Helpful Score: 5
Crooked Little Vein (hereafter CLV because that's easier to type), was amusing. I don't see the similarities to Spider Robinson's Callahan's Lady and Lady Sling's the Booze that others have mentioned, but boy, did I see a lot from Bad Signal, Strange Kisses, Transmetropolitan, Come In Alone and From the Desk Of. I don't think Warren Ellis throws anything away - CLV recycles lines and bits from his previous works all over the place.
The repeats didn't annoy me (as I am a drooling Ellis fanboy), and some of the lines amused my father to no end - I think I made a convert there. I think this book would be a wonderful read for folks who have not read Ellis before.
Recommended. Go forth and read it people and generate a good buzz.
The repeats didn't annoy me (as I am a drooling Ellis fanboy), and some of the lines amused my father to no end - I think I made a convert there. I think this book would be a wonderful read for folks who have not read Ellis before.
Recommended. Go forth and read it people and generate a good buzz.
Helpful Score: 2
You know that one friend you have who is always showing you things on the internet that you just cant unsee? You should buy him this book for his birthday.Modern graphic novelist and well-loved curmudgeon Warren Ellis, best known for his post-cyberpunk series Transmetropolitan, released his first prose novel Crooked Little Vein this summer to critical acclaim. Fans of edgy pulp novels and creepy-fetishes-we-like-to-think-exist-only-on-the-web will undoubtedly be lured into this tale with the rabid bite of perverse potential from page one as the protagonist, a delightfully gritty private detective, embarks on a journey through Americas deviant underbelly on a mission from the government to reclaim a tome that will restore societys purity. The landscape of aberrant socio-sexual communities that unfurls before us as Ellis walks us through our cultures most alternative lifestyles leaves the right reader laughing out loud and frothing for more (and other more squeamish souls squirming under the covers). Warren Ellis can never be accused of not knowing his audience, and he had me eating out of the palm of his unwashed hand.
Helpful Score: 1
This guy...I can't put this little gem down...Ellis paints a vivid picture with words and takes you on an ever increasingly strange journey...The characters are amazing and the plot is hilarious...I laughed out loud more than once in the first chapter alone...The only problem is that he has no other novels!!! I know he has a great talent with graphic novels but he really needs to give us MORE!!! I just stumbled upon this book while looking for Christopher Moore titles on Amazon and since I have read all of Moore's novels more than once I needed some new material to sink my teeth into...Read this book...You will not regret it!!!
I stand by my original reiview of Crooked Little Vein (hereafter CLV because that's easier to type). And it will form the basis for my review of the unabridged audio book.
In summary tt was amusing. I heard a lot from Bad Signal, Strange Kisses, Transmetropolitan, Come In Alone and From the Desk Of. I don't think Warren Ellis throws anything away - CLV recycles lines and bits from his previous works all over the place.
I'll admit some of it made me want to reach for the brain bleach, but boy can he turn a phrase. The CD drives this home and makes it clear. It also shows that Ellis can do 21st century noir pretty darn well.
The CD made clear a recurring theme - what happens when what used to be extreme is now mainstream? Ellis does this with Mike McGill's encounters with the sexual 'underground,' from megaherpetophilia, to saline infusion fetishists and at least two very disturbing encounters on planes. One with a serial killer, the other with a detective. Anyway, with the theme becoming clearer in this medium, I liked his resolution with it.
Finally, a word of warning - the language is pretty blue. Mike, Trix and others use the f-bomb as a noun, verb, adjective and adverb. Its not every other word, but it could be enough to make someone uncomfortable. However, I've heard people talk like this in real life, especially as they get stressed. Take it as you will.
Likes: Using Mike as the viewpoint for his mostly white middle class audience; Making sure both Mike and Trix have good points; Recycling bits from his earlier works in new ways; Humor - once the adventure starts moving away from New York, it gets bizarre and funny.
Dislikes: Having to reach for the brain bleach periodically.
In summary tt was amusing. I heard a lot from Bad Signal, Strange Kisses, Transmetropolitan, Come In Alone and From the Desk Of. I don't think Warren Ellis throws anything away - CLV recycles lines and bits from his previous works all over the place.
I'll admit some of it made me want to reach for the brain bleach, but boy can he turn a phrase. The CD drives this home and makes it clear. It also shows that Ellis can do 21st century noir pretty darn well.
The CD made clear a recurring theme - what happens when what used to be extreme is now mainstream? Ellis does this with Mike McGill's encounters with the sexual 'underground,' from megaherpetophilia, to saline infusion fetishists and at least two very disturbing encounters on planes. One with a serial killer, the other with a detective. Anyway, with the theme becoming clearer in this medium, I liked his resolution with it.
Finally, a word of warning - the language is pretty blue. Mike, Trix and others use the f-bomb as a noun, verb, adjective and adverb. Its not every other word, but it could be enough to make someone uncomfortable. However, I've heard people talk like this in real life, especially as they get stressed. Take it as you will.
Likes: Using Mike as the viewpoint for his mostly white middle class audience; Making sure both Mike and Trix have good points; Recycling bits from his earlier works in new ways; Humor - once the adventure starts moving away from New York, it gets bizarre and funny.
Dislikes: Having to reach for the brain bleach periodically.
