There’s a new John Scalzi book in the works and that means there’s a new cover from designer Peter Lutjen in the world. You can often describe an art director’s job as being a match-maker for author and designer and the John/Peter pairing has been good for us. Here is the latest for Lock In, a near future thriller where a mysterious virus affects a portion of the population. Peter created a cover that expressed both their isolation and connectivity by painting tiny train model people. Below is a look behind the scenes.
For more information about Lock In, here is the synopsis:
Fifteen years from now, a new virus sweeps the globe. 95% of those afflicted experience nothing worse than fever and headaches. Four per cent suffer acute meningitis, creating the largest medical crisis in history. And one percent find themselves “locked in”—fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to Stimulus.
One per cent doesn’t seem like a lot. But in the United States, that’s 1.7 million people “locked in” …including the President’s wife and daughter. Spurred by grief and the sheer magnitude of the suffering, America undertakes a massive scientific initiative. Nothing can restore to the “locked in” the ability to control their own bodies. But two new technologies emerge. One is a virtual reality environment, “The Agora,” in which the locked-in can interact with other humans, both locked-in and not. The other is the discovery that a few rare individuals have brains that are receptive to being controlled by others, meaning that from time to time, those who are locked in can “ride” these people and use their bodies as if they were their own.
This skill is quickly regulated, licensed, bonded, and controlled. Nothing can go wrong. Certainly nobody would be tempted to misuse it, for murder, for political power, or worse…
