The Sixth Nik

by Daniel Kraus

A startling hybrid of the Alien franchise and Ender’s Game, The Sixth Nik is the first sci-fi novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Whalefall and Angel Down.

Deep into space, far past the triworld outposts, beyond range of the lethal trollbot internet, soars The Sickness: a ship woven from biomatter and capable of reacting to every need of its human crew. Sisilla, a nine-year-old cultist with a brain enhanced by arcane tech known as “niks,” has boarded to investigate the enigma of Fém—a plague-riddled planet that has abruptly gone rogue.

The mysterious crew includes a faceless assassin, a beautiful engineer jigsawed by plastic surgery, a peyote-addicted medic, and—most lethal of all—a rugged, NonModded captain with a score to settle with Sisilla. Other dangers abound. A hacked robot begins to believe Sisilla is its daughter. The Sickness itself is mutating, possibly even pregnant. And the secret of Fém is more horrific than anyone could have imagined. To survive, Sisilla will need to forsake her predetermined fate and embrace the unknown.

Genres: Science Fiction, Adult, Fiction, Horror

464 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 23, 2026

About the author

“Kraus brings the rigor of a scientist and the sensibility of a poet.” – The New York Times

DANIEL KRAUS is a New York Times bestselling writer of novels, TV, and film. WHALEFALL received a front-cover rave in the New York Times Book Review, won the Alex Award, was an L.A. Times Book Prize Finalist, and was a Best Book of 2023 from NPR, the New York Times, Amazon, Chicago Tribune, and more.

With Guillermo del Toro, he co-authored THE SHAPE OF WATER, based on the same idea the two created for the Oscar-winning film. Also with del Toro, Kraus co-authored TROLLHUNTERS, which was adapted into the Emmy-winning Netflix series. His also cowrote THE LIVING DEAD and PAY THE PIPER with legendary filmmaker George A. Romero.

Kraus’s THE DEATH AND LIFE OF ZEBULON FINCH was named one of Entertainment Weekly‘s Top 10 Books of the Year. Kraus has won the Bram Stoker Award, Scribe Award, two Odyssey Awards (for both ROTTERS and SCOWLER), and has appeared multiple times as Library Guild selections, YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, and more.

Kraus’s work has been translated into over 20 languages. Visit him at danielkraus.com.

Reviews

[Justin Soderberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two things about a Daniel Kraus novel. You never know the genre of his next story, and it's going to be one hell of a book. This is evident in his latest tale, The Sixth Nik , a fantastic blend of science-fiction and body horror. Kraus's first foray into the world of sci-fi is one that will stick with you long after you close the book.

Deep into space, far past the triworld outposts, beyond range of the lethal trollbot internet, soars The Sickness: a ship woven from biomatter and capable of reacting to every need of its human crew. Sisilla, a nine-year-old cultist with a brain enhanced by arcane tech known as “niks,” has boarded to investigate the enigma of Fém—a plague-riddled planet that has abruptly gone rogue.

The mysterious crew includes a faceless assassin, a beautiful engineer jigsawed by plastic surgery, a peyote-addicted medic, and—most lethal of all—a rugged, NonModded captain with a score to settle with Sisilla. Other dangers abound. A hacked robot begins to believe Sisilla is its daughter. The Sickness itself is mutating, possibly even pregnant. And the secret of Fém is more horrific than anyone could have imagined. To survive, Sisilla will need to forsake her predetermined fate and embrace the unknown.

Typically my science-fiction quota is met by reading stories based "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...", so taking time to read a sci-fi story not involving Star Wars was something I don't typically do. However, when it comes to books written by Kraus, they are must-read from the start. My favorite of Kraus's stories tend to steer towards the horror genre, that is likely why this unique science-fiction tale hit home for me.

The Sixth Nik is through and through a sci-fi novel, a story built around many different locations, futuristic technology, and unique characters. This is evident from the very beginning and plays well throughout the story. However, it's a great blend of sci-fi and horror, which is exactly the sweet spot I was hoping for. So anyone deciding to grab this book thinking its a straight forward space romp, there is some pretty brutal moments that might surprise you.

Beyond the gruesome horror moments, The Sixth Nik is a story full of action, adventure, and an extremely compelling and meaningful main character in Sisilla. The blend of sci-fi, horror, action, adventure, and a fantastic main characters gives the novel a truly rounded feel and propels you through the pages with ease. Without giving too much away, The Sixth Nik has some amazing storylines that makes each and every page turn worthwhile, landing with an ending that feels fitting but also may leave just enough questions to keep you thinking.

The Sixth Nik is a gripping science-fiction debut for bestseller Daniel Kraus. With a beautiful blend of sci-fi and body horror, this story is just the hybrid of a book that you'd hope for when entering the mind of Kraus.

The Sixth Nik hits bookstores everywhere on June 23, 2026 from Saga Press. The audiobook is available for preorder at Libro.fm!

NOTE: We received an advance copy of The Sixth Nik from the publisher. Opinions are our own.

[Josh Escandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free e-copy of The Sixth Nik by Daniel Kraus for review. I must say that after reading last year's incredible Angel Down, I was terribly excited for what Kraus was going to write next. I want to start off by stating The Sixth Nik does not disappoint and delivers on that expectation. A horrifying sci-fi adventure, the novel revolves around Sisilla, an amazing child imbued with remarkable abilities, sent on a suicide mission. The ragtag group Sisilla is assigned with becomes endearing, which makes the horror that befalls them even more emotional. I will say the first quarter of the novel is a little slow as it builds the world and sets up Sisilla and the other characters; however, after that it becomes absolutely riveting and becomes such an easy read. The ending is pretty perfect and leaves the reader to grapple with notions the book plays with during its entire length.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sixth Nik is horror science fiction, with emphasis on horror. There is quite a bit of biological horror, though not necessarily chainsaw massacre gore, it may still be disturbing to someone who does not expect it. Looking past the mutilations and grotesquery, there is a deeper story and a number of action scenes that carry the plot in addition to the shock and awe. Sisilla, the central character is compelling and I found her story interesting enough to pull me through parts of the book that were not necessarily to my preference. (3.5/5)
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Saga Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for this eARC!

This is scifi meets extreme body horror meets litfic. Kraus intersperses a good scifi plot (with multiple locations and action scenes) with extreme body horror (John Carpenter would vomit) with an interesting character who is wise beyond her years (due to training and tech). There's no likely sequel but the consequences of the actions of the novel would be fascinating to uncover. What a weird, good book.