When There’s No ‘Rush’ Between Novels

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Clockwise from top left, Rush bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson (photo credit: Rush), new Rush drummer Anika Nilles (Richard Ecclestone/Redferns), and the late Neil Peart (Clayton Call/Getty Images).

Last week, the band Rush announced it would go on a concert tour again in 2026 for the first time in 11 years. (Stick with me here; this will eventually be a literature post. 🙂 )

A lot has happened since 2015 with one of my favorite bands. Rush stopped touring mostly because the Canadian group’s legendary drummer/lyricist Neil Peart needed to end the physical and mental strain of more than four decades of hard-slamming, intricate percussion work. His bandmates — vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson, the friends from childhood who co-created the music paired with Peart’s words — decided not to continue the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band without their close pal and went on to do other things. That included Lifeson playing in another band (Envy of None) and Lee writing a best-selling memoir and a coffee-table book focusing on bass guitars.

Peart himself was a prolific nonfiction-book author whose Rush lyrics included many literary references; see below for a 2020 post of mine about that. Sadly, “The Professor” (as Peart was known) died that year of brain cancer. It definitely looked like Rush was done — until last week’s news.

It’s a Fact That Rush’s Lyricist Loved Fiction

The grand conclusion to all this? Brilliant drummer Anika Nilles of Germany was chosen by Lee and Lifeson to sit in Peart’s spot behind the kit — with the permission of Peart’s widow and daughter.

Anyway, this is a long intro to a literature theme Rush’s announcement made me think of — authors going a long time before writing a novel again. (I’ve previously done variations on this theme, including instances of a long gap between a famous novel and its sequel.)

The first author that came to mind was Herman Melville, whose last published novel in his lifetime came out in 1857 despite him not dying until 1891. Poor sales, negative reaction from critics, and other factors put a halt to a decade-plus of very prolific book writing, though Melville in his non-novel years did do some poetry in addition to his customs inspector job. Still, Melville started the novel Billy Budd a few years before his death — and it became a success when published posthumously in 1924 and republished in a more complete 1962 edition.

Melville’s friend Nathaniel Hawthorne’s first novel, 1828’s Fanshawe, didn’t sell well and the author turned to short stories and other things for a long 22 years before The Scarlet Letter arrived in 1850. That became an instant classic, and several other novels followed fairly quickly.

Then there’s Marilynne Robinson, whose debut novel Homecoming came out in 1980 — followed by a 24-year gap before her second novel Gilead was published. Why? Robinson turned to nonfiction writing and to teaching. The author released novels more often after 2004.

Arundhati Roy also wrote an acclaimed debut novel — 1997’s The God of Small Things — before two decades went by until her second novel, 2017’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. Like Robinson, Roy wrote nonfiction in between and was also involved in plenty of political activism in India.

Of course, some novelists come out with a new title only once in a while because they’re slower writers and/or write ambitious books that take a lot of time. That’s the case, for instance, with Donna Tartt — whose only three novels were published in 1992, 2002, and 2013; now 12 years and counting until a possible fourth. A similar trajectory for Jeffrey Eugenides — only three novels, in 1993, 2002, and 2011, with other years taken up by plenty of short stories as well as teaching.

To reference the title of one of Rush’s most famous songs, there can be a long gap between time in the “Limelight,” and inspiration doesn’t always arrive like clockwork. (Clockwork Angels was Rush’s last studio album.)

Your thoughts on, and/or any examples of, this topic?

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93 thoughts on “When There’s No ‘Rush’ Between Novels”

  3. Hi Dave, I suppose some writers have lots of other creative outlets and also hold down day jobs. Lots of writers on the WordPress community only tool up writing seriously when they retired. I have not progressed my novel for over two years because of my new art hobby. There is only so much time in a day. I have only written short stories, children’s books, cake art books, and poetry during this period.

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  4. Sorry, Dave, but I am stumped. I can’t think of any other writer who had a long gap apart from those who have been mentioned. Also, I had a little look in our rather large CD collection, but no Rush there. I thought my hubby would have some of those but no.
    Oh well, hey-ho.

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    • Thank you, Chris! I don’t think there are a huge number of authors with huge novel-writing gaps. And it’s quite okay to be a Rush-less household in terms of CDs. 🙂 I was that way for a long time myself; I didn’t become a Rush fan until late in the band’s career, after which I backtracked to listen to their earlier music.

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  5. Hi Dave,

    Unfortunately, something that I haven’t rushed to is actually listening to anything by Rush. I know Ana who used to comment here was a big fan and I did want to try something. And then after Neil Peart died you actually recommended an album title or two for me to check out, and yet five years later it’s still on my list of things I’d like to do. This might inspire me to finally transfer Rush to the list of music I’ve actually listened to instead of the TBLT 🙂

    Sue

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    • Thank you, Sue! It’s hard to find time to do everything! If you do listen to Rush eventually, I’d be curious what you think. I wonder if they ever played Australia? I know they did Europe, South America, and Asia in addition to the U.S. and their native Canada.

      I always like a couple of Rush songs, but it’s indeed the much-missed commenter Ana who lobbied to get me more interested in Rush. She succeeded! I think I now know about 95% of their songs, and have watched many videos.

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  6. My husband, who is a musician, is a big Rush fan. I can’t say whether I am or not although I did watch a video of Neil Peart drumming and he was amazing.

    As far as time between novels, I can add Truman Capote and Harper Lee though loosely since both had a novel a piece; however, waited to publish them. We’re talking 40 years before fate stepped in, ie Capote’s Answered Prayers and Lee’s Go Set A Watchman. Re Answered Prayers, Capote did say, “Either I’m going to kill it or it’s going to kill me.” I guess it did because it was largely unfinished when it was published. And Go Set A Watchman was actually a draft. Yikes!

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    • Thank you for those Harper Lee and Truman Capote mentions! Most definitely, neither had Stephen King-level production. 🙂 And, yes, “Go Set a Watchman” was probably an early draft of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” (And with a pretty clunky title.)

      Glad your husband is a Rush fan! Neil Peart’s drumming was indeed VERY impressive. And the size of his drum/percussion kit was mind-boggling!

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  7. I’m not familiar with the Rush band. I marvel at writers who can produce a book every year or two. Some novels require years of extensive and in-depth research. Such is the case of “The Secret of Secrets” by Dan Brown (2025). His last novel “Origin” was published in 2017.

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  8. I did not realize there was such a gap between Marilynne Robinson’s books. I can’t think of any other authors offhand, although I do think, unless you’re writing a cliffhanging series, less is more. A new book every year is not a necessity. (K)

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    • Thank you, Kerfe! Yes, for a while it looked like Marilynne Robinson would be a one-and-done novelist. And I hear you about quality over quantity for authors not writing the kind of series that readers quickly want the next installment of.

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  9. It’s funny, I was just thinking about the author Diane Setterfield, who published The Thirteenth Tale in 2006 and only two other books after that one. I was wondering if she had another book in the works, but it doesn’t look like it.

    Her books are perfect for this time of year.

    -Sheila (Laurel’s sister) 🙂

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    • Thank you, Sheila! I read “The Thirteenth Tale” a few years ago, and thought it was really good. Appropriate indeed for Halloween month. 🙂 I didn’t realize that Diane Setterfield has been an infrequent author.

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  10. Although it wasn’t quite as long as some of the gaps mentioned here – I did feel like it was a pretty long wait from Tommy Orange’s There, There to the prequel/sequel “Wandering Stars.” Which wasn’t quite as good as There, There but still worth a read!

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  11. Dave, I really enjoyed this post — it reminded me that time and experience don’t just create gaps between works; they transform a writer’s voice. Some come back to the page entirely changed by what life has taught them.

    Daphne du Maurier is a wonderful example of that. The haunting romantic tension of Rebecca feels worlds away from her final novel, The House on the Strand, where she explored time travel, memory, and the pull between past and present. Her writing seemed to turn inward — from passion to perception.

    Leon Uris evolved too. His early novels, like Exodus, were sweeping and heroic, but later his work became quieter and more introspective, revealing the cost of conviction and the endurance of the human spirit.

    It’s fascinating how writers don’t just change their subjects — they change their seeing. As Daphne du Maurier wrote in The House on the Strand:

    “The essence of a man is his memory. His memories are his soul.”

    Always a joy to stop by!!!

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  13. What a cool post, Dave! Sadly, I don’t think I’m familiar with Rush’s music, but am going to listen to some later on Spotify! I never knew that Arundhati Roy also The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. I liked “The God of Small Things” and thought that was it, so I’m glad you drew this one to my attention. I suppose one has to have something to say in order to write, and maybe it takes some author’s a while to process and refine what they want to communicate.

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    • Thank you, Ada! Hope you enjoy a Rush song or two. 🙂

      I also liked “The God of Small Things” a lot, even as it was quite depressing overall. A GREAT debut novel.

      And your comment’s last line is very well said.

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  14. Hello Dave. My example isn’t anywhere near as dramatic as the gap between Homecoming and Gilead. It’s an author I love: Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson). He published “Alice in Wonderland” in 1865 and “Alice Through the Looking Glass” in 1871. After that, although he lived until 1898, he never published another novel, only a few poems. As others have already said, that’s quite enough for me–they are wonderful, clever books.

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    • Thank you, Kim! Excellent mention! Those are quite a few years after the two Alice books. As you note, those books were so amazing that one could feel there wasn’t that much more for Lewis Carroll to say in that format.

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  15. Nice post, Dave. I think of a lot of bands who broke up , mainly because of pressure, family, insanity too much fame too soon, in a way. Bands are harder to keep together than solo artists. BUT interestingly a lot of late seem to have staged very successful come backs. Writers? Well, I think there’s a number of reasons they take breaks, especially those who met with criticism over a firs novel. But there’s plenty other reasons too why here’s gaps.

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      • Thank you, Shehanne! Yes, it’s hard to keep a band together for a long time for the reasons you mentioned. Rush was among the exceptions; its three members were together for 40 years, and it helped that they were friends who didn’t have quite the egos of some rock stars, who were pretty much equally (albeit differently) talented, and who were all involved in writing the songs.

        For big-name bands, there’s certainly an incentive to do concert tours again — plenty of money to be made. But there’s also the love of music and the love of performing, even if the travel can be more difficult when the musicians are older.

        Being widely criticized for a novel can indeed depress a writer enough to take a break.

        And, yes, some authors who write many books can sound rather similar from book to book.

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  16. My view Dave is really straightforward: quality over quantity every time! I can think of loads of writers who release book after book, who I feel could do with taking a break from writing! This could simply be me, however! interesting post as always. Thanks Dave and have a great week. Sharon 😊

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  17. Howdy, Dave!

    — Your thoughts on, and/or any examples of, this topic? —

    Bearing in mind I have not yet read everything in the known multiverse, I long ago designated Henry Roth the poster boy for procrastinating novelists: His first novel, Call It Sleep, was published in 1934, and the four volumes of his Mercy of a Rude Stream series — A Star Shines Over Mt. Morris Park, A Diving Rock on the Hudson, From Bondage and Requiem for Harlem — were published between 1994 and 1998.

    Sixty &^%$#@! years!

    Whenever I consider reading the above-referenced series, I recall the line two of my beloved brothers and I would repeat among ourselves while delaying as long as possible the performance of some onerous duty or other (invariably assigned to us by our Mom): “Well, we don’t want to rush into anything.”

    J.J. McGrath (Alias MugRuith1)

    P.S.: Ralph Ellison is among those getting an honorable mention in this category, given the 47-year gap between Invisible Man (1952) and Juneteenth (1999), but, of course, he didn’t actually complete the latter himself.

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    • Thank you, J.J.! That Henry Roth writing gap is astounding! And, yes, that Ralph Ellison gap stretching into posthumous completion. Reminded me a bit of Harper Lee, although her “Go Set a Watchman” book published decades after “To Kill a Mockingbird” was probably a “completed” earlier draft of “TKAM.”

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  18. Subdivisions and Tom Sawyer two favorite Rush songs I am remembering from high school years. Infer sold out concerts,high prices,fans waiting for so many years for reunion. I believe if I heard correctly on 60 minutes the book 1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin took him 10 years to write,not literature but about great depression. I think I heard Chappell Roan say it yook 6 years to write her last album. Like literature many who make music can take years to either make a new album if this words till used or decades even to have a reunion.

    Michele

    E @ P way back

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    • Thank you, Michele! Yes, there can be long gaps/slow-going for fiction writers, nonfiction writers, musicians…

      My younger daughter is a big fan of Chappell Roan; she recently saw her in concert in Queens. Roan definitely worked hard for her several-years-delayed level of success.

      “Subdivisions” is one of my favorite Rush songs!

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  19. Dave, I thought of you when I heard RUSH was going on tour. Will you be able to see them?

    Although they are playing 4 nights in Toronto, they are playing at an arena with 20,000 seats. I’ve been there and it’s just to many people for me.

    So, the topic at hand.

    Tolkien took 17 years to follow The Hobbit with Lord of the Rings.

    Well, that’s my only thought, and I didn’t rush it!

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  21. Interesting topic and tie in between music and writing. Apparently creativity doesn’t run on a precise timeline in any field. I don’t have any examples to add, but I’ll check back to see if anyone leaves some in the comments.

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    • Thank you, Dan! Very true that creativity often doesn’t run on a precise timeline, though there are of course exceptions: including some authors who churn out novels quite regularly. One example would be the Jack Reacher thrillers; a new one arrives each fall like clockwork. Perhaps they’re kind of formulaic, but I like them. 🙂

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  22. An interesting post, Dave, yet not one that I can say too much about. I’m not familiar with Rush, but I’ll check them out; they sound worthwhile. Authors with long gaps between books? I can think of Flaubert who took 5 years over ‘Madame Bovary’, but I know nothing of how long his other books took. Somehow it makes me think of the polar opposite, Balzac, who spent money as fast as he earned it and knocked them out at speed because he had one hell of a lifestyle to support. I don’t know how prolific authors do it, and there are of course those who churn out a constant stream of pulp. I’d prefer to be the person who wrote just one book, but a great one, like Harper Lee. We’re all different, I guess. Thanks for the post, and if I think of any more I’ll be back. 😎

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