Trivia / Red Queen

• Bonus Material: The collectors editions of the first two books contain color fan art, an alternative cover, a behind the scenes look at the Scarlet Guard, in addition to other content. The Barnes & Noble edition of Glass Sword also includes an alternative ending to the first book and an alternative opening for Glass Sword that builds off of the former.
• Inspiration for the Work: The series drew inspiration and its name from the Red Queen hypothesis, an evolutionary theory that states a species must constantly "adapt, evolve, and proliferate" in order to survive against other species' that likewise are constantly changing. This hypothesis is the same one used in-universe to explain the appearance of newbloods: Reds had to develop superpowers of their own if they were ever going to continue surviving under the ruthless rule of Silvers.
• Saved from Development Hell: A potential live-action adaptation was originally announced back in June 2015. It wasn't until May 2021 that news regarding it's status was made clear: instead of a film, the series will be turned into a live-action television show, set to stream on Peacock.
• What Could Have Been:
  • In the original draft of the first book, Shade's ability was time travel; after Mare's escape from the Bowl of Bones, he took her ten years into the future. In this future, the Scarlet Guard lost the war against the Silver Elite. Shade replaced present Mare with her future self in the hopes that her more knowledgeable and trained future self would be able to change his current future. Aveyard's agent advised her to change the ending, saying that "everything up to [that] point was great. You’ve got to take this out." Aveyard agreed and changed it to what it is now.
  • There were more references to modern-day life. Aveyard realized that this wouldn't make much sense, since by Mare's time, English would have changed so much that modern English would be akin to Old English by then.
• Word of Gay: Aveyard has confirmed the orientations of some of the characters:
  • Maven Calore is, and was always planned to be, bisexual.
  • Evangeline Samos is a lesbian with a particular interest in one woman (Elane Haven).
• Word of God: Aveyard will sometimes answer questions regarding Red Queen on her Tumblr.