Okay, so remember how I posted the US cover for Leviathan ? Well, it turns out that there has been a change . . .

So this will be the actual cover in the United States:

Behold the gloriousness. It’s steampunky, baroque, and very, very shiny.

But, you may ask, why did this happen? From where comes this entirely new cover?

Well, I just work here. The writer’s job is to write and the publisher’s job is to publish, and covers are a key part of publishing a book. Which is not to say that I haven’t been consulted, but I’m not privy to all the pressures that come from Sales, Marketing, Major Accounts, and all the other Powers That Be. So I’m not sure exactly what happened to the old cover, except that it may have been deemed a bit . . . young.

The thing is, I loved that cover and I love this one too. But I will admit that this cover is more adult-friendly and, for lack of a better word, literary. Both of which are good things, though I’m a bit sad to lose the manga-ness.

But we must remember: adults are very delicate. Like horses, they are afraid of loud sounds, sudden movement, skateboards, the internets, slang, and getting band names wrong. So in order to bring more people gently into the fold of Leviathan reading, Simon & Schuster has decided to use a cover that won’t ruffle anyone’s fragile sense of adultiness.

And hey, I’m a big tent kind of guy. So welcome everyone, and I hope you like this new cover as much as I do.

Note 1: To my readers in the UK, you’re still getting this cover, and I don’t know yet which way France and Australia will go.

Updated Note 2: Turns out that Sammy Yuen, the overall designer of the book, created this new cover based on some of the elements drawn by Keith. (That’s Keith Thompson, the illustrator of the book.)

Leviathan comes out October 6, and you can preorder it at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or at independent book stores everywhere.

Canadian Update: For you folks up north, it’s the same cover as above, and you can pre-order from Amazon.ca or Chapters Indigo.