Dead Space literary prequel novel in-stores today
DEAD SPACE: MARTYR
New York, NY – July 20, 2010 – Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world—and Visceral Games™, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the publication of Dead Space™: Martyr (A Tor Trade Paperback; $14.99), the first novel based on the award-winning Dead Space videogame franchise. Dead Space™: Martyr is now available at retailers nationwide.
Penned by Edgar Award finalist and horror sensation B.K. Evenson (Last Days, The Open Curtain), Dead Space: Martyr is the story of the origin of “The Black Marker,” the foundation of the Church of Unitology, and a discovery that will change the world. When geophysicist Michael Altman learns of a mysterious signal emitting from deep within the Chicxulub crater, he cannot resist the lure of an undiscovered artifact. He soon learns that being in close proximity to the artifact causes strange occurrences – visions of the dead, vivid dreams, and violent murders. Altman’s experience with the alien artifact leads to this crucial first chapter in the Dead Space saga.
“With everyone chomping at the bit for Dead Space 2, we hope to wet their appetites with a deeper look into the Dead Space lore,” says Tor editor, Eric Raab. “Writer B.K. Evenson looks at the milieu that created the Church of Unitology by prying open the discovery of the Black Marker here on Earth and what it unleashes. It’s a physical and psychological horror tale that both fans of the game and SF/Horror will really enjoy.”
“The Dead Space world is incredibly vast and rich — expanding its fiction into a novel lets us share parts of the story that just can’t fit into videogames,” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of Dead Space 2. “We hope Dead Space: Martyr will be the first of many books to let fans dive deeply into Dead Space’s secrets and immersive lore.”
B. K. Evenson is the award-winning author of Last Days, voted best horror novel of 2009 by the American Library Association and The Open Curtain, a 2006 Edgar Award finalist and Time Out New York best book of the year.
Originally launched in 2008, Dead Space quickly became one of EA’s top rated wholly-owned intellectual properties. With close to 100 industry awards and an average critic score of 89*, Dead Space became a hit with horror and videogame fans worldwide. In 2009, EA launched Dead Space Extraction, a prequel to the original game and will continue to expand the fiction with its stunning sequel, Dead Space 2, due out January 25, 2011.
### * According to Gamerankings.com and Metacritic.com
About Tor BooksTor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books, founded in 1980 and committed (although not limited) to SF and fantasy literature. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperback, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. Books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and for the last twenty-two years in a row the company has been named Best Publisher in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.
About Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS TM , EA TM , EA Mobile TM and POGO TM . In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
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