If you've never watched South Park you won't get this.
Picture Stan and Kyle shouting at AIG, Shearson Lehman, and the rest of these thieves:
"Oh my god. They killed the economy. You bastards!"
Thanks to my good friend, Matt, for sending this.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Forgotten books: He Died with His Eyes Open by Derek Raymond
"A gripping study in obsession and absolute, awful evil" Sunday Times
It’s hard to call Derek Raymond’s factory series books forgotten since the UK publisher, Serpent’s Tail, is reprinting new trade paperback editions. Underappreciated would be a better way to put it, although not by fans of hardboiled and noir literature who discover these gems. The first of the factory series books “He Died with His Eyes Open” was written in 1984. All these books feature a nameless Detective Sergeant from the Department of Unexplained Deaths. These books are grim stuff; meditations on death and dying and obsession, but they also sparkle with brilliant writing and pitch black humor.
“He Died with His Eyes Open” has our nameless detective investigating the extremely brutal death of a middle-aged alcoholic man. The victim had left behind cassette tapes chronicling his life, and as our Detective listens to these tapes, he grows to admire and like this gentle and brilliant and tormented man, and equally grow to detest the villainous sorts who were in his life. It doesn't take long before it becomes personal for him, and he's crossing a line he shouldn't be crossing.
Derek Raymond was the pseudonym for the English author Robin Cook who died in 1994. From his choice of his pseudonym, as well as his literary and at times wise-cracking style, he was clearly influenced by Raymond Chandler. Whether he surpasses his mentor with these great factory series books is up to each fan of hardboiled fiction to decide. But if you are a fan of the genre, these books are must reads.
It’s hard to call Derek Raymond’s factory series books forgotten since the UK publisher, Serpent’s Tail, is reprinting new trade paperback editions. Underappreciated would be a better way to put it, although not by fans of hardboiled and noir literature who discover these gems. The first of the factory series books “He Died with His Eyes Open” was written in 1984. All these books feature a nameless Detective Sergeant from the Department of Unexplained Deaths. These books are grim stuff; meditations on death and dying and obsession, but they also sparkle with brilliant writing and pitch black humor.
“He Died with His Eyes Open” has our nameless detective investigating the extremely brutal death of a middle-aged alcoholic man. The victim had left behind cassette tapes chronicling his life, and as our Detective listens to these tapes, he grows to admire and like this gentle and brilliant and tormented man, and equally grow to detest the villainous sorts who were in his life. It doesn't take long before it becomes personal for him, and he's crossing a line he shouldn't be crossing.
Derek Raymond was the pseudonym for the English author Robin Cook who died in 1994. From his choice of his pseudonym, as well as his literary and at times wise-cracking style, he was clearly influenced by Raymond Chandler. Whether he surpasses his mentor with these great factory series books is up to each fan of hardboiled fiction to decide. But if you are a fan of the genre, these books are must reads.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Making NPR's list for best crime and mystery novels for 2008
This is all very surreal. As of last week I was mostly flying under the radar with Small Crimes. I had gotten some great reviews in the London papers and trades, as well as some very enthusiastic reviews on line with the incredibly generous Ed Gorman leading the charge, but outside of an early review from The Lansing State Journal, it looked like that the US papers were going to ignore the book. Then late last week stuff started to happen: Small Crimes made IMBA's bestseller list, Sunday it received a rave review in the Washington Post, written by Maureen Corrigan, and now this.
There's so much luck involved in this business. There are so many books out there, and most authors are stuck with the same dilemma, how do you get your book noticed, and in today's world, even reviewed? I remember reading over the summer how a book that had sold I think less than a hundred copies was picked up by Richard + Judy's book club, which meant it was now going to sell over a couple of hundred thousand copies. Earlier on my blog I wrote how a book needs a champion to push it and the author to the next level, and having that happen is just such a random event. How many Richard+Judy's, Oprah's, and possibly in my case, Maureen Corrigan's, are there out there? I'm not exactly sure what this means having both the Post review and making the NPR list other than my book is being taken more seriously today than it was a week ago and that more people are now aware of it. But it is an exciting time now.
There's so much luck involved in this business. There are so many books out there, and most authors are stuck with the same dilemma, how do you get your book noticed, and in today's world, even reviewed? I remember reading over the summer how a book that had sold I think less than a hundred copies was picked up by Richard + Judy's book club, which meant it was now going to sell over a couple of hundred thousand copies. Earlier on my blog I wrote how a book needs a champion to push it and the author to the next level, and having that happen is just such a random event. How many Richard+Judy's, Oprah's, and possibly in my case, Maureen Corrigan's, are there out there? I'm not exactly sure what this means having both the Post review and making the NPR list other than my book is being taken more seriously today than it was a week ago and that more people are now aware of it. But it is an exciting time now.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Washington Post on Small Crimes: "a piece of crime noir genius"
"The plot of Small Crimes is a thing of beauty: spare but ingeniously twisted and imbued with a glossy coating of black humor. Zeltserman takes up all the familiar tropes of the formula -- femmes fatales, frighteningly dysfunctional families, self-destructive drives and the death grip of the past -- and shows how infinite are the combinations that can still be played on them. " Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post
read the whole review here
read the whole review here
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Small Crimes an IMBA Bestseller!!!
Yeah, this post title deserves a few exclamation marks. While Small Crimes is tied with 8 other books for 6th place for the Independent Mystery Booksellers Associations October bestsellers list for trade paperbacks, it still made the list right here!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Back from Philly
Arrived back from Philly late last night. Nice city with maybe the most impressive City Hall I've ever seen, good restaurants, some very nice people--even if they did want to rub in their Phillies World Series win over the Red Sox ALCS elimination. Ff you're in the area, I'd recommend checking out Robins Bookstore on 13th Street near Walnut--Larry Robins who owns it is a good guy, and he has a terrific independent bookstore. And if you like chocolate you gotta check out Naked Chocolate Cafe at 1317 Walnut Street--they're the only place I've seen in the states that serves that thick European style of hot chocolate, and that stuff is about as good as it gets.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
As my invasion of Philly continues....
I'd like to thanks the good folks over at the Philadephia Metro for making Small Crimes one of their picks of the week, as well as the fine folks over at the Washington Examiner for doing the same a couple of weeks ago.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Small Crimes in Philly
November 9th, 1-3 pm, I'll be at Les Bons Temps (114 S. 12th Street) in Philly, along with Cordelia Frances Biddle (Deception's Daughter) for a crime fiction book club brunch sponsored by Robin's Book Store. Deen Kogan, co-producer of Noircon, will be hosting. If you're in the area, hope you stop by!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
21 Reasons...
In the next couple of weeks I have a major newspaper reviewing Small Crimes, as well as some potential articles if the freelance writers I've been talking to get their articles accepted. With some downtime right now I'm just kind of fooling around and have put together my 21 reasons why you might want to read Small Crimes, because face it, there are a lot of terrific crime novels out there, and I think it's only fair that I make a case why readers should take a chance with mine. From feedback I've been getting from readers I'm pretty confident that if you like hardboiled noir than you're going to like Small Crimes, but still here's my list of 21 reasons--and in putting together these reasons I only pulled quotes from good reviews. Although all reviews so far (at least the ones I've seen) have been good to great, I'm not about to pull a quote out of a bad or mediocre review to mislead anyone. So here's my case for why if you're a fan of crime fiction you might want to indulge in some Small Crimes:
1) From Publisher’s Weekly’s starred review: "Zeltserman's breakthrough third crime novel deserves comparison with the best of James Ellroy"
2) Booklist also has good stuff to say about Small Crimes: "Small Crimes has plenty of crime, but obsession, hubris, and evil, pure and impure, are at the heart of this vivid noir."
3) Maybe you might want to find out why Ed Gorman thinks Small Crimes is one of the finest dark suspense novels he’s read in the past few years.
4) Same with why Bruce Grossman from Bookgasm feels that Small Crimes is a surefire contender for book of the year.
5) As does why Nathan Cain (who’s blog 'Independent Crime' reviewed Small Crimes) agrees with Bruce.
6) And then there’s the ending, the one which Bill Crider writes is both “stunning and surprising”.
7) Laura Wilson in her review for the Guardian, also calling it a "surprisingly bold ending"
8) David Connett for the Sunday Express agrees also, saying, “Denton is one of the best realised characters I have read in this genre, and the powerfully noir-ish, uncompromising plot, which truly keeps one guessing from page to page, culminates with a genuinely astonishing finale."
9) Thuglit also agrees, making Small Crimes one of their picks, and saying, “...the book ends with one of my favorite final lines in the history of the written word. But don’t skip to it, ya lazy bastid.”
10) Patrick Milliken from Poisoned Pen Bookstore agrees with Thuglit's choice, making Small Crimes one of his hardboiled picks.
11) Then there’s Marcel Berlins at the London Times saying, "Small Crimes is the kind of grim noir novel they used to write in the Thirties and Forties. There are no good guys, only men who are mean, vicious, tough, corrupt and amoral. Action is frenzied and bloody, women easy but vulnerable, dialogue curt and the plot not necessarily convincing. David Zeltserman serves up the formula with enthusiasm and some fine writing.”
12) And Cath Staincliffe over at Tangled Web saying, "The characterisation and mental torment are reminiscent of the insightful psychological thrillers of Jim Thompson. Stunning stuff."
13) And Crimespree Magazine calling Small Crimes a dark masterpiece.
14) And Barry Forshaw over at CrimeTime saying, “This loamy smorgasboard of salvation and revenge has both a violent and comic edge, marking Zeltserman as a name to watch."
15) And Damien Seaman at Shots Magazine saying about Small Crimes, "Not so much a highway to hell as a full-on rollercoaster ride."
16) And Ray Walsh in the Lansing State Journal saying, “Zeltserman masterfully controls the action, offering dark noir fiction in the best Jim Thompson tradition. This is ideal for lovers of tense suspense and violent action.”
17) And then there’s Dark Party Review saying, “That’s the secret to Zeltserman’s fascinating novel about small town corruption and the consequences that follow. Unlike many crime writers today addicted to glamorous, far-fetched shoot-outs, outrageously high-concept plots, and the superhero-like-antics of protagonists, Zeltserman mines the ordinary for the extraordinary...."
18) And Barnes and Noble on their Mystery & Crime page calling Small Crimes, "ultra-noir, funny, and shocking by turns"
19) And then there’s Amazon.com right now discounting new copies to $10.17
20) Small Crimes is being published by Serpent's Tail, one of the world's best independent publishers of crime fiction. I mean, come on, when has Serpent's Tail ever let you down?
21) And finally, Pariah is out in the UK this January, and if Whitey Bulger ends up reading it, there may not be too many more books coming from me…
1) From Publisher’s Weekly’s starred review: "Zeltserman's breakthrough third crime novel deserves comparison with the best of James Ellroy"
2) Booklist also has good stuff to say about Small Crimes: "Small Crimes has plenty of crime, but obsession, hubris, and evil, pure and impure, are at the heart of this vivid noir."
3) Maybe you might want to find out why Ed Gorman thinks Small Crimes is one of the finest dark suspense novels he’s read in the past few years.
4) Same with why Bruce Grossman from Bookgasm feels that Small Crimes is a surefire contender for book of the year.
5) As does why Nathan Cain (who’s blog 'Independent Crime' reviewed Small Crimes) agrees with Bruce.
6) And then there’s the ending, the one which Bill Crider writes is both “stunning and surprising”.
7) Laura Wilson in her review for the Guardian, also calling it a "surprisingly bold ending"
8) David Connett for the Sunday Express agrees also, saying, “Denton is one of the best realised characters I have read in this genre, and the powerfully noir-ish, uncompromising plot, which truly keeps one guessing from page to page, culminates with a genuinely astonishing finale."
9) Thuglit also agrees, making Small Crimes one of their picks, and saying, “...the book ends with one of my favorite final lines in the history of the written word. But don’t skip to it, ya lazy bastid.”
10) Patrick Milliken from Poisoned Pen Bookstore agrees with Thuglit's choice, making Small Crimes one of his hardboiled picks.
11) Then there’s Marcel Berlins at the London Times saying, "Small Crimes is the kind of grim noir novel they used to write in the Thirties and Forties. There are no good guys, only men who are mean, vicious, tough, corrupt and amoral. Action is frenzied and bloody, women easy but vulnerable, dialogue curt and the plot not necessarily convincing. David Zeltserman serves up the formula with enthusiasm and some fine writing.”
12) And Cath Staincliffe over at Tangled Web saying, "The characterisation and mental torment are reminiscent of the insightful psychological thrillers of Jim Thompson. Stunning stuff."
13) And Crimespree Magazine calling Small Crimes a dark masterpiece.
14) And Barry Forshaw over at CrimeTime saying, “This loamy smorgasboard of salvation and revenge has both a violent and comic edge, marking Zeltserman as a name to watch."
15) And Damien Seaman at Shots Magazine saying about Small Crimes, "Not so much a highway to hell as a full-on rollercoaster ride."
16) And Ray Walsh in the Lansing State Journal saying, “Zeltserman masterfully controls the action, offering dark noir fiction in the best Jim Thompson tradition. This is ideal for lovers of tense suspense and violent action.”
17) And then there’s Dark Party Review saying, “That’s the secret to Zeltserman’s fascinating novel about small town corruption and the consequences that follow. Unlike many crime writers today addicted to glamorous, far-fetched shoot-outs, outrageously high-concept plots, and the superhero-like-antics of protagonists, Zeltserman mines the ordinary for the extraordinary...."
18) And Barnes and Noble on their Mystery & Crime page calling Small Crimes, "ultra-noir, funny, and shocking by turns"
19) And then there’s Amazon.com right now discounting new copies to $10.17
20) Small Crimes is being published by Serpent's Tail, one of the world's best independent publishers of crime fiction. I mean, come on, when has Serpent's Tail ever let you down?
21) And finally, Pariah is out in the UK this January, and if Whitey Bulger ends up reading it, there may not be too many more books coming from me…
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Small Crimes book launch party
The US book launch party for Small Crimes is going to be held Oct. 21st at Redbones in Somerville, MA from 5:30-7. For anyone unfamiliar with Redbones it has probably the best barbecued food in the Boston area, and free appetizers will be on hand. I hope people in the area will be able to make it, and I'll look forward to seeing you all there.
More information about Redbones and the event can be found by clicking here.
More information about Redbones and the event can be found by clicking here.
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