David C Cook Announces 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition of Frank Peretti’s Christian Thriller This Present Darkness

The spiritual-warfare novel that spread “like a grass fire” returns Nov. 3 with new Frank Peretti reflections, original manuscript pages and a deluxe commemorative design

Colorado Springs, CO, Sept. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forty years after Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness became a publishing phenomenon and brought spiritual warfare into popular conversation, David C. Cook will release a 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition on Nov. 3, 2026.

The book’s rise was anything but conventional. First published in 1986, the supernatural thriller spread through reader recommendations, church communities and influential Christian artists, including Amy Grant. Its story of prayer, angels, demons and an unseen struggle between good and evil struck a nerve with millions.

“Amy Grant started plugging it during her concerts, pastors began recommending it from their pulpits; it just took off like a grass fire,” Peretti later recalled. At her sold-out concerts, Grant told audiences that the book’s message about the power of prayer had profoundly influenced her.

The momentum helped make Peretti a New York Times bestselling author with more than 15 million novels in print. This Present Darkness remained in the Christian Booksellers Association’s top 10 for more than 150 consecutive weeks. Its rise was remarkable: after selling just 4,200 copies in its first year, the novel had sold 725,000 copies and reached its 20th printing by September 1989. It ranked as the No. 1 paperback in Bookstore Journal for 10 of the previous 12 months, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Published by David C. Cook, the new This Present Darkness: 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition introduces the influential novel to a new generation while giving longtime readers a new way to experience the story.

The hardcover collector’s edition includes:

• New reflections from Frank Peretti: An all-new introduction and concluding remarks exploring the novel and its 40-year legacy.
• Images from the original manuscript: Reproductions of Peretti’s handwritten manuscript appear before each chapter.
• Deluxe collector’s design: A double-sided, die-cut dust jacket, colored page edges and a new map printed inside the jacket.

“This Present Darkness is every bit as relatable and relevant in 2026 as it was in 1986,” said Linda Howard, executive vice president and publisher at David C Cook. “It gives a new generation of readers a peek behind the curtain of the spiritual warfare going on for our souls. And it offers fans from the past forty years an opportunity to experience the classic, eye-opening novel in a new and celebratory way.”

Set in the fictional college town of Ashton, the novel follows newspaper editor Marshall Hogan and pastor Hank Busche as they uncover a conspiracy threatening their community while angels and demons battle in the unseen spiritual realm. Its combination of suspense, supernatural storytelling and Christian theology helped establish Peretti as one of the industry’s most influential authors and brought spiritual warfare into popular Christian conversation.

“Over the past forty years I have been humbled and have marveled at how God can multiply what we offer to Him,” Peretti said. “I wrote these novels and He, by His grace, used them to touch and inspire generations of readers. Now, by His grace, David C. Cook has taken up the vision to reach a new generation, as well as longtime friends, with the anniversary editions of these special works.”

David C Cook has also obtained the rights to Piercing the Darkness, Peretti’s bestselling sequel to This Present Darkness. A special edition is scheduled for release in 2027.

 

About Frank Peretti
Frank Peretti is a New York Times bestselling Christian suspense author whose books have sold more than 15 million copies. His groundbreaking novels This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness helped shape modern Christian suspense fiction and introduced millions of readers to stories exploring faith, prayer and spiritual warfare.

About David C Cook
A ministry of Cook Media Global, David C Cook Publishing has been equipping the Church with Christ-centered resources for more than 150 years. Its curriculum and books engage believers, and those exploring faith, through biblical content designed to help people grow in Christ while strengthening the global Church to fulfill the Great Commission. For more information, visit CookMediaGlobal.org.

Press Inquiries

Jennifer Willingham
jennifer [at] epic.inc
https://www.davidccook.org/