Books you haven't read and probably should (Now discussing: SNOWFALL by Mitchell Smith)

In this thread I'm going to recommend, once a week or so, a great book that chances are you've never heard of. Simple enough, eh?

The first book is Fisher of Devils by Steve Redwood. A humorous Apocalyptic fantasy, the only book that I can think to compare it to is Pratchett and Gaiman's Good Omens -- and it compares favorably. Not only is it funnier, deeper, better written and more touching than Good Omens, it was, on the whole, written first. The novel starts off, for the first 20-30 pages, a little shaky, but after that its tone changes a bit and it really takes off. This is one of my favorite books of the last few years, and it really deserves a whole lot more attention than it got. It's only available in TPB, and at $17.95 is a little pricey, but it's worth every cent and then some. And maybe if enough people buy it, some major publishing house'll put it out in a more affordable edition, eh?

Cover blurb:

A humorous fantasy novel with elements of the detective genre, Fisher of Devils accepts common Christian beliefs and then does unspeakable things with them! Opening in Eden with God demonstrating the use of Adam's unwelcome "quaint appendage", and ending in Heaven with the weirdest party of all time, in between it takes us on a riotous tour of the Afterworld. The rascally St Peter and his pyschotic bodyguard St George take on Satan and a bunch of seriously pissed-off Fallen Angels. Devil and Saint have their hidden agendas, but are gradually forced into a dubious partnership.

When not trying to destroy or save each other, they have to confront, inter alia: the impeccably mannered Beast of the Apocalypse; bones with a grudge; treachery by Satan's own ministers; rebellion by the original cannibalistic inhabitants of Hell; lovelorn souls in vats in Limbo; a rigged Second Judgement; conscience-stricken serpents; the gurgling (and deadly) Immaculate Infant; the Virgin Mary with her hideous secret. And at the back of both their minds is the memory of a certain woman . . .

"This story makes the dangerous crossing from symbols of ink to the reader's heart in a way indicative of a classic."
-- Rhys Hughes, author of The Smell of Telescopes

"If, through some convenient twist in the space-time continuum, Terry Pratchett and the Farrelly Brothers had taken Milton out one night and got him completely wrecked on Tequila slammers and cheap amphertamine, the four of them might have come up with something like this."
-- Richard Morgan, author of Altered Carbon and Broken Angels

As far as I'm concerned, it's a crime that no major publishing house is touching Redwood's second completed novel, Who Needs Cleopatra?, because based on Fisher of Devils book and his short stories that I've read, he's a terrific writer.

I had never felt so affronted.

?You want me to go Back just to look at a bloody picture!?

The Chronotech President smiled patiently.

?No, not the picture, the real thing. Mona Lisa herself. For centuries now, the world has wondered who she really was, and why she had that mysterious smile, and you?re going to solve that mystery.?

?But ? the first ever journey through Time, and you send me to see a ? painting! What about the Pyramids? Or Cleopatra? The Aztec Empire? Or Cleopatra? The Incas? Or Cleopatra? The French Revolution? Cleopa???

And while you're at it, order his collection The Heisenberg Mutation from here. £1 (including P&P worldwide).

 

not my cup of tea but it does sound failry intereting. This remind me very much of Good Omens, but i never got through that one.

Its always funny to see what people do with that topic. I read an essay about someone that tried to do the wsame thing but with a differnt religion (poke fun at there belifes) and the dude was flamed beyond belif. It's funny that making fun of christian belifes is ok.

Sounds interesting but i probably won't read it. BUt im interested to see what other books you post about. Very interesting topic.

 

Nice idea for a thread.

I never made it through Good Omens either. I keep meaning to though. I'm Christian, but I have no trouble with stories that go weird places with Christianity. They are just fiction -- the point is to entertain, not take the book as gospel.

 

i agree.

But try to do it with another religion.


I liked good omens becuas of Neil Gaiman. The way he writes is ver uniqe and dark. I read American Gods and really liked that book.

 

Okay, the next book is Declare, by Tim Powers. It's in print, it's in paperback, and it will be shelved in the fiction section of your bookstore.

It's a spy novel, set in two timeframes: WWII, and the Cold War. It's a very well-written, interesting spy novel. One of its main characters is a real person, Kim Philby, and the author goes to great lengths not to change any of the facts of his life in service of "artistic license". Oh, and it also has people who can be in two places at once, malevolent djinns, and so forth. Tim Powers is a master of the gonzo fantasy, of the secret history, of making the ridiculous seem perfectly reasonable. He hasn't written a dud since 1979 or so, and while this book isn't as ridiculously funny as The Drawing of the Dark, nor as frenetic, grotesque or ass-kickingly cool as The Anubis Gates, Declare is, as far as I'm concerned, Tim Powers' masterpiece to date (although if you're new to Powers, you might want to try one of those first, to get used to his style. Plus they're just really good). It's definitely in my top five best (not just favorite, but best) novels published in the last decade. An extraordinarily good book. Do yourself a favor and read it.

One warning: This book is not a rip-roaring adventure. It does get fast in parts, but for the most part it's a slower, absorbing read.

 

I have eyed this book several times when at the book store. I've almost bought it once but never did. I'll go back and see what the book is like.

The book sounds really cool and deffinatly outside of the types of books that im used to. I may pick up and ealier book, like you said, to get used to the style but i'll get around to this one (after a read of Terminal Man).

dkt

 

Hey, Mastadge, I thought you should know, this thread inspired me to go out and find Fisher of Devils. It's rare enough that it was difficult for me to come across, but I found it and I'm enjoying it so far. Thanks for the reccomendation!

 

That's what I like to hear! If anyone actually buys a book on my recommendation -- let me know! Also, if you disagree with one of my recommendations, also let me know. . .

 

would suggest to read declare or an earlier book of his first?

 

Next up: The Snowfall trilogy by Mitchell Smith:

Book 1: Snowfall
Book 2: Kingdom River
Book 3: Moonrise

I never though I?d read another post-apocalypse novel, let alone a trilogy set in a new Ice Age. But these are very strong books, especially coming out of a subgenre of which I?m not particularly a fan. Basic premise: take Jack London?s ?To Build A Fire? and spring forward a thousand years.

I picked this trilogy up under the recommendation of a friend, and let me say they?re excellent: hard-edged; people with, well, people; full of Smith?s trademarked punch-in-the-guts; and featuring some amazingly vivid battle scenes.

The series starts fast and doesn?t let up. Each book featured spectacular (and spectacularly gritty) battle sequences. The books and characters start great and only get better as the series progresses; by the third book you?ve got a young fugitive prince, a trio of animal-human hybrids who are wonderfully rendered both in their humanity and in their animal nature, and some flat-out beautiful writing. Smith hews close to the senses, which makes the poetic writing that much stronger. Imagine Hemingway stretching out to write a science fantasy Ice Age apocalypse series.

The highlight of the third book is the scaling of a two-mile-high ice-wall which you barely glimpse in the first book. Tour de force indeed. I knew it was coming and I couldn?t wait to get there, carried along in Smith?s expert hands. It didn?t hurt that, as I?ve mentioned, I truly loved the characters. Especially the three female leads. Sylvia-General could eat Conan for breakfast. Smith could quite easily extend this trilogy another book or three which would be just fine by me.

I seem to be rambling here, but I honestly loved these books much more than I though I would. Highly, highly recommended. Wow.