Tomorrow's Crimes [Hardcover]

Donald E. Westlake (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1989

Rare and intriguing tales makeup this collection of science fiction and fanta sy--with elements of crime thrown in to spice up the plots. 4 cassettes.

--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author of original and literate suspense novels, Westlake excels also at creating mystery adventures in science-fiction settings. The selections in this volume, nine short stories and a book-length story, Anarchaos , originally appeared in SF magazines. Anarchy/chaos is the condition of society on the planet where Rolf Malone arrives from Earth after serving time for murder. While he lacks most human emotions, Rolf does love his brother Gar who was killed on Anarchaos, and he is bent on vegeance. Westlake conveys unbridled horror as the lone Earthling, though cunning and violent, is outnumbered by creatures of Hell, the city where events reach a climax. Both the novella and a much shorter cautionary tale, "Hydra," carry an implied warning about future life in a polluted world. Other entries relieve the grimness, displaying the author's sense of humor, particularly in a sendup of Hammett's fat man seeking the fabled bird and Poe's detective spotting the missing paper, "The Ultimate Caper: The Purloined Letter."
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Like many short story collections, this audio anthology by the popular Westlake (The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution, Audio Reviews, LJ 11/15/91) is a mixed bag. As in viewing a slasher movie, the listener is often implanted through first-person narrative into the psyche of some unsavory criminal types, such as the protagonist of "Anarchaos," who talks about values even though he has killed five people before the story begins and anguishes more over killing a horse than the dozen or so people, some innocent, whom he kills in the course of the story. Narrator Theodore Bikel saves his best voices for this otherwise weak tale. The rest of the stories range from the macabre (a ghost as narrator) to the silly (a twist on the sacrificial virgin ritual). Despite the title, not all the stories are futuristic. Westlake's name may make this popular in public libraries.
Mark Pumphrey, Polk Cty. P.L., Columbus, N.C.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 263 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Press; First Edition edition (October 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892962992
• ISBN-13: 978-0892962990
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,677,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best audio book purchase I ever made., December 30, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Tomorrow's Crimes (Audio Cassette)

First off, I'm a HUGE audio book fan -- I've got seven shelves of them in my house and plan to continue collecting. Out of all of them, I truly enjoyed "Future Crimes" the most. The stories are very clever, yet engaging and easy to follow (a must for an audio format). Westlake combines imaginative visions of the future with very down-to-earth human perspectives, keeping the sci-fi elements of these tales from feeling unrealistic or confusing. The reader, Theodore Bikel, gives a captivating performance of each, drawing you into the little worlds Westlake creates with ease of an master hypnotist. Beyond the exceptionally good stories and wonderful performance, "Future Crimes" stacks up very favourably to other audio titles in that it can be fully enjoyed during your first listening, yet doesn't lose its charm on subsequent listens. Several of the other titles I have are either too complex to appreciate the first time out, or hinge so heavily on the "twist" at the end that there's little point in hearing them twice (which should be considered in light of the high cost of the audio book format). If you are at all a fan of sci-fi, mystery, or horror; I heartily recommend finding a place for "Future Crimes" on you bookshelf. If you as big a fan of the audio book format as I am, your sure to appreciate how well these tales utilize the format. And if you not yet a fan of audio books, this title may well make you one. Happy Listening!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As tough as Parker, March 2, 2007

By 

Sam Crawford (Olympia, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tomorrow's Crimes (Paperback)

Some lost gems from Westlake. Most of the short stories in here are from Sci-Fi magazines and are often in the weird category; just barely Science Fiction.
The last story is the novel 'Anarchaos' as written by Curt Clark. It's a great story set on a far-off planet with a Parker-like character seeking vengeance. I give this book 5 stars just for this one story. The other stories are good, but not as gripping as this one.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book is great, the audio book is even better!, November 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Tomorrow's Crimes (Hardcover)

I have read this book four times and love it each time I read it. The audio book version is so good that you will not want to get to where you are going, but instead keep driving to hear the next story, and then complete the story. I wish there were more volumes to Tomorrows Crimes. The best story of the book is absolutely "Anarchaos". Read this book and you will enjoy it. Listen to the audio book and you will open up a theatre in your mind.