“What Happens After We Die?”
January 18, 2018
Some of the biggest questions and mysteries that many humans ponder are at the heart of Thomas Pierce’s new Riverhead novel, THE AFTERLIVES, our latest Igloo Book Buzz selection. The author reveals, “I set out to write a story about a guy trying to find bedrock in a world that often feels so ridiculous and so full of spectacle and along the way wound up writing about love and death and ghosts and holograms. Go figure..”

(c) Andrew Owen[/caption] Riverhead Editor Laura Perciasepe says, “This was the second book I worked on with Thomas but his first novel, after the story collection HALL OF SMALL MAMMALS. It was a joy to dive back into Thomas’ writing in THE AFTERLIVES. He has a style and a perspective all his own, funny and profound, intimate and infinite. He takes this cosmic question – what happens after we die? – and makes it real and familiar. He gives you answers, and entertains along the way.” Fellow Penguin Random House author Emily St. John Mandel (STATION ELEVEN) is among the many fans of THE AFTERLIVES: “A bracingly intelligent, beautifully rendered meditation on ghosts, technology, marriage, and the afterlife. This is a remarkable novel.”
Popular Company News
PYR to Publish New Book Based on Most-Watched Bluey Episode Ever
May 6, 2025
Penguin Young Readers is delighted to announce that it will be publishing BLUEY: THE SIGN, a special hardcover children's book based on the record-breaking 28-minute Bluey…
Philip Pullman Announces Epic Finale to Lyra’s Story in Vol. Three of THE BOOK OF DUST
May 1, 2025
On Tuesday, April 29, Philip Pullman announced the long-awaited and highly anticipated conclusion to his bestselling The Book of Dust series (La Belle Sauvage, The Secret…
Penguin Random House Expands Relationship With Disney to Publish Popular Stories
May 2, 2025
Penguin Random House LLC has signed new license agreements with Disney Publishing to publish beloved stories and create original content for fans of all ages. The agreements…
Spotlighting Our 2025 Lukas Prize Winners and Finalist
April 17, 2025
Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard announced the four winners and three finalists of the 2025 J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project…
Several PRH Titles Shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction
April 8, 2025
The UK’s Women’s Prize Trust announced the shortlist for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction, a literary award championing and amplifying women's voices. This year's shortlist…
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler to Publish First New Gruffalo Picture Book in Over 20 Years
May 1, 2025
Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, announced today that Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the internationally bestselling author/illustrator duo, will return…
VOW for Girls and Berkley Raise Funds to Send 300 Girls to School
April 11, 2025
This past February, Berkley joined the nonprofit VOW for Girls and the romance community to help end child marriage around the world. With the help of…
PRH, The Authors Guild, and the EBMA File Amicus Brief in the Case of Mahmoud v. Taylor
April 23, 2025
Penguin Random House (PRH), The Authors Guild, and the Educational Book and Media Association (EBMA) have jointly submitted an amicus brief on April 9, 2025 to…
There’s a Book for That: National Library Week
April 10, 2025
It’s time to share your love for libraries! National Library Week, an initiative of the American Library Association, runs from April 6th-12th. 2025’s Honorary Chairs Raina…