Beginning tomorrow, and running through early January 2010, The Rap Sheet will interrupt its usual catch-all succession of “forgotten books” posts in order to roll out a mini-series concentrating on the work of novelist Derek Raymond (1931-1994). Raymond, whose real name was Robin Cook (not to be confused with the still-extant American medical thriller writer), is frequently credited as “the Godfather of British neo-noir,” and has many big-name admirers, among them James Sallis and Cathi Unsworth. But, despite a number of his books having been reissued this decade by Serpent’s Tail, his work is unknown to many crime-fiction readers, especially those in the States. We hope to correct that deficiency with our mini-series, which will focus on Raymond’s succession of five “Factory novels,” bleak and often violent police procedurals of a sort, that reflected Great Britain’s changing political and social orders during Margaret Thatcher’s time as prime minister.
I learned of Derek Raymond through Ken Bruen.
I’ve never been the same since.
Go read this series. But better: go buy and read Raymond’s books!
Additional:
Derek Raymond Tribute site
Rare Derek Raymond photograph
Derek Raymond’s current publisher
Previously at Mike Cane’s Blog:
Derek Raymond: He Makes All Others Look Like Shit
Previously at Mike Cane 2008:
Writer Derek Raymond
Writer Derek Raymond Tribute
Previously here:
The eBook Test 