In celebration of my birthday, I give you the US cover of Leviathan . . .
Frequently asked questions:
What? This is the first book of my next series, which will include three novels and one full-color guidebook, The Manual of Aeronautics.
When? Book 1 comes out October 6, 2009. The other two novels come out in October of 2010 and 2011.
Where? It will be published (almost) simultaneously in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. No waiting! We’ve also sold rights to France and Taiwan, so far.
Who? It’s by me, silly. But it also includes 50 awesome illustrations by the artist Keith Thompson, most of them full page! This amazing cover is also by him. I’ll be posting samples here every month, and they will astonish you.
Why? Why is it illustrated? Because back in 1914, almost all books were illustrated, and I wanted it to look and feel like a book from that period. Plus, there are so many weird animals and machines in the world of Leviathan that I wanted to show them.*
WTF? Okay, Leviathan is set in an alternate world in which Charles Darwin discovered biotechnology. So the British Empire was built on the backs of strange, fabricated beasties. Living airships! Fighting kraken! Message lizards!
Um, but what’s that thing on the cover? That’s a Clanker contraption. You see, the Germans and Austrians in my world use machines instead of beasties. Cool walking machines!
Aren’t you sick of answering all these questions? Yes, and it’s my birthday. So enjoy the cover. I’m out of here.
Can’t I ask one more question?
Sure, but that was it. Ciao for now!
____________________
*Also, I wanted an excuse to go to Comic-Con
May 6th, 2009 07:55
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! It kind of reminds me of Steamboy, but, like, a million times better!!!!! I can’t wait until it comes out!!!!! Why does October have to be soooo far way?!?!?!
May 6th, 2009 07:56
Happy Birthday!!!! The cover is really cool!
May 6th, 2009 08:03
The cover for Leviathan is awesome. It also kind of reminds me of Iron Giant, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Steamboy.
May 6th, 2009 08:07
Oh my gosh! thats amazing I can’t wait to read it.
May 6th, 2009 08:08
Whoa, Scott-la has a birthday. The world works in wondrous ways.
That cover is absolutely breathtaking, truly different from your most popular series out in the public. Has a whole different feel and everything. I can’t wait!
(Also note, I too was reminded of Iron Giant at first.)
May 6th, 2009 08:09
5th!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Yayyyyy!
May 6th, 2009 08:10
1. Happy Birthday!!!!!
2. WAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTT.
3. No, really. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnt.
4. They are shipping me my copy of Mind-Rain! YAY!
May 6th, 2009 08:13
Niiice excuse to go to Comic-Con. xD But I’ve always wanted to go to one, so I don’t blame you.
And it looks amazing! I love the cover. And the story sounds amazing as well, I can’t wait for it to come out!
and Happy Birthday! ^^
May 6th, 2009 08:32
EXTREMELY ICY. I’m so excited!!!
More Importantly: Happy Birthday!!! Hopefully it shall be the most exclamation mark-filled ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 6th, 2009 08:36
Happy Birthday!
And I just cannot wait to read this book! Awesome cover.
May 6th, 2009 08:36
Happy birthday! =D
May 6th, 2009 08:37
Oops, submitted my last comment too soon. What I meant was:
Happy birthday! =D
And I look forward to the release!
May 6th, 2009 08:44
brilliant Scott-la
I can’t wait to read it
May 6th, 2009 08:47
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
I am very excited for this book. I am waiting for it.
May 6th, 2009 08:48
Awesome! I like the “Also, I wanted an excuse to go to Comic-Con” part!
It looks amazing by the way!!!
May 6th, 2009 08:51
Happy Birthday! The new cover looks amazing. One question though: “It will be published (almost) simultaneously in the US, UK, and Australia.” Does that include Canada, or no?
May 6th, 2009 08:52
huhuh…”an excuse to go to comicon.” I’ve been considering going to MTAC, myself.
May 6th, 2009 08:57
HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY!!!! and that cover is just about the coolest cover eeverrr
and i love picture books. =]
May 6th, 2009 09:03
Deltay: Yes, Canada too! (But it’s the US edition, I’m pretty sure.)
May 6th, 2009 09:04
<3
I just fell in love with it all the more. I can’t wait to read it!!!
May 6th, 2009 09:05
HOLY FRICKEN AWESOME!!!
May 6th, 2009 09:09
I forgot to say in my last comment, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SCOTT!!!!! I too have been wanting to go to Comic-Con (San Diego Comic-Con, to be exact).
May 6th, 2009 09:10
That is one freaking sweet looking cover! I love it–I can’t wait for October now!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
May 6th, 2009 09:11
Happy Birthday! And oooohhhhhh, nice looking, I want!
May 6th, 2009 09:11
BRILLIANT! I loves it. I wants it. I neeeeeeeeeeds it…. *attempts to infiltrate Simon & Schuster*
May 6th, 2009 09:20
Happy B’day, Scott — you don’t look a year older.
Love the new cover and I can’t wait to get my hands on my own copy. Early b’day present for me?
WandaV
May 6th, 2009 09:23
yay for cover !
and happy brithday scott
can’t wait for the book…
May 6th, 2009 09:25
Happy birthday, Scott.
That cover is AMAZING.
May 6th, 2009 09:43
AHH! I’ve already seen the image, but I am still excited about this gorgeous cover.
And merry happy chipper joyous birthday!
May 6th, 2009 09:43
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Its my spanish Teacher’s Birthday today too… Thats awsome! I cant wait to read it!
May 6th, 2009 09:44
Ill be the first one in my town to buy a copy! It looks soooo awesome!
P.s I just bought your book Bogus to Bubbly and i never thought a hoverboard looked like that :] but i must say the Uglies series is the best series ive read keep up the good work!
May 6th, 2009 09:45
Aw yeah ops i also ment to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! *goes off singing birthday songs*
May 6th, 2009 09:46
finaly!!!
May 6th, 2009 09:48
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTT!!!!
May 6th, 2009 09:55
Happy birthday!
That cover is so freaking amazing. But so much for the cover eye scheme you had going.
May 6th, 2009 09:57
Wow! O_O
1) The artwork is amazing! Now I am so much more excited for this book… It looks so promising! (Not that it’s not anyway… This just adds to it.)
2) Happy Birthday!
Seriously, this cover is amazing.
I can’t wait to see more of the artwork!
May 6th, 2009 10:07
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO SO SO AMAZING. I can’t wait. That’s a day before my birthday that it comes out! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTT!
May 6th, 2009 10:11
noooooo i wa!ited so long to comment1
May 6th, 2009 10:15
any wayzzzzzzzzzzzzz………….* BLOW BLOONS AND GET THE FRICKEN STREAMERZ AND CAKE*~!!@!~!~ ITZ UR B-DAY AND I FER GIT?@~!%#!^ HOWW COULD I BE SOOOOO STUPID?`~! WHY? HAPPY-BDAY!
May 6th, 2009 10:15
Happy Birthday, birthday buddy!
May 6th, 2009 10:19
That just may be the swooniest cover EVAR! Cannot wait for this book. Entering hibernation mode now…
Happy birthday Scott!!
May 6th, 2009 11:13
OMG OMG OMG THAT COVER IS AMAZING.
May 6th, 2009 11:14
That looks amazing. I can’t wait.
Happy birthday!!
May 6th, 2009 11:16
Happy Birthday! Hope you are doing something really awesome for it
More books should have illustrations…they add to the experience…but they should be ambiguous, to retain the imaginative aspect of reading. The cover is rad. Can’t wait to read this.
May 6th, 2009 11:18
Hey, Happy birthday! I wish you a good one!! And that’s a pretty interesting cover! Neato…
May 6th, 2009 11:21
VERY nice, Scott. This book looks like it’ll be fun as hell.
May 6th, 2009 11:32
It looks interesting
May 6th, 2009 11:34
Oh and happy b-day
May 6th, 2009 12:16
omfgyaycantwaitHAPPYBIRTHDAY!
May 6th, 2009 12:22
happy birthday scott-la!!!!!!!!!!
oooooooooh levithan looks so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 6th, 2009 12:23
lol comment 50!!!!
May 6th, 2009 12:25
hoooooooly crap!!!!! I WANT IT now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! happy birthday! oh, are you going on a book tour again? ‘cuz that would be SWEET!
May 6th, 2009 12:46
Happy Birthday, Scott!
May 6th, 2009 12:57
1. Awesome cover.
2. Happy birthday.
3. Nervous-making was used in Revolutionary Road writtan by Richard Yates in 1961. I’m reading it for English and I just about fell off my bed when I read it this afternoon.
May 6th, 2009 13:16
Nice mecha.
May 6th, 2009 13:21
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTT-SENSEI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fawsome cover!!!!
May 6th, 2009 13:32
Scott-la!
you commented again
haha
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you deserve an icy major day
have the bubbliest
May 6th, 2009 13:49
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SCOTT-LA!♪
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SCOTT-LA!♪
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SCOTT-LA!♪
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!♪
ANOTHER SONG!
OH YEAH! LEVIATHAN!♪
I CANT WAIIT!♪
OH YEAHH!♪
LALLALALALALALLALALLA♪
May 6th, 2009 13:54
mmmm new bookie….
*drool*
happy birthday, scott-la!!!
does this mean you’ll be going on tour soon?
cause i want a copy and a signie signie…
May 6th, 2009 14:02
Hey, I’ve held a giant poster of that cover. It’s still pretty! And illustrated!
Hey, this is also my friend’s birthday. Happy birthday!
May 6th, 2009 14:02
Hey, I start every sentence with the word hey. And cannot spell sentence right the first time, ever.
May 6th, 2009 14:14
FAWESOME.
May 6th, 2009 14:57
EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 6th, 2009 15:08
Happy birthday
I’m so excited for this book. The cover artwork is terrific 
May 6th, 2009 15:09
Hey, the cover looks great! Happy birthday!
May 6th, 2009 15:21
Leviathan looks super steampunky and awesome. I can’t wait!
May 6th, 2009 15:47
Happy Birthday!!!!! and omg i really want to read Leviathan!!!!
May 6th, 2009 16:08
TOTAL AMAZINGNESS THERE, SCOTT!!!
awesome cover. Now i just need to wait for it to come out…
i wish people had midnight parties for scott’s books…
May 6th, 2009 16:09
also happy birthday, scott!
SO many people i know have birthdays in may…myself included.
May 6th, 2009 17:29
Happy Birthday, Love the cover.
Damn UK….
May 6th, 2009 19:09
Happy Birthday, Scott! So I guess the Clanker contraptions would be like the Eva Units from Neon Genesis Evangelion. That makes it Leviathan at least ten times cooler.
May 6th, 2009 22:37
Happy Birthday, Scott!
May 6th, 2009 22:45
Hello
May 6th, 2009 22:51
Cool cover, and happy happy, Scott.
May 6th, 2009 22:52
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTT-LA!!
That is one righteous cover!! I’m unbelievably excited now that I know what the book is about!
Whoa. Look at the very bottom of this website and the green text? It says This is silly text. Evil silly text!
That’s kind of amazing. The smily face is still there too!
NOTE: If there is a girl reading this (hang on I’m getting more specific) I’m that one girl from Barnes and Nobel (5/05) last night, you recommended The Black Tattoo to me. I should’ve probably told you, like, my name but whatever. Hello! if you read this.
May 6th, 2009 22:59
I just looked at the cover again, and it’s absolutely amazing. *cries at the beauty* lol.
(also, in my time zone, it’s 7:57 AM on the sixth. So…)
I wish was October (stupid Time-Space-Continuum time machine conundrum)
Peace!:)
May 6th, 2009 23:02
Hey, who came up with the questions?
And, ‘I need an excuse to go to Comic-Con’ that’s amazing.
What do you do at a Comic-Con?
May 6th, 2009 23:45
I’ve decided that this is going to be an awesome year, book wise. Crashed (by Robin Wasserman) is due to be out in September, then there’s this…and that’s all I know about. It doesn’t take much to get me happy…OH!! And the 6th book to HON…I’m going to work on saving up some money…75cents…I’m doing good! lol
May 6th, 2009 23:54
goodbye for real! Have a great day/Night everyone + Scott-la!
May 7th, 2009 02:39
:O Im excited !!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!
May 7th, 2009 02:47
*If a bit late, but idc – im always late :L
May 7th, 2009 06:09
Happy birthday Scott-la!
May 7th, 2009 06:58
OMG Jay-wa i just saw at the bottom of the page the Evil Silly text thing. Funny scott-la.
ps happy bday and when is Mind Rain coming out?
May 7th, 2009 07:01
That is a fantastical cover!!! Can’t wait!!!!!!!!!!
HHHHHHAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYY
BBBBBIIIIIIRRRRRTTTTTTTHHHHHDDDDDDAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!
If you can’t tell i’m feeling rather spastic right now.
May 7th, 2009 08:05
Happy Happy Happy Birthday!
Exciting cover, I want one!
May 7th, 2009 08:14
I like your evil silly text at the bottom,
It adds a unique touch to your website!
May 7th, 2009 08:55
I already knew Keith Thompson was an awesome artist (I’ve followed his work for a year now), and i have to say this cover is pretty high up there. When I read the preview chapters of Leviathan I had a horrible suspicion that you might go overboard on the steampunk, but NO! It looks fantastic, not too extreme, and reminds me of Robo from Chrono Trigger.
Which is a good thing.
May 7th, 2009 09:16
:O Cool! Walking machines? That would be cool. It seems like a futuristic book, but, guess not.
May 7th, 2009 09:18
Oh yeah. Happy birthday! I won’t say anything more, because I know how I hate being told “happy birthday” countless times
May 7th, 2009 09:47
It’s an okay cover. I’m not gonna lie though, it doesn’t look like my thing. but hey I’m sure it’s a good book anyway!
May 7th, 2009 10:00
Awesome, I can wait for it to come out. Waiting is so nervous-making. But i love the Uglies series, it was so happy-making but not so happy-making when i didn’t have time to read them. BUt i am reading Extras and it is SO happy-making!
May 7th, 2009 10:18
I hate waiting for things
May 7th, 2009 10:23
reagan: Yes. Waiting is hard. (‘patience is a virtue’ whoever came up with that crap was obviously not talking about [teenagers] waiting for anything important.)
My friends are excited about this!
♥
Peace
May 7th, 2009 10:32
Waiting for things in fact sucks lol
May 7th, 2009 11:08
I just checked out Keith Thompson’s website (and besides my computer being SOOPER S L O W and me wanting to claw my eyes out because of it…) and it was glorious! He is a gifted dude, seriously.
Peace
May 7th, 2009 11:12
Zane: I love your website!! lol it was a great way to start the day!
May 7th, 2009 11:24
scott that looks really good but you should seriously write more uglies books…PLEASE!!!
May 7th, 2009 11:40
le·vi·a·than (lÉ™-vÄ«’É™-thÉ™n)
n.
1. Something unusually large of its kind, especially a ship.
2. A very large animal, especially a whale.
3. A monstrous sea creature mentioned in the Bible.
I love dictionary.com
Also, I agree with Kay-la, except you also need another Midnighters too (Just think of us as like, your accountant or something, we’re trying to make you money. Though, that’s not really the accountants job, is it?)
May 7th, 2009 11:42
Sorry, I meant to post this with the last comment, but there’s this righteous sci-fi song called Major Tom (coming home) it kind of reminds me of The Risen Empire, but not really.
That’s all!
}:D
Peace…again
May 7th, 2009 12:33
YAY! I’m the one hundredth comment! The cover is awesome. I can’t wait to get a copy. :p
May 7th, 2009 12:54
Happy Birthday!!!
The book looks so amazing! Seriously giddy-extreme!!!
I hope by comic-con, you’re not meaning the San Diego Comic-Con… I had to refund my tickets so I can afford my first apartment. Stupid independence.
May 7th, 2009 13:14
It’s GREAT. Can’t wait, can’t wait.
May 7th, 2009 13:14
oh, and happy birthday. Yay, you’re my age!
May 7th, 2009 13:20
i just screamed my pants off. end of story.
May 7th, 2009 13:33
THIS
IS
EPIC!
May 7th, 2009 15:06
oi…there’s ANOTHER fire in my town. and it’s starting to burn houses now.
this is the FOURTH in two years, two summers ago, last summer, in october, and now another one.
we need RAIN!!!
also doesn’t help that it was 100 degrees today…
May 7th, 2009 15:19
Ah! I saw that on the news Haley-sensei! I hope you guys are all okay!
May 7th, 2009 15:36
Happy Birthday Mr. Westerfeld!
That cover makes me jealous… Your books make me jealous. Going to Comic-Con makes me jealous. I WANT TO BE YOU!!
Okay, now that my jealousy and envy have subsided. That cover looks like complete and utter awesomeness! Also, have fun at Comic-Con.
May 7th, 2009 15:42
it’s really weird that someone in this town found out about the fire…from someone in NORTH CAROLINA. that just doesn’t make sense.
i know some people who were evacuated…good thing we live far-ish away from it. my school is the evacuation site, it’s really weird to walk past the gym and see cots and sleeping bags in it.
STUPID WIND it’s making the fire get bigger!!
May 7th, 2009 19:23
Ohh it comes out on my birthday! I’m so excited!
May 7th, 2009 21:46
i really enjoyed the uglies series. i was kinda mad when i got done with the 4th book and there were no more lolz. but i look forward to reading this series and so on.
May 7th, 2009 22:49
Haley-Sensei~TOP NINJA: I’m glad you’re okay! Do you live in California? (I’m not so good with the paying-attention-to-the-news thing)
Laura-wa: Your Birthday will definitely be happy then!
Hello, Babygirl, who are you?
May 8th, 2009 00:46
Wait, your a fan of comics? O_O I should have known! You’re officially now more awesome than you were before.
And I can’t wait to read this!
May 8th, 2009 07:12
So it’s MechAssault in book form?
May 8th, 2009 07:18
omg dude i was like wheres my comment and then i was like maybe i didnt comment on this one and then i found it!!!!!!!!!!! happines!!!!!
May 8th, 2009 07:19
ttyl ppl i have 2 go do sumfin 4 my horse
May 8th, 2009 08:28
ITS SO BEUTIFUL! *CRIES CAUSE ITS PERFECT AND I CANT HAVE IT YET*
May 8th, 2009 08:48
Dude, this series looks and sounds really cool! I’m so excited to read them! And thanks Scott for doing illustrations! It’s so much easier to see what sci fi writers are talking about when they’ve created a whole new world
And happy belated birthday Scott!
May 8th, 2009 08:52
Okay, so now I am TEN TIMES more excited.
May 8th, 2009 11:08
Yay, in-text illustrations! Bring it back, bring it on!!!
May 8th, 2009 14:11
Totally reminded me of Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle. I’m loving the art and the story already sounds kick-ass. Can’t wait!!
May 8th, 2009 15:30
That’s weird. Who found out from North Carolina??? I hope everything’s okay though!
May 8th, 2009 17:01
Jay-wa: i live in the adjacent town to where the fire is. i’m close, but not evacuation-warning close.
i hope it doesn’t jump highway 154…some houses and stuff have been burned, a park and botanical gardens have been burned!
a lot of my friends have been evacuated. sad stuff. it’s 10% contained now.
i really need aya’s feed technology, so i can actually know what’s going on…
May 9th, 2009 13:30
Ahhhh! This is FAWESOME!!!!!!!
Lol, I’m so slow at checking this. Eeee.
Also, Happy belated birthday!
May 10th, 2009 10:16
I agree with dame-orchid and the first post etc.
Im really excited for it to come out, although I am rather sad that the uglies series ended, hopefully one day another book will come out after extras.
me too, happy belated birthday.
It does remind me of Hayao Miyazaki’s works, which are so dear to me.
Things I love the most are Miyazaki’s Movies, Scott Westerfeld books, animes, mangas, Studio Ghibli Movies, ummmm and i guess music.
No specific order
May 10th, 2009 10:18
I love Keith’s picture, but I still wonder what it’d look like in mangaaaa form *-*, uglies series too
May 11th, 2009 10:16
That cover is so cool! I absolutely can’t wait for the book. It’s going to be amazing!
Make it come faster!
Now!
May 13th, 2009 00:50
Awesome! Can’t wait til it’s out!
May 13th, 2009 17:22
Oooh goody, I love the release dates. October birthdays and the capability to convince parents to give birthday presents early FTW.
May 16th, 2009 11:12
OMG!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! can’t belive i missed it…sorry!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
June 29th, 2009 23:41
LOL Awesome cover though!
click my name please
Ugliestrilogyfansite is the bomb!
July 3rd, 2009 07:44
happy birthday!
well late birthday actually… anyways… AWESOME cover! can’t wait for it to come out! and you said the setting was in austria?!? i’m born there! 
sweet! LOL
October 14th, 2009 14:13
ahahahaha noobs I got this before it came out froma very nice lady at the book store and the book was uncorrected proof! the AUS cover is sooooo much better than the crappy us one (no offense)