A.J. Colucci is the critically acclaimed author of The Colony and Seeders, stories which combine true, cutting-edge science with the adrenaline-rush of a thriller. Seeders was described by Douglas Preston as “gripping and brilliantly original.” Her debut novel The Colony received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and Booklist called it “a frightening combination of well-researched science and scenes of pure horror.”
Colucci explains: "I like to write about nature because it can be a brutal place—kill or be killed. But it's also filled with a sort of beauty and logic that makes you wonder which species are truly evolved. Humans have a tendency to separate themselves from everything non-human. We consider ourselves above nature, not part of it. I think it's important to recognize what we have in common and gain a better understanding of all living creatures that share this planet."
Colucci spent 15 years as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor and writer for corporate America. Today she is a full-time author who lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.
Colucci is a member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.
"Colucci's suspense-novel debut is a frightening combination of well-researched science and scenes of pure horror. Downright gory in places, the tale is rounded out by the usual corrupt officials, warring industries, and failed romances. Full of suspense and intrigue, The Colony will especially appeal to fans of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and the like."
—Booklist
"Mutant ants--millions of 'em--have taken over New York City, killing tens of thousands of humans, and only one thing can stop them: a special formula synthesized from a queen's pheromones that makes the ants turn on each other... Not a book for picnic-goers, this tale may have you rethinking those warnings about fire ants heading north."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Colucci, who made an invasion of killer ants feel frighteningly plausible in her debut, The Colony (2012), again features a credulity-straining premise—plants that can communicate with and control the actions of human beings—but, where The Colony is a serious sf thriller, this one is more of a gothic horror-comedy…this is a fun book. The premise is developed enough to make it feel believable, at least for the sake of argument, and the setup is interesting, with a small cast of varied characters stranded on an inhospitable island off the coast of Nova Scotia, where strange goings-on cause them to question their sanity. This is a major change of pace from the author’s first novel, but readers who take it on its own terms should have a good time."
—Booklist
"Move over King, Koontz, and Crichton, there’s a new gunslinger in town named A.J. Colucci. Eerie, atmospheric, and strangely plausible, Colucci’s Seeders is a creepy revelation–a riveting techno-thriller that reads like a Victorian ghost story. Seeders is a perfect chiller for the age of global warming. Highly recommended!"
—Jay Bonansinga, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor
Seeders by
George Brookes is a brilliant but reclusive plant biologist living on a remote Canadian island. After his mysterious death, the heirs to his estate arrive on the island, including his daughter Isabelle, her teenage children, and Jules Beecher, a friend and pioneer in plant neurobiology. They will be isolated on the frigid island for two weeks, until the next supply boat arrives. As Jules begins investigating the laboratory and scientific papers left by George, he comes to realize that his mentor may have achieved a monumental scientific breakthrough: communication between plants and humans. Within days, the island begins to have strange and violent effects on the group, especially Jules who becomes obsessed with George's journal, the strange fungus growing on every plant and tree, and horrible secrets that lay buried in the woods. It doesn't take long for Isabelle torealize that her father may have unleashed something sinister on the island, a malignant force that's far more deadly than any human. As a fierce storm hits and the power goes out, she knows they'll be lucky to make it out alive. A.J. Colucci masterfully weaves real science with horror to create a truly terrifying thriller, drawing from astonishing new discoveries about plants and exploring their eerie implications.Seeders is a feast of horror and suspense.
The Colony by
A series of gruesome attacks have been sweeping New York City. A teacher in Harlem and two sanitation workers on Wall Street are found dead, their swollen bodies nearly dissolved from the inside out. The predator is a deadly supercolony of ants--an army of one trillion soldiers with razor-sharp claws that pierce skin like paper and stinging venom that liquefies its prey. The desperate mayor turns to the greatest ant expert in the world, Paul O'Keefe, a Pulitzer Prizeâe"winning scientist in an Armani suit. But Paul is baffled by the ants. They are twice the size of any normal ant and have no recognizable DNA. They're vicious in the field yet docile in the hand. Paul calls on the one person he knows can help destroy the colony, his ex-wife Kendra Hart, a spirited entomologist studying fire ants in the New Mexico desert. Kendra is taken to a secret underground bunker in New York City, where she finds herself working side by side with her brilliant but arrogant ex-husband and a high-ranking military officer hell-bent on stopping the insects with a nuclear bomb. When the ants launch an all-out attack, Paul and Kendra hit the dangerous, panic-stricken streets of New York, searching for a coveted queen. It's a race to unlock the secrets of an indestructible new species, before the president nukes Manhattan. A.J. Colucci's debut novel is a terrifying mix of classic Michael Crichton and Stephen King. A thriller with the highest stakes and the most fascinating science,The Colony does for ants whatJawsdid for sharks.
