<<And here's a suggested topic:
Who are the hot writers who can take us into the next
millenium, maybe
offer something new to the genre?>>
I think Jack O'Connell definitely falls into this category.
His books
inhabit a world that are so hyper-real they verge on surreal.
Few, if
any, of the characters continue from book to book, but there
is a steady
progression, the city is really the character. And it is a
quite
impressive construct, plus each book explores a specific
subject area
about which O'Connell has obviously done extensive research.
Box Nine
takes up language derivation and drugs; Wireless, radio, both
legit and
pirate as well as collecting old Bakelite ones; Skin Palace,
porn and
old movies, as well as old movie houses. Don't think this
makes the
books dry treatises, though, you get involved with
interesting
characters, a good storyline and that great mood that
permeates
Quinsigamond.
I thought O'Connell's vision was too unique to be much of an
influence,
but New York Graphic by Adam Lloyd Baker has some
similarities in its
take on the city of New York. While I enjoyed Graphic quite a
bit, it's
not nearly as well-conceived as O'Connell, losing a bit of
its focus
near the end.
I'm about to start O'Connell's latest, Word Made Flesh.
Mark
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