Prepare to l aunch into the darkest depths of deep space! Join us online as we sit down with master storyteller Daniel Kraus\, winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction\, to celebrate the release of his breathtaking new novel\, The Sixth Nik.
\nDeep into space \, far past the triworld outposts\, beyond range of the lethal trollbot in ternet\, soars The Sickness: a ship woven from biomatter and capable of re acting to every need of its human crew. Sisilla\, a nine-year-old cultist with a brain enhanced by arcane tech known as &ldquo\;niks\,&rdquo\; has b oarded to investigate the enigma of Fé\;m&mdash\;a plague-riddled pl anet that has abruptly gone rogue.
\nT he mysterious crew includes a faceless assassin\, a beautiful engineer jig sawed by plastic surgery\, a peyote-addicted medic\, and&mdash\;most letha l of all&mdash\;a rugged\, NonModded captain with a score to settle with S isilla. Other dangers abound. A hacked robot begins to believe Sisilla is its daughter. The Sickness itself is mutating\, possibly even pregnant. An d the secret of Fé\;m is more horrific than anyone could have imagin ed. To survive\, Sisilla will need to forsake her predetermined fate and e mbrace the unknown.
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\nAbout the Author:
\nDaniel Kraus is a Pulitzer Priz e-winning\, New York Times bestselling writer of novels\, TV\, an d film. His novel Angel Down was the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winne r\, a New York Times Top 10 Book of 2025\, and a national bestsel ler. His novel Whalefall received a front-cover review in the New York Times Book Review\, won the Alex Award\, was an L.A. Times Book Priz e Finalist\, and was a Best Book of 2023 from NPR\, the New York Times \, Amazon\, Chicago Tribune\, and more.
\nWith Guillermo del Toro\, he co-authored The Shape o f Water\, based on the same idea the two created for the Oscar-winnin g film. Also with del Toro\, Kraus co-authored Trollhunters\, whi ch was adapted into the Emmy-winning Netflix series. He co-wrote The L iving Dead and Pay the Piper with legendary filmmaker George A. Romero. Kraus&rsquo\;s The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch wa s named one of Entertainment Weekly&lsquo\;s Top 10 Books of the Year. Kra us has won the Bram Stoker Award\, Scribe Award\, two Odyssey Awards (for both Rotters and Scowler)\, and has appeared multiple times as Library Gui ld selections\, and more.
\nKraus&rsqu o\;s work has been translated into over 25 languages. He lives with his pa rtner in Chicago. Visit him at danielkraus.com.
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