Devil Born Without Horns

By Michael A. Lucas

Like a hardboiled, noir-ish version of A Confederacy of Dunces, Michael A. Lucas' Devil Born Without Horns is a picaresque tale of a jobless misfit. But, where medievalist Ignatius J. Reilly is a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0977895211
• ISBN13: 9780977895212
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Rudos and Rubes
• Length: 285 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

EL PSYCHEDELICO RULES!

The wonderfully ironic, purposely mind-numbing cover art underlines the charms of this singeing piece of noir sarcasm. The cover screams retro-chic, tipping the hat to Mexican pulp art (not to mention Lucha Libre wrestling, a crucial motif in the book). The writing inside recalls (with appropriate postmodern nostalgia) classic hard-boiled fiction, such as that of Thompson, Willeford and even Hammett. The pulp stylings are transposed onto a somewhat contemporary milieu: 90's San Francisco. This allows for scathing and hilarious critiques of hipsters, eccentric city types and the whole[...] era, not to mention how annoying mankind can be on a close-up personal level. There's a lot of rage in here, perfectly synthesized with a biting, sardonic wit. Michael A. Lucas has honed his craft well. One of the best books I've read in ages. Highly recommended. Can't wait for Lucas' next masterpiece.

Very clever

A very snappy little book, well written and definitely over too soon. Set in a specific time and place (dot com era San Francisco) that had lots of folks murderously annoyed in general, the author cleverly eviscerates more than a few familiar character types of the the era. Written in a sort of millennial Horace McCoy/Jim Thompson style, it satisfyingly winds up almost exactly as one might expect. I admit I know the author personally, so other readers may not benefit from the most pleasurable experience I had with the book. That is, hearing Michael Lucas' voice narrating it in my head. Rudos and Rubes is a small publishing house, but I cannot be the only reader who would look forward to a Book on Tape version of Devil Born Without Horns.

Quintessential and Highly Entertaining Dark Humor

The old adage "don't judge a book by its cover" has never been truer than with this novel. While the juvenile cover art, pedestrian title, and lackluster back cover may be off-putting, Devil Born Without Horns truly is an outstanding read. Packed with sardonic wit and dark humor, the story is strikingly original, unexpectedly interesting, and brilliantly written. The author's writing style is highly distinctive. Perhaps the best way to describe it would be Scott Adams-noir. One could imagine that if Dilbert gave up his cubicle, took on a furniture delivery job for a dysfunctional company named Nimbus, and succumbed to his latent antisocial tendencies, he might very well become this book's protagonist, James Pichaske. Nimbus's owner, Jerry, isn't exactly a pointy-haired boss, yet he is a neurotic, disorganized, and ineffectual boob nevertheless. The central character, James, does not start off as a reprobate. A recent film school graduate, he is both likeable and easy to identify with--highly intelligent, charmingly irreverent, and an extraordinarily hard worker. Through diligence and a bit of luck he quickly finds himself not only making deliveries but also in charge of the company's warehouse. His optimistic perspective helps him discover virtue in almost everything, at least for a while. When he is forced to deal with recalcitrant co-workers, backstabbing managers, and irrational customers, however, he slowly climbs deeper and deeper into his fortress of cynicism and selfishness. Events ultimately conspire in ways that cause him to reassess his options and embrace his darker side. Unfortunately for our erstwhile hero, things quickly spin out of control. Everything comes to a head when James and his obtuse co-worker Arthur decide to rob their company's wealthy client, an enigmatic cult leader named Purnam. The book's opening paragraph begins, "Although I'd often been told that a college education would prove useful regardless of whatever else I did in my life, my bachelor's degree was no help whatsoever in making up my mind to shoot someone." This not only grabs reader's attention, but also sets the tone for the rest of the story. You know it's going to be a train wreck, but it is an exhilarating ride getting there. Overall, the book is a beguiling read with appealing characters, a surprisingly credible plot, and refreshing effective pacing. If you like dark humor, this one's definitely for you. Lawrence Kane Note: Originally reviewed for the Jan/Feb '08 edition of ForeWord Magazine

An amazing read!!!

What a fantastic book; my favorite of the year so far (I know it's only January, but I seriously doubt it will be supplanted by anything else all year). Laugh-out loud funny and incredibly intelligent from the first page to the last. I could not put it down and was bummed to find myself finished with it in a day and a half. You will not be disappointed in this book!