I am continually amazed at all the classics that I've never
heard of. I understand this is one of them. If it's got to be
slotted into a genre, it might more fittingly be called
horror because of the vampire theme, but I'd have to give it
at least an honorable mention in the hardboiled and noir
category. It's a very short book with a lot of impact. It
manages a significant subtext without overwhelming the story.
One of the things I found interesting was how it effectively
developed noir themes even with the protagonist being the
last man on earth.
We really should have a hardboiled/noir science fiction
month. I've read very little of Ray Bradbury.
I think I'd dig into his stuff that month. Plus that
Tim Powers novel I've got.
Incidentally, I've worked my way about half way through
Homer's Iliad. I think it probably has relevance to
hardboiled/noir origins, so I count it as worth mentioning.
Anyway, I've rarely been so disappointed in a bona fide
classic. The characters are ridiculously childish, and the
plot just wanders all over the place (Hey... I think TM
mentioned that, didn't he?). Homer's editor sucked.
miker
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