Encyclopocalypse Publications is proud to announce the release of DEATHSTALKER, the official novelization of the acclaimed 2025 fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Steven Kostanski. Penned by celebrated genre author Bret Nelson and featuring a foreword by Patton Oswalt, who voices the wizard Doodad in the film, DEATHSTALKER will be released worldwide on September 7, 2026.
“Whooooo! A movie novelization!” Patton Oswalt declares in the book’s foreword, “Movie novelizations were a huge part of being a movie lover in the ‘70s and ‘80s – especially if you were a fan of genre stuff like horror, sci-fi, slasher and fantasy… Readers of Alan Dean Foster’s beloved novelization of Ridley Scott’s Alien, for instance, were privy to the knowledge (never divulged in the film) that the crew of the Nostromo’s food supply was their reconstituted waste materials, processed by — insert future technological advance here — to appear as meat, veggies, and starches. The mind reels.”
This brand new novelization, created in partnership with Shout! Studios and Raven Banner Entertainment, expands upon the world of the Steven Kostanski’s Deathstalker while remaining faithful to its spirit of adventure, horror, and sword-and-sorcery spectacle.
Andrew Hunt, producer and a founding partner of Raven Banner Entertainment, praised the book’s saying, “Bret understands exactly what makes Deathstalker tick – the pulp energy, the blood-soaked mayhem, the sense that anything can lunge out of the dark at any moment. He’s written the novelization this film deserves.”
Director Steven Kostanski added, “Like Manborg and Betrayal and Black Lace before it, Bret has gone beyond the confines of my film’s runtime to expand the Deathstalker universe, bringing depth and detail to lore that is only teased on screen. The result is a wacky, exciting, and richly imagined adventure that makes this book a must-read not only for fans of Corman’s franchise but for any fan of sword-and-sorcery.”
A bold reimagining of the beloved cult sword-and-sorcery classic, Kostanski’s Deathstalker resurrects one of fantasy cinema’s most iconic rogues for a new generation.
The novelization expands upon the film’s world of monsters, magic, mayhem, and adventure, bringing readers deeper into the war-torn realm of Abraxeon and the dangerous quest that places its reluctant hero at the center of an unplanned adventure after accidentally unleashing a curse upon… himself.
Deathstalker must undo the spell before it destroys him… and perhaps the entire kingdom.
Author Bret Nelson has become one of genre publishing’s most distinct voices, earning acclaim for his Ace Paperback inspired Double Tap series, and his multi-path Frankie Freako tie-in title, Betrayal and Black Lace. With Deathstalker, Nelson delivers a fast-paced fantasy adventure packed with action, monsters, humor, and the larger-than-life spirit that has made sword-and-sorcery classics beloved by generations of fans.
“Deathstalker is a classic,” said Mark Alan Miller, founder of Encyclopocalypse Publications. “Steven Kostanski’s remake created something that honors the original while carving out its own brilliant twisted identity. Bret expanded Steve’s love letter to Sam Raimi and rubber monsters into one of the best novelizations I’ve ever read. I love this book.”
Author Bret Nelson said, “I grew up on Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, Conan comic books, and many, many marathons of tabletop dungeon campaigns. Seeing Steven Kostanski’s new version of Deathstalker brought the best of those moments back to me, and I’m very happy to be invited along on this adventure.”
The release also includes a foreword by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning comedian, actor, and writer Patton Oswalt, who provides the voice of the wizard Doodad in the film.
Deathstalker joins Encyclopocalypse’s expansive line of film novelizations and media tie-in publishing, celebrating cult cinema, genre storytelling, and beloved properties through expanded literary adaptations.
Deathstalker will be available in paperback, ebook, editions beginning September 7, 2026 with an audiobook release slated for later this year.
