Death Troopers advance

Man oh man oh man: I am really excited this morning. I’m going to try to settle down and put this in sentences: My friendJoe Schreiberjust sent me the advance readers copy ofDeath Troopers,the first official Star Wars horror novel. Joe’s first two horror novels, Chasing the Dead and Eating the Dark, were both amazing, but let’s be honest: They didn’t have a single (eviscerated) Imperial Storm Trooper between them. And glowing reviews aside, it doesn’t sound like the new one (No Doors, No Windows) does either. WTF, Joe?

Seriously, the idea of his brand of suspenseful, adrenalized horror playing out in a galaxy far far away is thrilling. Joe grew up with the same quasi-religious devotion to the original Star Wars movies that a lot of us had, so I know the material is in good hands. Need more proof that this is going to be awesome? The title of Chapter 2 is “Meat Nest.”

I would like to start reading this right now, but I’ll have to wait a bit. First of all, I am two-thirds of the way through The Knife of Never Letting Go, which is excellent (and, OK, I have to read it for book club). Second, I am dyslexic and my brain starts making grinding noises when I read two books at once. And finally, Joe’s books are best read at night, or maybe on stormy afternoons, but not partly cloudy mornings. (Unless you’ve been up all night, and they’ll do that to you.)

Anyway, Death Troopers officially comes out October 13, and by then, I will have greedily devoured it—just as some malevolent force is devouring the crew of the Imperial prison barge Purge . . .