I suppose it would be fair to say that there are three types of Outlander fans. There are, of course, those who live and die for author Diana Gabaldon’s many novels in her (very) long-running series. We also see millions of people who became aware of the story of WWII nurse Claire as she’s accidentally transported back to the 1700s because of the hugely popular series, and those fans who really enjoy both the show and the books. With Gabaldon having recently released the ninth novel in her series (Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone), though, we’re getting to the end of an era as she updates fans on book 10.
What Did Diana Gabaldon Say About Outlander Book 10?
After a seven year wait after the release of the eighth Outlander novel (Written in My Own Heart’s Blood), November 23, 2021 saw the publication of Diana Gabaldon’s Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. As of this writing, it hasn’t even been a full month since her most recent book was released, but Gabaldon has already spoken to Town & Country Magazine about the tenth entry in her series, and had this to say about the next book when asked what she was working on next:
On top of the pile would be in the beginnings of book 10. I have started writing that, but I'm just poking away at it little by little, because there's so much interference from the book launch stuff going on that I can't work with my usual focus...I am working on book 10 though. It's just beginning to bubble, like the tar pits at La Brea, these rising bubbles and there's a lot of bones underneath.
I don’t quite know if I like the sound of book 10 in the ever intriguing saga of how Jamie, Claire, and their many friends, family, and allies manage to survive during difficult times unearthing “a lot of bones underneath,” but at least Gabaldon’s still hard at work on Outlander, right? Well, not so fast…
Why Is This The Beginning Of The End For Outlander Fans?
While the television series is several seasons behind Gabaldon’s book series (Season 6 is set to debut in March 2022), and has at least two more seasons on the way, the writer announced quite a while ago that she planned for Claire and Jamie’s adventurous love story to wrap with book 10. That’s right, folks; the book 10 that’s currently bubbling up in her brain like the La Brea tar pits. This means that, right now, Gabaldon is slowly figuring out how to end the historical fiction series that was unleashed on the world in 1991. And, this also means that there is a very clear end in sight for those who enjoy Outlander the show.
As noted above, we TV series fans can rest easy for a bit, seeing as how Outlander has already been renewed through Season 7, and we’re still a ways out from the Droughtlander between Seasons 5 and 6 coming to a close. But, with each season of the show basically tackling the events of that specific novel in Gabaldon’s series, her declaration that book 10 will be the last that follows Jamie and Claire’s story, means that the same will likely be true for the future of the TV show.
Of course, with the “small but mighty” Season 6 still around the corner, even if Outlander does find itself renewed through Season 10 at some point, it will be a while until we get there. It will also be a while before fans of Diana Gabaldon’s novels get to read book 10, so even though the end is nigh, there’s no reason to panic just yet.
Outlander Season 6 won’t hit Starz until March 6, 2022, so be sure to check out other upcoming romantic TV shows, and see what you can watch for the holidays with our Christmas movies and TV schedule!
