Mark wrote:
>It's been forever since I read Interface, so I'll
refrain from directly
>commenting until I get around to re-reading it.
However, Bill asked for
>suggestions for other Gores books to read.
>
>The early DKA File books, pre-Interface, are good
solid genre pieces,
>with great details from a former PI. 32 Cadillacs is
much later, with a
>lot of books (only a few of them DKA) in between. It
is the only DKA
>book played for humor. I'm normally like you, Bill,
humor usually
>doesn't do much for me in hardboiled unless it is
very dark indeed.
>The Dortmunder gang's cameo
>appearance aside, 32 Cadillacs is absolutely
hilarious (Parker makes a
>brief appearance in an early DKA book). I enjoyed it
from start to
>finish and consider it one of my favorites of Gores'
books.
>
>A lot of his one-shots like Menaced Assassin and Dead
Man are also good,
>but I'd start with the DKA books. It is a very solid
series.
As for Gore, may I suggest his DKA short stories? They're
almost impossible to find now, but they're absolutely great,
absolutely worth hunting down. I think there's twelve of 'em,
published over the years in AHMM, EQMM, maybe a few other
digests and various-author anthologies, conveniently numbered
File #1, File #2, File #3 and so on. They run the gamut from
short dark blasts to light humour, but my favourite is the
Christmas/Hammett/Dickens tribute.
Or, if you can hold on for a bit, they're all being published
together, at long last, later this year, in a collection by
Crippen & Landru. I'm probably as jazzed up about this as
the new Ross Macdonald stories they've dug up.
There ya go, Doug. A free plug.
And Vicky, you sure know how to pick 'em. Try Leonard's
UNKNOWN MAN
#89 or HOMBRE or LaBRAVA or STICK or maybe PRONTO. And am I
the only one who got a kick out of MR. MAJESTYK? The best
hardboiled book about watermelons I've ever read. And the
movie ain't too bad either.
I jus' wanna get my melons....
Kevin Burton Smith The Thrilling Detective Web Site http://www.colba.net/~kvnsmith/thrillingdetective/
This month: The P.I. Poll on Short Fiction, plus new stuff
from Hugh Lessig, Peter Parmantie and Dave White.
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