luck and the underdog and trying to rise, so to speak.”
Gregson, an English teacher at Eastmont Middle School, started working on Sky’s End in 2016, determined to throw caution to the wind. “I’m not going to chase any trends in publishing,” he told himself. “I’m just going to write something I want to read and that I want to write. I’m just going to have fun with it and go crazy.”
He started pitching the book to agents that next year to no avail, when, “Finally in 2020, just as I was about to give up on it, an agent emailed me at midnight.” Eventually, publisher Peachtree Teen picked up the book as well as its forthcoming sequels in a trilogy called Above the Black.
The down-on-his-luck protagonist of the series is 16-year-old Conrad, who has lost almost everything. To protect what’s left, he has to prove himself by hunting “gorgantauns.” Sky’s End is set in a world of floating islands that are terrorized by these gigantic steel-scaled sky serpents.
“They fight back against these beasts with skyships,” explains Gregson, each skyship crew trying to slay the most. “It’s kind of like a deadly competition—sort of in the vibe of Hunger Games or Red Rising.” Beyond the action in the sky, Conrad faces dangerous political machinations and intrigue.
Critical praise for the book has been glowing, but Gregson finds the response from readers the most humbling. “I have a lot of students who have read the book. We read the first ten minutes of class, and three of my students in the class were reading it.” Other students chose Sky’s End for their book reports. “I had a student who came into my room after school just to talk to me about Sky’s End.”
One fan drove from Logan to a book signing in Orem, and some adult male readers have told Gregson that Sky’s End is the first book that they have read since high school. “That makes me excited and proud, especially as an English teacher,” says Gregson. “It’s a battle that I’m fighting all the time—trying to get kids to read can be challenging. It excites me that several people are connecting with the book for different reasons and reading.”
The next book in the Above the Black series, Among Serpents, is slated for a January 2025 release.
Sky’s End Movie Deal
Sky’s End is now on track to have a film adaptation. Gregson announced the news on Instagram, saying, “I need to sit down. This really is unbelievably exciting, and I’ve been eager to share these wonderful details with all of you. I hope you’ll all jump up and down and cheer and celebrate with me! Imagine the floating islands, the giant monsters, the thrilling hunts, the bloody duels and Conrad facing down his enemies.”
Deadline reports that director Antoine Fuqua and his production company Hill District Media will develop and produce a feature adaptation of the New York Times bestseller. Kat Samick will produce the feature adaptation for Hill District Media, alongside Justin Bursch and Sam Levine. Bob Higgins will executive produce on behalf of Trustbridge Entertainment, which acquired all dramatic rights to the book from Peachtree Teen, an imprint of Peachtree Publishing Company.
Higgins told Deadline, “Hill District was at the top of our partner wish list. Antoine Fuqua has an unparalleled track record for telling stories with fascinating but flawed heroes, complex relationships, high stakes and, often, big action. It’s a perfect match.” Hill District Media has produced movies as The Magnificent Seven, The Equalizer franchise and Brooklyn’s Finest.
“The teams at Hill District Media and Trustbridge Entertainment are author focused, and I’m heartened that Marc will be involved in developing the book for the screen,” said Peachtree’s Subsidiary Rights Director Farah Géhy. “This collaboration will make for an amazing film.”
“I genuinely cannot wait for readers to see the world of the Skylands—with its horrifying monsters, epic battles, and memorable characters—come to life on the big screen,” said Gregson on the film deal.
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