An interesting book that I enjoyed. The blurb tells us that the author amongst many other things is a high school english teacher. His skills show. He writes well and amusingly with his joy at, and knowledge of, the language showing through.

The story is that of two blokes who share a house in Edmonton (E-town). They are both bright and should be successful but they find themselves in menial jobs. They both have special abilities that come to the fore when they and indeed humanity are threatened by opposing forces fighting for ancient secrets. It is slightly better than that sounds!

Think a giant mix of Clockwork Orange, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Silence of the Lambs, and all the Indiana Jones movies.

Into the Australian sf bookbag it goes

Taken from the 'clockwise' SF/Fantasy bookbag. The 'anti-clockwise' bag is also heading my way very soon, they seem to have converged.
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Amazon.com Review
What do Edmonton, D&D, cannibalism, Star Wars, comic books, ancient African mythology, black culture, drugs, organic food, magic, and television shows have in common? They all play important roles in The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad, a zany, stylish, and fun novel. Coyote Kings, the debut by Edmonton writer, teacher, and radio host Minister Faust, has a large cast of characters but mainly follows two roommates--Hamza, a former graduate student who's been reduced to working as a dishwasher, and Yehat, a video store clerk who invents insane gadgets in his spare time. They're stuck in a rut of self-pity and going nowhere real slow when a mysterious woman shows up and seduces Hamza by quoting his favorite comics and sci-fi films. (The only problem: she may not be human.) Before long, the three are caught up in a quest for a magic artifact, but they're not the only ones. Arrayed against them is a wide assortment of characters--including an old romantic rival of Hamza's, drug dealers who peddle a mystical high, and a former Canadian Football League player with aspirations of immortality--all with their own plans for the artifact. The action takes the cast through the streets of Edmonton and to Drumheller, where an ancient, startling secret is revealed.

The originality of the plot of Coyote Kings is only half the appeal of the book. It's also strong on characterization--the story is told entirely in first person, from the perspectives of all the major players involved--and culturally hip without being pretentious. For instance, the characters are introduced with D&D-style character sheets listing their vital stats--Hamza's alignment is "SF (general), ST (original series), SW, Marvel, Alan Moore +79." You can't help but appreciate style like this, even if you're not a geek. But if you are a geek, it doesn't get any better than Coyote Kings.

on the bookshelf

One of numerous books which were kindly left on our bookshelf.

Intrigued by the blurb on the back. I'll give it a whirl.

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