Pioneering podcast novelist Scott Sigler saw “a dream come true” yesterday, April Fool’s Day, with Random House’s publication of a hardcover version of his book, Infected.

Sigler, one of the (the very?) first writers to offer their fiction in podcast format, began back in 2005 with his science-fiction/horror book Earthcore. With a bevy of devoted fans (“junkies” :-), subsequent books have each boasted tens of thousands of subscribers. Sigler cultivates a strong rapport with his reader/listeners. In a recent writing project, fans willingly submitted their names to appear as minor characters, to be killed off in the course of the story.

Infected was offered as an audio podcast and an .mp3 before its hardcover publication. In a note last week to subscribers, friends, and colleagues, Sigler said, “This novel is a lifelong goal of mine.” He describes Infected as “hard-science/horror, a thriller that’s a cross between Stephen King and Michael Crichton.”

Sigler is already on a multi-city bricks-and-mortar bookstore tour to promote the book (west coast this week, east coast next), and was excited to be interviewed over the weekend on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition.

But wait, there’s more: “I’m going for all the marbles right out of the gate, trying to hit the New York Times Bestseller list. INFECTED has already been optioned for a movie by Rogue Pictures (the makers of SHAWN OF THE DEAD). If the book hits the Times list, it might be on the big screen as early as Winter 2009.”