THE WIDELY ACCLAIMED DOUBLE CONCEPT ALBUM, THE ASTONISHING, IS SET TO BE RELEASED AS A NOVEL WITH EXPANDED STORYLINES, NEW CHARACTERS, AND SEVERAL EXCLUSIVES
DREAM THEATER HAS PARTNERED WITH NOTED FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION AUTHOR PETER ORULLIAN, WHO WILL BE WRITING THE ASTONISHING, THE NOVEL
NOVEMBER 25, 2016 – Dream Theater is happy to announce the development of a novel—entitled The Astonishing—to tell the broader and deeper story of The Astonishing album. Consisting of 34 tracks, the album is but one window into the rich world created by John Petrucci. The strengths of the novel form will allow for the expansion of storylines, new subplots, the addition of important characters, answers to story questions, as well as surprises and turns that fans are sure to love.
To bring this vision to life, and after careful consideration, Dream Theater has selected Peter Orullian to write The Astonishing. Orullian is currently published by Tor Books, with an ongoing fantasy series in which music plays a key role, making him the perfect writer to adapt The Astonishing. Orullian is also a trained vocalist, having studied with David Kyle (Geoff Tate, Layne Staley, Ann Wilson), and has fronted touring rock and metal bands. This vocal experience has been key in his ability to write central characters in the story with credibility and authenticity.
Shortly after the announcement of The Astonishing album, Petrucci and Orullian connected and began discussing the novel. Over numerous extended phone conversations, in-person discussions, and email exchanges, Orullian gathered a deep understanding of Petrucci’s story and vision. He began to ideate and extrapolate on the core ideas, and introduce story elements to expand on the already substantive world in order to approach writing the novel.
The book is slated for release in the spring of 2017. In its first incarnation, it will be a Limited Edition, which will come with exclusive bonus materials, including early audio recordings of songs not used on the album. All of this will only be available in a short collectible print run:
– Full-length novel of The Astonishing, adding new plot lines and intrigue, additional characters and motivations, answers to fan questions, as well as explanations and ideas not explored on the album
– In-depth Introduction by John Petrucci, going deep on why he wrote The Astonishing album, what it means to him, etc.
– Definitive interviews of each member of Dream Theater, covering their experience in the genesis of the album, in performing it, what it means to them, as well as their own music history, interests, and part in the band
– A few early music demos (often taken from original iPhone recordings) of original songs set in the universe of The Astonishing but never used on the album
– The genesis of one song: From early iPhone recording to final tune, listen to several song clips of the steps in the song writing process of one of the songs from The Astonishing
– Foreword by a celebrated musician
– Afterword by a music industry luminary
– Never-before seen hand written notes, early art renderings, photographs, etc. chronicling the development of The Astonishing, with a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came to fruition
– An original story by John Petrucci & Peter Orullian, set in the universe of The Astonishing
– Original cover art on full-color dust jacket
– Original full-color interior art depicting key scenes in the story, including some scenes not represented in the album
– Map of the world of The Astonishing
– Full lyrics, song-by-song breakdown, and final synopsis as written by John Petrucci
– Printed on 60# acid-free paper
– Smyth sewn for durability
– Foil stamping on the front boards and spine
– Bound in leather
For more information on the book and to pre-order your copy of this Limited Edition, please visit:
http://www.vaultbooks.pub/store/p17/The_Astonishing.html
