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Launched by the summer '04 award-winning, best-seller Brooklyn Noir, Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies. Each book is comprised of all-new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.
In this chilling portrait of America's Sin City, lady luck is just as likely to dispense cold hard cash as a cold-hearted killing.
Brand-new stories by: John O'Brien, David Corbett, Scott Phillips, Nora Pierce, Tod Goldberg, Bliss Esposito, Felicia Campbell, Jaq Greenspon, Jose Skinner, Pablo Medina, Christine McKellar, Lori Kozlowski, Vu Tran, Celeste Starr, Preston L. Allen, and Janet Berliner.
See below for full table of contents.
Las Vegas provides the classic sophistication and darkness necessary for a deadly noir story. Stylish, sultry, brimming with ambition and greed, the characters that populate this literary Las Vegas are pushed to the extremes of human experience. From the neon glitter of the Strip to the treacherous views of Red Rock Canyon and Boulder City, from the desperation of Naked City to the racial tensions of the Westside, no other location offers so many different avenues leading to serious trouble.
Many legendary authors have turned their attention to Vegas to investigate the city's moods and mysteries. Now, the most recent crop of acclaimed writers explore the secret neighborhoods and byways of America's most sinful city, offering readers not only compelling noir tales but also an insider's understanding of this steamy oasis. These authors take readers beneath the surface flash of Freemont Street and the Strip and into the gritty multicultural environs of underground Vegas.
Jarret Keene is author/editor of three books, including the poetry collection Monster Fashion, the alt-travel tome The Underground Guide to Las Vegas, and the unauthorized rock bio The Killers: Destiny Is Calling Me. He lives in Las Vegas.
Todd James Pierce is the author of three books, including the novel A Woman of Stone and the short story collection Newsworld, which won the 2006 Drue Heinz Literature Prize. He is an assistant professor of English at Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, California.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part I: Sin City
"The Tik" by John O'Brien (Scotch 80s)
"Pretty Little Parasite" by David Corbett (Fremont)
"Mitzhav" by Tod Goldberg (Summerlin)
"Babs" by Scott Phillips (Naked City)
"This or Any Desert" by Vu Tran (Chinatown)
Part II: Neon Grit
"Benny Rojas and the Rough Riders" by Pablo Medina (West Las Vegas)
"Bits and Pieces" by Christine McKellar (Green Valley)
"Crip" by Preston L. Allen (Nellis)
"Three Times a Night, Every Other Night" by Lori Kozlowski (North Las Vegas)
"Disappear" by Jaq Greenspon (Sunset Park)
"All About Balls" by Jose Skinner (East Las Vegas)
Part III: Tales from the Outskirts
"Atomic City" by Nora Pierce (Test Site)
"Dirty Blood" by Celeste Starr (Pahrump)
"Guns Don't Kill People" by Bliss Esposito (Centennial Hills)
"Murder Is Academic" by Felicia Campbell (Mount Charleston)
"The Road to Rachel" by Janet Berliner (Area 51)