Michiganders might recognize the name Josh Malerman for a few different reasons. First, music fans might remember him as the lead singer of a band called The High Strung—a national rock act that toured the United States and even penned the theme song to the Showtime TV series Shameless. But Malerman also proved himself to be a talented novelist in 2014 with his debut novel Bird Box, which follows a mother and her children as they try to navigate a world dominated by an ominous force that, when seen, turns its victims suicidal. The book gained widespread acclaim due to its breakneck pace and minimalist prose, and earned praise from countless publications. The guy is multi-talented, to say the least.
Last month, Malerman released his follow-up to Bird Box. The novel, titled Black Mad Wheel, follows a washed-up Detroit rock band that is tasked with uncovering a dangerous noise in the heart of an African desert. With Malerman’s own experience in the Detroit music scene and Bird Box’s reputation, it’s one of my most anticipated books of the summer. You can check it out (or revisit Bird Box) in the links below.
