Must Pre-Order of the Week: The Doom Magnetic

I'm hesitant to mention this book prior to its official release, because I don't want you all to say, "Oh my God, I have to get that book!", only to forget about it.  Trust me, don't forget about it.  It is a good read, by a good author, on a good, outlandish scale.  The Doom Magnetic Trilogy will be released very, very soon.
In all honesty, it's true I wrote the foreward for WP3's latest.  Let this not serve as bias.  In fact, a year ago I had William Pauley III on the Authors Speak live podcast and asked him about the Doom Magnetic (at which point, I'd only had the privilege of reading one portion of the story).  I loved it.  I adored it.  I wanted more...and now here it is.  The Doom Magnetic is the shit, plain and simple.

The author has had these stories for years, but it's only now that they appear in one tome, purely for your entertainment.  If you've read Pauley's work before, you know what you're in for: campy fun, pop-culture bombs, and some grittiness that you don't often see.  The Brothers Crunk reads like an homage to the camp of the worlds created in Nintendo games (which, is interesting, 'cause as much as we talk about our adoration for 8-bit games, we don't stop and ponder the sheer weirdness of the worlds they take place in.  Seriously, Mario "world" is a scary, crazy place).  In his recent release, Slime Night (available now on Kindle), he expresses an, maybe unhealthy, affection towards John Hughes and bowling.  That's not a misprint. 

In the best way possible, Pauley is one of the ultimate fanboys working in the world.

The Doom Magnetic may be his best so far.  It's a very young career, so I can only imagine where he's going next.  The title refers to a skill one of the characters possesses, a skill that can deal serious havoc on the world around him.  That particular character is one of the most creative set on the page - Qoser, an alien being, perhaps god, with a giant cueball for an eye.  Qoser seriously longs to be the baddest Bond villain in all the land.

With elements of steampunk, westerns, and noir, I think you'll be as entertained by the book, as I was.

What's Good?
Just about everything.  Pauley's humor is present in all its glory, as is his darker sides.  One minute the reader is laughing about a line of dialogue, the next gasping in horror as a head explodes.  It's the very reason I love artists like Tarantino and Leonard.

The book also reads in overdrive, which could be contrued a bad thing.  Once you start it, you'll be flipping pages so fast that it's done in one sitting.

Also, there's an experimental style to the text.  The book shifts points of view, each one adopting the tone of the characters which...

What Not So Good?
...leads to the not-so-good.  The style didn't affect me one bit, but I can see how some readers might be polarized by it.  It's a little like reading Tim Dorsey.  Dorsey has a very distinct style that a ton of comedy readers cannot abide.  I remain unphased, but warn readers to perservere through the text.  I really do not think that the smart readers in the room will be peeved by this.  What I'm saying is this: if you're reading Twilight, you probably should stay away.  The Doom Magnetic caters to a higher intelligence.

Final Verdict?
Buy it, check it out, love it, and buy it dinner.  The book will reward your abs from laughter and enlighten your senses.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Must Read of the Week: Revenge of the Apocalypse Donkeys

The must-read of this week was actually released in August of last year.  Why, then, would we toss it into the mix?  Several reasons, actually.  Firstly, we’re going to try a little trending – I want our readers to go out and get this book – at the very least get it in your library!  Most importantly, though, this book warrants your hard earned money and your attention.  I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 

Long a fan of Jordan Krall, it is interesting to see where the author will go next.  PIECEMEAL JUNE, while great, is drizzled in the macabre and set the pace for Krall to become a very hard horror writer.  His sophomore effort, though, was almost homage to Elmore Leonard’s very best crime fiction.  SQUID PULP BLUES took us into a seedy alternate New Jersey where gangsters wear diapers, hardened criminals harbor Ginger Rogers fetishes, and people snort squid.  And just when you think he’s going to zig, the man zags.  His third book, FISTFUL OF FEET, was a spaghetti western.  What, then, is BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE APOCALYPSE DONKEYS? 

It’s actually quite a few things, and all of them are grand. 

Mind-bending is one way I’ve heard the book described, and I’ll go with that.  Krall does enjoy playing with the readers, and he does it here better than I’ve ever seen.  At the very core of the book, DONKEYS is a story of a man who is looking for a long lost film – THE APOCALYPSE DONKEY – and his journey to find it.  That’s it, pure and simple.  But dig deeper and you’ll see maguffins aplenty.  See, Krall peddles weird like a New York City hotdog vendor.  Conflict arises in odd ways, which include nude women in donkey masks and giant hummingbirds.  As the story unfolds, it reminds one of Cronenberg’s very best, more indescribable works.  By that I mean, you have an existential hero searching for the obscure, all the while falling deeper and deeper into a surreal nightmare (or is it a nightmare?).

This effect is augmented all the more by four other contributors.  The preface by Jason Wuchenich, the introduction by Gordan K. Smith, and the foreword by Garrett Cook (and no, that’s no joke) all work to sustain the weird vibe of the tale, making Krall about as mysterious as the missing film at the center of the book.  Matthew Revert’s 11,000 word afterword, though, may cement the book as a classic to behold for centuries.  Truly, when was the last time a reader has seen anything quite like this?  Krall says: “Continuity is a myth”, and reader, I must say I agree. 

So yes, we’re discussing a book that’s graced bookshelves for quite sometime.  Who cares?  This week, reader, your challenge is to make this book your must read.  And, if you’ve read it, please pass it along to someone or recommend it to your local library.  When this book dropped, the Authors Speak was on a brief hiatus.  Now that we’re back, we feel the need to give this book its due diligence.  Believe us, it is worth it. 

Tomorrow we’ll be back to take a look at author William Pauley III and his upcoming book, THE DOOM MAGNETIC TRILOGY.

 http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Valley-Apocalypse-Donkeys-Jordan/dp/098715611X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329748988&sr=1-1

The Talented James Family

I've had the pleasure to know Syrie James through the past couple of years. Perhaps, not personally, but definitely through her words, which are wise and inspirational. She's tackled Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. She's tackled Dracula. And, she even updated the vampire genre with her last book Nocturne. She even was our first live interview of 2011 (which can be found and downloaded via iTunes, but visiting ).

It was an absolute delight to discover that she'd collaborated with her son, Ryan, on a YA book entitled Forbidden, something she referenced last time she was on with us.
Just yesterday, Syrie and Ryan joined us for a wonderful interview (technical difficulties, aside), discussing everything from vampires, to X-Men, to iPhones (you do know the Suri app is named for Ms. James, right?). Upon re-listening to the interview, I realized that Ryan, himself, may give Syrie a run for her money in the interview arena. Maybe not. Either way, though, there's no mistaking that the gene pool was rife with talent...and it shows.

You can find the interview in its entirety at www.blogtalkradio.com/theauthorsspeakcom, and while you're there feel free to subscribe. You can also download all past episodes via iTunes.

For more information on Forbidden, which is certainly worth your time and your nine dollars, you can stroll over to Amazon. Our challenge is to make this one push Stephanie Meyers and the Twilight saga off the shelf. C'mon, kids, you can do it.

For more information on Syrie James, her mailing list (which is amazing), her upcoming projects, and her past books, please visit her at www.syriejames.com.

And, for more information on her very talented son Ryan, visit http://illusive-entertainment.com/.

We're back next week with our Must Reads of the week and an interview with author William Pauley III (ironically the second interview of 2011, following Ms. James).

Until then, keep reading.

Must Read of the Week: Forbidden

Syrie James puts out some great books, there’s no question.  What we didn’t know, though, is that the talent she exhibits is in the genes.  Ryan, her first born, makes his debut, writing with his mother.  And this is a dynamic duo making their way into the Young Adult realm.

I somewhat loathe the term YA, as I find it polarizing for more mature readers.  Yes, we all savored the Harry Potter books, and plenty of us dabble in the Twilight realm.  These are “event books”, as I refer to them.  But there’s plenty worthwhile reads on the YA bookshelves.  Take for instance, Forbidden.

Most readers know the works of Syrie James; she’s tackled vampires (Nocturne), Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen, and now she’s moving into a new field.  I’m a little reluctant to discuss this book, as it will inevitably give too much away, but I’ll try.

Tired of vampires?  Sick of supernatural baddies that populate too many books?  Well, try Forbidden.  Ryan’s and Syrie’s book brings us the world of angels.  And while the end product is more Twilight than it should be, they know this and even spoof it to an extent.  For example, one of the protagonists even quips: “See.  Not a vampire.”

It’s good-hearted fun, and it’s evident that the mother-son duo had the time of their life writing it.

What’s Good?

The writing is solid, as I’ve come to expect from Syrie James.  Everything from the dialogue to the descriptors feels natural.  Speaking of the descriptors, let me say this is where Ryan flourishes.  Syrie is a wordsmith, Ryan a video game virtuoso.  It’s that background that we see his vivid imagination take hold of a tried and true story and augment it to the next level.  See, the story, essentially, is a tale we’ve heard too many times over.  It’s what’s made of it that takes the book to the next level.  This is the book that I’ve wanted Syrie to write.

What’s not so Good?

See the last point made in the previous paragraph.  While we’re not dealing with aliens or vampires, the story’s structure is still one that we’re overly familiar with.  It doesn’t distract, since the characters are so strong, but there is a certain anticlimactic air about the book.  I would also add that the book is a little longer than it should be, but once more, its nitpicking.

Final Verdict?

Definitely worth your hard earned eight dollars and ninety-nine cents.  While it’s a “tale as old as time”, this entry in the Syrieverse succeeds on all it’s merit.  I left the final page wondering if Ryan would abandon his career efforts and produce more of these with his mother.  And that, I’d say, is a very good thing.

4 out of 5 stars

Forbidden by Ryan and Syrie James is currently available from Amazon.com.

Must Read of the Century? The Mirage by Matt Ruff

I’ve long been a Matt Ruff fan, and with good reason.  There is no such thing as a typical Ruffian (ruffian, maybe).  It seems that he changes his style, his interest, and his prose with every book he writes.  There’s a lot of differences between “The Fool on the Hill” and “Bad Monkeys”, for example.  It’s something I adore about Ruff, and something I imagine would be polarizing for some readers.  Above it all, though, you have to respect the author’s moxie.

About a year ago, I sat down and talked with Mr. Ruff.  During that interview he mentioned that he had pitched an idea for Fox for a television show, but it was now becoming a novel.  “The Mirage”, released this past Tuesday, is the final product, and it is certainly easy to see why Fox passed on the show.  For starters there’s a controversial edge to the story.  There’s also some pretty significant “Fringe” science to it as well.  After reading all 400+ pages, I feel satisfied just the way it ended up; I’m not sure it would have held in a TV format.  Fox, no doubt, would have diluted the premise, too.

“The Mirage” refers to a mirage universe.  So, like “Fringe” science would tell us, the parallel world would feature things sort of like they are…but with a twist.  In the case of Ruff’s book, he tackles the world of 9/11, and in a much better way than the recent Oscar nominated film, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”.

In the mirage world, the events of 9/11/01, actually occur on 11/9/01.  That’s the first subtlety.  The big one is that the attack happens to the United Arab States, rather than the United States of America.  See, in Ruff’s alternate universe, the Arabs are the super power, after thirteen of the states broke away from the Ottoman Empire in the 19^th century.  What of America?  Well, I’m sad to say that Christian fundamentalists have made the U.S.A a third world, backwards society.  On 11/9, the Tigris and Euphrates World Trade Towers fall victim to a terrorist plot, when Christian fundamentalists crash two airplanes into them.

Following this, the action plays out as the UAS begins their investigation.  The plot is left in the hands of Amal and Mustafa, two intel agent with the UA-Israel.  Through their eyes we, the reader, really glimpse the mirage world that’s been created – with many of the same characters that we’ve grown to know.  The exploration of America was the part that really delighted me, and maybe that’s unpatriotic, but this is fiction.  For example, Texas has become its own nation (which the real Texas has the right to do).  Trouble is, it falls victim to constant attacks, as nations try to pilfer their oil. 

There’s the white Supremacist Christian Fundamentals, who pretty much cover the Rockies, and take credit for the attacks on the World Trade Towers, thus starting a 10 year war on terror.

Saddam Huessein is in the mix as a gangster.  Osama’s there, too.  Seriously, some of the “cameos” are cringe worthy, in the very best way possible.

What’s great about this Ruff piece, is it is vintage satire, as only Ruff can do.  But, it’s got a very bitter tone to it.  That’s the genius.  Following the events of 9/11, we had an extremely bitter edge to our society and sought the permission to laugh.  As we distanced ourselves from the tragedy, we lightened.  In this world, the humor is there, but it is the jaded flavor.

What’s good?

Over everything else I’ve already described, I love that the chapters are introduced with Wikipedia-style entries (‘cept here they’re the libraryofalexandria.com).  I’ve heard some reviewers say they thought it was forced and gimmicky, but I found it to be neither of these. 

The other thing I adore about this book, is it is a satire that is challenging to read.  As Americans, we’re not wont for reading about our greatest tragedy, nor do we want to relive Saddam and Osama, nor do we want to see our nation pecked apart and satirized.  But, like our version of the events, we suck it up and get through it.

What’s not so good?

Honestly, not a lot.  If I had to pick nits here, I’d say the only thing that is distressing is that it will likely take a reader about the first 40 pages to get into the book.  This didn’t phase me, though, because I’m not sure how else Ruff would have pieced together his mirage universe.  There’s a lot of setting up, but by the time we’re comfortable with Mustafa and Amal, the reader’s coasting.

Bottom Line?

Rarely do I call a book “transcendent”, but this one may be just that.  Is it the best book of the century?  It’s still too early to tell.  What I do know, though, is that I left this novel feeling much the same way I did with Mary Doria Russell’s “The Sparrow”.  That novel has stayed with me through the years, and I’m eager to see if this one will do the same.  By far the best Ruff’s had to offer in his great career.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Mirage is currently available on Amazon.com

Must Reads: January Books You May Have Missed

We may be already one week into February, but it’s the time of year when we start thinking of gift giving.  And, for Valentine’s Day why not give the gift of books.  Especially when you consider candies add calories and flowers die and jewelry is ridiculously expensive.

Here are a few releases from the month of January that you may have missed.  All are excellent additions to your bookshelf – must reads all.

Raylan by Elmore Leonard

This is an odd entry into the Leonard-verse, no doubt spurred by the success of FX’s outstanding procedural “Justified”.  I love when Elmore revisits characters we’ve come to love, but I totally did not see a new Raylan novel.  This one actually reads like a few episodes of the series.  Technically speaking, it is classified as a novel.  Realistically speaking this is a collection of shorts – three, non-connecting stories that pit Raylan’s US marshal against several big bads.

The most entertaining of the bunch is the first entry.  It focuses on the world of human organ trafficking, and quite honestly, I think expanding on this would have made for an exceptional novel.  It opens with a drug dealer waking up in a tub of ice, missing his kidneys.  The play?  The dope dealers will remove the organs and then sell them back to the vic for the sum of $100,000.  But the dope boys aren’t the brightest in the bunch, so it’s up to Raylan to find the true boss behind it all.  Vintage Elmore Leonard dialogue abounds.

The book is actually an outstanding complement to the series.  No doubt this was the aim.  But, if you’ve not yet tuned in, this could get you primed to catch up to seasons one and two.

4 out of 5 stars.

http://www.amazon.com/Raylan-Novel-Elmore-Leonard/dp/006211946X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328795851&sr=8-1

Lunatics by Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel

This is not a great book.  Here’s why it made the list of possible must reads from the last month:

The experiment is sloppy, but it delivers the laughs.

So, a few years back, Barry and Hiaasen and a load of other Florida crime writers decided to write a little book called “Naked Came the Manatee”.  The goal was that each writer would contribute a chapter to an on running narrative.  The end result was a mess of a book, with Hiaasen tying up the loose ends (of which there were many).

The experiment happens again with Zweibel, an SNL writer, and Barry.  Each man tackles a character – Horkman and (I’m not joking) Peckerman – and the point of view shifts from person to person, chapter to chapter, each author playing an improvisational game of one-upmanship.

Yes, it’s a terrible mess of a book that requires much suspension of disbelief.  Why, then, would it make this list?  Because it’s absolutely hilarious.  I did guffaw out loud numerous times, and isn’t that the aim of a book?  To entertain? 

In the end, if you like lemurs, diabetics gone rogue, pirates, Cuban militants, Sean Penn and Ed Begley Jr as possible presidential candidates, or racial slurs you’ve never heard before…well, it might be the book for you.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

http://www.amazon.com/Lunatics-Dave-Barry/dp/0399158693/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328795891&sr=1-1

Pineapple Grenade by Tim Dorsey

I’m a huge fan of Dorsey, as most readers of this blog will know.  He’s certainly not for everybody, as his style takes some getting used to.  But, if you’re a fan, you know he’s consistently playing a game of one-upmanship with himself.  There’s only so many creative ways to kill a man, right?  Wrong-o, as Dorsey proves time and time again.

When Dorsey’s spot-on, he knocks a home run.  When he’s off his game (like “Orange Crush” or the recent “When Elves Attack”) he’s shaky, but still hilarity ensues.  I’m happy to say that this entry into the Serge A. Storms falls in the former category.

There’s always a theme running in Dorsey and Serge Land, and here he tackles the spy genre.  It’s timely, and the end result is something funnier than I’ve seen from Dorsey.

I wouldn’t recommend this for first time readers of Dorsey – there’s a lot of ground to cover.  If you’re a fan, this is highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars.

http://www.amazon.com/Pineapple-Grenade-Novel-Tim-Dorsey/dp/0061876909/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328795923&sr=1-1

Autopsy 1: Flesh of the Dead by Steve Gerlach

Not a great gift for the squeamish reader, at all.  Gerlach adds to the serial killer game, in ways only a grisly bizarro writer can.  Autopsy 1 is the first of three novellas, and I’m giddy waiting to see where these go. 

Setting the pace here, the Anarchy Killer is stalking the streets of Matheson (a great nod).   The killer is methodical, choosing, carefully, the “right” victims.  Before he’s done with them, the killer indulges twisted fantasies by carving symbols deep into their chest and mutilating the victims.  Of course, there’s no lead, trace, or clue to whom is inflicting carnage (or is it vengeance?) on the city.

Gerlach is a very capable and graphic writer.  After reading his debut a year, or so, ago, I was eager to see how he’d follow it up.  Well, kids, he’s polished his craft and nails a wonderful entry into a sick world that only Gerlach could have created.

4 out of 5

http://www.amazon.com/Autopsy-1-Flesh-Steve-Gerlach/dp/0987159240/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328795963&sr=1-1

And lastly…a shameless plug:

Karaoke Death Squad by Eric Mays

It actually came out this past Fall, but it’s the perfect gift for that pop-culture lover.  An updating of the Odyssey, Karaoke Death Squad tells the tale of sirens invading the underbelly of the karaoke world in Baltimore.  It’s hilarious, and has been compared to the works of Christopher Moore, S.G. Browne, and Neil Gaiman.

Author William Pauley III says it’s one of the funniest books he’s ever read.

No rating is available, per bias, but here’s what folks are saying:

Mays belts out his prose with the swagger of Mick Jagger, taking you on a narrative odyssey that includes a reluctant hero, a trio of dangerous sirens, and karaoke roulette. Fun and imaginative, Karaoke Death Squad hits all the right notes. - S.G. Browne, author of Breathers and Fated

You've been having the same old sex with the same old girlfriends in the same old town. Then one night a Russian gymnast with a tongue piercing and five pairs of edible underwear introduces you to the Kama Sutra. That's what reading Eric Mays' work is like. You wake up the next morning giggling and you walk funny for a week. - Greg Hall, author of At the End of Church Street and host of The Funky Werepig
"Karaoke Death Squad" is a wildly funny deconstruction of our culture and one of the most brilliantly satirical books I've read this year. - The Austin Post

http://www.amazon.com/Karaoke-Death-Squad-Eric-Mays/dp/0987156128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328795987&sr=1-1

We'll be back tomorrow for a peek at "The Book of the Sith", the awesome new "artifact" to come out of the Lucas universe, all from genius Daniel Wallace.

Until then...keep reading.