Dead Pig Collector, the ebook by Warren Ellis that sports a wonderful Ben Templesmith cover, won't be released June 18 as planned following the author's split with his publisher.

"Due to continuing issues, I have today terminated my relationship with Mulholland Books," Ellis announced Wednesday on his email list, which is also provided by the publisher and thus is being turned off. "Dead Pig Collector is cancelled (for now)."

The 99-cent short story was being offered for preorder on the publisher's website and was about a character named Mr. Sun. "As far as Mr. Sun is concerned, the heart is just a pump. It's an anatomical fact he knows quite intimately, and a key component of the knowledge base essential to his particularly devious line of work: murder for hire and body disposal<" the description on the page read. "Certain jobs, however, make it hard to keep this in mind. Like the one that's brought him from cold, dreary London to sun-soaked Los Angeles, and connects Mr. Sun with a beautiful and perpetually curious woman who has to know everything about Mr. Sun's methods."

Mulholland published Ellis' most recent novel, Gun Machine, in January. Hopefully, Dead Pig Collector will find another publisher soon.

Update, June 10: Ellis tweeted that Dead Pig Collector will be published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, with more details coming soon.