The AP's John Rogers chats with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter about his first novel, Doppelganger. "Hunter is loath to describe it in detail before publication," says Rogers, "except to note that it puts to use the quantum mechanics theory of physics and includes 'a whole lot of doppelgangers.' As it happens, Hunter opened up a bit more when he gave an interview to KyndMusic:

"An alternate Earth is in danger of destruction. Zelda, an autistic child, is dispatched from our world to help save the parallel world, where, gifted with the intuitive powers of a child, she is able to function as a capable adult. In the act of writing the very book we are reading, the author, Ophiucus, gets so involved with the characters that his objectivity is blurred and he inadvertently creates the possibility of devastation spreading from the fictional world into our own while unruly characters try to take over the writing of the book to further personal goals, not realizing they are abetting their own doom."

And while he's telling the media that he's merely "waiting on word from his publisher on when it will be released," Hunter reveals a more detailed agenda in his online journal. "My plan to publish Doppelganger and do a tour behind it next October has hit a speed bump," Hunter tells his fans. "I find I absolutely must rewrite the book from top to bottom because there's so much more to say about the characters." In fact, now that he's in the middle of his third draft, he's pretty sure he'll need to do a fourth. Oh, and "[I] haven't sold it yet, by the way. As with everything in my professional life, it's all on spec."

So which publisher is he waiting on word from, exactly? I ask because while Hunter can probably count on some Deadheads buying this book out of loyalty, the weak performance of The Traveler this summer doesn't suggest houses will be lining up to invest in that storyline.