Book Review: Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

In the Urban Fantasy genre, Sandman Slim was one of the most hyped UF/fantasy debuts of 2010.  Author reviews are worthless, but when William Gibson and Charlaine Harris agree and the professional reviews are kind, it was worth a try.  Unfortunately, like most hyped books, this one doesn’t live up to its press, though it was a quick, fun read.

• Title: Sandman Slim
  
• Author:  Richard Kadrey
• Type:  Paranormal UF
• Genre:  Revenge tale of a live human returned from Hell
• Sub-genre:  Magic and death is alive and well in LA
• My Grade: C  (3.0*)
  
• Rating:  NC-17
• Length and price:  Plus novel – about 100,000+ $7.99 with discounts available
• Where Available:  Available at most bookstores
• FTC Disclosure:  purchased from online bookstore

Recent Releases from Samhain – Short Reviews

Well, obviously, I’ve been buying a fair number of Samhain ebooks.  I just seem to find more to read there than I do from the other small press outlets.  One is from December, but the other two here were released in the last few weeks.  Two are full length novels, one short novella, but all were good in their own way.

• Title: Happy Snak
  
• Author: Nicole Kimberling
• Type:  Futuristic
• Genre: Alien Romance
• Sub-genre:  Unique
• My Grade: B- (3.8*)
  
• Rating: PG-13
• Length and price: Full Novel – about 90,000 words;  ebook $5.50
• Where Available: Publisher’s website
• FTC Disclosure: Purchased ebook from publisher site

This was a unique read and, given the publisher, utterly unexpected.  While it is, technically, a romance, it is even more really good science fiction.  The downside is, the appeal of this story is likely limited given the readers attracted to Samhain.

Gaia Jones is an ordinary divorced, blue collar, entrepreneur.  She came to the A-Ki space station orbiting Mars to open her very own snack bar, Happy Snak.  Her dreams are modest and center on creating her very own little business where people can happily enjoy “happy” food.  It’s only a small place and she lives in a tiny room behind the snack bar on a lower level of the station where the blue collar workers go.  She has no grand ambitions – but even her modest dreams are disrupted one night an awful smell in the food