Reinventing the Southern California Novel: Marisa Silver’s The God of War

By Rodger Jacobs

Silver took the vital ingredients of a regional novel and composed an L.A. tale, but set many miles east -- at the edge of the desolate Salton Sea -- a wasteland that would have held tremendous appeal to T.S. Eliot. [30 September 2008]

(more Deconstruction Zone)

Gunman’s Rhapsody by Robert B. Parker

By John G. Nettles

Next time Robert B. Parker decides to time-travel, especially when mucking about with mythology, he'd be well-advised to bring his 'old' shooting-irons with him. [1 January 1995]