In my last post, I recommended that you have something light and frothy and fun to read once you’re done with the Southern Reach Trilogy. As I was getting ready for my trip, about halfway through the 2nd book – “Authority” – knowing I was going to finish the entire series – I had to make a choice about what would come next.
After purchasing all ten of Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim novels, Amazon knows to keep putting his other work in front of me. I’ve posted on the Sandman Slim novels before – they’re fun – they make me laugh – they’re quick, easy reads. I’ve finished five of them and each one has been worth the time. The stories are a bit jumbled and clunky but the quippy, cynical, sarcastic dialogue is priceless. I do wonder whether they’ll hold up for another 6 books – the 11th volume is coming out this year but – so far – so good.
Monday night…I go to Amazon and there it is – this book – one of my featured selections. I make an impulse buy – actually, two impulse buys – since I also order the 2nd book in the series – “The Wrong Dead Guy”. Then I download both books to my iPad so that I’ll have them for the trip. I figure the odds are with me on this one – I’m going to want something light and funny as a palate cleanser – I’ve really enjoyed Kadrey’s other books – it has an average of 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon – I can’t really go that wrong.
Thinking back on this, I should have known. I have a pretty standard approach to purchases. For a new author or a new series, I start with an e-book. They’re less expensive and they take up no space. If I really enjoy the work and feel it has lasting significance or value, I’ll go back and purchase a hard copy. I have no idea why I went in so hard on these books but shame on me.
The law of averages caught up with me on this one. With so many good books to read, there are few things sadder than wasting your time on a bad read. Fortunately, the time I spent on this one was mercifully brief – finished it in a day. It’s mindless, poorly written, pointless and it’s not even that funny. This was basically Sandman Slim with a boring lead character, an one dimensional supporting cast, an atrociously conceived government agency, no worthy antagonists, a whole bunch of goofy garbage layered over the top – the “Tentacle Twins” – really?? – and some really flat dialogue. I’m not even sure what Kadrey was thinking. I have to believe that authors as productive as Kadrey know when they’re writing below the line. I can only assume that he had a contract, he had a deadline, he had to write something and – once he created the world – he decided it would be a shame to throw it away – so he just wrote a sequel.
If you haven’t read this one – don’t bother – don’t waste your time or your money. I will never crack the spine on the second book in the series – “The Wrong Dead Guy” – unless the day comes when I have absolutely nothing else to read. Both of these books are never going to make it to my Library. They’re headed down to the basement – to be stored in one of my many, many boxes of less meaningful books. The only reason I’d ever let them back out is if they somehow start to show resale value. At that point, I may put them as subjects for an “In The Cart” post.
I’m rarely this harsh with a book. I’ve said before – I can almost always find something to enjoy in any book – not the case here. When I want to read Kadrey, I’ll go back to Sandman Slim – unless or until those start to head south and get tiring.
The one good thing that came out of this experience was a decision to shift back to something a little more academic. I mentioned in an earlier post that the opening ceremonies of the Winter Games motivated me to read something on the Korean War – a topic I still know little about. I purchased both “The Coldest Winter” by David Halberstam and “The Forgotten War” by Clay Blair. I started into “The Coldest Winter” and found the first chapter compelling. It was also a bit disorienting because it begins well into the conflict – at that point in the war when the U.S. Army is approaching the Yalu – prompting the Chinese to enter the conflict. I wanted a more complete picture so I made the decision last night to try “The Forgotten War”. It provides more historical context – a helpful summary of the regional and geo-political situation leading up to the war. If common sense hadn’t prevailed, I probably would have read well into the night. It’s an excellent book and I’ll be going back to it tonight. Once done, I’ll switch back to “The Coldest Winter”.
I’ll let you know how they were.