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Less Than Human Gary Raisor 9781557737397 Books

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Less Than Human Gary Raisor 9781557737397 Books

This wasn't my favorite vampire novel. The concept is interesting and there are lots of characters, but the development was slow and there were too many twists and turns with new characters being introduced and some dropped. It would have been far better if the author had simplified the story line, reduced the characters and moved things along more quickly. The climax built pretty fast in the end, but the resolution wasn't totally acceptable.
It is built on an interesting concept, but it could have been a lot better.


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Less Than Human Gary Raisor 9781557737397 Books Reviews

This was the strangest story I've read all year. Not in a bad way, but in a fairly unique way. I'm not even sure it qualifies as a vampire story but it sure is something. What do you call it when some ancient parasite uses humans as host bodies to do all sorts of horrendous things? I suppose the title covers that question pretty well. Less Than Human. The book could use some light editing mostly because of typographic errors but the story is fairly solid with interesting, if not actually likable characters. It's worth reading just because it's so different.
Gary Raisor takes his vampires beyond the usual vampire mythos, grounding them in deep character development and redneck realism. Yes, it will remind you of the characters in the movie Near Dark, but these vampires are much more reprehensible. Steven Adler and Earl Jacobs scour the local pool halls in Carruthers, Texas for fresh victims to hustle.

The backstory is like taking a trip into the land of the Weird Western--at once hallucinatory and vivid. While the story reads much like Joe Lansdale, this work is painted in a style that makes these vampires Raisor's own. The depth of plot and character make this novel rise above standard vampire fare. The rich details allow readers to immerse themselves in this violent and unpredictable world.

To give any of the plot away would be a disservice; however, the original hook of pool shark vampires and the stolen pool cue that sets off a series of nail-bitingly tense scenes will keep you reading long after dark.
There was a time when it took skill to sell a novel and see it meet the light of print. Once there were writers who earned their way to publication by learning to tell a story and honing their craft to a sharp edge. These folk did it the hard way, day by day, story by story, line by line.

This was, of course, in the times before ebooks and that most hideous of practices, self-publishing via one of several formats made far too easy and far too popular.

A case in point of the right way (the hard way) to do it is Gary Raisor's LESS THAN HUMAN. Back in the mid-90s, this book was something of a legend in my circles. Raisor--who had worked his way through the small presses and into professional magazines and anthologies creating and selling vivid and spectacular short stories--had sold this novel to Berkley Books. I had heard a great many good things about the book and went searching high and low for a copy. But no copy was to be found! For some reason, while the book had completely sold out its print run in quick order, Berkley Books did not see fit to order it up for a second printing!

Everywhere I looked I failed to find a copy. It was so popular with its readers that I couldn't even find one in the second-hand bookshops. (And let me tell you, I really tried to find one!)

Eventually, the book was reissued in hardcover in a limited edition format. I knew about it, but I was really poor at the time and could not afford one. So....I was at a loss.

Fast-forward 20+ years and Crossroads Press has finally reissued LESS THAN HUMAN in ebook format. As I've stated many times here (and elsewhere), I am not a fan of ebooks. I hate them, in fact. I just don't enjoy the experience of reading books on a glorified video screen and I rarely use my Fire device. But I made an exception for LESS THAN HUMAN and bought my copy via and had it downloaded to my .

The praise for the novel was well-deserved. It actually never went far enough.

Technically, the book is about a vampire. But this ain't no sparkly, virginal Mormon vampire. This sumbitch is a monster, which is what vampires are freaking supposed to be. Raisor takes us on a trip from today (well, the late 80s, I reckon, but you know what I mean) back more than a hundred years to the Old West of the latter days of European expansion, back hundreds of more years to the reign of ancient pre-Colombian empires, and forward again to modern times.

And the author does this all the while following the conflict between a modern day pool hustler/psychic and an ancient evil that parades as a pool hustler but who is something far more monstrous than a cheating bastard after your stash of cash.

And you'd best pay attention. The novel juggles a boat-load of characters, all of whom are integral to the storyline and each whom is irreplaceable within the narrative.

It's not for your average dimwit out to read about cute, immortal boyfriends and friendly werewolves.

The sad thing about the overdue reappearance of LESS THAN HUMAN is that the book is getting lost in the enormous dumpload of crappy ebook releases and stinking, lousy, worthless self-published novels by every moron who can push the "publish" button at and Smashwords.

Gary Raisor did it the hard way. He learned his craft and practiced until it was sharp. This book found its way to publication through quality and not from some egotistical whim. So do the world a favor. Pass by the latest self-published piece of crap and buy Gary Raisor's LESS THAN HUMAN. It's from Crossroads Press and you can find it anywhere books are sold online.
Intense, inventive, literate, and brutal. Plenty of dark action and more than a few memorable characters created along the way. Five stars for fans of intelligent graphic horror.
Less Than Human by Gary Raisor takes vampires to a new and more importantly, original dimension. These aren’t the romantic, charismatic vampires that have invaded the pages of so many of today’s vampire novels. These vampires are scary. They are sadistic parasites that live not only on the blood of humans but their very souls. They bask in their victim’s fear, relishing every moment of their pain and torment. To top it off (and I know how this is going to sound) they are pool hustlers. Yep, you read that right. These vampires are extremely skilled pool hustlers. And as crazy as it sounds it really does add a new and refreshing twist to a genre that’s been tackled by every author under than sun (including myself) since Bram Stoker introduced us to Dracula well over a hundred years ago.
I really enjoyed this book. I’d put it right up there with John Steakley’s Vampire$. Mr. Raisor held my attention from beginning to end. His style is superb, his characters rich and deep. He does an excellent job of bringing his imagination to life. So much so that I could see his world perfectly in my mind’s eye. There was one scene involving a chase through the desert . . . I won’t give anything away, but in that moment it was like I was viewing the world through the eyes of that terrified kid. I cannot praise this book enough! If you are in anyway shape or form a fan of the vampire genre pick this book up. Or if you just like a good read that keeps your attention, pick this book up. Bottom line Read this book. You won’t regret it.
This wasn't my favorite vampire novel. The concept is interesting and there are lots of characters, but the development was slow and there were too many twists and turns with new characters being introduced and some dropped. It would have been far better if the author had simplified the story line, reduced the characters and moved things along more quickly. The climax built pretty fast in the end, but the resolution wasn't totally acceptable.
It is built on an interesting concept, but it could have been a lot better.