What was your first FPW or Repairman Jack? How did it all start for you?

My first FPW's work? Well, it's a long story.....................(now I'm uploading my memories).............okay, this is my story.

When I first saw the movie "THE KEEP", it confused me. I didn't get that last scene. So I wanted to well understand that, and I bought the book. After I read THE KEEP, I thought "Wow.....this is completely different story!" Of course I liked that book and a few years later, I bought "Nightworld", "Reborn", and "Reprisal".

In 1987, First RJ book "The Tomb" published in Japan. When I first found that book in a store, I noticed author FPW once wrote "THE KEEP". Without hesitation, I grabbed the book and I went to a check-out counter.

I forgot myself for RJ. "WHAT A GREAT ACTION HORROR STORY!" Especially Rakoshi vs. Jack made me excited. I re-read it sometimes.

After that, I read a lot of FPW's works. "The Touch", "Sibs", "Black Wind", "Select", "Dydeetown World"......

And......a few years later, I found "Legacies" in a store. I was surprised. "Wow! That's a new RJ novel!".

Now, every year I'm enjoying new RJ novels. Latest is "HARBINGERS". Last night I finished reading it. Damn! I cna't wait next RJ novel!

In the early '80s, my family owned a used book store in Massachusettes and our horror section had quite a few copies of The Keep in stock. I picked up a copy that had the artwork for the forthcoming film - solely because I had learned that Tangerine Dream were scoring it. Talk about the best of both worlds...

The rest is history.

Note: The Keep is the only book - by any author - I've read more than once. And I'd read it again in a heartbeat, time permitting.

It was 1981 or '82 when I was buying anything and everything that seemed like it might contain the proper amount of action/gore to keep my 15/16 old brain happy when I stumbled across the paperback of The Keep at my local drugstore. It was soooooo much better than the crap I was reading at the time. I was an instant fan so that when The Tomb came out I was all over it and so on. I have now read all of the novels except Virgin and most of the short stories.

I distinctly remember the first time I saw the cover of Reborn and realized that FINALLY I was going to be reading a sequel to The Keep. I sure had no idea then what I was about to get myself into.

I still say that the end of Reborn was the greatest cliffhanger of all time because I had no idea at the time that it was part of something bigger; the wait for Reprisal was interminable.

As Jimbow and I had twin experiences with discovery of the film, then the book of "The Keep", I truely don't remember when I picked up "Nightworld" after that. Foolish me didn't realize until YEARS later that I had read it till I picked it up last year with buying the Adversary series thru Amazon (sorry Bluesman!) But I do remember searching for something to read one day in Waldenbooks (sorry Bluesman!) and found "Legacies". After reading this book, I went back and had the store order "The Tomb" for me. Then like a fool! I would wait for the next book to come out. Some where after "The Haunted Air" I started to actively search for other books by FPW. I had passed on to my son Dan these books, got him hooked as well! Again I would wait for the books, did I have the Net.....well yes..but I didn't look! Since it seemed that a book a year would come out in the summer, I started to search in earnist. I found "Infernal" and realized I missed "Crisscross"!!! Back to Amazon and scored a numbered, signed copy that a library in Arapahoe had sold. Somewhere along the line I started visiting the web site and read a bit of the Forum. I saw that sooooo many people had been on this site for YEARS and was kind of hessitent to join/post as I thought I couldn't keep up with them. Then one day in December of 05, I dove in............the rest they say is history, or is that infamy! I will say that I was welcomed and gently corrected when I goofed on the Haiku board. Now this board is like an escape for me. Get away from my beeper, phone, job, or family for awhile. To joke, laugh, commiserate, cry, argue and de-compress. Besides, where else can you talk with the author, who's a truely gracious guy!
Okay, cobalt's done gushing now!

First story I read by Paul was "Lipidleggin'" IIRC, in its magazine publication just before I got out of the USAF. First novel was "An Enemy of the State".

First story I read by Paul was "Lipidleggin'" IIRC, in its magazine publication just before I got out of the USAF. First novel was "An Enemy of the State".

Well if I didn't say so before, welcome Ward!

Well if I didn't say so before, welcome Ward!

Well, I've been around quite a while, I just don't have a lot of time for forum reading and posting -- the only one I'm particularly active on is the Free State Project. I mostly communicate on mailing lists, and recognize a name or two here from the smith2004 Yahoo list. (Hi, Ken.)

My first FPW was "Legacies", because it was advertised in some Tom Clancy novel, along with "The fist of God" (Frederick Forsyth). Bought them both and enjoyed both. It was pretty soon after it's (german) paperback release.
Then, of course, I got hooked (although I didn't like the "energy from the air"-thing) and started to look araound. I found some medical thrillers, Nacht and references to books which were out of print for quite some time in Germany.
And since the german Amazon (now) features an english section, I bought the Tomb and, since they were a) cheaper and b) sooner available the following RJ-novels in english.
Pretty funny thing is the translation of the titles:
"Legacies" becomes "The Specialist"
"Conspiracies" => "The circle of conspirants" (okay, not that far fetched)
"All the rage" => "rabied" (or whatever "having rabies" is, but it really fits)
"Hosts" => "Frequenzy of death" (what were they thinking?)
"Gateways" => "Swamp of death"
"The haunted air"=>"The ritual"
Crisscross, Infernal and harbingers are not (yet?) announced.

Speaking of, it seems the adversary cycle will be reprinted soon in german (as paperback):
"The keep"=>"The fortress"
"The tomb"=>"The crypt"
"The touch"=>"The gift"

But since I couldn't obtain them from amazon (in egnlish), i bought them 2nd hand from ebay.com, as well as Harbingers.
I just hope that the forthcoming novels will as soon as possible be available as mass market hardcovers - I wouldn't want to wait half a year longer for the next part.

I read Conspiracies first. I bought the paperback, liked it and sort of forgot about it. About a year later, I saw Tomb and Legacies, bought them. After that, I bought and read all the FPW books I could find in new book stores, then used book stores. Finally, I bought about 13 of his books at one time from AbeBooks in my first and only online purchase of anything (other than tickets) just because I couldn't find some of the books in stores.

At first, I didn't even know there was a RJ series. I picked up The Keep at Chapter 11 because, from the rear cover it sounded like something I'd like. At the time, I was reading Simon Clark and John Saul. I had finished all of those books I could find. I was looking for a new author. I picked up The Keep because of the cover. The castle looked pretty cool. Once I had read The Keep, I went looking for more FPW. I found (lucky for me) a copy of The Tomb. At first, it didn't sound like something I wanted to read. The description on the back cover wasn't dark enough for me at the time. I got the book anyway. I figured that if I liked one of his books, I could try another. Boy, what a day that was. I had found my new author and a series hero in text. Needless to say, I couldn't put it down. Once I had finished The Tomb, the hunt was on. I was like a crack addict trying to find my next score. My addiction continues today. And as they say, "The rest is history". Thanks Paul for all of your hard work and hours of enjoyable reading.