People talk about celebrity crushes and man crushes, but what about a book crush? The feeling you get over a really great book or series that kind of leaks over on the author? Well, today I'm talking with Richard Kadrey, author of the Sandman Slim series (yeah, I've got a little of a book crush going), as well as other books, numerous stories, articles, and a comic book. His latest book, Devil Said Bang, will be released August 28th and he was kind enough to talk about it, his photography, movies, and music.For our readers who aren't familiar with your work, can you tell us a little bit about your Sandman Slim series?
Well, Sandman Slim is a magician named James Stark. And by magician, it's what people would normally call a wizard or a warlock, but he would hesitate to use the word because it's a little bit too Harry Potter for him. And he's part of a magic circle with a number of other people including a guy name Mason Faim, and they're rivals. And to gain power, Mason makes a deal with some nefarious types and sends Stark to Hell. And Stark spends eleven years in Hell alive and finally escapes from there when he finds that his girlfriend has just been murdered.
So the first book is actually Stark's story coming back from Hell and looking for revenge on the people who sent him there. The other books expand from there, taking him into much larger conspiracies and having to deal with the Sub Rosa world and the possible end to all existence.
Your next book, Devil Said Bang, is coming out in August. Can you give us any plot details or spoilers, or do we need to wait?Well, I hate to... this is the book in which after three other books, Stark has to deal with his past. A lot of stuff happens in the book where the events of the first three books kind of come back to haunt Stark and his very kind of ruthless point of view and the way he solves problems, which is hurting and killing a lot of people. So he has to deal with all the consequences of that. Plus, he's stuck in Hell again, so he has to try and get back home.
Now, I've heard that you are actually planning several more books after this. Can we look for more Sandman Slim?
There will be at least two more books. So there will be a total of six, and after that, we'll see if there are other stories to tell.
I'm excited because I hate when there's an author that comes out with one or two really great books and they kind of end, and you just want more of them.
No, I know the feeling. As a reader, I know exactly that feeling.
