Skagboys just out for the buzz on drugs, to total junkies. It shows how their attitudes and behaviour start to change as they become more defined by the drug and the culture around it". In 2012, Welsh said the prequel was actually initially written as part of "Trainspotting" but was not used in the published version. He later decided he would either erase his old work or use it in some way, as "he had a fear that he might fall under a bus and leave behind 'half-written stuff' which people would publish". He said, "I just went through it and
The Devil Is a Part-Timer! the first novel in the series, originally titled , into ASCII Media Works' 17th Dengeki Novel Prize in 2010 and the novel won the Silver Prize. The first novel was published by ASCII Media Works on February 10, 2011, under their Dengeki Bunko imprint, and 18 main novels have been released as of January 10, 2018. Two prequel novels have also been published. In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Yen Press announced their plans to publish the light novels in 2015. A manga adaptation, illustrated by Akio Hiiragi, started serialization in the February 2012 issue of ASCII Media Works' "shōnen"