She might not be suiting up as Agent Scully again anytime soon, but X-Files star Gillian Anderson is planning to double down on sci-fi later this year. Her latest project? The new sci-fi book series, EarthEnd Saga.

Anderson is teaming up with co-writer Jeff Rovin to bring the series to life, and the first installment, A Vision of Fire, will focus on Caitlin O’Hara, a child psychiatrist who specializes in treating children who’ve suffered trauma from events such as war and natural disasters. Things apparently take a sci-fi twist when she starts treating a “uniquely troubled” young girl. Anderson says the young girl’s trauma is tied to “much greater forces in the universe,” and O’Hara finds herself tasked with preventing “destruction on a grand scale.”

As for Rovin, he has varied experience across the literary realm, and has written or co-written several film-to-book adaptations (Broken Arrow, Cliffhanger, Re-Animator), along with a lengthy string of Tom Clancy spy novel spinoffs. The guy definitely knows his way around a few different genres, so it’ll be interesting to see how the two collaborate.

In an extensive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Anderson offered an update on the project and her experiences up to this point:

“I enjoy writing, but don’t usually allow myself the time, and I don’t think I’d ever think to write something in this genre without the prodding of someone like Jeff. But I realized I had ideas hidden within me for a series and a lead character, in this case, a heroine. After nine years of living in a semi-science-fictional universe, I think I now have an ingrained knowledge and rhythm for it… It was a very clear to me that I didn’t want to enter into the horror realm. That doesn’t interest me. I also wanted a very strong female character, around my age. I would want to read something like that and I think other women would like to read. [The series] can go into many different directions, and follow different characters in different age groups the people can hook into.”

It definitely sounds like an intriguing concept, and if nothing else, it’s great to see Anderson digging back into sci-fi. Here’s hoping this can keep her a hot commodity and help kickstart that long-rumored third X-Files sequel. If not, hey, at least we should have some new books to read.

The first installment is set to hit shelves in October, published by Simon & Schuster. Do you plan on checking out this new series?

(Via Entertainment Weekly)