In
the summer of 1995, Steve sat down in front of an old fashioned
word processor to write the opening chapter of the manuscript that
would eventually become known as MEG: a Novel of Deep Terror. Despite
a Doctorate degree, Steve was working as a door-to-door salesman
selling water treatment equipment. Since he already had a day job,
the only hours available for him to work were from ten at night
until three in the morning, and weekends.
In the winter of '96, Steve had sold his prize possession, a 1971
Chevy Malibu convertible his father had given him, in order to pay
Ken Atchity of AEI
for the editing fees. By that spring, Steve had given up selling
water treatment equipment and had taken a job as a sales manager
of a meat company.
In May, Ken Atchity took the first 100 pages of MEG and a treatment
for the story to Disney Pictures, via Ken's co-producer Warren Zide
(American Pie). Disney loved it and took the project off the market.
During the six months it took to iron the deal out, Steve continued
working on the manuscript, finally finishing it that September.
Friday, September the 13th, 1996, Steve went to the meat plant,
only to learn his entire staff and him had been fired. He had about
$48 in the bank and the rent was due, not to mention his family
expenses (his wife and three kids).
Less than a week later, Ken Atchity took the manuscript of MEG to
the biggest publishing houses in New York. Suddenly, a bidding war
began. A day later they had sold MEG and the concept for what would
eventually become DOMAIN (to be released in February 2001 by TOR
BOOKS) to Doubleday for a seven figure, two-book deal.
Fate: from DOMAIN and MEG MOVIE
to THE TRENCH and no movie
The second book in the Doubleday book deal was canceled due to creative
differences. After fifteen months working seven days a week on DOMAIN
and five drafts, Steve set out to write the MEG sequel for a new
publisher (Kensington/Zebra/Pinnacle).
Meanwhile, associates at Disney connected to the MEG MOVIE project
began taking jobs at other studios. And then Godzilla came out.
Since Hollywood tracks trends, the fact that one monster movie had
bombed did not fair well for the one waiting to be green lighted.
MEG never got out of the starting gate. AEI
and Steve Alten have since retained the movie rights to MEG and
are currently attempting to renew interest in the project.
In 1999, Kensington released THE TRENCH, the thrilling sequel to
MEG, on hardcover. The highly awaited continuation of the MEG series
is now available from Pinnacle Books in paperback everywhere. Jonas
Taylor, the hero of MEG, returns to face his prehistoric nemesis
in this deep-sea terror.
© 2000 Steve Alten. All rights reserved. |
