Monstrilio author returns to Dead Ink Books with ‘mischievous’ second novel
Dead Ink Books has acquired Imps!, the second novel from the author of Monstrilio (Dead Ink Books, 2024), Gerardo Sámano Córdova.
Senior Commissioning editor Harriet Hirshman bought UK and Commonwealth, excluding Canada, rights from Sierra Stovall at Zando for publication in March 2027. Tin House will publish in the US.
The blurb of Imps! reads: “On a quiet morning, Francisca awakes to a rare good day. She skips work, admires the squabbling sparrows on her tiny terrace in Mexico City, and senses a joy so refreshing it feels dangerous. But when there’s a knock on her door, announcing an odd stranger at her apartment, Francisca, frightened and fascinated, acts on a whim, shattering her peaceful day and predictable life. She can think of only one person to help her with this unexpected, maybe hostile visitor – her estranged twin brother, Pablo.
“As Pablo arrives, the day spirals from an awkward reunion into a claustrophobic, feverish confrontation where the twins must reckon with a past they thought they had outrun. Over the course of this peculiar day, Francisca and Pablo realise this man brings devastating questions and a reckoning twenty years in the making."
The publisher said: “With Sámano Córdova’s trademark blend of strangeness, darkness, humour and tenderness, Imps! explores themes of imagination, loss, brokenness, and the quest for the extraordinary in everyday life.”
Sámano Córdova said: “Dead Ink is one of the coolest publishers around. Their catalogue is awe-inspiring and I’m honoured and beyond excited to be working with them again. I witnessed the enthusiasm with which they embraced and bolstered Monstrilio and I can’t wait to see what they’ll do with this mischievous new novel, Imps!.”
Hirshman added: “It was an honour to bring Monstrilio to UK audiences in 2024 and I’m thrilled to be working with Gerardo on his new novel. Like Monstrilio, Imps! pulses with new folklore, but this time round the beguiling creature takes the form of a pair of mischievous twins. Gerardo is carving out his own distinct space in the horror genre, crafting wildly inventive narratives that are as playful and endearing as they are unhinged. I can’t wait for readers to meet Francisca and Pablo and to learn of all their misdeeds.”
Editorial director of Tin House and Zando, and Sámano Córdova’s editor, Masie Cochran, added: “I’ll never forget the first time I read Imps!. It was a visceral experience – I laughed, gasped, shut my eyes in terror, and felt my heart swell with an unexpected, aching tenderness as Gerardo leads us through a truly original and unforgettable story that encompasses moments of pure joy and hilarity as well as hair-raising horror. And it’s incredibly exciting to be working with Dead Ink again, partnering to bring this one-of-a-kind novel to readers far and wide.”
