Friday, June 18, 2010

Sand's Game - Ennis Willie

You’ve seen this book on Ed Gorman’s blog and Bill Crider’s blog in the past couple of days, and quite possibly elsewhere. But here’s my two cents worth: SAND’S GAME is a great book and a book that’s a long time overdue. The novels and the stories are about as tough and fast-paced as any you’ll ever read, and all the additional material is, as others have said, worth the price by itself. Don’t pass this one up, and here’s hoping that it’ll be just the first of many Ennis Willie collections to come.
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9 comments:

Rittster said...

James,
Looks like a great release,packed with good stuff, including essays about Willie and an interview with him, as well as introductions for each novel and short story, one of which is by you. Here's my question: the novels appearing in the book are titled DEATH IN A DEAD PLACE and NO PLACE TO PRAY. Yet in Mertz's Willie bibliography for Paperback Parade, no such titles exist. Do you know which titles those two books were originally published as? I'm guessing DEATH and NO PLACE were Willie's original titles, which were then changed by Merit, but have now been reinstated. Of course, I could be wrong about that. But since I've already got ten Willie PBO's, all the short stories, as well as Mertz's interview and bibliography, I don't know if I'd want to spend the dough right now if I already own the two novels reprinted in the SAND'S GAME collection. On the other hand, I'm a sucker for well-written introductions, especially if they provide background info or give a context to the piece they're introducing.

12:48 PM, June 18, 2010
George said...

This is a must-buy!

2:35 PM, June 18, 2010
Frank Loose said...

Brian ... I believe DEATH IN A DEAD PLACE was originally published as PASSION HAS NO RULE.

2:48 PM, June 18, 2010
Rittster said...

Frank,

Thanks, you must mean PASSION HAS NO RULE BOOK. I used to own that but traded it for a rare Orrie Hitt. Now to find out the title of NO PLACE TO PRAY.

3:00 PM, June 18, 2010
James Reasoner said...

I think the other novel was published as GAME OF PASSION.

3:32 PM, June 18, 2010
Rittster said...

James,

Thanks, I happen to already own Game of Passion. Darn it. Do you have any idea whether Ramble House will be putting out another collection?

11:28 PM, June 18, 2010
James Reasoner said...

I don't know of any plans right now, but that doesn't mean there aren't any.

7:34 AM, June 19, 2010
Anonymous said...

As editor of Sand's Game I can clear up the mystery about the two Sand novels that appear in the book. Death in a Dead Place was originally titled Passion Has No Rule Book. Too Late to Pray was originally titled Game of Passion. The short story The ugly Red head was originally titled Unsubtle Sensualite. Hope that clears everything up. Ennis Willie says the publisher came up with the titles.

Lynn

7:24 PM, June 19, 2010
Sand Game said...

I am almost done reading this book and I just love the way the story is written. If one like to read fast-paced, ultra-hard boiled style then this is the book they must read.

7:25 AM, May 15, 2013

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