Product Description

Across America a mysterious disease is turning ordinary people into raving, paranoid murderers who inflict brutal horrors on strangers, themselves, and even their own families.

Working under the government’s shroud of secrecy, CIA operative Dew Phillips crisscrosses the country trying in vain to capture a live victim. With only decomposing corpses for clues, CDC epidemiologist Margaret Montoya races to analyze the science behind this deadly contagion. She discovers that these killers all have one thing in common – they’ve been contaminated by a bioengineered parasite, shaped by a complexity far beyond the limits of known science.

Meanwhile Perry Dawsey – a hulking former football star now resigned to life as a cubicle-bound desk jockey – awakens one morning to find several mysterious welts growing on his body. Soon Perry finds himself acting and thinking strangely, hearing voices . . . he is infected.

The fate of the human race may well depend on the bloody war Perry must wage with his own body, because the parasites want something from him, something that goes beyond mere murder.

Infected is the first major print release from Internet phenom Scott Sigler, whose podcast-only audiobooks have drawn an immense cult following, with more than three million individual episodes downloaded. Now Sigler storms the bookstore shelves with this cinematic, relentlessly paced novel that mixes and matches genres, combining horror, technothriller, and suspense in a heady mix that is equal parts Chuck Palahniuk, Michael Crichton, and Stephen King.
Infected will crawl beneath your skin and leave fresh blood on every page.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26591 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-01
• Released on: 2008-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

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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From AudioFile
This so-called "director's cut" of Sigler's thriller deems itself a cinematic experience sure to put a scare into the listener. A mysterious disease is causing ordinary people to commit brutal murders--even of family and friends. CIA Agent Drew Phillips is trying to get his hands on a live victim for epidemiologists. As narrator, Sigler seems unenthusiastic about his own story--he offers a swift reading, complete with a cheesy score. Sigler's vocal characterizations do not often vary from the matter-of fact tone he uses for the narrative. Though there are a few creative techniques at work--for example, dialogue is delivered through a fuzzy speaker to represent telephone conversations--the final result is mediocre. L.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

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 panache of Clive Barker, and the oozing, shuddery pathologies of a David Cronenberg movie. Zombies, spies, conspiracies, and gallons of goo make this the fastest read in the west! Highest recommendation!"
— Jay Bonansinga, national bestselling author of Shattered, Twisted, Frozen, and The Sinking of the Eastland

"Sigler has a unique talent for keeping readers on the edge of their seats; I absolutely had to know what was going to happen next. Infected is full of mayhem, action, and gore--and you won’t be able to put it down."
— Dave Wellington, author of 13 Bullets and the Monster Island trilogy

"Scott Sigler's Infected is a bucking pulp pony that throws you this way and that, and just when you think you've got your balance, that ole pony bucks the other way. All in all, one hell of an exhilarating ride, and highly recommended."
—Joe R. Lansdale, World Horror Convention Grand Master and six-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Bubba Ho-Tep and Lost Echoes

"Infected is as unnerving as a scream in a morgue…a breakout novel that gets under your skin. If the voice in your head is Sigler's, you're locked in for a very scary night."
—E.E. Knight

Customer Reviews

Gripping and yet "horrible"
I have read this book and I did not have to force myself to finish it. In fact it was quite the opposite. The story and how it is written somehow fascinated me. I liked it, I really did.

On the other hand, the writing is pretty bad. Most characters are either stereotypes (most policemen, CIA agents and the doctors) or absurd ("Scary" Perry and Dew). "Scary" Perry loses gallons of blood, the use of one of his legs, is scorched with burns and yet jump flights of stairs and survive for days when instead he should have gone into shock and died. I wish the linebackers on my favorite football team could do as "Scary" Perry (need to read the book to make sense of this comment).

Women characters are flawed people. Both characters (yes, there are only two women, as far as I can tell) are weak, easily manipulated and, as far as I can tell, prone to weird fantasies. While I can say that I observed women like that, it does not seem reasonable that so many superhuman men are available while all the women seem to be worthless.

If I had to make an artistic evaluation, I would give it a one. If I had to judge it by its entertainment value, I would have to give it a 5 -- perhaps surprised or embarrassed to do so. So I will be honest and go for a 3.

infected by scott sigler
I stumbled upon this as a free podcast. I was so infected by the story I had to go out and get the book! I still have not finished the novel as I am listening to the podcast, (Sigler is great) but I hope to re read it when it is done and see how it compares. I also can not wait to get my copy signed by this next great sci fi author!!( I truely think he has talent If you take a look at all of the reviews all but one or two say it was WORTH reading for atleast one reason or another. They may not have thought it was a GREAT work, but almost all felt it had some merit. But.... most who were looking for a fun scary novel loved it and love Sigler. I can't wait for the publication of his NEXT novel Contagious!!!!

Great read!
Upon seeing this on another site as an audiobook I immediately picked up the real thing. If you're at all into sci-fi or horror (or both) then this book will keep your eyes glued to it from start to finish. I enjoy horror but with a lot of books and films of the genre, you end up rolling your eyes at the ridiculous revelations which are either too obvious or obnoxious. This book is no eye-roller. There are a few loose ends but I understand there's a sequel on the way - can't wait!