The Chrysalis
Page 25
I’d like to thank editor extraordinaire Melissa Ann Singer for recognizing the cool idea at the heart of my original proposal and promptly tearing it to shreds, then building it back up with me. It was originally her idea to have the book take place over nine months, and that was frickin’ brilliant (among many brilliant insights). Thank you, Melissa!
David Field also deserves a big thank-you. I first came up with the idea for The Chrysalis way back in 2006. I was working for Miramax, and Kim was about eight months pregnant with our oldest daughter. We moved out of New York City and bought our first house out in New Jersey. I remember entering the place and feeling overwhelmed by everything: the high-pressure job, the impending baby, the big house with the equally big mortgage payments. At that moment, for reasons still unknown to me, I imagined a creature growing in the basement, a not-so-subtle manifestation of my stress. I had almost immediate interest from Cemetery Dance, but I couldn’t write the book—there were too many other things going on in my life and career.
Cut to a couple of years ago. I had done an interview about my publishing and movie/TV career, and I guess I mentioned The Chrysalis offhandedly. Not long after that, I got an email out of the blue from a young director/photographer who wanted to meet and discuss books, movies, and specifically, The Chrysalis. That was David Field. I was dubious at first, but I watched the short films that David had included with his email and realized that the guy was incredibly talented.
When we met face-to-face, we got along instantly. His thoughts on The Chrysalis were shocking, mostly because he totally understood what I was going for with the project. Thank you, David, for the additional inspiration!
I’d also like to thank Brian Freeman and Richard Chizmar from Cemetery Dance. You guys showed interest in this book long before I was ready to actually sit down and write the damn thing. I appreciate your patience and your belief in me.
My neighbor, Louis Wells, inadvertently made a big impact on this book. When I started writing in earnest, I lamented that I needed some good mood music to write by. He casually suggested the album Ghosts I–IV by Nine Inch Nails. That album became the soundtrack of the novel as I wrote … and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to listen to it again. And I consider that the highest compliment. (Thanks for everything, Trent Reznor!)
I’d also like to thank author and friend Nate Kenyon, for some great suggestions.
There are so many people at Tor who made this book possible, including Kirsten Brink, Irene Gallo, Jamie Stafford-Hill (who created the amazing cover), Devi Pillai, Elizabeth Curione, and Eliani Torres (whose copyedits were both terrifying and amazing).
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my parents, Rich Deneen and Irene Murray. Ever since I was a kid, creating issue after issue of my original comic book, Marvle Man (sic), and writing disturbing short stories, they supported and encouraged me. Now that I have kids of my own, I see even more clearly how important that kind of support and encouragement is. Mom and Dad, thank you!
BOOKS BY BRENDAN DENEEN
Scatterbrain
Flash Gordon: The Mercy Wars
Flash Gordon: Invasion of the Red Sword
Flash Gordon: The Vengeance of Ming
The Ninth Circle
The Island of Misfit Toys
Night Night, Groot
The Chrysalis
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brendan Deneen is the award-winning author of The Ninth Circle, as well as the graphic novels Scatterbrain, Flash Gordon: The Mercy Wars, and The Island of Misfit Toys. He is also the author of the bestselling picture book Night Night, Groot. Deneen lives in New Jersey with his wife and daughters. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Prologue
Month One
Month Two
Month Three
Month Four
Month Five
Month Six
Month Seven
Month Eight
Month Nine
Acknowledgments
Books by Brendan Deneen
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE CHRYSALIS
Copyright © 2018 by Brendan Deneen
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Jamie Stafford-Hill
Cover photograph (house) by Brenda Bailey / Shutterstock.com
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-0-7653-9555-9 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-7653-9556-6 (ebook)
eISBN 9780765395566
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First Edition: September 2018