something from the nightside

this one's a bit old

published in 2003 it's something from the nightside by simon r. green.

first of all we have a novel that moves like nothing else. there's a trenchcoat and a detective going back to a part of the world (well really another world but we'll get to that later) that he's sworn himself to never going back.

next, there is a woman looking for a lost runaway daughter who tugs on his heartstrings and induces him to forgo whatever (it's reference to but really not ever broken out) was in the past and do the honourable thing and help her find her lost daughter.

after that it becomes a bit of a roller coaster ride where the author tries to throw as much weirdness at you as is possible without breaking stride with the plot and point of the novel that here we are with a blessed fusion of noir and of fantasy. of a hero, that claims to not be, of powerful enemies and an even bigger past.

fortunately the author only makes a few misteps. this is not something to be read on a deep level though i think it's one of those books that are fun to read on the subway to and from places, which is how i read it. though i have to admit that the author, misteps and all - manages to keep me, a highly skeptical reader (i presume) from becoming bored with the entire scene.

and then there's the usual amount of viscera that goes flying around. there is plenty of action sequences and they are done in such a way that not everything is solved using one trick or the other. i think that's one of the problems with a lot of genre fiction is that the journeymen and journeywomen who make the vast amout of the population of these novels sometimes forget that variety is the spice of life.

and then there is the whole thing about making a franchise. and judging by the nightside section on amazon.ca, i would say that mr. green is selling enough novels to keep his publisher happy enough to keep publishing them.

while these are not deeply personal (that i could tell) novels there are light touches about it that keep it on it's toes. things are held back that will make you want to check out the next book in the series.

and herein likes perhaps my only real grief with the whole first person pov of fiction (and this one is a nicely almost sardonic character). the problem is just this - if he/she is telling the story than the chances are about 90% good that the character survives things so it becomes a bit of a case where the author needs to ratchet up the need for empathy for the supporting characters so that one (presumably the reader and in some cases the armchair critic here) can actually feel the friction of what is going to happen.

and this is another problem with franchises - the first book of the series is something of a pain for a reader who wants stuff to happen - especially when the author wants the story to move along. there is this weird balance (and sometimes it's offkilter) where the author has to give some form of backstory or the reader is lost.

the only issue i have with that is that sometimes it's a bit offkilter. case in point is a conversation between a bartender and mr. taylor's client. too much of the character's backstory out there in front. the author did the best he could by painting it up and all but to someone looking for how a thing is put together it's a bit awkward.

whatever - writers don't generally write for other writers do the? - they should only for themselves and the 'gentle reader'.

and here is where the author shines. there is chockadeep references to characters from other stories. i saw references to zelazny's amber series as well as at least one or two of the worlds of michael moorcock.

make no mistake, this writer knows how to keep interest - there is a deft blend of violence, introspection, witty (or semi witty) banter and just plain out weirdness to keep the reader amused for the few hours it takes to read it. me, it took about four hours all told.

as for franchise - only if i see the collection of the first three books in the series or something would i go through the hassle of paying for them. i'll probably just settle accounts with my librarian and order it through the inter-library loan or something.

how to bottom line this: i would give it an 8 for the fan of fantasy/noir and a 6 for those who like a little bit more meat. if you like genre fiction you might only have a problem or two.