Pride and Prejudice and Zombies author sued by Hachette

The man behind Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and ZombiesSeth Grahame-Smith is being sued by his publisher Hachette for appropriating  a 120-year-old public-domain work and for breach of contract.

The complaint, which was posted online by Publishers Marketplace, says that the author and publisher made a $4m (1.6 Billion Naira) deal in 2010 for Grahame-Smith to deliver two new works.

In 2010, the author was paid $1 million (400 Million Naira) in advance and expected to deliver two books in return.

The first book turned out all right and was published in January 2015.

But according to Hachette, the deadline for delivery of the second was extended from June 2013 to April 2016.

Grahame-Smith asked for two extensions in order to finish the manuscript, and Hachette granted them, meaning the author had an additional 34 months to complete this second project under this most recent contract.

When the author did finally turn in a manuscript, the publisher claimed it was an appropriation of a 120-year-old public-domain work.

Hachette is suing Grahame-Smith and his company Baby Gorilla for at least $500,000 (200 million Naira) – half of the advance it paid him six years ago, plus interest – saying that “by delivering a manuscript that varied so materially and substantially from that described in the agreement”, he is in breach of contract. Guardian UK reported.

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