Where Has Katja Millay Gone?- A Discussion

For the uninitiated, Katja is the author of The Sea of Tranquility. It was published in 2012, and the cover looks like this:

It might look like this if you nabbed a self-published copy before Atria got ahold of it:

It is NOT to be confused with Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, published in 2022. That one looks like this:

Okay? Everyone caught up? If you haven’t yet read Katja’s book, I beg of you, run and get it right now. I have somehow never reviewed it, but it’s been on almost every Top Ten list I’ve ever done.

Top Ten Books I Could Re-read Forever? Check. I also admit that I bought my first Kindle for the sole purpose of reading this book over and over.

Top Ten Characters I Didn’t Like That Were In Favorite Books? Check. Drew is both the worst and the best.

Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time? Check. Whining all the way back in 2018 that Katja has never published again.

Top Ten Hidden Gems? Check! More complaining about only one book.

Top Ten Standalone Books that Deserve a Sequel? Check. Would like to know where all the characters are now, and also would like another book from Katja.

Top Ten Memorable Things Characters Have Said? Check. A quote from Drew that I’ve always liked.

Top Ten Characters I’d Love an Update On? Check. For mainly the same reason it’s on the sequel list.

Top Ten Books I Enjoyed but Never Reviewed? Check. Lots of lists. Nary a review in sight.

SO WHERE HAS SHE GONE? Ten years ago she wrote a book, self-published it, and it was so good that a traditional publishing company came along and picked it up almost immediately, getting it out to a wider audience. And then she just…disappeared. She’s never published again, she doesn’t do interviews, and she’s not on social media.

Ten years ago, she indicated she was working on a new book and as far as I can tell it’s been CRICKETS ever since. I found an interview over on Maryse’s Book Blog with Katja from June of freaking 2013 and nothing more recent.

Is it possible that she just didn’t want to continue writing, or never sold another book, or simply wants to remain anonymous? Sure. Anything is possible. But is it just as possible that she’s unaware of the impact her book has had on so many readers? That feels possible, too. And that makes me sad. Because someone with her talent should know how well-loved her work is, and how important it’s been for so many different people.

And selfishly I just really love her writing AND I WANT ANOTHER BOOK!

But fine. I can accept that Katja’s writing is not about me. And I guess that’s really the point here. Just because someone has given us their creativity before doesn’t mean that we are entitled to more of it. And we are not entitled to their time, whether it be on things like social media, or touring, or interviews, or even signing copies of books they have written. I don’t know how I would feel as an author, but I can only imagine it would get tiring.

In summation, what is the point of this discussion? I guess I just want Katja Millay to know that she is appreciated and missed, and IS SHE EVER GOING TO WRITE ANOTHER BOOK?