Simon R. Green returns with an all-new Nightside book. New in a way at least.
Tales from the Nightside compiles ten short stories, nine of which have previously been published in various magazines and supernatural detective omnibuses. The tenth is brand new.
This makes this collection a must-have for every Nightside fan, giving people the opportunity to get their hands on short stories pretty much impossible to acquire otherwise. That and, you know, the first new Nightside story in years!
Without delving into the book too deeply to avoid spoilers, all stories feature a myriad of characters, both well-known stars from the series such as Razor Eddie, Deadboy and, of course, leading man John Taylor as well as recurring characters, such as Larry Oblivion, Leo Mourn and eternal passer-by (not just in the Nightside books, by the way) Harry Fabulous.
A lot of them are origin stories too, answering questions fans of Simon Green’s books no doubt have about several of these characters.
Now a little about “The Big Game”, the new Nightside story.
Starring John Taylor, Shotgun Suzie and a couple of other regulars, as well as a new and unexpected ally, they go up against a new villain, threatening not only the Nightside itself (business as usual in that place) but the very being of our heroes.
It’s a great little story, proving that the Nightside isn’t getting old nor stale at all.
It is, however, raising a hell of a lot of questions, which aren’t answered at all. If you’re well acquainted with the series, you’ll spot these right away. If you’re not, and you love dark fantasy and neon noir detective stories, you’re likely to like it for the great storytelling with brilliant characters.
Tales from the Nightside is a great way for fans to find out more about the characters and the setting that they love and for people unacquainted with the dark, secret, hidden heart of London that is the Nightside to get to know the setting as well as many of its denizens.
If you love detective stories with a dark twist and don’t know the setting yet, this is definitely a series worth discovering. Might as well start here, with this awesome collection of short stories, introducing and expanding on this world and the people that live in it, depending on how well you know it already.
