John W. wrote:
>The challenge, certainly, that interests me as a
writer,
>is to apply the things I like about noir/hb - the
sense that the world is
>not OK, that the underdog viewpoint is the one to
take, that corruption is
>everywhere, that the evocation of place can be
crucial to the creation of
>character - to novels that do not neccessarily need
to revolve around a
>dead body or a zillion dollar coke
deal.<
John: My response is a little tardy, as I just returned from
a week of travel. I should qualify this by stating that I had
never read any UK Noir before last month, but have now worked
my way through two Rankin novels as well as Cardiff Dead and
Two Bars and I am next on the wait list for Derek Raymond at
my local library.
Due to some nasty weather on the West Coast, I spent the
better part of Sunday night in an airport, which gave me time
to polish off Cardiff Dead. Without kissing up too much, I
want to say that I think you accomplished what you stated are
your interest as a writer.
1. The sense that the world is not OK: check 2. That the
underdog viewpoint is the one to take: check 3. That
corruption is everywhere: check 4. That the evocation of
place can be crucial to the creation of character:
check
You do have a dead body and, yes, there is coke involved
(though hardly a zillion dollar deal), but your characters
are so alive that the story could have just as easily covered
other territory. It could have been a
satire/comedy/travelogue of the North American reunion tour.
The search for Emyr could have been expanded in a Last Good
Kiss sort of way. Mazz, Charlie and especially Tyra are
compelling enough to want to know more about. Like in a
Pelecanos novel, I was left with the sense that your
characters are still "out there" living there lives off the
page and maybe you'll write more about those lives down the
road and maybe you won't. Hope that doesn't sound goofy, but
I don't think I can word it any better.
Thanks to Manuel Ramos (and miker) I may sit out Gold Medal
Month and get to work on some Latino fiction. Thanks to all
for contributions during UK month.
Cheers, Chris
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