The uplifting story of Times writer Nick Bilton, who rose from obscurity as a technology reporter to a prominent position as the paper's chief Pens and Twitter Arguments correspondent, gained a new chapter today with news that Bilton would write an "investigative book about the black market website Silk Road," and that the book has already been optioned by 20th Century Fox.

Bilton has previously written on Silk Road once. His last book, Hatching Twitter, was optioned by Lionsgate for a television show. Samples from the book and other Bilton articles can be found at this fan blog. Given the unflinchingly critical eye Bilton has cast on Silicon Valley and his other past subjects, we're sure this future output will be just as fascinating.

[Pic via Getty]