In Ten Sleep, the canyon always takes what it is owed . . .
“Open these pages and fall into a cattle drive up in the high lonesome country, where it’s not just the cattle and the work that are challenging—here there be monsters, too.”
— Stephen Graham Jones, The Only Good Indians, The Jade Daniels Series
Publication date TBA. Maybe 2025!
Ten Sleep is a horror novel I’m currently expanding from its former novella form. It was acquired by Executive Editor Diana Pho of Erewhon Books as part of a two-book deal that includes The Deading.
You can lump it into eco-horror/climate fiction with The Deading, though this is a much different tale, set on Wyoming trails. It follows Greta Molina and a minor cast of characters on a cattle drive (on quads, vroom vroom!).
As Stephen Graham Jones says, the story takes places “up in the high lonesome country.” And yes, there are monsters! Of course we know that people can be monstrous too, and that there can be monstrous situations even without creepy crawlies. But yeah, monsters. I just love writing about them. And animals too. I’m paying special care writing about some of the lovely creatures you can find in the high plains and canyons of Wyoming. Who doesn’t want prairie dogs, eagles, pikas, buffalo, grouse, coyotes, and jackrabbits, or to see through their eyes? So, yeah, there are some experimental bits where animals, and what they encounter, are the sole focus.
However, the main character isn’t a jackrabbit or bear but Greta Molina, a young woman who feels all the feels, who is in need of some side cash to start a new life, and in the meantime, just wants to spend some long nights outdoors with old friends.
Be careful what you wish for, Greta, yeah?
I guess readers will have to wait to hear more. Don’t wanna overstep my bounds here on what I’m allowed to say about the tale.
I do have a Ten Sleep playlist. So if you need some music, check it out and let your imagination soar!