Showing posts with label Spyder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spyder. Show all posts

Monday, November 7, 2011

Review: Spyder by David Fingerman

Bottom line:

This book is hard to classify, but tantalizingly good.  Great read for mature readers--describes sex scenes, drug usage, and violence.

Premise:

A streetwise thug named Spyder struggles to overcome his drug addiction, while the world around him keeps trying to drag him back in. 

Likes:

o Lots of plot twists that keep you guessing throughout the story
o As a drug addict, Spyder's an unlikely protagonist.  I found myself sympathizing with him because he took a hard view on all other addicts--thinking they were weaker/whinier than him.  Spyder had an outlook on life that I could respect, even as I disagreed with his choices.
o Eye-opening revelation for me on the difficulty of breaking out of the addiction cycle.  Excellent consideration on how hard it is to change one's base character.
o Spyder grows throughout the story, but also suffers relapses as events trigger instinctive reactions.
o Spyder's voice remains true to the character throughout the story.  There was definitely a feeling of "here's the way I am, whether you like it or not" that made me respect and enjoy the character.

Dislikes:

o Very few. I disagreed with some of Spyder's decisions, but that's because those weren't the choices *I* would make--it was my own bias that got in the way.  For his character, they were justifiable, even when the decisions led him to dangerous consequences.  And that part I liked: his bad decisions had realistic consequences for him.

I'd recommend this book to mature audiences who enjoy suspense, plot twists, dark humor, and unlikely heroes.

Full disclosure: How did I obtain this book?

Purchased myself

Purchase link

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

SPYDER - David Fingerman

Spyder

by David Fingerman

Meet Spyder—a street-wise antihero of inner city society. Experience his strange wisdom, and his twisted sense of humor.

Thirty-year-old Spyder doesn't waste time thinking how much lower he can sink. When he finds his girlfriend dead as the result of drugs he supplied, Spyder contemplates his life and decides it’s time to do what he's avoided most of his days—join mainstream society. All he needs to do is kick the drug habit, find a job, a place to live, and earn some money. Easy. He’s done it hundreds of times, but never all at once. As always, Fate steps in and knees him in the groin. All the dregs he's ever known want their say. George won't stop his pestering, Sal needs a huge favor, Coon is hunting for a certain arachnid, and Spyder's dealer doesn't want to lose one of his best customers. As things spiral out of control, Spyder tangles himself in a web so tight that even he might never be able to escape.

BIOGRAPHY

I was born in St. Paul, but once out of the hospital I've lived my entire life in Minneapolis. During the summer months when the sun is shining and birds singing, I'm perfectly content to sit in my office, with blinds drawn, typing away at my computer. My favorite day of the year is the first day I pull a flannel shirt out of the closet. After 24 years of working in the court system, I walked away to write full time. Edging past Reality is my first book of short stories. Spyder is my second novel and quite a switch from the first. While Silent Kill is a suspense/thriller, Spyder is more of an urban adventure.

WEBSITE

www.davidfingerman.com


BLOG

http://davidfingerman.blogspot.com

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

David Fingerman - Edging Past Reality




Edging Past Reality

by David A. Fingerman

Two Harbors Press

ISBN: 1-935097-07-5




Edging Past Reality is a book of twenty-two short stories of speculative fiction. A number of reviewers have compared them to "Twilight Zone" episodes. As the forward states ". . . be ready to walk through a world of unhinged assumptions." Imagine a mirror that holds more than mere reflections, a lush meadow that thrives while drought kills everything around it, or a pocket watch that can bring back the dead. Some stories will frighten, others will fill you with wonder (maybe an uneasy wonder, but wonder none the less). All the stories will keep you guessing up to the last page.

BIOGRAPHY
David Fingerman was born in St. Paul and presently lives in Minneapolis. He graduated with a BA from the University of Minnesota. With a Journalism degree almost certain, he realized that if he switched his major to Speech, he could graduate a quarter earlier. He has no regrets. After working over twenty years in the Hennepin County Court system, he walked away to do what he loves to do - write. Again, no regrets.

He has published over twenty short stories appearing in magazines and anthologies, and recently published "Edging Past Reality" a book of speculative fiction short stories. His novels, "Silent Kill" and "Spyder" have been accepted by L & L Dreamspell and are expected to be released in 2010. He is currently working on a sequel to "Silent Kill."

WEBSITE
www.davidfingerman.com

TWITTER
http://twitter.com/davfin23