yaksha Wrote:So yeah, new member, figured I'd start things off with a bang. I read The Tomb about a month ago, and I've pretty much zoomed through the series to date. I usually laze through books, take a week or so to finish it. About the only authors I read quickly are King and Koontz. And then I found Wilson. I was first recommended by my mother, and let me say I haven't regretted it yet.

Let me start off simple. Some people think it might be an insult to read through a book quickly. I usually prefer it if I really like the author. It's so very easy to miss subtle things on your first read, so I do my best to finish it as quickly as I can, and then come back when I'm free, to really appreciate the complex stuff. If I take forever to finish a book, then I spend more time on the plot than on the good stuff. And with Wilson's nuanced books, there's no way I'm going to get everything on one read.

So far, I've been thoroughly impressed. Repairman Jack has drawn me in, for all the good reasons. Just as Wilson said in his article about King; I'm a mutant, and proud of it. I've always voraciously sought horror flicks and books, and I take every chance I can to watch the classics; Dracula,The Blob...Needless to say, I got hooked after just a bit. The Otherness, our good friend R, and even The Lady, have instilled me with nothing but a sense of wonder at such a finely crafted world, with such great influences.

More than just the story itself, I've been constantly impressed by the author. Wilson is staggeringly good, not just at writing a story, but at being thorough. He clearly does his research with the guns, among other things(if not him, we do). He's quite good at detailing things so they flow smoothly, and so things make sense. Even manages to keep a character like Jack firmly rooted in the real and the possible, against such an unreal enemy. I've always loved people that could stay real, when it's so easy to 'cheat'; to give Jack something besides his tenacity and his contacts, to make him clearly a cut above the rest.

And, even more than his writing, his sheer personality. I'm always amazed by how caught up he is with the times. For a 64 year old man, Wilson still knows how things go. Clearly he's accustomed to the internet, or he wouldn't be here. He's shockingly good at making even the most passing moments of young, saggy-pantsed teenagers in his literature convincing. Every time he makes use of younger characters, from his con-men in All The Rage to his young, "Balls in your mouth" Kickers of Bloodlines, I feel as if I'm being played, as if the man we're reading isn't even half the age he reports; there's no denying it, Wilson isn't by any means your usual old man. And I hope we can look forward to many more years, and I can only hope I'm as much fun when I'm in my sixties.

This drink's on me, guys. Here's to plenty more, both beers and books. :cheers:

KRW Wrote:You mean he writes non-fiction too?

Brian Wrote:Looks like I forgot a word there, huh?

Fixed, and thanks.

KRW Wrote:Welcome Brian. Just having some fun. I deleted my post..so no hard feelings?

KRW Wrote:Funny too... the word you forgot was "other". That one word describes FPW's world so well...dontcha think?