I know I wasn't asked this, but I would recomend Jack
O'Connell to anyone on this list. I have just started to
re-read Word Made Flesh and already, a few pages in, am being
sucked back into his dark world. They're beautifully written,
thought-provoking and immensely imaginative. I suppose
there's an element of science fiction in the fantastically
realised near future of Quinsigamond, which if I remember
from earlier discussion on this list, is based on a city or
cities of New England.
I read Box Nine first, and think I have read the rest
in order, but they stand alone nonetheless. The James Ellroy
recomendation on the cover and the absolutely magnificent
paintings used as cover art on the UK editions were a big
part of why I first picked O'Connell off the crime section
shelves and found a real love-at-first-chapter author, whose
next work I can't wait for. Perhaps he could be the writer
that David Lynch could film? Discuss, shout at me
etc...
A quick google has just revealed, apart from the fact
he shares his name with a Californian politician, that Mr
O'Connell runs his own real estate business, strange!
I wouldn't presume to know where to place him in the
context of the rest of hard-boiled/noir (has he influenced
anyone else? Is there now an O'Connell school of writing, I
must admit I'm not aware of it if it does exist) but if you
haven't read him please do give him a try, even if his work
proves not to your taste, you'll have an interesting
ride.
Cheers all,
Colin.
Join my Church:
www.myspace.com/thereverendspadgedooley
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