FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are two of the most intriguing TV characters in network history, which helps explain the cult following for the X-Files, as well as the mini-series reboot that is just now winding down on Fox. But one question remains unanswered: How did these two become who they were?
A pair of young adult novels, Agents of Chaos and Devil’s Advocate, will seek to answer that question. As The Guardian reports, both are set in 1979, and will follow teenage Mulder and Scully (separately) as they experience “life-changing events” that define their future belief and skepticism. Mulder will be 17 in Agents of Chaos, while Scully will be just 15 in Devil’s Advocate.
Kami Garcia (The Legion) will write the first book, and Jonathan Maberry (Assassin’s Code) the second.
“As a diehard fan of the show, the opportunity to work with incredible authors on original stories about these characters is a dream come true for me,” said Erin Stein of Imprint/Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. “Why did Mulder become a believer? Why did Scully become a skeptic? We get to tell those stories.”
Both books are set for a January 2017 release. Meanwhile, X-Files creator Chris Carter has left the door open for future episodes after the current mini-series ends.