Infected: A Novel (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: chicken scissors, lumpy sound, Jacob Dawsey, Dew Phillips, Fatty Patty (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In Sigler's riveting horror thriller, alien seeds from outer space infect a number of unlucky humans, who develop some unusual symptoms—itchy, blue triangular growths on their skin—that eventually result in the carriers becoming screaming, homicidal maniacs. CIA agent Dew Phillips must find out why these formerly docile citizens are running amok, aided by Margaret Montoya, a Centers for Disease Control epidemiologist, who reported the first of the strange cases. One of the infected, former football player Perry Dawsey, doesn't take any crap from anybody, not even the aliens residing in his body. Sigler (Ancestor) leads the reader from one startling detail to the next—the creatures learn to speak (feed us we hungry); they grow little black eyes—until even hardened genre fans will find themselves whimpering at each new revelation. This terrifying page-turner could be the author's breakout book, fueled by an extensive online podcast campaign. 5-city author tour. (Apr.)
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Review

"Part Stephen King, part Chuck Palahniuk, Infected blends science fiction and horror into a pulpy masterpiece of action, terror, and suspense.  Three recommendations: don't read it at night, or just after you've eaten a full meal, or if you're weak of heart.  You've been warned!"
—James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Judas Strain and Black Order

“Powerfully written . . . an unforgettable central character.”
—Dallas Morning News

“Sigler is masterful at grabbing the reader by the throat and refusing to let go. Just when I thought I knew what abyss he was leading me across, he knocked the bridge out from under... I think I screamed the whole way down... Infected is a marvel of gonzo, in-your-face, up-to-the-minute terror.”
—Lincoln Child, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Storm and Death Match

“Fraught with tension . . . Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets The Hot Zone.”
—Rocky Mountain News

“Sigler is the Richard Matheson of the 21st Century…smart and creepy, Infected is a flawless thinking-person’s thriller. Bravo to a bold new talent!”
—Jonathan Maberry, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Bad Moon Rising and Ghost Road Blues

“Riveting . . . even hardened genre fans will find themselves whimpering at each new revelation.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Horror mavens rejoice! Infected is a revelation -- a novel that lives up to its hype. From page one, the story of a mysterious smart-virus that turns its hosts into deadly drooling drones creeps up on a reader like the ratchet of a roller coaster climbing toward its inevitable crest. Sigler brings the folksy character detail of Stephen King, the conceptual panac... --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Crown (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307406105
• ISBN-13: 978-0307406101
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (273 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #150,722 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

187 of 201 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scary to the Bone, April 1, 2008

By	C. Chapman "C.C. Chapman" (Milford, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Scott Sigler takes just enough reality and science to make his fiction even scarier. Everyone can relate to feeling sick and horrible. That is what makes the pain that the main character in Infected goes through that much more real to the reader. From start to finish you won't know where this is going. As you connect with the main character you'll go along with him for the ride of his life to an ending you won't see coming. If you enjoy thrillers, horror or science fiction then this is a book for you. Get it now!

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sigler is a force in fiction, January 30, 2008

By	Seth Harwood "Author of JACK WAKES UP" (Berkeley) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jack Wakes Up (Jack Palms Crime Mysteries)
Officially they might say that Scott Sigler is a horror writer, but in hindsight, when we look back we'll say he's a writer of major order who crosses genres and does whatever he needs to do to get his story told.
In INFECTED, he's woven the threads of a disease, a man who's contracted it, and the man sent to hunt the disease down and find out what the hell it is. So it might make you kill a few folks (your friends and family), what is this thing really? Perry Dawsey's a great character: deep enough and nuanced so we feel for him, even sympathize as he starts to go totally nuts. THAT's what makes this book so unbelievably, insanely scary: you can actually put yourself in this guy's shoes! Got an itch? Oh, man...
In the hands of Scott Sigler, you don't read a book like this, you strap yourself in and come out the other side. INFECTED will tear you through it so fast you'll want to go back and read it again. Not only has Scott revolutionized the way we'll find out about books from now on with his podcasts, he's delivered on the goods 115% to back it up. Whether you've listened to the podcast already or will run out and listen to it now, you got to get your hands on INFECTED and read it as soon as you can. This book stops at nothing to rock you AND your world!

124 of 135 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scott Sigler is Sick!!, April 2, 2008

By	The Reader (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

What a sick book! Only a demented mind such as Sigler's could come up with something so original, compelling and horrifying. I couldn't put it down. Does that mean I'm sick too?

This one is definitely not for the squeamish. Sigler tells the story so convincingly and with such detail that I could almost feel the pain.

If I had to rank Sigler's books, I'd put this first, then Ancestor and then Earthcore.