For as much effect as Leonard had on crime fiction and westerns and movies, his effect on science fiction is also notable. Wm. Gibson didn't really know how to plot out a full novel, so he just copied the structure of an Elmore Leonard book.

RIP

Thanks for giving us Jackie Brown, Mr. Leonard.

wrod. And "Out of Sight", and Raylan Givens.

Does anybody else read the Preston & Child books, specifically Agent Pendergast? I've read the first half-dozen or so, but then took a bit of a break (possibly while waiting for a next book to come out). Now there are a few out that I haven't read, so I thought I'd go backward a book or two to refamiliarize myself with the world and characters, but all of a sudden Agt Pendergast is such a Marty Stu. Anybody else have this problem? It's weird. I've always loved him (and this is just a couple/few years ago, not like when something you loved as a teenager sucks as an adult), I'm gonna be bummed if I can't get back in the story.

I loved Relic back in the day, but Reliquary was weird, and I never really followed him after that. I read a few Preston & Child books during my airport-thriller phase (see also: James Patterson).

Epic, I've been reading them, although I've gotten fed up with a story arc that's been going through several books. They're good bus reading, so I've been following. Can't really recommend them, though.

Unrelatedly, title of the day: The Hitman's Guide to Housecleaning.

I've gotten fed up with a story arc that's been going through several books.

Now I'm stupidly intrigued to know what.

The one I just re-read was Cabinet of Curiosities. I knew I had already read that and Brimstone, but I wanted to reintroduce myself before hitting the next vein of books that I don't remember nearly as well. Though reintroducing Bill Smithback sucks a little since I know (some of) what's coming for him in the "zombie" book (I started before deciding I needed to relearn some characters) and I like the big dumbass.

There's a story arc in which it turns out Pendergast's wife, presumed eaten by a lion years before, is alive and hiding from some neo-Nazis who are running a eugenic program (she's part of it). There's the discovery that her death was not an accident (her gun was loaded with blanks), then who was responsible, then that she's alive ... and so on.

Pendergast's wife, presumed eaten by a lion years before

...What.

is alive and hiding from some neo-Nazis

...Okay.

who are running a eugenic program

...Um?

(she's part of it)

...I see.