Hot take: audiobooks are the best versions of books.

I’m no purist who insists books must be experienced in quiet, reflective solitude, or that the truest, best form of any novel is simple words on a page.

Nah fam.

I’m a reader, too, and as a reader I sometimes fall victim to all the pitfalls of reading. Skimming over obvious paragraphs. Speed-reading through good parts. Losing the pace.

Can’t do that shit in an audiobook, unless you’re an irredeemable Satanist who listens at 2x or 3x speed. You go at the pace of the narrator. And on top of that, you’ve got a professional who can bring your characters to life in theatrical fashion.

So I’m a big fan. And as a big fan, I always dedicate a lot of time and effort to the Audible versions of my novels.

Degenerate is my most ambitious Audible book yet, and I’m happy announce that it will be available for pre-order on October 30, just a day before Halloween. And that it will debut alongside the digital and print versions of the book on November 19.

As an audiobook, Degenerate weighs in at just over 15 hours, which also makes it my biggest audiobook to date.

I’ve teamed up with the incredibly talented Philip Nathaniel Freeman, who narrates the book with passion. We’ve got music. We’ve got what we call audio flourishes, meaning sound effects that enhance certain sequences. And in my opinion it all comes together in a beautiful way that allows Phil’s voice to remain the star of the show. I hope listeners find and enjoy it in this format, as a lot of love and work went into its creation.

Here’s a little sample for you. (Note: For the purposes of this sample, I’ve cut off the opening credits and crossfaded straight to the first chapter, but the final book transitions more seamlessly.)