▁studio ▁album ▁after ▁it . ▁ ▁Big ▁Machine ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁by ▁Sp iegel ▁& ▁Gra u . ▁The ▁novel ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁R icky ▁R ice , ▁an ▁ex - j unk ie ▁surv iv or ▁of ▁a ▁suic ide ▁cult ▁whose ▁life ▁is ▁changed ▁when ▁a ▁myster ious ▁letter ▁arriv es ▁sum mon ing ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁remote ▁comp ound ▁in ▁Verm ont . ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁widely ▁pra ised ▁upon ▁its ▁release , ▁making ▁many ▁national ▁top ▁ten ▁lists . ▁It ▁also ▁won ▁the ▁Sh ir ley ▁Jackson ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁Nov el ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Ernest ▁J . ▁G aines ▁Award ▁for ▁Liter ary ▁Ex cell ence ▁and ▁an ▁American ▁Book ▁Award ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁Dev il ▁in ▁Silver ▁published ▁by ▁Sp iegel ▁& ▁Gra u ▁August ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁is ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Pe pper , ▁a ▁s ane ▁man ▁sent ▁for ▁observation ▁to ▁a ▁mental ▁hospital . ▁ ▁There ▁he ▁enc oun ters ▁a ▁mon ster ▁ro aming ▁the ▁night time ▁h alls . ▁ ▁He ▁teams ▁up ▁with ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁in m ates ▁to ▁fight ▁the ▁mental ▁confusion ▁of ▁the ▁dru gs ▁he ▁is ▁required ▁to ▁take , ▁the ▁staff , ▁and ▁the ▁mon ster . ▁ ▁The ▁Ball ad ▁of ▁Black ▁Tom ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁Tor ▁Books ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 2 0