ROUGH WORKS: CONCEPT ART, DOODLES, AND SKETCHBOOK DRAWINGS BY FRANK FRAZETTA" edited by Arnie & Cathy Fenner

It’s been a long time since I’ve had time to sit down and really, really enjoy an art book. Being an artist myself—not to mention, modest—I usually gauge the quality of an art book on its inspirational value…

“Rough Works: Concept Art, Doodles, and Sketchbook Drawings by Frank Frazetta” is a different kind of art book, as you can tell by the title itself. If you’re a fan of fantasy art of any sort, chances are that you’re already very familiar with at least some of Frazetta’s incomparable paintings and illustrations. If you’re a true fanatic, then you’ve most likely read titles like “Frank Frazetta Icon” or “Frank Frazetta: Book I”, among others that comprehensively display Frazetta’s timeless work.

“Rough Works” shows you what happens between those major works.

As co-editor Arnie Fenner notes in the book’s introduction, Frank often did paintings and other works purely off of inspiration, but he also did sketches and comps to gather his ideas before putting a brush to the canvas.

And although Frank didn’t keep an organized file of those sketches, not all of them were mislaid… luckily for us. “Rough Works” shows us everything from mockups of now famous paintings to random sketches done on coffee-stained parchment. The book flows back through the years, exhibiting work done as far back as the early sixties. The content of the pictures is pure Frazetta. It’s all here, from the buxom beauties to the muscle toned barbarians, the tyrannosauruses to the great apes, and the vampires to the spaceships.

A ‘padded’ hardcover with extra heavy pages, “Rough Edges” is not only a feast for the eyes, but a small glimpse into the mind of a genius at work; it’s a brilliant collection that will inspire your mind to explore its darker corners and feed your imagination’s baser instincts.

At 127 pages, I only wish that it had been longer.


Rated: 5 out of 5

"FRAGILE THINGS" by Neil Gaiman

In the introduction to the story called "Sunbird", Neil writes about a R.A. Lafferty, describing Lafferty's stories as 'unclassifiable and odd and imitable'.

The same could - and should - be said about Neil Gaiman.

"Fragile Things" is Gaiman's second collection of short fiction. How do you describe these stories? Perhaps 'fantasy' would cover it all, but certainly not sufficiently. 'Speculative' is really the only label you can hang on each story and poem... and yet, each piece is so much more than just speculative. There's a heartbeat to Gaiman's work that for my money is unmatched in contemporary literature. There's an intimacy, especially with his short work, that seems to put the reader at ease even when the topic is unsettling. I believe I've written in the past about what I think of as Gaiman's 'conversational' prose - it sounds corny, but when you read stories like these, you honestly feel like he's right there next to you, making sure you hear every enunciation.

Some of the highlights of this collection for me, personally, were "Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" (which you don't have to be a writer to appreciate but it certainly helps), "Closing Time" (because I frequented taverns like that in my younger years and it was all very familiar), "The Problem of Susan" (because I've always wondered what became of her as well), "Instructions" (I wish very much that I had written that...), "How do you Think it Feels?" (this one... I don't know. I'm not sure I want to get too comfortable with why I liked it), "My Life" (reminds me of a Tom Waits song... something about dancing lessons.... maybe?), "Feeders and Eaters" (creeped me out), "The Day the Saucers Came" (all that's good and whimsical), "The Monarch of the Glen" (more Shadow, more Mr. Smith, more Mr. Alice - yay).

Just good, great stuff. The introductions to each piece give you some insight as to why, how, and where they were written. They let you ride shotgun with Neil's imagination, and that's a mighty fine place to be. As an aside, I put off reading each introduction until after I'd read the story they pertained to. I guess I'm a bit of a freakozoid about avoiding spoilers... to an extent.

A whiz-bang of a book. Absolutely wonderful.

Check out Neil Gaiman's website here.

Rated: 5 out of 5

"THE RISING: SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD" by Brian Keene

In the introduction to "The Rising: Selected Scenes from the End of the World", Brian Keene writes about how he was less than enthusiastic when approached to do this project. Brian had already written two wildly popular zombie novels, ("The Rising", and "City of the Dead"), and I think he was getting a bit sick of being labeled as "The Zombie Guy".

Going into this book, I must admit that there was a part of me that wondered just what else was left to examine in Keene's zombie (read: Siqqusim) mythos. However, after reading and very much enjoying Brian's other works, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

I'm very glad I did.

Keene's own brand of zombies are here in all their glory. An otherworldly "sentience" - for lack of a better word - inhabit the recent dead. They bring with them a need to feed on human flesh, thereby making room for their Siqqusim brethren to inhabit the earth. Essentially, the book is a collection of 32 short stories that are in some cases extremely loosely connected to one another, or to "The Rising" or "City of the Dead". The only thing that they all have in common is that they all take place during - or very shortly after - the Siqqusim invasion.

Still with me?

Yes, as with "Tequila's Sunrise", it helps if you've already read Brian's other books, but it's not absolutely necessary. Within the first few stories you can easily get the gist of what's going on. Through the first four stories, you quickly understand that (A) the world is ending, and (B) Keene's zombies are everywhere.

However, it's in the fifth story, "Watching the World End", where this book starts to kick in to high gear. It's in this story where you realize that the stories aren't just about flesh eating zombies. It's in this story where you realize that Brian's going to take you deep into the minds of the momentary survivors, and really delve into the psychology of mankind when faced with such an epidemic.

There are stories of families, of lovers, of cannibalism, of insanity, of megalomania. There are stories that feature both the best and worst characteristics of human nature, all set to the tune of the end of the world, and they're a ton of fun to read.

The last few chapters take place after the events of "City of the Dead". They speak to what happens after the Siqqusim "stage" of the invasion is completed, and the subsequent invasions begin. For long time Keene readers, as with "Tequila's Sunrise", there's some great new Labyrinth tidbits here that'll have you thirsting for that next new Brian Keene book.

A fabulous collection that's a blast to read, whether you're well versed in the Keene mythos or not, I highly recommend it... if you can get your hands on it. Limited to 500 copies, this is a collectors piece, (of which I'm proud to own #337 - signed by The Zombie Guy himself). But if you can find one, snatch it up. You won't be disappointed.

You can find out more about Brian Keene at his official site.

Rated 5 out of 5

"THE TOMB" by F. Paul Wilson

Having just finished reading the first book in F. Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack series, The Tomb, I'm finding myself reflecting a bit over a few different interviews I've listened to with Paul as of late. In both interviews, he was asked why Jack is so damn popular. As an answer, Wilson talked about how Jack, as a sort of blue-collar do-it-yourself-er, is very accessible. He's an everyman, as opposed to a super duper secret agent. I'd certainly agree with that, but I believe there's another reason why Jack is so attractive...

The setup for Repairman Jack is such that Jack has to live "outside" society. He doesn't pay taxes. He doesn't have a valid ID. He has no credit cards, (at least in his name), etc. I think why it's so much fun to read about Jack is because Wilson does such a fantastic job of covering all the angles. He sees the loopholes a mile ahead of the reader, and makes damn sure that they're not only covered, but explored in detail. Yes, that' s just essentially good writing in terms of speculative fiction, but Wilson really, really hammers it home, and it's a ton of fun to read about.

The Tomb, as I said, is the first in the Repairman Jack series. This is the second one I've read, (I reviewed Harbinger a while back, and decided I should begin at the beginning). The cover shown above is not the cover of the paperback I happened upon, but for the life of me I couldn't find a jpeg of the Berkley Books pb version. According to repairmanjack.com, Paul has now renamed this first novel Rakoshi, (which makes sense since the Rakoshi are much more prevalent in the book than the tomb is...).

The book introduces the reader to some of the major players in Jack's world, and serves up a masterful tale of terror, intrigue, and intense suspense through the jungles of the Big Apple, and the wilds of India. I believe I heard that this one has been optioned as a film and is in development. As I was reading it, I could certainly see it as a fantastic movie, if it stays true to the novel in most respects.

Major fun for any fan of speculative fiction, and as the first of the series, the perfect intro to Repairman Jack.

Find out more about Jack and F. Paul Wilson at repairmanjack.com.

Rated 5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on December 3rd, 2007)

"GHOUL" by Brian Keene

You don't have to be 34 (as I am) to enjoy Brian Keene's "Ghoul" but it certainly helps.

In the summer of 1984, best friends, Timmy, Doug, and Barry are looking forward to a fabulous vacation, reading comics and girlie mags, watching cartoons and late night horror flicks, riding their bikes, trading pranks with their arch enemies, and hanging out in their dugout fort, which just happens to flank their local cemetery... a cemetery in which a rather nasty resident has woken from an ancient slumber.

"Ghoul" is a nostalgic novel. It's a look back at a time when - if you were eleven in 1984, as I was - you felt invincible and the summer seemed like it would never end. It's a look back at the things that made being a child in the mid-eighties particularly fantastic. The mention of things like Thundarr the Barbarian, Trapper Keepers, G.I. Joe, "Mad" magazine, Skeletor, "Hill Street Blues", Greedo, Spy Hunter, and "The Defenders" - to name a few - gave me a front row seat on a blissfull ride down memory lane.

Oh, and there's a horror story here, too. A good one.

The monsters in Keene's books - both the human and inhuman - have a genuine bite. The monster in this one is particularly diabolical, and I love how Keene never shrinks away from giving us an insight into his antagonist's point of view - as in it's not just a mindless threat. Oh, and there's a morality tale as well. I won't give away too much, but the book really, really takes an unflinching look at how the actions of adults can have penetrating effects on the impressionable psyches of children.

In short, the book made me want to be a better parent.

A great book by a first rate writer, "Ghoul" is highly recommended, (especially if you're 34). You can check out Brian Keene's website HERE.

BY THE WAY, if you have read the book, or after you do, there's a passage on page 214 of the Leisure Paperback that is one of best passages in a book I've read in recent memory. It starts out, "He believed in Bigfoot. He believed in Ghosts." and goes on through the next page. Excellence, my friends. Excellence.

Rated 5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on September 4th, 2007)

"HARBINGERS" by F. Paul Wilson

For those out of the literary loop, Repariman Jack is a reoccurring character in no less than ten of Wilson's books. Jack specializes in "Fixits" - repairing situations that no one else seems able to. He's almost like a blue collar Bond, except that he's working for himself... sort of.

It's difficult to run down the specifics of the book without giving too much away, that is, I think it's too difficult... You see, the problem with reading the latest Repairman Jack book is that a lot has already happened in the previous books. A lot of that history is mentioned in Harbingers, and I'm not exactly sure what is new to this volume and what has already been explored. So, to avoid giving away what is new to the book is difficult to determine for someone who hasn't read the previous ones.

Still with me?

What I can tell you is this: on Paul's website, the books are described as Horror Thrillers. I like that description. So often, when Dark Fantasy is applied as a catch-all to things that are scary, but not quite full-blown horror, a lot get's lost in the translation. Horror Thriller works for Repairman Jack. Much of the book - and of the series, I'm guessing - is Jack utilizing his knowledge of weapons, explosives, hi-tech surveillance, and the like to execute "Fixits". Of course, then there's this "other" element - or should I say, "Otherness" element.

At any rate, Paul wrote at the beginning of my copy of Harbingers: "Jack's darkest hour (so far)" and that description is apt. There's some major things going on in Jack's life in this book, and most of it centers around Jack trying to assume a normal - or semi-normal in Jack's case - life. Of course, it ain't gonna be that easy. Elements beyond Jack's control, and often beyond his understanding - are conspiring against him.

I really, really dig Wilson's style of writing. Not only Jack, but all of the characters, are very well defined. In addition, the locales seem genuine, and I have no doubt that the author has been to and haunted many - if not all - the places we visit in the book himself. The result is a large amount of trust on the part of the reader for the author. Early on we learn that we don't have to doubt what we're being told, and that makes the ensuing, horrific and spectacular, events all the more so. The writing is clear, but not condescending. Descriptions of weapons and explosives exhibit extensive research, but don't go over the top technically.I'm not sure if Harbingers is the best place to start with the Repairman Jack novels or not, but it was as fantastic book. I had loads of fun reading it, and zoomed through the final half of the book in no time at all as I was searching out time to read it just because I was way pumped to see what was going to happen next.

Great. So now there are nine other books that I have to read asap.

You can find out all about F. Paul Wilson, the Repairman Jack novels, and the mountain of other titles he's written at his official site, aptly called RepairmanJack.com.

Rated 5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on August 1st, 2007)

"BLUE DEVIL ISLAND" by Stephen Mark Rainey

Period pieces are often a crapshoot. Odds are that you're going to end up with an unauthentic-seeming story from an overenthusiastic writer, or an overly detailed era manual that lacks anything approaching an interesting story.

Then there are times when you get the best of both worlds.

Blue Devil Island by Stephen Mark Rainey takes place during World War II. The "Blue Devils," a Naval squadron of F65-3 Hellcat fighters, led by Lieutenant Commander Drew McLachlan, is sent to a small island in the South Pacific to run air patrols over naval missions in the area. They stage their attacks from a fairly impromptu marine base on what is known as Conquest Island. The story is told by McLachlan, who leads his courageous and talented pilots out on various missions to take on the enemy. However, between their missions, they come to realize that something far more sinister than any Japanese Zero may be inhabiting Conquest Island.

I'll tell you the truth: when I looked at the first page of this book and saw the roster for the Blue Devils, I was a little overwhelmed. The thought of having to keep track of the names of over two-dozen pilots had me more than a little wary right from the get-go.

But I pressed on.

When the pilots arrived on the island, and even more names were thrown out via the marines already stationed there, I was beginning to wonder if I'd need a note card with all the names on it to use as a bookmark. Soon, however, I realized that I had nothing to fear. As it turns out, there are about five or six "primary" Devils to keep track of, and only three or four marines... and Rainey makes it easy. His development of each of the men is nowhere near cookie cutter, and you soon come to know each of the main characters well enough to really care about what's happening to them. The lead, Drew McLachlan, is an everyman, and intensely likeable.

As to the dogfights, aircraft operations, and general military information: Rainey really, really knows what he's talking about... or, if he doesn't, then he sure fooled me. There was enough information to put me in the moment, but I wasn't overwhelmed by it. I never once doubted that the author knew exactly what he was writing about, and as such, I gave myself over to the story entirely.

The story itself is wonderful. I haven't had this much FUN reading a book in a long time. I was right there on the edge of my chair during the flight missions, ducking and juking along with the pilots, and I was biting my nails as the more sinister elements of the island itself came into play.

I'll say it again: "FUN!" This book was an intensely fun read that I can't recommend highly enough. Adventure. Great humor. Undercurrents of unsettling suspense and whallops of terror, this one had everything I wanted from it. And more.

Check this book out, and be sure to take a gander at Mark's official site HERE.

Rated 5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on June 18th, 2007)

"THE LINK" by Richard Matheson

Thinking about a story in terms of how it can be told on television is a daunting task. Several years ago, myself and a friend of mine threw around a concept for a television show entitled Skewed. We started out with a concept, started sketching out what's know in the biz as a Series Bible, and began work on the script for the pilot. Before we'd wasted too much elbow grease on it, we fortunately realized that (a) the show was probably a bit too hi-brow, and (b) that production costs for the historic sets would be prohibitive. At any rate, the process gave me some insight into thinking about the pros and cons of writing something for television. With that in mind, I just finished reading Richard Matheson's The Link.

Matheson originally pitched the idea for the story to ABC in the seventies and was given a "go" to start up a treatment for a 20 hour-long mini-series. Somewhere along the way, ABC first wanted him to cut back the story to 7 hours, then wanted an entirely new storyline added to the project, before they finally lost interest.

Matheson then toyed with the idea of turning the entire project into a novel. When Part One of the story came in around 800 pages, his agent advised him to drop it as the entire book would end up at around 2,000 pages long, and as such be unsellable.

Fast forward a few decades when Gauntlet Press decides to publish not the novel, but the treatment for the mini-series, and you have The Link.

In a nutshell, (and considering the size of the story it's one heck of a nutshell) the book tells the story of Robert Allright, a man who's family has a psychic past. He's hired to help write a film about psi - parapscychology et al - with the help of two "technical advisors" from England. Throughout the book, Robert and his companions, Cathy and Peter, have an opportunity to delve into every aspect of psi through a wide ranging variety of experiences and setups. They work psychically on a crime with a police department. They investigate two separate hauntings. They travel to Russia to meet with people involved with everything from psychic healing, to remote vision, to telekinesis. They meet dozens of psychics who's abilities range from the mundane to the fantastic. The whole history of psi is discussed via flashbacks, (which led me to wonder if this entire project wasn't Matheson's impetus for Mediums Rare...) and a host of theories are brought in from both sides (pro and con) of psi that round out the story and make it not seem like a commercial for parapsychology.

So, that's the backdrop. Through all of this, Robert is trying to solve a family mystery that seems to become clearer through each of his experiences.

A mini-series?

After finishing this book I felt like I'd read the synopsis for a nine-season network drama. There really is enough material contained within The Link for something so much more... broad, for lack of a better word. How would it have worked as a television show? I'm not sure. There's a lot alluded to in the book that would have been difficult to convey on the screen without a lot of elaboration that wasn't. But it sure as hell would have been fun to watch.

The Link - novel or not - is a masterpiece. The story is sweeping, engaging, and written so well that you don't even realize how much you're learning while you're reading it.

You can purchase signed, limited, numbered copies of Richard Matheson's The Link from Gauntlet Press.

Rated 5 out of 5

(Orignally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on April 15th, 2007)

"CURRENCY OF SOULS" by Kealan Patrick Burke

Courage.

When I finished reading Kealan Patrick Burke's latest novel, Currency of Souls, this morning, that was the word that came first and foremost to my mind.

Courage.

It takes some mighty large cajones to write a book like this. To take a large cast, give each and every one an uber-detailed, dark and dirty past, throw them in a cocktail shaker called Milestone, throw the contents onto the bar like a toss of the dice, and to have the balls to honestly record on the page whatever insane asylum train wreck comes up...

Good God!

What the hell is this book even about? Debt? The Devil? Revenge? Regret? Sixties lounge singers? Native American Mythology? Murder? Fathers and Sons? Husbands and Wives? It's like an unsettling feeling that you can't quite describe... or one you don't want to describe.

I know that the story moved me. I know that the story stretched my imagination to its limits to keep up with what it was being force-fed. Like a grisly car crash, I know that I couldn't look away once I caught a glimpse.

I know that it doesn't come close to falling into the contemporary genre categories.

I know that when I finished reading it I felt like I was privy to information that I never wanted to know, but that I now need to know.

I know that I loved every second of it.

As a reader, every once in a great while you get the opportunity to experience a story that doesn't just go against the grain, it scratches it up beyond comprehension leaving broken and bloody fingernails behind... and still succeeds as a brilliant story. Every once in a great while, you get to come across as story that questions everything you thought you knew about what the concept of story means. Burke has made me question everything about reading and writing, and for that, I thank him.

Check out Kealan's website here.

Rated 5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on March 14th, 2007)

"THE CONQUEROR WORMS" by Brian Keene

"Brian Keene is the next big thing in horror."


How many times have I heard that?


How many times have you heard that?


The Conqueror Worms is the third Keene book I've read. I enjoyed The Rising and City of the Dead. I thought they were both fun books that did some new things with the zombie genre. I thought Keene was a good writer, who showed a lot of promise.


Then came The Conqueror Worms.

The book is told for the most part by a mountain man who's lived long enough to see what amounts to the end of the world. You see, some forty-odd days ago, it started to rain worldwide, and it hasn't stopped since. Not once. The rain hasn't stopped and it's brought some terrible things with it. You know how earthworms surface after a hard rain? Well, pump that fact through Keene's fantastic imagination and you'll get The Conqueror Worms.

The story takes on a whole new facet about halfway through, when the narration switches to a former video store employee who's trying to survive in Baltimore. I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say that worms aren't the only thing that are surfacing...

I'll be entirely honest with you, this book was right up my alley. The perfect mix of horror and adventure-based science fiction, The Conqueror Worms made me a Keene Fan. I highly recommend it.

For more on Brian, check out his website.


Rated 5 out of 5


(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on February 17th, 2007)

"DUSK" by Tim Lebbon

Wow.

Completely and unequivocably, wow.

Telling the story of several inhabitants of a world called Noreela, and the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy which will bring Magic back to the world, Dusk is one of the richest dark fantasies I've ever read. Lebbon's imagination is so involved that you have no idea what's going to come next in the story. While getting you caught up in the miniscule lives of those involved in a cataclysmic confrontation, he deals with interesting pseudo-political and semi-religious concepts - drawing interesting parallels with our own world without drawing attention to the fact that he's doing it, (it's so unintrusive, in fact, that you wonder if Lebbon even realized he was doing it).


One of the most interesting examples of this is an order called the Red Monks that are absolutely hellbent on destroying that which they love most - just so they won't lose it, an attribute that can be easily applied to any number of organizations... (including the United States Government?).


Known best for his horror, Tim Lebbon has birthed a dark fantasy that sits up there with the best of the best. An absolute Titan of a book, and certainly only the beginning of what will be a powerhouse of a series. The second book, Dawn, is due out in March, and word is that Tim has signed with Bantam Spectra for two more Noreela books - one of which apparently entitled Fallen, and the other called The Island.


If you have an interest in speculative fiction at all, I give this book my highest recommendation.


To find out more about Dusk and Noreela, check out http://www.noreela.com/. To check out Tim Lebbon's site proper, go to http://www.timlebbon.net/.

Rated 5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on January 17th, 2007)

"THE HARROWING" by Alexandra Sokoloff

My work has been steadily interrupted by "The Harrowing" - the debut novel by Alexandra Sokoloff - for the last two days.

In a word: "wow".

In several: The book tells the story of five students alone in a creepy old dormitory on the Baird campus over a four-day Thanksgiving weekend. Sounds like pretty standard fare, right? Wrong. This is the first book I've read in a long time, that I just couldn't put down. Sokoloff keeps the story tight and the pace lightning fast. Beyond that, on a personal level I had such a bonding with the characters that I found myself biting my nails with worry over what would happen to them.

I'm loathe to go into too much detail for fear of giving anything away. "The Harrowing" is a top notch example of what a horror/suspense novel can be, and should be. Absolutely fantastic.

Rated 5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on September 27th, 2007)

"THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE" by Philip K. Dick

"The Man in the High Castle" is set in a world where FDR was assassinated prior to WWII, and as a result Germany and Japan won the war. Now, nearly two decades after the close of the war, the United States has been divided into a Japanese-controlled Pacific Territory, the "Rocky Mountain States" and the Nazi-Controlled USA east of the Mississippi.

The book tells the story of several loosely-linked lives in this strange parallel reality. We see the lives of occupied Americans, Japanese businessmen, and German officials. The interesting viewpoint of the story is that nothing cataclysmic is happening throughout. The story really just shows us a snapshot of these people as they've come to terms with the way the world is. Jews change their names so as not to be identified as such, American businessmen try to cash in on the Japanese love of pre-war Americana "antiques" - such as Mickey Mouse watches and Civil War-era revolvers, and the Japanese struggle between their disgust of the Nazi war machine and their admiration for German technology. German consulate officals deal with the everyday inter-parteii politics as they man their posts in Japanese-controlled San Francisco.

I want to make two specific observations about this book. First of all, in his unflinching exploration of his supposition, Dick makes you realize just how much the reality of our world hinges on specific events. What if FDR had been assassinated and an inept president, a president unable to deal with the reality of a world war, was voted into power? This all made me think of the ubiquitous "chaos theory." Everything is interconnected, and chains of events are set in motion moment by moment. It's a daunting thought, and one that's plagued my mind throughout the reading of this novel... and will undoubtedly continue to for some time to come as a result.

Secondly, I'd like to comment on Dick's apparent mastery of language as a whole. Whether some of this was implied, or created out of accident, I have no idea. The speech patterns he gives his Japanese characters could be termed stereotypical, (the book was published in 1962) but what's interesting is he lends a slightly less obvious stereotypically Japanese speech pattern to those non-Japanese characters that have been under Japanese occupation - even amping up those patterns when particular characters are under a great deal of stress. I at first attributed this to Dick having these patterns so woven into his mind that he was just carrying them over a bit into other characters, however, the more I read, I realized that characters that weren't under Japanese control, those in the Rocky Mountain States, for example, weren't speaking with the 'accents'. That realization made, I began looking for the patterns, appreciating the complexity of the language in the prose.

"The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick is definitely a must-read for any fan of speculative fiction, and receives my highest recommendation.

Rated 5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on September 13th, 2006)

"AMERICAN GODS" by Neil Gaiman

Let me start off by saying that I haven't tasted any fiction by Neil Gaiman other than his Sandman graphic novels, (if you're rolling your eyes due to my lack of experience, I don't blame you). I'm always late, it seems, to the "critically acclaimed" authors; for some reason I duck those authors that are supposed to be the "it" thing - (perhaps that's why I came to King and Keene so late too...). Anyhow, American Gods is a triumph. It's been a long, long time since a novel has spoken to me in such a unique and satisfying way. The only others I can think of that have gotten under my skin quite as much are King's "The Stand" and Barker's "Galilee". American Gods tells the tale of a man named Shadow who moves across the country - spending quite a bit of time in Wisconsin (Yay!) - in the employ of a man named Mr. Wednesday. The book moves at a thoughtful pace as Shadow tries to figure out just who he is and what he's doing in the world, and yet it never slows enough for you to lose interest. Gaiman's imagination just spills onto the page, and you never know what's going to be around the next corner. The novel is a behemoth at almost 600 pages, and yet I found myself not wanting it to end... and yet I was satisfied when the story - not Gaiman - decided to stop; I say that because this book really seemed to tell itself. It's one of those "epic" things that seems to be a story that's always been around - or a story that "should" have always been around, and Neil Gaiman was just the one that put it down on paper.

I can't say enough good things about American Gods. This is the best book I've read in years, and I wish I would have read it sooner.

Rated: 5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in "The Daily Cave" on April 23rd, 2006)