[lucifer and the angels, cyberpunk scavengers, and the edge of now]

Ahh, some days randomly reading the newest interesting-looking books at B&N pays off BIG TIME. Thank you, many-eyed and deviant B&N gods, for introducing me to Richard Kadrey, and allowing me the pleasure of reading his latest book, 'Butcher Bird'.

I don't even know where to start talking about how cool this book is. It's pretty much got all my favorite things in it, from top to bottom:

- widely-flung mythological underpinnings mixed with modern counterculture trappings
- a cynical (yet sekritly romantic) loser protagonist, literally a Fool
- Lucifer being dry and brilliant and self-aware and prideful and enraged, super-badass but also kinda pitiful, too (cooler that way!)
- a badass gun-totin' lesbian
- a pretty ninja princess
- a goodly number of surprises right up till the end
- an open ending
- action sequences to keep things jumpin'
- a unique interpretation of Hell and Christian mythology in general
- amazingly huge ideas that never overshadow the focus on characters and the protagonist in particular
- people with awesome powers worked out and thought through
- unique mixtures of high magic & technology
- punkish/anarchist ideals and attitudes softened by maturity of vision
- really awesome stage settings, from the completely surreal to the super-hardcore urban (yeay San Fran!!)
- a tattoo artist as the main character. DUDE.
- ALL THAT AND A BUCKET OF PICKLES!! not to mention all the awesome sarcastic one-liners and movie references and emotional depth and general insightfulness and DUDE. Dude. This guy can write, too.
- oh yeah, stylistically awesome without being overpowering or too stylized to lose the edge of believable dialogue & descriptive power.

What can I say?? He's my new hero. *____*
    ( etcetc and other recs.... :D )