I am a little more than half way through "Black Wind". I don't seem to remember reading it when it was first published - though why I would have skipped it (having read The Keep, The Tomb and The Touch when they were released so I had already discovered Mr. Wilson's great books) I don't know.
Having said that - while the book is extremely well written and the characters drawn with such exquisite detail that I already feel I know them, the book just seems out of place when you have read some of Mr. Wilson's other works. (And now I have read pretty much everything aside from the three Sci-Fi books that were co-written with other authors.) Almost as though Mr. Wilson decided that he was going to attempt something completely different. (Though I do realize if I had read all his books in order he did change from SciFi/Fantasy to medical thrillers to what I guess would be "adventure thrillers" for lack of a better term.
Just curious as to (1) why the change in genre and (2) why Mr. Wilson never really went back to it.
Thanks, Steve

PS - As I said I am a little more than half way through. So if this post is premature and the monsters/killers and/or Jack-type characters are yet to show up, please don't spoil it for me.

For me, the story dictates the style. BW demanded this style. And, while I feel it's some of my best work, the book was a commercial flop.

For me, the story dictates the style. BW demanded this style. And, while I feel it's some of my best work, the book was a commercial flop.

I can certainly understand about the story demanding a different writing style and while I have thoroughly enjoyed all of your books that I have read, I can certainly see why you feel it is one of your better works.

Must have been dissappointing about the lack of sales. I wonder what would happen if you would have released it now, since your name is certainly more well known now then it was back in the late eighties after all the success of the Repairman Jack books.
Steve

I can certainly understand about the story demanding a different writing style and while I have thoroughly enjoyed all of your books that I have read, I can certainly see why you feel it is one of your better works.

Must have been dissappointing about the lack of sales. I wonder what would happen if you would have released it now, since your name is certainly more well known now then it was back in the late eighties after all the success of the Repairman Jack books.
Steve

Actually, Steve, BLACK WIND was re-released in March, 2009.

And, at the risk of being a spoiler, it does tie in with Repairman Jack. You'll see when you read "The Haunted Air" and "By the Sword".

By the way, "Black Wind" is my favorite novel by Paul, outside of the Repairman Jack series.

Hi Mike - I actually had the re-released PB edition, but wanted to read it on the iPad so since the price was so cheap ($2.99), I got it for that and sold the PB edition.

And yes Mad, I have already read all the Jack books so I know about how it ties into that series. I want to re-read the Adversary series leading up to the re-release of Nightworld, and figured that I should start with "Black Wind" especially considering that I don't remember reading it.

I bought the ePub edition of Black Wind. Very good and a bargain at $2.99. Plus, the print is not tiny.

The Man captured the historical and local background of Pearl Harbor ... better
than others who've tried to include Hawaii as background.

And, at the risk of being a spoiler, it does tie in with Repairman Jack. You'll see when you read "The Haunted Air" and "By the Sword".

By the way, "Black Wind" is my favorite novel by Paul, outside of the Repairman Jack series.

It's been awhile since I've read The Haunted Air (and I only recently read Black Wind for the first time), but how does Black Wind tie into The Haunted Air? I don't remember.

For me, the story dictates the style. BW demanded this style. And, while I feel it's some of my best work, the book was a commercial flop.

Definitely my favorite