Tor UK acquires dark, literary zombie novel

It won't be published until August next year but it sounds like it could be one to keep an eye open for. At least as far as I'm concerned, they used the 'Z word'... :o)
Here's the press release...

Pan Macmillan imprint Tor UK has signed a two book deal for titles by novelist Joshua Gaylord, written under the pseudonym Alden Bell.

Senior commissioning editor Julie Crisp bought UK and Commonwealth rights, including Australia and New Zealand , from Angharad Kowal, British rights director at Writers House UK .

The first title in the deal, The Reapers are The Angels, is due to be published in August 2010. Kowal called the book a “dark, literary zombie novel”. The second book in the deal is yet to be titled and does not yet have a publication date finalised. Bell previously wrote Hummingbirds under his real name, which was published by Harper in October this year.

Kowal said: ‘It’s rare to find an author such as Josh who can effortlessly switch from writing about an Upper-East Side prep school in Hummingbirds to what's been described as, “Steinbeck but with ‘meatskins'” in The Reapers Are The Angels, and still manage to engage the reader equally by always going back to the characters’ humanity. I’m extremely pleased to find a home for Josh’s other passion, literary fantasy, with Julie at Tor.’

I've had a little look around the internet but can't find anything else about this title right now. When I find out more I'll let you know...