“What if the villain of your story is you?”
Storyteller, director, and writer Lauren Shippen’s second YA novel is getting close to being released. A Neon Darkness becomes available to fans on September 29 and will focus on one of the more troubled characters, Damien. If you would like to glimpse at who the character is before the novel, Shippen is an avid playlist maker and has created a Damien character playlist you can listen to on Spotify.
— The Bright Sessions (@brightpodcast) April 23, 2020
A Neon Darkness is Shippen’s second novel based on The Bright Sessions podcast world. Where The Infinite Noise focused on Caleb Michaels and Adam Hayes’ story, this time, it goes a bit darker. We get a glimpse into the complex character Robert Gorham and how he becomes Damien. Like most, he is also an Atypical. Damien has the power of persuasion. He can make you do what he wants with what he says to you, meaning he is used to getting his way. During his story, he meets a group of others like him who call themselves Unusuals. They can “produce flames without flint, conduct electricity with their hands, and see visions of the past.” Now all Damien has to do is keep his powers under control. But as someone who is always in control, can he do that?
If you are not familiar with Shippen’s work, pull up a chair. She created and wrote the popular audio drama The Bright Sessions, which had four seasons from 2015 to 2018. The podcast was carried on in The AM Archives, which she executive produced. She is working on The College Tapes that come out in September. She co-produced the award-winning Passenger List and wrote the audio adaptation of the popular comic MARVELS. In 2019, she released her first YA novel, The Infinite Noise, and has a third book on the horizon. Shippen is certainly busy!
But back to A Neon Darkness, the audiobook has an interview between Shippen, narrator Charlie Ian who voiced Damien, and Briggon Snow, who voices Caleb. The full interview will only be available on audiobook, but we have an excerpt that we can share with you now!
You can pre-order A Neon Darkness now for its release on September 29.