King Loves Huston

One of the cool things about running the ZONE is getting to be one of the first to tell you about cool movies, comics, tv shows, artists and authors.

I've been talking up Charlie Huston since his first novel, Caught Stealing. I selected him as my favorite author of 2006 HERE. Guess who else is a Charlie Huston fan. Stephen King!

Stephen King said this about Charlie Huston in a recent interview: "When you came in we were talking about Charlie Huston, this guy who has written a trilogy. One’s called Caught Stealing and one’s called Six Bad Things and the last one, which I’m reading now, is called The Dangerous Man. I feel the same way..." ...you don't want the series to end.

Just another example of ZONErs being ahead of the pack!

Charlie Huston - We Have a Problem!

I discovered Charlie Huston's work a month ago when I read his first novel, Caught Stealing. Last night I finished Huston's second novel, Six Bad Things. Both books are among the best that I've read in the last year and both tell the tale of Hank Thompson.

Ten years ago Hank was a hot prospect to play some college baseball. A broken leg and some bad choices killed any shot of college ball and so Hank drifted up to New York where he found work as a bartender.

Things were going smoothly untl one night when two guys pulled him over the bar and beat him nearly to death. The next thing Hank knew he was on the run from the Russian mob, two Black cowboys, and a dirty cop. If Hank can figure out what's going on, he just might get out of this alive and with some of the $4.5 million that everyone thinks that he has!

On the strength of Caught Stealing, Charlie Huston jumped onto my "Author's to Watch for List." Seeing that Six Bad Things was just as good, he's now on my "Buy It Now List."

I'm putting in my pre-order for the final book in the Hank Thompson trilogy, A Dangerous Man, and also ordering Already Dead, Huston's novel about a detective who happens to be a vampire!

That means that I'll have all of his novels. He's just going to have to start writing faster.

Huston Continues His Streak

Charlie Huston just keeps hitting homeruns.

No, he's not a baseball player. Huston's a writer. And a very good one. I told you about how much I enjoyed Huston's writing HERE. Now he's back with his second Joe Pitt novel called No Dominion. It's even better than Already Dead [and you know how much I liked it]!

So who is Joe Pitt? Let's let Huston tell you in his own words:

Joe is a kind of a detective. Kind of. In the same way he’s kind of alive. Duck around the issue as long as you want, sooner or later it’s gonna bite you. See, Joe’s a vampire. Yeah, a blood sucker. But not in the usual way, least not in the way you’re thinking from the books and the movies. Joe’s got a sickness, same sickness a lot of other poor slobs got. And all of them are creeping around Manhattan, trying to stay out of the public eye, out of the sun. Got themselves organized into Clans, each one laying claim to some turf. Wanna stay alive, gotta be with a Clan. Except Joe. He doesn’t hold with that way of life. That way is no life at all as far as he’s concerned. Ha, life, that’s funny. Sort of.

At any rate, you can read more about Joe Pitt while you're checking out Charlie Huston's web site. While you're there, be sure and check out his Hank Thompson trilogy. [You should start with Caught Stealing, then Six Bad Things, and finish with A Dangerous Man.] They're as good as the Joe Pitt books. And it doesn't get much better than that!

Books - Best of 2006

Last year I read a number of exceptionally well-written books. Of course there were old favorites such as Andrew Vachss, Barry Eisler, Robert Crais, David Morrell, Stephen Hunter and others. Surprisingly, the list this year is dominated by authors that I read for the first time. And when I say dominated I mean it! Literally all of the authors in this year's top five made it on my first exposure to their work.

5. Already Dead by Charlie Huston. Modern day vampire clans are at war and Joe Pitt has a missing girl to find. Huston's next Joe Pitt novel, No Dominion, is available now.

4. Persuader by Lee Child. I'm coming to this series late in the game, but that doesn't make me like it any less. Child has a winner with his Jack Reacher novels. In this outing, Reacher is working undercover with the FBI to catch an international gun-runner.

3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy. A father and young son journey south through a bleak post-apocalyptic world. Food is scarce and only what they can scavenge. They must make the journey to escape the brutal winter that is almost upon them. If they don't starve odds are one of the roaming bands of cannibals will find them. Still they press on.

2. World War Z by Max Brooks. A haunting book that Chad Hunt also recommends!

1. Stealing Home / Six Bad Things / A Dangerous Man by Charlie Huston. Yeah, he's the same Charlie Huston that wrote Already Dead. In this trilogy we meet Hank Thompson. When we first meet Hank he's ten years out of high school and working as a bartender in New York City. Had it not been for a badly broken leg, he would have been a big league baseball player. Now he's the nice guy who drinks too much and lacks real ambition. That is until the night two strangers yank him over the bar and beat him nearly to death. When he gets out of the hospital he gets more visitors and another beating. Soon he's on the run from crooked cops, mobsters and hit men. If he lives maybe he'll get a piece of the millions of dollars that they believe he has. Six Bad Things and A Dangerous Man complete Hank's story. I loved every page and wish that it didn't have to end.

A Dangerous Man

Tomorrow, the third [and last] book in Charlie Huston's Hank Thompson trilogy [Caught Stealing; Six Bad Things; A Dangerous Man] becomes available. And while I can't wait to read it, I am sad that the series will come to an end. I do applaud Huston for having the integrity to say, the story has been told and that's that. Still, the fan in me hopes that if Hank's still alive at the end of A Dangerous Man, there may be more story to tell.

I'm also looking forward to the second book in Huston's Joe Pitt series, No Dominion. It'll be out this December.

If you'd like to learn more Charlie Huston or his characters then check out this interview or better still his website.

A Few Words with Charlie Huston

Charlie Huston, one of my favorite writers, is the subject of this interview at Blood of the Muse.com. Huston talks about Joe Pitt, his latest novel, Every Last Drop, what's up next and more. It's worth a read.

Vampires, Anyone?

I've been into vampires lately. Remember back here when I told you about the new Blade comic series that Howard Chaykin was going to draw? Well, you can read more about it here.

I'm currently reading Underland by Mick Farren. It's got modern day vampires, as well as modern day nazis, conspiracy theories, UFO's and more. I'm digging it and am only about 1/2 way through.

Before Underland I read Already Dead by Charlie Huston. Huston has quickly become one of my favorite writers. Already Dead also features a modern day vampire, uh vampyre. As much as I'm enjoying Underland, Already Dead is even better. It combines The Godfather, Raymond Chandler, Mickey Spillane and the end result is pure Charlie Huston. I highly recommend this one!

Okay... enough about me and vampires. I'd write more but I'm off to watch the latest episode of Blade.

Books - Best of 2007

My Best of Books 2006 edition was [surprisingly] comprised entirely of author's who I'd never read previously. Interestingly enough three of them have made it to this year's list! So without further adu... my Best of Books 2007 edition:

5] (Tie) The Terror by Dan Simmons is a novelization of the true doomed 1840s Franklin expedition to find a Northwest passage. History tells us there were no survivors and the men died from exposure, starvation and worse. Simmons' story combines all of the interesting historical details and adds a new menace, a creature which feeds on men. The Terror was a national best seller. Stephen King listed it as one of his favorite books of the year. Who am I to argue with Stephen King?

5] (tie) No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy. You know how much I loved the book and movie. If you haven't read it [or seen it], you should.

4] Duane Swiercznski jumped to my "must read" list with his very hip, very cool novel The Wheelman. Since then I've also read his Secret Dead Men and The Blonde. All of which get a thumbs up and The Blonde comes in at #4 on this year's best of list.

3] No Dominion by Charlie Huston. C'mon, it's Joe Pitt -- and Charlie Huston. Enough said.

2] The 47th Samurai by Stephen Hunter. I have to admit I was skeptical. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Stephen Hunter [especially his Earl Swagger novels], but this one takes place in Japan and had a different feel. I shouldn't have worried though. Hunter comes through with one of the best Swagger novels in years.

1] L.A. Rex by Will Beall. Beall is a real LA cop and LA Rex is his first novel. I hope that there are more to come because this tale of cops, gangbangers, drug dealers and the gritty life of those in South Central pulled me in and wouldn't let go. LA Rex is currently a bargain book purchase if you click HERE. You can get the hard cover for less than the price of a paperback... but supplies are limited.

Joe Ain't the Pitts

The Pitch: Updated Raymond Chandler meets Stephen King.

The Overview: Vampyres live among us. The world doesn’t know that they exist, but they do. They can’t turn into bats or mist. Crosses don’t kill them; in fact bullets don’t either... usually. They’re strong; they’re fast and victims of a vyrus. Most are members of one of the many clans... safety in numbers and all that. Word is that a clan war is brewing, and that’s the least of Joe Pitt’s problems.

The Good: Charlie Huston can write. Joe Pitt’s attitude [which is bad]. Stretch the midget vampyre. What Joe is willing to risk for Evie. The attack at the side show.

The Bad: The vampyre freaks. The side show. The beating Joe takes.

The Ugly: Joe Pitt’s vengeance.

The Summary: Half the Blood of Brooklyn is an excellent example of why Charlie Huston is one of my favorite writers. He’s created a world of vampyres that could exist outside my window NOW. The only caveat is that the books are best read in order: Already Dead; No Dominion; Half the Blood of Brooklyn.

Already Dead Gets New Life

Remember when I first told you here about how much I enjoyed Charlie Huston's writing? And then here when I wrote that Huston placed 2 books in my top five for 2006? [Actually it was 4 out of the top 7, if you want to get technical about it.]

Anyway, seems like I'm not the only one enjoying Huston's work. Already Dead has been optioned for a potential movie franchise. You can read the full story here.

Just another example of ZONErs being ahead of the crowd!

The Shotgun Rule

If there's a bigger Charlie Huston fan than me, he's probably a related to Charlie. Today Huston's latest novel, The Shotgun Rule becomes available. If it's half as good as anything else he's written, I'm going to love it.

You Say Fantasy, I Say Horror

One of my favorite authors, Charlie Huston is the subject of this interview at FantasyBookCritic.

Huston's new Joe Pitt novel, Every Last Drop comes out next month, so that's probably the reason for the interview... and I guess Every Last Drop could be classified as "fantasy" since it features modern day vampires. Still, if anyone asks me, its genre when I'm reading Every Last Drop, I'm going with "horror."

Last of the Independents

Last week I ordered two graphic novels that I have been meaning to get for literally years. The first, which I'll talk about today, is Last of the Independents by Matt Fraction and Kieron Dwyer.

I'd meant to purchase Last of the Independents when it was first published back in 2003. I just never got around to it. But when Christopher Mills posted a perfect 6 out of 6 review for it on his Guns in the Gutters blog, my interest was rekindled. Then in this month's issue of Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips [also worth picking up], Matt Fraction joined Charlie Huston and Greg Rucka [two of my favorite authors] in a discussion of 70's crime movies. [The issue is worth picking up just to read their thoughts on the subject.] At any rate, Fraction talks about getting his title Last of the Independents from the unused title for "Charley Varrick" [a 70's crime flick]. So I was sold and ordered Fraction and Dwyer's graphic novel.

Last of the Independents is Fraction's love letter to the creators and fans of the movie "Charley Varrick". Like in the movie, a middle aged guy and his crew knock off a small town bank only to discover it's mob money that they've stolen. There are other similarities, but never does this feel like anything more than a tip of the derby to a movie, a genre and an era that had an enormous impact on crime fiction fans. Fraction's story and script are first rate. He drops us in as the bank is being robbed and introduces us to the main characters quickly without wordy exposition. In fact, he often lets Kieron Dwyer's art tell the tale. Dwyer's art is perfect for the graphic novel. [I've been a fan of his work for some time and hope to someday see a piece by him in my Stallone Gallery.]

One final note, the graphic novel is presented in a "widescreen" format. I usually get annoyed by graphic novels that don't fit nicely on the book shelf. The publisher, AIT/Planet Lar, must have realized how picky collector's can be because this graphic novel comes with a vertical slipcover that makes it possible for it to be shelved on the bookcase with other "regular" graphic novels. Kudos for whoever worked out such a creative and simple solution.

Last of the Independents rates an "A".

Two Less Than One?

Usually when I like two things, I like 'em just as much or more when they're combined. Vampires/Detectives [Joe Pitt novels by Charlie Huston]... M&Ms with peanuts [candy by Mars]... well, you get the idea.

I'm not sure I'm diggin' the Predien... Aliator?? Whatever they want to call it.

And I was really looking forward to AVP: Requiem.

Sharing Personal Joy Buzzers

In Stephen King's August 10, 2007 column for Entertainment Weekly, he could be talking about why I enjoy daily blogging. King says:

"...the real purpose of these things we write about - to cause a sudden burst of happy emotion, a sudden rush to the head..."

King goes on to say that IT can be a movie, a song, or a book, but whatever IT is causes us to smile and become caught up in the moment. King said that it happened to him when he saw Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" and it happens every time he hears Van Halen's "Jump" or gets ready to watch the latest episode of "The Shield."

I know exactly where King is coming from. I felt the same rush the first time I saw "Rocky." I can't help but smile whenever I hear "Grooveline." I still dig the original "Star Trek" and not much is better than Byrne and Austin's run on "X-Men,"or Moench and Gulacy on "Master of Kung Fu." Charlie Huston, Barry Eisler, and David Morrell are just three authors who can bring about "the rush."

We all have things that give us the rush. King calls them our "personal joy buzzers." The great thing about blogging is that we get to share our personal joy buzzers and re-experience "the rush."

And that's why I enjoy daily blogging.

The New Classic Books

Entertainment Weekly created their list of The 100 Best Books from 1983 to 2008. Using just their choices, here's my top six:

1. The Road , Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
3. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
4. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
5. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
6. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)

Wow. That's pretty bad, I guess. I've only read six out of EW's top 100. So I have to ask, where is Charlie Huston's Hank Thompson Trilogy? How about Dirty White Boys by Stephen Hunter? LA Rex by Will Beal? Cain by James Byron Huggins? Critical Space by Greg Rucka? The Blonde by Duane Swiercznski? And don't get me started on graphic novels: The Dark Knight Returns by Miller and Janson -- Batman: Year One by Miller and Mazzucchelli -- The Punisher graphic novels by Grant, Zeck and Beatty...