Sequel City

What’s worse, asks EW’s PopWatch blog, a new chapter for Sex in the City’s seminal saga? Or another two cents added to the late Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series? “Both sound pretty appalling to me,” offers PopWatch, sounding relieved that “At least Candace Bushnell herself is writing the SATC book (working title: The Carrie Diaries).”

To be honest, and if they must be compared, though both projects are being approached from innovative angles, the new Hitchhiker’s installment sounds the most exciting. After all -- and in the first place -- Adams can be forgiven for not having a hand in this particular sequel: his excuse is rock solid. Also, the new book is being penned by Eoin Colfer, dismissed by EW as “a well-known children’s book author,” though he’s certainly much more than that. Colfer is also capable of bringing his own spectacular vision, voice and humor to the project.

Colfer told The Guardian that being offered the opportunity to pen the sixth installment to the Hitchhikers series was “like suddenly being offered the superpower of your choice.” Penguin UK will publish the book in October 2009.

Meanwhile, HarperCollins will publish the new Bushnell books beginning in 2010. They will be prequels to the book-that-spawned-a-media-empire and will be aimed a young adult readers and will feature Carrie Bradshaw’s high school years. The MTV Newsroom has more on that here.