Starz’s American Gods may adjust Neil Gaiman’s novel for the screen, but the question remains how Bryan Fuller might conjure material beyond the literary tale. Gaiman had announced a sequel novel to his original bestseller, but in lieu of an official plan, is at least advising the Starz series on potential roadblocks.

Gaiman first published American Gods in 2001, and in 2011 discussed plans for a sequel novel of Shadow Moon’s descent into the war between deities. The prolific author has since gotten busy with on countless literary and media projects, but even as Bryan Fuller’s Starz adaptation scales back its first season to stretch out Gaiman’s novel, the man himself pulled a George R.R. Martin to help guide the adaptation toward unpublished sequels.

There were moments, which they were very good about listening to, when I would say, ‘Okay, nobody but you two knows anything at all about the plot of American Gods 2, but I need to tell you that this line, which seems like a bit of dialogue that you could lose, will become important. Or this little scene — an indigenous scene — which seems trivial will become important one day and if we get to season 5, we’ll need it then, so let’s put it here now.’

That said, Gaiman stressed that Fuller and co-producer Michael Green were free to adjust material and characters as necessary, for which he’d occasionally offer guidance. We’ll see for ourselves when Starz’s American Gods premieres on April 30, but will a second book end up contradicting the show?

Watch the first teasers and clips below.

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