{"product_id":"calico-9798350760989","title":"Calico","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarc came to the desert to disappear.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA drifting veteran with a life he'd rather forget, he finds quiet comfort in the small town of Calico-its diner, its stubborn motel owner, and the strange voice in his head he's learned to live with. For the first time in years, life feels almost normal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUntil the lights appear over the dunes.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUntil people begin to vanish.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUntil the invasion begins.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Calico is attacked and its residents are taken and transformed into violent machines, Marc is captured too-rebuilt into something powerful, dangerous, and not entirely human. But the invaders make one mistake: they failed to control him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlone aboard an alien ship, hunted through dark corridors and unfamiliar machinery, Marc must learn how to use the abilities forced into his body while the voice in his head pushes him toward truths he isn't ready to face.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo save Calico-and whatever remains of himself-he'll have to fight through the nightmare he was never meant to survive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA brutal, fast-paced sci-fi thriller about identity, transformation, and the cost of holding onto your humanity.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDibartolo, Caleb Micah:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Caleb DiBartolo is a U.S. Army veteran, athletic scholar, and writer whose work blends introspection with intensity. After eight years of military service, he pursued a double major in Philosophy and Russian Studies at Vassar College, where questions of identity, morality, and transformation became central to both his studies and his storytelling. Vassar 26'. His debut novel, Calico, combines desert stillness with sci-fi momentum-a story of survival, wit, and what it means to remain human when the line between man and machine begins to blur. Drawing on his experiences with discipline, camaraderie, and isolation, Caleb writes with the clarity of someone who's lived both structure and chaos.​Beyond writing, he is very active with extensive training in rugby and boxing. When he isn't spending time with his dogs; Jack and Rosie he likes to write, draw, and adventure in new and exciting ways. His work inside and outside the ring\/field reflects the same philosophy that drives his fiction: Strength and capability are nothing without purpose. Век живи, век учись. Caleb currently lives in New York, where he's preparing for his 1st year at Cornell University in Fall of 2026. He looks forward to developing his next project.","brand":"Caleb Dibartolo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52103861698834,"sku":"9798350760989","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_5bfd3daf-984b-4db6-95f3-b60b762b32d6.jpg?v=1773158854","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/calico-9798350760989","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}