Dream Theater just announced the development of a novel entitled The Astonishing to tell the broader and deeper story of The Astonishing album. Consisting of 34 tracks, the album is but one window into a world created by John Petrucci. The strengths of the novel form will allow for the expansion of storylines, new subplots, the addition of important characters, answers to story questions, as well as surprises and turns. The book is slated for release in the spring of 2017.

To bring this vision to life, and after careful consideration, Dream Theater has selected Peter Orullian to write The Astonishing. Orullian is currently published by Tor Books, with an ongoing fantasy series in which music plays a key role, making him the perfect writer to adapt The Astonishing. Orullian is also a trained vocalist, having studied with David Kyle (Geoff Tate, Layne Staley, Ann Wilson), and has fronted touring rock and metal bands. This vocal experience has been key in his ability to write central characters in the story with credibility and authenticity.

Shortly after the announcement of The Astonishing album, Petrucci and Orullian connected and began discussing the novel. Over numerous extended phone conversations, in-person discussions, and email exchanges, Orullian gathered a deep understanding of Petrucci's story and vision. He began to ideate and extrapolate on the core ideas, and introduce story elements to expand on the already substantive world in order to approach writing the novel.

In its first incarnation, the book will be a limited edition, which will come with exclusive bonus materials, including early audio recordings of songs not used on the album. If you are interested in it, you can pre-order and discover more details over here.

Source:	dreamtheater.net
Band profile:	Dream Theater