When USA Today released its list of the Top 100 Selling Books in 2010, there were few surprises. Sales of vampire lit and associated genres may have dipped, but sitting there predictably at numbers 1, 2 and 3 were Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy (George W. Bush’s memoir Decision Points was at number 4).
Now comes news that Larsson’s partner Eva Gabrielsson has plans to write a fourth instalment to the series. Gabrielsson was famously deprived of a share of Larsson’s vast posthumous estate after the author (whose diet is said to have consisted mostly of hamburgers) died unexpectedly at the age of 50. Larsson’s will was declared invalid and his estate was inherited by his father and his brother.
Although unattributed, Eva Gabrielsson is believed to have played a major part in authoring the first three books. At the time of his death, Larsson left notes for a fourth title. However, any plans to publish another instalment of the Lisbeth Salander series will require the approval of the Larsson estate (i.e. the aforementioned father and brother), which own the rights to all of Larsson’s work. So far they have indicated they have “no intention” of publishing any more titles.