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Online Author Talk With Daniel Kraus

Writing the Nightmare: A Ship Called Sickness

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." Adults. Register to get a link. A recording will also be available for later viewing.

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Prepare to launch 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."

Deep into space, far past the triworld outposts, beyond range of the lethal trollbot internet, soars The Sickness: a ship woven from biomatter and capable of reacting to every need of its human crew. Sisilla, a nine-year-old cultist with a brain enhanced by arcane tech known as “niks,” has boarded to investigate the enigma of Fém — a plague-riddled planet that has abruptly gone rogue.

The mysterious crew includes a faceless assassin, a beautiful engineer jigsawed by plastic surgery, a peyote-addicted medic and — most lethal of all — a rugged, NonModded captain with a score to settle with Sisilla. Other dangers abound. A hacked robot begins to believe Sisilla is its daughter. The Sickness itself is mutating, possibly even pregnant. And the secret of Fém is more horrific than anyone could have imagined. To survive, Sisilla will need to forsake her predetermined fate and embrace the unknown.

Register now to gain exclusive insight from one of the most visionary voices in modern fiction.

Adults. Register to receive a link for viewing this online event.

About the Author:

Daniel Kraus is a Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times bestselling writer of novels, TV and film. His novel "Angel Down" was the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner, a New York Times Top 10 Book of 2025 and a national bestseller. 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 Prize finalist and was a Best Book of 2023 from NPR, the New York Times, Amazon, Chicago Tribune and more.

With Guillermo del Toro, he co-authored "The Shape of Water," based on the same idea the two created for the Oscar-winning film. Also with del Toro, Kraus co-authored "Trollhunters," which was adapted into the Emmy-winning Netflix series. He co-wrote "The Living Dead" and "Pay the Piper" with legendary filmmaker George A. Romero. Kraus’ "The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch" was named one of Entertainment Weekly‘s Top 10 Books of the Year. Kraus has won the Bram Stoker Award, Scribe Award, two Odyssey Awards (for both Rotters and Scowler) and has had multiple Library Guild selections, among other honors.

Kraus’s work has been translated into over 25 languages. He lives with his partner in Chicago. Readers can learn more at danielkraus.com.

This event is part of DBRL's Online Author Series, supported by David Lile honorarium funds. A recording will also be available for later viewing on the author series site.

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