Christopher Hinz Returns: The First Book from the Compton Crook Winner in 5 Years

Angry Robot Books is delighted to announce the acquisition of Christopher Hinz’s Scales, an electrifying thriller about species re-engineering run amok, perfect for fans of Jurassic Park.

Publication Date: April 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Eddie Boka’s first combat mission is a success… until he’s overwhelmed by a raging compulsion and eats an enemy soldier! His cannibalism threatens to derail the plans of Blayvine Industries, whose secret project has genetically enhanced Eddie and three other prototypes with reptilian DNA. The corporation needs Eddie’s urges brought under control before it can introduce its dino-humans to the world and begin selling armies of them. Facing a deadline for the big media unveiling, the corporation hires unorthodox therapist Adelaide “Addi” LaTour to treat Eddie’s cannibalism. Disparagingly known as the Electrobitch, Addi uses shock collars and severe behavioural conditioning to overcome compulsions. Eddie is revolted by her methods and the two of them clash… violently.

But she overcomes his resistance and he learns self-control, leading to the dino-humans’ successful public unveiling. Things soon fall apart, however. A retrovert – a vicious saurian predator – escapes its enclosure and goes on a lethal rampage. Worse chaos erupts when Eddie and Addi, in violation of the rules, start an affair, triggering a devastating chain of events that threatens to bring down the entire Project…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

With his debut novel, Liege Killer, Christopher Hinz won the the Compton Crook award for best first novel and was nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer. He has written screenplays and a graphic novel, scripted comics for DC and Marvel, and has worked as a newspaper reporter and technical administrator of a small TV station. Scales is his ninth book.