Is gubernatorially-themed science fiction one of this year’s hot trends? Could be. It only seems like, oh, six weeks ago that EW broke the news about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Governator TV show and comic book. Meanwhile, this September will see the publication of the novel, The Walking Dead: The Rise of the Governor, whose cover art you can see to the left and below.

Co-penned by Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and horror genre vet Jay Bonansinga, this first Walking Dead noveldetails the back story of the villainous Governor, who in the comic book version of Kirkman’s zombie saga rules the small town of Woodbury with an iron fist (and Kirkman fans will know that one fist is all he has left, thanks to the sword-wielding Michonne). The Rise of the Governor is the first of a three book series Kirkman will write for Thomas Dunne Books. All three novels will be set in the Walking Dead universe.

Those who would like to sample Kirkman’s prose work should check out his excellent short story Alone, Together in the recent zombie anthology, The Living Dead 2. Meanwhile, the Walking Dead TV show, on which Kirkman is a writer and executive producer, is expected to return to AMC this October.

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