Welcome to the board, Shmoolie. I do have to disagree though. I think Jack's relationships humanize him - he could have become a shallow two-dimensional character. His interactions with Abe, Gia and Vicky allow Jack to show human weaknesses. Therefore when he overcomes evil, he is doing it as a human not as a superhero action figure.

Thanks for the welcome XamberB. I don't mind a little humanizing - most good authors will flesh out their characters over time - but I'm seeing a pattern that is making me uncomfortable. Have you ever read any of the Richard Stark series (aka Donald Westlake)? His character is a lone criminal who isn't afraid to resort to violence and over the years has stayed very much in character (although I admit to reading only the first half dozen or so novels as the rest are out of print).

I think Abe is a pretty good character that can be used more often and I like the fact that Jack and Gia really have a thing going (I'm not that crazy about Vicki as a character though) but I'm uneasy with the way that she is forcing him to accede to her kind of "normality" just so they can be a couple. Maybe now that the rest of his family has been killed off it will put more action back into his life.

One odd thing is that the entire series is pulled by the fact that the ending was written before the rest. I'm just now reading Nightworld and I realize this for the first time. BTW, the introduction of Repairman Jack in Nightworld is to me the absolute reason of his being. The first few pages discussing his attitudes towards muggers, criminals, and even parents is the very essence of what made him such a strong character and why I want to see this brought back so badly.

Welcome to the board, shmoolie.

Hmm.....you couldn't get into "Infernal"? Well,then, you should read next RJ book, "Harbingers". Very shocking but that's first style. You'll get Jack's excellent fix-it job, ultimate terror(almost gory), Adversary vs. Ally, etc etc...

Thanks Kenji. I am certainly looking forward to reading it as soon as it is released.

I don't mind a little humanizing - most good authors will flesh out their characters over time - but I'm seeing a pattern that is making me uncomfortable. Have you ever read any of the Richard Stark series (aka Donald Westlake)? His character is a lone criminal who isn't afraid to resort to violence and over the years has stayed very much in character (although I admit to reading only the first half dozen or so novels as the rest are out of print).

There is a place between Patricia Cromwell and Donald Westlake. Cromwell was great to begin with, then Kay got way to moody. Westlake's character's to me are a little too two-dimentional, but then that's just me. Thankfully, everyone likes something a little different, otherwise there'd be no copies of Robert Crais's latest Elvis Cole novels and no one would have written Water for Elephants.

Thanks for the welcome XamberB. I don't mind a little humanizing - most good authors will flesh out their characters over time - but I'm seeing a pattern that is making me uncomfortable. Have you ever read any of the Richard Stark series (aka Donald Westlake)? His character is a lone criminal who isn't afraid to resort to violence and over the years has stayed very much in character (although I admit to reading only the first half dozen or so novels as the rest are out of print).

I think Abe is a pretty good character that can be used more often and I like the fact that Jack and Gia really have a thing going (I'm not that crazy about Vicki as a character though) but I'm uneasy with the way that she is forcing him to accede to her kind of "normality" just so they can be a couple. Maybe now that the rest of his family has been killed off it will put more action back into his life.

One odd thing is that the entire series is pulled by the fact that the ending was written before the rest. I'm just now reading Nightworld and I realize this for the first time. BTW, the introduction of Repairman Jack in Nightworld is to me the absolute reason of his being. The first few pages discussing his attitudes towards muggers, criminals, and even parents is the very essence of what made him such a strong character and why I want to see this brought back so badly.

Welcome to the board shmoolie! (fan of shmoo?) I won't say much since you haven't read "Harbingers", but doesn't losing family kinda slow everyone down? This is a pretty dark period for Jack and he has a few more novals left unwritten. Don't give up yet.


Ken

Welcome aboard Shmoolie.

Jack has had much happen to him over the course of the story. He's been steered, shoved and pushed in all directions. Most paths though, lead him back to the Otherness taint again and again. Harbingers will explain alot. Try to wait for this book before you give up on our Hero! I bet you'll change your mind.

This may already be a thread somewhere but the search won't look for the word "first", so what the heck, I'll start a fresh thread even if there is one out there in the past. I've thought of doing this before but tonight I was inspired by the stories on the Keep Game thread, so...

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

My story is that I was in a "dollar" store - the modern equivalent of the five and dime - picking up some odds & ends and I saw a book rack, which will always make me pause. I looked at what was there and much of it looked like pure drivel, but one paperback caught my eye and the description sounded pretty interesting. Yep - it was Repairman Jack, specifically The Tomb. I bought it for $1.00.

After reading it and absolutely loving it, I started looking specifically for Repairman Jack books. Once I'd caught up with those, I hunted online until I found copies of the whole AC. Then other FPW books.

I still have a few non-AC books to find, but what a great adventure it has been so far -- and what a thrill to find all the great people on this board too!

I had a similar introduction to FPW recently. I just started a new job a few weeks ago and a Crown Books outlet is walking distance from the office. I was in there at lunch time the other day looking for a book to read on my lunch hours when I discovered Conspiracies. It was the only book in the whole place that sounded even remotely interesting. Suffice to say after a chapter or two I was hooked!

It's funny that I just now stumbled upon this author's work because I have been a big fan of Robert Anton Wilson's work since the early 80s and I always see FPW titles when I look for something by RAW. But I never considered picking any of them up until now. And it turns out that I really like the Repairman Jack character.

So, yes, I'm late to the party. But all that means is I have plenty of catching up to do.

Welcome to the board, tehuti.

I kind of envy you because you have so much great reading ahead without having to wait for a new book to come out. Enjoy.

How are you at Haiku? Join us on said thread, won't you?

keith the elder

Well welcome tehuti. I'm sure you'll become "addicted" like the rest of us. Enjoy the tale of RMJ!

Ok, i'm totally confused now about the timeline of the RJ books.

What I've read is:

The Tomb (which I thought was the first)
Legacies
Conspiracies

I'm currently reading All the Rage.

I'm I going in the right order? I haven't read Nightworld, but I thought that Jack was just a minor character in that one.

Help??

Ok, i'm totally confused now about the timeline of the RJ books.

What I've read is:

The Tomb (which I thought was the first)
Legacies
Conspiracies

I'm currently reading All the Rage.

I'm I going in the right order? I haven't read Nightworld, but I thought that Jack was just a minor character in that one.

Help??

You're doing fine, your reading order is correct. Nightworld occurs after the Repairman Jack series (which is still ongoing, as you know), but was written before Legacies and is the climax of the Adversary Cycle.

I wouldn't call Jack a minor character in Nightworld, but he is one of an ensemble that have been introduced through the rest of the AC (The Tomb being an official entry in that series).

This is the Cross Reference Map which may make no sense (and only covers up to Gateways), but imagine Jack's adventures continuing down the bottom with the last Jack adventure then referencing back to Nightworld.

Check out Aphew's FAQ for more on this.

Dave