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Per "Quotage" (What Others Have Been Tricked Into Saying...)
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QUOTAGE |
...comes about as close as possible to translating the sheer experience of fantasy gaming into novel form. | ||||
| ...one of the best, and a highly impressive first novel... It's funny, yes, but also has some serious things to say about the conventions of fantasy and about creator's rights. | |||||
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Told in the terms of an amusing fantasy, this book deals with some very old but still unanswered questions: what is human and what is real? Recommended to those who enjoy gaming, computer programmers, and those who just like amusing fantasy. M. R. Hildebrand |
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...a high-tech heroic fantasy full of adventure, puns, and damn good reading. Well thought out..." PULSAR #256 |
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| The tendency in humorous fantasy
fiction is to shovel in as many bad puns as there are adjectives, which
gets very tiring after awhile. Thankfully that is something that
Simmons manages to avoid. He injects just the right amount of humor
into the story...Simmons is a good storyteller who takes his work
seriously, but isn't afraid to have fun and to give his readers a good
time. Bradley H. Sinor, Ledger Book Review |
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| This book, by the way, is a
LOCUS recommended book, so you don't have to take
just my word for it that it's worth reading-- in part for the outrageous puns that crop up
from time to time. Algis Budrys, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction |
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| ...you can't stop until the last
page. Milan Pohi, IKARIE (Czech Republic SF & Fantasy Magazine) |
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| As usual, Simmons rarely lets the
pace drop below a brisk galop... John C. Bunnell, Dragon Magazine |
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| ...frenetic...but frequently fun. Publisher's Weekly |
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| A roller-coaster of a ride that
combines fantasy gaming and computers to bring about a stimulating read.
A remarkable combination of fantasy and science fiction. Do read
this one! PULSAR #315 |
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When Dreams Collide manages to combine enough wacky hilarity to satisfy a Terry Pratchett fan, and a plethora of puns guaranteed to make a Piers Anthony buff groan, with a serious consideration of Artificial Intelligence and the consequences of creating it, Mark might have even created himself a new genre-CyberLaff." |
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| ...the second book is even more
outrageous, and more fun, than the first... Algis Budrys, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction |
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| ... fulfils all
reader’s demands... a great cadence of humor...his
humor is still excelent, does not repeat himself and does not
<dissipate>...this is the book just for you... Milan Pohi, IKARIE (Czech Republic SF & Fantasy Magazine) |
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| This book is a fun read, no doubt
about it. Francine Mullen, Reviews |
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| Wm. Mark Simmons's ability to mingle side-splitting humor with layers of depth makes him one of the most exciting new sf/f novelists to appear in years. | |||||
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This is one of two books in this month's group that I've now bought twice -- or technically, three times (since Dreamland Chronicles is actually three books in one, the first two of which I already owned). Which should tell you something about how much I like the series. What matters is that the long-delayed third volume of the trilogy appears here for the first time, and it's just as insanely absurd and utterly compelling as the first two. The adventures of Robert Remington Ripley III, primary programmer of an ultra-sophisticated virtual-reality fantasy universe gone dangerously out of control, are sometimes slapstick, sometimes thought-provoking, and laced with a nonstop stream of literary and pop-cultural puns and homages. And he knows his subject matter, whether it's fantasy gaming or high-end synthetic intelligence. Bottom line? Wm. Mark Simmons is easily one of the genre's sharpest new writers, but he's also right in tune with classic idea-driven SF. The clear comparison is to Randall Garrett -- and as good as Garrett was, Simmons just may be better. |
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| Forget criticspeak. Wm. Mark Simmons's Dreamland Chronicles is flat-out superb. A solid, satisfying and full-contact of a read that hits all the right marks and pushes all the right buttons. Epic fantasy without the stiff neck, science fiction without the technobabble...a gem of a collection. | |||||
| ...lively, fun, and in the best sense, entertaining. Don't miss this one. | |||||
| Science fiction and humor is
always a potentially dangerous mixture for any writer, but for William
Mark Simmons it's not just dangerous, it's explosive--explosively funny.
If 'laughter is the medicine for gods and men,' then The Dreamland
Chronicles is the Physicians' Desk Reference. Robin Wayne Bailey |
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| A nonstop romp through a complex
and captivating world! Highly recommended! K.D. Wentworth |
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| An inventive, well thought-out
series that keeps the reader constantly on the move! From start to
finish, Simmons has molded together a landscape unique and exciting as he
enters our dreams and nightmares and turns them upside down! Richard A Knaak |
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| I read a lot. Three monthly
SF magazines and a bimonthly fantasy zine, plus books and such. For
me to remember any given piece, it has to be, at the least, unusual.
So, for me to remember The Dreamland Chronicles after all these
years tells you that it's an unusual series. I can further add
that's full of irreverent wit and almost amounts to a roadmap of our
popular culture. What more do you want? Rob Chilson |
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One Foot In The Grave is as energetic an adventure as his earlier works...As usual, Simmons rarely lets the pace drop below a brisk gallop. There are chase scenes and firefights in ample supply, into which Simmons drops an ingenious working out of vampiric powers and vulnerabilities that pays homage to all manner of classic monster lore, including no few grand old B-movies (and not necessarily the ones you'd expect). The plot unfolds like an origami sculpture designed by M.C. Escher, but the cast is a mix of seemingly normal folks crossed with every movie-genre subculture you can think of. A definite air of the mischievous runs through much of the logic, supernatural and otherwise, and the sheer variety of beings and creatures encountered suggests an amiable tip of the satirist's hat to White Wolf's Worlds of Darkness* game milieu. But though Simmons maintains a hint of wryness to the tale throughout, he never lets the humor get out of control and take over the story, Bureau 13-fashion. Chris and his sometimes unlikely, often reluctant allies aren't caricatures; they are, for the most part, complex characters whose motives and goals Simmons develops with startling insight and compassion. Chris in particular is a memorable, unusual protagonist, neither bent on saving the world nor so self-centered as merely to ignore the chaos flowing in his wake. One result of the expert juggling is that the novel's multi-twist ending should genuinely surprise many if not most readers. One Foot in the Grave owes debts to a variety of formula fiction, but its climax and resolution follow no logic but their own...Readers have good reason to thank Baen Books for luring Wm. Mark Simmons out of the literary woodwork... John C. Bunnell, The Role of Books |
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One of the best novels I've read for years, a thoroughly amusing and interesting new slant on vampires, that stands comparison with Nancy Collins' In the Blood of a few years back...You've got to read this, it is a hoot... |
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...vaguely reminiscent of the Worlds of Darkness series, though with touches of humor and a somewhat more interesting background. Science Fiction Chronicle |
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| ...relentlessly combines thought
and action...a fun book. The Vampire's Crypt |
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...(Chris Cséjthe) is back for a new and even greater (and funnier) adventure...Snappy dialogue, lots of amusing details, a clever plot, and a generally witty sense of humor...one of those rare novels that combine levity and the supernatural in just the right balance. --Chronicle |
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In this lighthearted...contemporary vampire tale...plots and subplots and vignettes abound, involving Vlad Dracula, Erzebet Bathory the Blood Countess, biotechnology and a biowar conspiracy using tailored viruses...fans of the early Terry Pratchett or Eric Flint's Joe fantasies will enjoy the humorous bits. --Publishers Weekly |
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Readers who desire something off beat but humorous in their fantasy-horror literature will want to read DEAD ON MY FEET, an amusing tale that focuses on the misadventures of a vampire in a world that wants to borrow his blood. Chris remains the center of the Simmons universe while the human and inhuman populaces that graze within his spheres make for a fun tale. Though it would be beneficial to fans to read the prequel (see ONE FOOT IN THE GRACE) for a fuller flavoring, this book is fun. Midwest Book Review |
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| [Dead on My Feet] works
because it is simply over the top...I love the way Mr. Simmons plays with
the standard action scenes--for instance a philosophy discussion during a
car chase... Philadelphia Weekly Press |
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William Mark Simmons' DEAD ON MY FEET tells
of a human who is sought by human and vampire alike when his body is
mutated by a blood transfusion. Solid action at its best, this presents
Chris' run from an entire world against him - and his troubles not only
with undead terrorists, but a werewolf lover who has left him in the
lurch. MBR Bookwatch |
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William Mark Simmons' Dead On My Feet also offers something different: a
fantasy revolving around a man hunted by both human and vampire alike for
the secrets he now knows and the powers of his mutated vampire blood.
Abandoned by his werewolf lover and hunted by both sides, Chris finds life
more than sucks in this whimsical, fast-paced story which is a recommended
pick for readers seeking a plot out of the ordinary. Internet Bookwatch |
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William Mark Simmons' HABEAS CORPSES continues the story of one
Christopher, who becomes infected with one of two viruses that change the
living into the undead. Hunted for his mutated blood by both humans and
vampires, he faces assassins, a sexy vampire bodyguard, a werewolf lover's
problems, and more in a fast-paced story of genetic manipulation and evil. California Bookwatch |
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| Mark Simmons, who never met a
wisecrack, pun, or pop culture reference he didn't like, explores
different degrees of deadness in his latest Christopher Cséjthe
novel. Poor Chris...if he's not being made unwilling ruler of the
vampires, he's discorporated and floating through walls. Lupé
the Werewolf, Suki the cat/vampire, the voluptuous Deirdre, and, oh yes,
Theresa's head...all are back for this latest event-packed romp through a
vivid world that leaps into existence every time we open a Simmons book. Charlaine Harris |
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| "[O]ne of those rare novels that
combine levity and the supernatural in just the right balance." Chronicle |
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DEAD EASY |
The latest thrill-packed,
wisecracking entry in the popular Halflife Chronicles by witty (and
nitty-gritty) goth master, Wm. Mark Simmons! DailyLit |
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| But the American author William Mark Simmons knows the ingredients that make a contemporary vampire story palatable: blood, passion, excitement and, yes, even humor. With the four novels of his "Halflife Chronicles," he lays down a furious ride through the experience nightmares of the horror genre and incites his hero of a dramatic scene to the next. Csejthe reflected through his adventures, armed "only" with a literary education, gallows humor and chutzpah. As he is with everything that happened to him, his "common sense" reserves, simply wonderful and excitingly told. | |||||
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PATHFINDER I |
“Damn you, Wm. Mark
Simmons. Pathfinder I had me before I knew it, grabbed me by
tender tissues, and threw me imagination-first into what could well be a
true epic. Disturbingly plausible, richly post-apocalyptic, and
seductively edgy.” Lee Martindale, Author To Stand As Witness, The Folly Of Assumption, and Hell Hath No Fury... |
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Simmons