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I'm extremely excited to share that my post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller "Husk" is now available to pre-order!
I’ve spent 90% of my creative energy here the last year, and I’m very proud of how it turned out.
It will be published on May 27th, so you won’t have to wait long. In fact, if you preorder, you’ll get it up to a week before launch day.
In this post, I'll share:
What Husk is about
The cool twist I’m taking on pre-orders.
What’s next for Husk and the world of Meru
How else you can help
Or if you trust I’ve written an extremely fun sci-fi novel you’ll love, you can pre-order the signed hardcover here now.
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What is Husk?
If you enjoyed books like Wool (The Silo Series on Apple), Ready Player One, Dark Matter, or movies / shows like The Matrix and Fallout, you’ll find a lot to enjoy in Husk.
Here’s the Amazon description:
As a Tech, Isaac maintains the servers housing humanity’s collective consciousness. Tomorrow he turns twenty-five—old enough to transfer into the digital paradise of Meru. Virtual immortality will be his in a world free from the death and disease that plague what’s left of civilization.
But when tragedy strikes, Isaac discovers Meru may not be the paradise he thought. Powerful forces are conspiring to destroy it, and the ones he trusts most have turned against him.
Outcast. Abandoned. Exiled. Isaac must uncover the truth about Meru before it’s too late. And before he suffers a fate he thought was confined to the history books:
Death.
Husk started with a question: assume we figure out how to transfer our minds into computers to escape the limits and mortality of our fleshy bodies. Someone would probably still need to keep the servers running.
Solar flares or power grid failures or something bad could happen on the outside. And there would need to be some physical humans who stay behind to help out in case of a disaster.
What would the relationship look like between the humans in the digital, immortal paradise and the humans staying behind to maintain the servers?
Some people would also reject this idea entirely, who neither want to transfer into the digital paradise and who don't want to help maintain it. So what are they doing and what does their relationship to the rest of this world look like?
Finally, what would drive most people to transfer into this digital world? What existential threat or extinction-level event might cause this drastic solution to be embraced by many beyond an end-of-life treatment?
All those questions came together to create the world of Meru, the digital paradise in Husk and the name of the series that Husk, its direct sequels, and the novellas and other books I'll write in this world fit within.
What I've loved about Husk and the other books I'm working on in this world is how it lets me bring together themes I've enjoyed exploring on this blog for a long time.
There's a strong philosophical theory of mind undercurrent, questions about our relationship with technology, and discussions of power and trust in science, all wrapped in a fast-paced thriller of a story.
If you've enjoyed the themes on this site in the last few years, then I think you're really going to enjoy this book. Even if you aren't a big fiction reader.
The Cool Twist I’m Taking with Preorders
For Husk, I've decided to do something a little bit different than a generic request for preorders where I send you to Amazon.
If you preorder Husk, you'll get a signed first-edition hardcover, plus the ebook and audiobook for free.
There's no extra cost for this bundle. I'm pricing it the same as what the normal, unsigned hardcover will cost on Amazon. So if you might buy the hardcover at launch, buy it now for a signed copy plus both digital versions.
I’ve also decided to do the preorders on my own store instead of through Amazon. It’s an added layer of complexity for me, but it means if I want to throw in any other goodies I have that option available too.
Now that said, if you know you only want the Kindle version, you can also preorder that on Amazon.
But, again, if you want the super cool signed first-edition hardcover with the ebook and audiobook included, you should preorder it here.
What’s Next with Husk and Meru
Husk is book 1 in the series “The Meru Initiative.” My plan is to release book 2 in one year, late May 2026, and book three one year after that.
Aside from the core trilogy, I’m also working on a series of shorter novellas in the same universe. Husk is about 350 pages, and the first novella will be in the 125-150 range. That one should publish around Thanksgiving this year (2025), and there will likely be subsequent novellas around the same time in 2026 and 2027.
But that’s just the current scope. This has been an exceedingly fun project, I think the world that’s developing within it is fascinating, and I can see myself doing many more books along these themes.
Suffice it to say, if you like big sci-fi worlds, I’m going to have a lot more to bring you.
How Else You Can Help
Preordering the book is the number one thing I’d love for you to do.
But beyond that, I’m planning to do a podcast and social media tour for Husk like I did for Crypto Confidential.
If there are any newsletters, podcasts, or other influencers who you think would be interested in Husk, I’d love any introductions or recommendations you can make. Any little bit helps.
Also, if you are one of those people and you’d like an early copy, let me know! I’d love to send you a pre-release version to check out.
Last Thoughts
As I said, this has been one of the more fun and rewarding creative projects I’ve embarked on.
I wasn’t sure if writing fiction was going to click and be something I stuck with, but I feel very confident now that it is.
So please take a moment and preorder Husk. I think you’re going to love it, and I can’t wait to send it to you.
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