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Hard Boiled Vampire Killers
Most people would call Ty Trotter a loser. He lives off his vampire girlfriend, can't hold a job, drinks and smokes the cheapest stuff on the shelves, and is Chairman for Life of his own Pity Committee, spending all his free time getting drunk, watching late-night TV and feeling sorry for himself.
Most people would call Ed Ma a nerd. He lives with his parents and attends school part time. He doesn't have a job, doesn't talk to girls, doesn't know how to network, and doesn't know what he wants to do when he finally grows up. He does what his momma tells him and always tries to be a good son. He spends all his free time either at the gym or on the internet.
But while most people are asleep, Ty and Ed roam the streets of Atlanta, pushing the darkness back an inch at a time by any means necessary. You see, they hunt vampires, the parasitic undead that threaten the good people of the city. Ty snipes them with a big-game rifle, Ed cuts 'em down a sword backed up by kung fu power.
Maybe they really are losers. They sure ain't registered voters, college professors, or members of the Chamber of Commerce. But they are... HARD BOILED VAMPIRE KILLERS
Most people would call Ed Ma a nerd. He lives with his parents and attends school part time. He doesn't have a job, doesn't talk to girls, doesn't know how to network, and doesn't know what he wants to do when he finally grows up. He does what his momma tells him and always tries to be a good son. He spends all his free time either at the gym or on the internet.
But while most people are asleep, Ty and Ed roam the streets of Atlanta, pushing the darkness back an inch at a time by any means necessary. You see, they hunt vampires, the parasitic undead that threaten the good people of the city. Ty snipes them with a big-game rifle, Ed cuts 'em down a sword backed up by kung fu power.
Maybe they really are losers. They sure ain't registered voters, college professors, or members of the Chamber of Commerce. But they are... HARD BOILED VAMPIRE KILLERS
- GenresHorror
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Jim Gavin
15 books8 followersJim Gavin is a hard-drinking, cigar smoking, "unfrozen caveman" writer. Working from a wide range of interests and influences like action movies, horror, detective fiction, pulp and pre-war sci-fi and bizarro surrealism, his work tends to cross genre boundaries, ignoring some rules and tropes while freely using others. His goal is to write books that are tough to classify but fun to read.
His first novel, HARD BOILED VAMPIRE KILLERS, was published by Dark Regions Press in December of 2010. The story of two men who hunt vampires in Atlanta, it's a throwback to the days when vampires were the bad guys and human beings, flawed as they are, were the good guys; a buddy-action book that is both funny and thrilling, with lots of guns, explosions, kung fu, and of course bloody vampire killings.
His new novella, ARENA OF THE WOLF, about a trucker kidnapped and forced to compete in a rodeo where the cowboys ride werewolves, will be released as part of Dark Regions' new novella series later this year.
He lives and works at night with his redoubtable wife in Atlanta and blogs about books, whisky, cigars, and the things that annoy and inspire him at www.jimgavin.net.
His first novel, HARD BOILED VAMPIRE KILLERS, was published by Dark Regions Press in December of 2010. The story of two men who hunt vampires in Atlanta, it's a throwback to the days when vampires were the bad guys and human beings, flawed as they are, were the good guys; a buddy-action book that is both funny and thrilling, with lots of guns, explosions, kung fu, and of course bloody vampire killings.
His new novella, ARENA OF THE WOLF, about a trucker kidnapped and forced to compete in a rodeo where the cowboys ride werewolves, will be released as part of Dark Regions' new novella series later this year.
He lives and works at night with his redoubtable wife in Atlanta and blogs about books, whisky, cigars, and the things that annoy and inspire him at www.jimgavin.net.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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January 25, 2011Ty is a loser who lives off of his vampire girlfriend and doesn’t have a job. Ty is also a vampire killer, hunting them at night in the city of Atlanta. Edmund is also a bit of a loser. He’s twenty-five and still lives with his parents. When Edmund is not in school he is out hunting vampires. Edmund, it turns out, comes from a long line of vampire hunters. Edmund and Ty have both been visited by the same woman and she wants them to do something for her. What is it that she wants, and what will Ty and Edmund have to give up in return?
Not your typical vampire story, Hard Boiled Vampire Killers also has ghosts, necromancy, and ancient Chinese folklore. It’s not about the vampires as much as it is about Ty and Edmund and what drives them to hunt. Ty is a veteran vamp killer and goes about his business with little fanfare, dispatching his enemies as quickly and efficiently as possible. Edmund uses kung fu and likes to show off. He’s also learning a lot from his father and his father’s friends. Ty is a mystery, giving only tiny hints about the person he is and how he got that way. The novel reads like crime noir with the same somber feel and quick action. Jim Gavin’s writing is gritty and smart and brings something new and different to the vampire sub-genre. Ty is just as rough and dirty as the job he does and the blood-suckers don’t stand a chance. Edmund is a bit naïve but he’s learning more every day. I think even readers who have become jaded with vamp lit will enjoy Gavin’s book….I know I did. Recommended.
Contains: violence, gore, adult language and sexual situations
Reviewed by: Colleen Wanglund
Not your typical vampire story, Hard Boiled Vampire Killers also has ghosts, necromancy, and ancient Chinese folklore. It’s not about the vampires as much as it is about Ty and Edmund and what drives them to hunt. Ty is a veteran vamp killer and goes about his business with little fanfare, dispatching his enemies as quickly and efficiently as possible. Edmund uses kung fu and likes to show off. He’s also learning a lot from his father and his father’s friends. Ty is a mystery, giving only tiny hints about the person he is and how he got that way. The novel reads like crime noir with the same somber feel and quick action. Jim Gavin’s writing is gritty and smart and brings something new and different to the vampire sub-genre. Ty is just as rough and dirty as the job he does and the blood-suckers don’t stand a chance. Edmund is a bit naïve but he’s learning more every day. I think even readers who have become jaded with vamp lit will enjoy Gavin’s book….I know I did. Recommended.
Contains: violence, gore, adult language and sexual situations
Reviewed by: Colleen Wanglund
February 4, 2018
This was such a fun book to read. Kung-Fu vampire killer meets crazy American cowboy type. Think Big Trouble in Little China, think the backstory to how Jack Burton and Wang Chi could have possibly met.
Hard Boiled Vampire Killers is advertised as pulp, but I'm not sure that's an accurate description. It's campy, outrageous, unbelievable and totally enjoyable. You know that cheap bakery cake? The one that tastes so good but you know it's not good for you? Yeah, that's this book. We have Kung Fu masters calling out their moves as they fly across the room, absurdly giant guns, corny one liners and dangerous, beautiful, women.
I really hope more of these books are on the way, because I'd buy every single one of them.
Hard Boiled Vampire Killers is advertised as pulp, but I'm not sure that's an accurate description. It's campy, outrageous, unbelievable and totally enjoyable. You know that cheap bakery cake? The one that tastes so good but you know it's not good for you? Yeah, that's this book. We have Kung Fu masters calling out their moves as they fly across the room, absurdly giant guns, corny one liners and dangerous, beautiful, women.
I really hope more of these books are on the way, because I'd buy every single one of them.
July 21, 2015
Positives first:
- I really like the introduction of a long and diverse Asian hunting tradition, with its cultural distinctiveness, to the vampire convention -- which has remained essentially European since old Abe Van Helsing taught the business to poor Lucy's three suitors.
- Kung Fu meets Underworld meets Konstantine's urban fantasy noir atmosphere. Blade successfully incorporated some martial arts in the war against the undead; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Vampire Slayer here turns that knob to 11. Fun times.
- Coming-of-age Hero's quest for the young protagonist; renewal of spirit and purpose for the elder. Hooray for character arcs.
- World-building was overall successful. Gavin seems to be channeling Jim Butcher as he pays homage to Atlanta. Clear sense of this being just a small glimpse of a larger world.
Negatives:
- EDITING. There's a tight, well-paced story in this book -- I just wish the editor had worked harder to find it. Parts of the book meander, killing the narrative flow. Feels longer than it is and not in a good way.
- "Show, don't tell" is a fundamental axiom of creative writing for the simple reason that it's hard to do. Too much was told to the reader, especially in the characterization, that would have been more effective if it had been shown.
- Ty's mannerisms. The character of Ed is clearly defined and fleshed out: his motivations are clear and his personality fits him. It feels like Gavin understood Ed, unlike Ty, with whom Gavin seems uncomfortable. Gavin seems uncertain about Ty's voice and mannerisms. Some of Ty's dialogue (casual racism, smart-ass quips, and saltiness) feels forced, as does some of his internal monologue, which is unfortunate for a character written in the 1st person. Gavin may have been better off writing Ed in 1st person and Ty in 3rd person.
TL;DR:
- A decent read that falls well short of its potential but holds out the promise that subsequent installments will deliver on that potential. Good plot, pretty good characters, interesting premise and world, but it's hurt by technical flaws. Recommended, but temper your expectations.
If you liked this, read...
- Jim Butcher's "Storm Front" or Peter Clines' "Ex-Heroes" for examples of how to kick off an urban fantasy series.
- I really like the introduction of a long and diverse Asian hunting tradition, with its cultural distinctiveness, to the vampire convention -- which has remained essentially European since old Abe Van Helsing taught the business to poor Lucy's three suitors.
- Kung Fu meets Underworld meets Konstantine's urban fantasy noir atmosphere. Blade successfully incorporated some martial arts in the war against the undead; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Vampire Slayer here turns that knob to 11. Fun times.
- Coming-of-age Hero's quest for the young protagonist; renewal of spirit and purpose for the elder. Hooray for character arcs.
- World-building was overall successful. Gavin seems to be channeling Jim Butcher as he pays homage to Atlanta. Clear sense of this being just a small glimpse of a larger world.
Negatives:
- EDITING. There's a tight, well-paced story in this book -- I just wish the editor had worked harder to find it. Parts of the book meander, killing the narrative flow. Feels longer than it is and not in a good way.
- "Show, don't tell" is a fundamental axiom of creative writing for the simple reason that it's hard to do. Too much was told to the reader, especially in the characterization, that would have been more effective if it had been shown.
- Ty's mannerisms. The character of Ed is clearly defined and fleshed out: his motivations are clear and his personality fits him. It feels like Gavin understood Ed, unlike Ty, with whom Gavin seems uncomfortable. Gavin seems uncertain about Ty's voice and mannerisms. Some of Ty's dialogue (casual racism, smart-ass quips, and saltiness) feels forced, as does some of his internal monologue, which is unfortunate for a character written in the 1st person. Gavin may have been better off writing Ed in 1st person and Ty in 3rd person.
TL;DR:
- A decent read that falls well short of its potential but holds out the promise that subsequent installments will deliver on that potential. Good plot, pretty good characters, interesting premise and world, but it's hurt by technical flaws. Recommended, but temper your expectations.
If you liked this, read...
- Jim Butcher's "Storm Front" or Peter Clines' "Ex-Heroes" for examples of how to kick off an urban fantasy series.
January 20, 2013
This book surprised me. The blurb on the back cover doesn't do it justice. This book was described to me as pulp fiction. This is my first foray into that kind of story, so I can't speak to that.
There is a clear distinction between good and evil, but the humans are muddled gray. The action scenes read well, like you're watching a movie. The story is gritty. I didn't love the main characters, but I respected them.
If there is a sequel I will buy it. And I may actually read Gavin's werewolf novel too.
There is a clear distinction between good and evil, but the humans are muddled gray. The action scenes read well, like you're watching a movie. The story is gritty. I didn't love the main characters, but I respected them.
If there is a sequel I will buy it. And I may actually read Gavin's werewolf novel too.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews