Are you a big fan of ignorant crap?
Well, you’re in luck. Excerpts from the fictional Pluribus book Bloodsong of Waikalo, the latest novel in Carol Starka’s romantic The Winds of Waikalo series, are now available on Apple Books. (Apple TV is producing and distributing Vince Gilligan’s new sci-fi drama.) Download the 11-page chapter here.
In the first episode of “Pluribus,” Carol (played by Rhea Seehorn) reads an excerpt from “Waikalo Blood Song” during an autograph session at Barnes & Noble. Many of her fans ask her why the series’ heartthrob Laban isn’t on the cover. These concerns are addressed in “Letter from the Author,” in which Carroll also writes about his love for the story of Sisyphus. In “Pluribus,” Carol hates her best-selling work (and the fans who obsess over every page).
“Waikalo” series 4 The novel’s book description reads: “Sail with Lucacia, the captain of the dune ship Mercator, as she traverses the amaranth sands of Waikalo in search of a cure for an insidious disease that bedevils her crew. Lucasia fights a dangerous storm… As she sails through it, she is haunted by memories of Laban, the rogue who stole her heart before she walked the seas. A passion for liberation arises, and she soon realizes that the only thing worse than being alone in the dark is realizing that you are not alone.”
Sound familiar? “Pluribus” follows Carol after an earth-shaking event known as “The Joining.” Then, all but 12 people on Earth are suddenly taken over by a mind virus, turning them into friendly omniscient beings who share a single collective consciousness. Described as “the most miserable human being on the planet,” Carol must fight for her individuality as the world tries to figure out a way to “cure” her.
Apple pulled a similar stunt earlier this year by releasing Severance’s self-help book, The You You Are, on Apple Books. This audiobook was narrated by actor Michael Charnas, who plays Ricken Hale in the workplace thriller.
“Pluribus” debuts on Nov. 7, and the first three episodes are currently available to stream on Apple TV. The show will be Gilligan’s first project since Better Call Saul, which ended in 2022. “I wouldn’t say there was pressure, but there was some expectation. There was some expectation of what was going to happen next in the Breaking Bad universe,” Gilligan told Variety in an interview with Seehorn.
“We live in a world of IP, where the safest thing to do is reboot a piece that has an audience. I wanted to prove that I’m not a one-trick pony,” Gilligan says. “It’s harder than ever to create something that isn’t based on a movie, comic book or video game from the past. Every generation deserves to have its own story, not just the story of its grandparents.”
