Writing the Nightmare with Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novelist Daniel Kraus

TOMS RIVER – Prepare to launch into the darkest depths of deep space 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, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 8 in a virtual discussion presented by the Ocean County Library.

Deep into space sails 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.

Daniel Kraus is a 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. With Guillermo del Toro, he co-authored The Shape of Water and Trollhunters. He also co-wrote The Living Dead and Pay the Piper with filmmaker George A. Romero. His work has been translated into over 25 languages.

The Sixth Nik is available to borrow for free for Ocean County Library cardholders. Visit tinyurl.com/SixthNikOCL, or call or visit your local OCL branch to request a copy.

Registration is required for this free program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/KrausOCL, call 732-349-6200, or stop by your local OCL branch.