Written by Last Days author Brian Evenson, the novel is said to explore "the back story of the fiction including the history of the Church of Unitology, the discovery of the enigmatic 'Black Marker' and the mysteries behind an alien artefact of unknown power."

Though billed as the "crucial first chapter in the Dead Space saga," the novel is far from the first exploration of the various events that led up to the original game. The animated feature, comic and Wii entry Extraction all served as prequels while Dead Space 2, due between January 1 through March 31, 2011, will move the overall story forward.