UK Covers Unveiled for Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim

Hot on the heels of the reveal of the US cover for the 4th Sandman Slim novel Devil Said Bang, comes the UK covers for the first 3 books in the series that will be release for the first time on their shores. Starting with the original Sandman Slim coming June 4th the second (Kill the Dead) and third (Aloha From Hell) novels will be coming out in about 2 week intervals to catch UK readers up. I quite like the art itself and the title treatment is very similar to the US counterparts. They could have benefited from a touch more color, at least with the first though, but they do evoke their down and dirty violent style quite well.

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Cover Unveiled for Devil Said Bang by Richard Kadrey
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Cover Unveiled for Devil Said Bang by Richard Kadrey

Devil Said Bang will be the fourth in the Sandman Slim series from Richard Kadrey, a series that just keeps picking up steam. The covers for the series are always simply yet this is my favorite as the use of the iconic rebel motorcycle silhouette and coloring nail the atmosphere.  Here's the blurb, but beware big reveals if you're not up-to-date on the series:

While ruling the denizens of darkness does have a few perks, James Stark isn’t exactly thrilled at the course his career (not to mention his soul) has taken. Breaking out of Hell once was a miraculous trick. But twice? If anyone can do it, it’s Sandman Slim. While he’s working out the details of his latest escape plan, Slim has to figure out how to run his new domain and hold off a host of trigger-happy killers mesmerized by that bullseye on his back. Everyone in Heaven, Hell, and in between wants to be the fastest gun in the universe, and the best way to prove it is to take down the new Lucifer, aka Sandman Slim aka James Stark.

Then again, LA isn’t quite the paradise it once was since he headed south. A serial killer ghost is running wild and his angelic alter-ago is hiding somewhere in the lost days of time with a secret cabal who can rewrite reality. And starting to care about people and life again is a real bitch for a stone-cold killer.

A violent and atmospheric tale full of edgy fun and packed with angels and demons, monsters and madmen, Devil Said Bang is another thrilling hit of kickass fun from the diabolically talented Richard Kadrey.

Devil Said Bang will be out late August. Harper Voyager, the Publisher of the series, is also launching their own e-only shorts program and one of the first releases is a Sandman Slim story called "Devil in the Dollhouse," which will be out a month prior to Devil Said Bang.

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REVIEW | Aloha from Hell by Richard Kadrey

Richard Kadrey is guilty of attempted murder. He is trying to give me a heart attack. Me and all the other readers of the Sandman Slim books. He just won't let up on the adrenaline he infuses in this Urban Fantasy series and Aloha From Hell is the worst and most exciting culprit yet.

Aloha From Hell sees Stark aka Sandman Slim trying to more than live up to the hype as he dives back into Hell on a quest to confront all the baddies he left behind and sent there. If you thought Stark showed his blood-thirst in the first two books you haven't seen anything yet as he flashes to the beast he was when first sent to Hell and everyday was a fight for survival.

Given the big reveal found near the end of Kill the Dead I was expecting Aloha to show a different side of Stark. A side I wasn't necessarily looking forward to, but Stark still keeps his attitude going despite his lighter half arguing along the way. Stark is still the most capable monster out there.

Aloha is much closer in tone to the first in the series than Kill the Dead as it showed Stark getting a bit too buddy-buddy with a lot of people. That isn't him. He's a loner. Aloha gets him back on track and brings it all to a strong finish despite throwing in a completely unneeded tag-along partner for too many chapters that could have been done without. There are still a loose threads left open for more in this series, but we get closure on a lot of Stark's past leaving him open to face his future. Kadrey's version of God also takes the stage and He is nothing like you've seen before.

Dark. Disturbing. Funny as hell. Three things that don't usually come in the same package, but Aloha From Hell delivers it all. Kadrey will be writing at least a couple more Sandman Slim books as he signed a new contract. Bring it on.

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Cover & Blurb Unveiled for Aloha From Hell by Richard Kadrey

Would you take a look at that... A pretty perfect cover to go along with the previous two books in the Sandman Slim series from Richard Kadrey.  Aloha From Hell was originally expected to be the last of the series, but Kadrey recently signed on for another 3 books so we'll be seeing plenty more of Stark in the future with one a year most likely.

As Urban Fantasy goes Kadrey is one of the roughest in the group bringing alcoholism, deviant sex, and plenty of swearing to the table. So you could say these books aren't for everyone, but they certainly scratch an itch for me with their heavy Noir stylings and dark interpretations of religion.  Here is the blurb for Aloha From Hell, which will be out October 18th from Harper Voyager:

All is not right in L A. Lucifer is back in Heaven, God’s on vacation, and an insane killer mounts a war against both Heaven and Hell. There’s only one thing Stark can do—go back to the place where it all began, the place he thought he’d never have to see again. Hell.

That’s just step one in a sure-to-be-suicidal plan that includes rescuing his long-lost love, stopping an insane serial killer, and preventing Heaven and Hell from completely destroying the other—or being destroyed by the demonic Kissi.

Sandman Slim has done the impossible before. But even for him, that’s a bad list of business to undertake. And it’s only the beginning.

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REVIEW | Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey (Eos)

Last year Sandman Slim was the most adrenaline pounding, foul-mouthed, and no-nonsense take on Urban Fantasy seen in years.  Kadrey took Urban Fantasy slapped it around, gave it some balls, and didn't apologize for it.  Nor should he have. So the sequel Kill the Dead comes to us on quite a high and I can happily report that it lives up to the first volume. I wouldn't say it was better, but most definitely on the same plateau. I loved every second of all the zombie killing, alcoholism, and back talking. Stark is still the anti-hero Kadrey's LA needs.  Kill the Dead is more a mystery story than crime novel as Sandman Slim was.

Kill the Dead sees Stark getting drawn into a missing person case while also being tasked as Satan's bodyguard. At first you have to ask what the hell does Satan need a body guard for? Well, he has got enemies. Lots of them from nearly every camp whether light, dark, or grey. Other reasons are eventually given as well. Satan is in town to make a movie because that is what every one in LA is trying to do, which means this time around Stark levels up the crowd he mixes with. Not that they are better people. Just richer and even more perverse than we've seen so far, which says quite a bit.

There were a few characters who got left in the dust this time around. The good Doctor Kinski and his nurse barely show up and Stark's magic fellows Allegra and Vidocq do little more than mix some potions, which seems a poor use, especially given Vidocq's background. There wasn't enough Angelic interaction this time around, but Kadrey makes up for it with a big change to Stark in the last quarter and a few good backstory reveals and plenty of action. 

We do get just the right amount of Kasabian, the bodiless head, filling the world with his thoughts that just bring to mind a dirty old landlord wearing a stained wife-beater every time. As a character Satan brings a lot to the table as well. Kadrey definitely makes him feel fresh and dangerous. Also, Stark finally gets a love interest of sorts that certainly knocked my socks off. Let's just say she was the perfect kind of woman for him.
mystery

Kill the Dead delivers more combat than most action movies and blends in the feel of a modern take on Mickey Spillane. The Noir style still plays off well and the lack of chapter breaks makes the story speed by at a lightning pace to the point that it ends before you are ready for it to stop. Kadrey gives you no fluff as every detail is used to propel the story ahead. I give Kill the Dead 8 out of 10 hats. The use of zombies at first made me groan as I didn't think Kadrey needed to go there given the big world he created in Sandman Slim, but he manages to use them as a lethal weapon and even gives them a few nice twists. Kill the Dead is just as strong as Sandman Slim and left me wanting for the Angel showdown that we know is coming in the third volume Aloha From Hell.

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Cover & Blurb Unveiled for Richard Kadrey's Kill the Dead (Sandman Slim 2)

What do you do after you’ve crawled out of Hell to wreak bloody revenge? If you’re Stark you turn to bounty hunting, tracking and decimating whatever rogue monsters you’re paid to kill. Stark hates the work, but he needs the money, especially the big bucks Lucifer is offering. In town as an advisor on a biopic of his life, Lucifer needs protection, and he wants Stark as his bodyguard. But the gig isn’t all bad; there is the very sexy, very hot French porn star Brigitte Bardo, a friend of Lucifer’s in LA to remake her reputation as a legit actress. While it isn’t love, it’s pretty damn good, and after 11 years of demonic chastity, it’s enough for now.

Stark has enough trouble juggling a diva devil and a scorching French bombshell without a zombie plague to complicate matters. And just what happens when a human-angel half-breed is bitten by the living dead? His human side begins to die, transforming him into an unstoppable angel of death—a killing machine devoid of emotion or thought, with no regrets or future to worry about. Not a bad way to be when you’re choices are limited. Now, Stark has to decide...if he does finds a cure for the zombie infection, will he take it?

Richard Kadrey made a name for himself in the late 80's and early 90's as a pioneer in Cyberpunk with books like Metrophage and Kamikaze L'Amour. With the Sandman Slim series he has brought an edge to Urban Fantasy seldom seen which is why it made my best of 2009 list. Coming later this October we'll be treated to some more of Kadrey's Stark no pulled punches style with Kill the Dead. This is a man not afraid to stab an Angel in the back.

The cover is perfect for the series.  It is stark and desolate yet colorful like Kadrey's prose. I especially like the clashing of the green sky with the orange type. Sandman Slim just came out in mass market for those who didn't take the hardcover plunge. Also, the hardcover is on sale at Amazon for $9, which is a steal and a great little package.

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REVIEW | Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

Sandman Slim is the most unforgiving Urban Fantasy I've ever read with deep underpinnings of a hardboiled crime noir and sometimes biting humor. Kadrey has concocted the epitome of anti-heroes with Stark who is kind of a mystical Charles Bronson with some very cool powers and weapons.

 Used and abused by Hell and ignored by Heaven, Stark is a native of LA with the mentality of a demon. He has been burned, beaten, befouled, disembowel, and trained as the most fear fighter in Hell for the past 10 years and now he escaped and is back for revenge on those who killed his girlfriend and sent him to Hell. But Stark is not a detective so don't mistake this for a Dresden Files knock-off. If Stark met Dresden in a dark alley he would probably kicked Dresden in the balls for being such a Goody two-shoes before he knew what was going on.

 As with Kadrey's Butcher Bird, Sandman Slim plays with religious mythology in some standard ways, but also takes it places most other authors wouldn't dare. If you have delicate feelings about Christendom I'd stay away from Sandman Slim, but if you don't mind Kadrey's sometimes tawdry hand doing awful things to angels than this just may be the one for you. Stark says and does some very bad things related to religion and God in particular that some devout may have an extreme dislike with. However, if you keep in mind this is fiction or you are open to different interpretations you should have no problem. Most of the truly horrible things that befall the characters are not shown, but rather just mentioned briefly which makes it easier to stomach and most serve the story or development of the characters in some fashion. Surprisingly, there is a lack of sex although Kadrey will probably remedy that in subsequent volumes. Kadrey has introduced a great cast of characters with a lot of back-story left to be revealed, which bodes well for the continuation of this series.

If you are in the mood for a dark high-octane revenge tale with talking heads, Fallen Angels, demonic weaponry, and cool occult artifacts check out Sandman Slim. It is definitely a ride you won't soon forget. I had wished for a bit more closure with the ending, but Kadrey has bigger plans it seems. I give Sandman Slim 8 out of 10 Hats. I'll most definitely be checking out the succeeding volumes in this planned trilogy. Fans of Simon R. Green's Nightside, Carey's Felix Castor, and maybe people looking for a razor-sharpened version of Sniegoski 's Remy Chandler will surely find something to like here. I highly recommend checking out Kadrey's twitter feed as he writes some of the snarkiest tweets around.

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Cover Unveiled for Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim

This may not be the final cover. The title treatment is great, but the detective's shadow might be a bit overdone since they are on Mike Carey's Felix Castor novels as well. Regardless, I have high hopes for this one as it will be the first of a 3 book Urban Fantasy series, that will probably be pretty bad ass. Kadrey's been around for a long time, although he is mostly known for his early cyberpunk stuff. Butcher Bird his first attempt at something like this was quite a treat and opened up the Urban Fantasy landscape to me. I also love the author's attitude. Here is some more info from the Author:

"The book is the first of a new series. It’s my crass attempt to cross urban fantasy with spaghetti westerns and 50s-60s era American crime fiction (think of Richard Stark’s Parker novels or Kubrick’s The Killing), all told in the voice of a snarky LA punk. Your basic revenge story with ritual magic, guns, decapitations, angels, devils, Homeland Security and skinheads. But funny. Funny decapitations. It’s about a guy named Stark, the LA punk I mentioned earlier. He’s part of a secret subculture of magic humans who call themselves the Sub Rosa. Before the book opens, Stark has been betrayed by some other Sub Rosas and sent to Hell in exchange for power. The book is about Stark crawling out of Hell and back to Earth to kill everybody who betrayed him and anyone who gets in his way. Like I said, it’s a comedy. It’s also NOT a noir mystery. I wanted to keep away from the Chandler and Hammet-isms of other books. I love both of those writers, but their bones have been picked clean by writers who are better at noir stuff than I am. Besides, the magical detective idea already exists. We don’t need another Harry Dresden because the last time I looked, the old one was still very much alive and doing quite well. Stark is the opposite of Dresden. He’s utterly untrained and not very good at detective work. He’s a punk, a fuck up and a killer. And he learned to kill while in Hell, so he’s not subtle about it."

Sounds like a great character. I'm all for a more hard edge detective and I think Kadrey has the chops to deliver.