Sandman Slim [Mass Market Paperback]

Richard Kadrey (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 27, 2010 | Series: Sandman Slim (Book 1)

Life sucks, then you die. Period.

Unless you're James Stark, a hitman in Hell for eleven years before escaping back up to Hell-on-earth L.A.—looking for revenge, absolution . . . love, maybe.

But Hell's not through with Stark.Heaven's not either.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kadrey (Butcher Bird) provides biting humor, an over-the-top antihero and a rich stew of metaphoric language in this testosterone- and adrenaline-charged noir thriller. James Stark spent 11 years killing monsters in Lucifer's arena for the entertainment of fallen angels, but now he's back in seedy, magic-riddled L.A., trying to avenge his girlfriend's murder and hunt down Mason Faim, the black magician responsible for getting him sent downtown. He meets with some initial success, beheading second-rate magician Kasabian (whose head becomes Stark's smart-mouthed sidekick), but he can't find Faim. Instead he encounters Homeland Security agents, a near-psychotic angel and some odd nonhuman, nonangelic beings called the kissi. Darkly atmospheric settings, such as a posh gentlemen's club where angels are tortured in an attempt to bring about Armageddon, bring this violent fantasy into sharp, compelling focus. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

“If Simon R. Green wrote an episode of Dog the Bounty Hunter, it would read much like Sandman Slim – violent, vivid, non-stop action of the supernatural kind. I couldn’t put it down.” (Charlaine Harris )

“Nicotine and octane in equal parts might come close to the high-energy buzz from Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim. Crisp world building, recognizable and fully-realized characters, and a refreshingly unique storytelling style make for an absorbing read.Sandman Slim is my kind of hero.” (Kim Harrison )

“The most hard-boiled piece of supernatural fiction I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. … all confident and energetic and fresh and angry. I loved this book and all its screwed-up people.” (Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother )

“Paced like greased lightning (watch out for friction burns on your turning finger), blend the movie-ish delights of tough guy noir and such smart-mouthgore-fests as “Reanimator” and “Army of Darkness”, seasoned by soupcons of Gaimanian romanticism and Koontzian sentiment.” (Booklist )

“Sarcastic, irreverent and ridiculously enjoyable riff on the Urban Fantasy genre. … a lot like a mosh pit -- rough, exuberant, unpredictable -- and a heck of a lot of fun.” (Miami Herald )

“The best B movie I’ve read in at least twenty years. An addictively satisfying, deeply amusing, dirty-ass masterpiece, Sandman Slim swerves hell-bent through our culture’s impacted gridlock of genres…it’s like watching Sergio Leone and Clive Barker co-direct from a script by Jim Thompson and S. Clay Wilson.” (William Gibson )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager; Reprint edition (April 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061976261
• ISBN-13: 978-0061976261
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (292 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard Kadrey is a writer living in San Francisco. He is the author of dozens of stories, plus five novels, including Metrophage and Butcher Bird. His Wired magazine cover story, "Carbon Copy," was made into one of the worst movies of 2001. It starred Bridget Fonda. Sorry, Bridget.

Kadrey created and wrote the Vertigo comics miniseries Accelerate, which was illustrated by the Pander Brothers. He plans to do more comic work in the near future.

He is written and spoken about art, culture, and technology for Wired, The San Francisco Chronicle, Discovery Online, The Site, SXSW, and Wired for Sex on the G4 cable network.

He is also a fetish photographer.

He has no qualifications for anything he does.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

(What's this?)

#52 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#55 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#58 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#52 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#55 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#58 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

90 of 94 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Harry Dresden On Crack July 8, 2009

By Crystal Lily VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I am a big fan of Jim Butchers, Harry Dresden books. I devour them as soon as they are written.
Looks like I have another character to add to my list.
Sandman Slim is hopefully the first in a series. The character of Stark or Sandman Slim, is a magic using Hells Escapee with 11 years of gladiator fighting with demons and worse under his belt.
And now that he's back on Earth he's seriously pissed.
The plot of the book was very well paced. Kadrey has some simply hysterical similies and metaphors which are just so unexpected and refreshing. A girl storming out of a room in a rage and pounding down the stairs is referred to as "God's tiniest tyrannosaurus" These little phrases slipped effortlessly into the narrative really keep the reader on their toes and the interest level high while simultaneously staying completely in character with the first person narrative.
I would highly recommend this book to any fan of Jim Butcher and the likes of Simon Green.
I would offer the one caution that Kadrey does have an affinity for swearing...quite a bit. But it does fit the character and I think it would have read false if it was sugar coated or watered down.
All and all a very fun read!

103 of 116 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark, Dirty Fantasy. Loved it! June 12, 2009

By Kelly L. Melcher

Format:Hardcover

(This review is based on an advanced readers copy)
This is a dark and dirty work of fantasy, so if you're looking for elves, look elsewhere. Stark comes across as a complete hardass, but isn't completely unsympathetic, I mean, I'd want to see some heads roll if I were sent down to Hell, alive. Sandman Slim is unapologetically a novel of brute force, cynical dark humor, and visceral fun.

My synopsis barely covers the plot, which would be more entertaining to read in the book rather than me spouting out what at this stage in the game would be spoilers. There were a few plot points I saw from almost the opening pages, which only put me off a little bit as I read. However other plot elements, like the ENTIRE ENDING, totally took me off guard. I like a book that can surprise me.

For the squeamish out there, here's your warning: If you're devoutly religious and you don't like controversy, fiction, or thumbing your nose at God, Angels, Devils, what-have-you, this is not your book. If you don't like violence, unsugarcoated gut spilling, antiheroes that make goody-two-shoes nervous and other such nastiness, steer clear. However, if you're like me at all, and you like a good adrenaline infused read, go pick this up when it comes out July 21st.

50 of 56 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A real treat October 16, 2010

By simona bedosti

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The main character in this urban fantasy book comes back from Hell to find his revenge on the people that killed his lover. He finds himself ten years older, in a dark Los Angeles haunted by demons, monsters and vampires. He is an hard boiled and humorous character, without hope but not wits.. I won't spoil your reading explaining who and what Sandman Slim is, but I recommend you not to miss this very well written book.
At the end of the book you will find an excerpt of the next one, "Kill the dead": I will surely buy it...as soon as its price decreases around $ 10. Enjoy!!