Leech

'Unique and utterly assured, I will follow this writer anywhere' – Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl‘A wonderful new entry to Gothic science fiction, impeccably clever and atmospheric. Think Wuthering Heights . . . with worms!’ – Tamsyn Muir, author of Gideon the NinthThe Times Best Sci-Fi Books 2022In an isolated chateau, as far north as north goes, the baron’s doctor has died. The Interprovincial Medical Institute sends out a replacement. But when the new physician investigates the cause of death, which appears to be suicide, there’s a mystery to solve. It seems the good doctor was hosting a parasite. Yet this should have been impossible, as the physician was already possessed – by the Institute.The Institute is here to help humanity, to cure and to cut, to cradle and protect the species from the horrors their ancestors unleashed. For hundreds of years, it has taken root in young minds and shaped them into doctors, replacing every human practitioner of medicine. But now there’s competition. For in the baron’s icebound castle, already a pit of secrets and lies, the parasite is spreading . . .These two enemies will make war within the battlefield of the body. Whichever wins, will humanity lose again?Leech by Hiron Ennes is an atmospheric Gothic triumph, perfect for fans of Jeff VanderMeer and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

So much more than the horror story it may sound like. Ennes has created a world that's fully realized and disturbingly believable, a place both futuristic in its environmental disasters but Victorian in its manners and ways. This is The Thing meets The Alienist, and to call it merely horror is a disservice, as it's beautifully written and so strangely humane one feels empathy for a virus struggling, like all the humans about it, to survive. So unique and utterly assured, I will follow this writer anywhere going forward, A wonderful new entry to Gothic science fiction, impeccably clever and atmospheric. Think Wuthering Heights . . . with worms!, Leech isn’t like anything I’ve read before. Superb writing, interesting and fresh ideas, skilful execution. Highly recommended. I’ll be reading anything Hiron Ennes writes from now on, What a unique book! Surprising turns and staggering ideas – all woven together by beautiful writing. This is one to remember, I didn’t know a book could perfectly convey the concept of a distributed intelligence, alive and aware of each of its proxies, but Leech is proof anything is possible in good hands

Hiron Ennes is a writer, musician and student of medicine based in the Pacific Northwest. Their areas of interest include infectious disease, pathology and anticapitalist healthcare reform. When they’re not hunched over a microscope or Word document they can be found playing in the snow or playing the harp (though usually not at the same time). They’re queer in every sense of the word, and they really want to pet your dog. Leech is their first novel.