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My Name is Dee
John Dee is a magician in Los Angeles. He is going insane.
My Name Is Dee is a novel for the educated reader who enjoys noir action, intrigue and dark romance, for the child in all of us who wants to go on adventures, and for the fearful adult too who marvels at the terrifying scale of this universe.
Battling aliens, journeying between dimensions, exploring the
immensity of the human mind, and saving a woman are on the docket for John Dee in this noir adventure.
He must choose what moral course his life is going to can he stand to still wear the grey hat?
My Name Is Dee is a novel for the educated reader who enjoys noir action, intrigue and dark romance, for the child in all of us who wants to go on adventures, and for the fearful adult too who marvels at the terrifying scale of this universe.
Battling aliens, journeying between dimensions, exploring the
immensity of the human mind, and saving a woman are on the docket for John Dee in this noir adventure.
He must choose what moral course his life is going to can he stand to still wear the grey hat?
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 28, 2013
2 people are currently reading
542 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 23, 2013
'What do you want to see, what can you handle?' Strap yourself in and get ready for a wild ride. You will be spending time inside the mind of John Dee, a magician who is going insane. It is a fascinating and sometimes horrifying place to be.
The aliens are stellar, loved the species that had 27 different genders. A huge pseudopod with 10,000 legs turns out to be almost endearing. You will be exploring all manner of strange ideas and beings, Mr. Wing, Woman of the Second Soil, Chai, eyes that go black, slow flutter.
There were things with a sense of familiarity, as well. No one could possibly argue with the fact that Hollywood is a place where everyone has an expiration date, for instance. And what about a man who was so hungry that 'his stomach was worried and hoping that he would opt again for the double cheeseburger in the cafeferia.'?
The cover art is a mind-blower and suits the book perfectly. This was a first-reads giveaway, signed by the author. Thanks for the trip!
The aliens are stellar, loved the species that had 27 different genders. A huge pseudopod with 10,000 legs turns out to be almost endearing. You will be exploring all manner of strange ideas and beings, Mr. Wing, Woman of the Second Soil, Chai, eyes that go black, slow flutter.
There were things with a sense of familiarity, as well. No one could possibly argue with the fact that Hollywood is a place where everyone has an expiration date, for instance. And what about a man who was so hungry that 'his stomach was worried and hoping that he would opt again for the double cheeseburger in the cafeferia.'?
The cover art is a mind-blower and suits the book perfectly. This was a first-reads giveaway, signed by the author. Thanks for the trip!
August 9, 2013
Haven't received my copy yet, just received notice I have won! 8/8/13
Received my copy, will start as soon as I am done with my current read. 8/16/13
Started 8/21/13
finished last weekend.
I can't give a short synopsis, because I really have no idea what this book was supposed to be about. There were a few sections that made enough sense to follow what was happening but on the whole, the books was a bunch of words put together, but with no rhyme or reason. I get that the character is supposed to be insane, but the book just makes the reader that way.
Received my copy, will start as soon as I am done with my current read. 8/16/13
Started 8/21/13
finished last weekend.
I can't give a short synopsis, because I really have no idea what this book was supposed to be about. There were a few sections that made enough sense to follow what was happening but on the whole, the books was a bunch of words put together, but with no rhyme or reason. I get that the character is supposed to be insane, but the book just makes the reader that way.
August 16, 2014
1.5/5.0
Dunn forewarns fans of noir adventure that this is "...a novel for the educated reader...", but most will agree that that's just a nice way of saying that most will struggle completing his cryptic, confusing and complex book.
Read full review in the 2013 September issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Dunn forewarns fans of noir adventure that this is "...a novel for the educated reader...", but most will agree that that's just a nice way of saying that most will struggle completing his cryptic, confusing and complex book.
Read full review in the 2013 September issue of InD’tale Magazine.
August 4, 2017
Noir Magica. This story is not dove grey but at times so dark it’s nearly black.
Writing from the POV of someone who is insane, on drugs, or experiencing an alternate reality is an exacting task. Reading such a book is no trivial exercise, either, but some people enjoy teasing out clues to the actual state of such a character’s life. My Name is Dee is not a book for the casual reader: a dedicated reader needs to sift through clues to unravel such a story and do that while getting their information carefully filtered though an unreliable narrator. Did John Dee kill his son? Did he kill a female writer? Are there really aliens, and is his “magic” perception of the power structure behind the shadow-world of Los Angeles real, or is he insane?
When reading such a work, my personal preference is to (a) have some sort of resolution toward the end, where you can decide what actually happened and (b) to not be forced to wade through a sewer of the darker side of life while doing so. I do not feel that I was rewarded for my hard work in following this dream-like plot. The author chooses to leave the reader undecided about his protagonist’s sanity. Note that this is a personal preference: you may enjoy such a book. I felt let down, however, annoyed and a little betrayed.
Writing from the POV of someone who is insane, on drugs, or experiencing an alternate reality is an exacting task. Reading such a book is no trivial exercise, either, but some people enjoy teasing out clues to the actual state of such a character’s life. My Name is Dee is not a book for the casual reader: a dedicated reader needs to sift through clues to unravel such a story and do that while getting their information carefully filtered though an unreliable narrator. Did John Dee kill his son? Did he kill a female writer? Are there really aliens, and is his “magic” perception of the power structure behind the shadow-world of Los Angeles real, or is he insane?
When reading such a work, my personal preference is to (a) have some sort of resolution toward the end, where you can decide what actually happened and (b) to not be forced to wade through a sewer of the darker side of life while doing so. I do not feel that I was rewarded for my hard work in following this dream-like plot. The author chooses to leave the reader undecided about his protagonist’s sanity. Note that this is a personal preference: you may enjoy such a book. I felt let down, however, annoyed and a little betrayed.
September 4, 2013
Review copied from my blog.
If I’m honest I have to say that I found this book difficult to read, which is probably why it’s taken me the best part of a month to read this. I found myself needing to go back over parts to make sure I was reading it properly and it was page 30 before I found myself really understanding what was going on.
The story itself was great, full of action and I loved the author’s take on magic. It was quite interesting to see magic as a more subtle force rather than the in your face form (think Harry Potter style spell casting when I say this) seen in quite a lot of books at the moment. It seemed to be the writer’s style that wasn’t to my taste rather than anything else. Dunn would often change settings so fast that I was left unsure about whether that part was a flashback or if it really was a change of location, this left the piece feeling really disjointed, though this may have been a reflection of the main characters rapid descent into madness as he comes to terms with what he has done in his life. In a way the writing style reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ though ‘My Name is Dee’ felt more disjointed and didn’t have the same satirical air.
Although I wasn’t overly fond of this book I would still recommend it to a sci-fi fan who enjoys the whole disjointed writing style thing because I found the story itself to be very good. I really wouldn’t recommend anybody with a short attention span or somebody who prefers to speed read to read this though as I found that it does require a thorough read through.
If I’m honest I have to say that I found this book difficult to read, which is probably why it’s taken me the best part of a month to read this. I found myself needing to go back over parts to make sure I was reading it properly and it was page 30 before I found myself really understanding what was going on.
The story itself was great, full of action and I loved the author’s take on magic. It was quite interesting to see magic as a more subtle force rather than the in your face form (think Harry Potter style spell casting when I say this) seen in quite a lot of books at the moment. It seemed to be the writer’s style that wasn’t to my taste rather than anything else. Dunn would often change settings so fast that I was left unsure about whether that part was a flashback or if it really was a change of location, this left the piece feeling really disjointed, though this may have been a reflection of the main characters rapid descent into madness as he comes to terms with what he has done in his life. In a way the writing style reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ though ‘My Name is Dee’ felt more disjointed and didn’t have the same satirical air.
Although I wasn’t overly fond of this book I would still recommend it to a sci-fi fan who enjoys the whole disjointed writing style thing because I found the story itself to be very good. I really wouldn’t recommend anybody with a short attention span or somebody who prefers to speed read to read this though as I found that it does require a thorough read through.
September 18, 2013
My Name Is Dee, is a book about the life and thoughts of a man John Dee, who is a magician. But not a magician who casts spells, and does magic tricks, but rather a magician who is more of a sensory magician, meaning he is able to communicate with people through thoughts, and to visually stimulate what one thinks they are seeing. John's closest friend Sandra is missing, he goes on a massive search to find her, only to find her in a apt in his own building in a coma, due to a great entity called the Chaimougkos ( Chai for short). Shortly thereafter masses of the worlds population becomes possessed by this entity Chai. John must go on a massive expedition through many different worlds in order to find a way to stop Chai. The Foo ( friendly aliens) try to help as best they can, but it is really John who holds the key to saving Earth.
I absolutely loved this book! It was a great read. Although I would recommend to future readers, to pay close attention to the first 30 pages, as that is what really sets up the lay of the story.
I absolutely loved this book! It was a great read. Although I would recommend to future readers, to pay close attention to the first 30 pages, as that is what really sets up the lay of the story.
August 14, 2013
The book in itself is great. It has great characters and a plot filled with adventure, and so much action that you would not want to put down.
However, it was at some points difficult to follow and hard to read, I couldn't submerge myself in the book as I found myself going back to reread some parts to make sure I knew what was going on. It was hard work, the different format was confusing and I first though they were flashbacks to help aid the story, but that wasn't the case and it made following the story harder and a bit of a chore, it was a little depressing too. I couldn't make it flow.
Overall, it was really well written and structured but I think you have to be a focused, maybe an educated reader who loves this type of genre to be able to follow and enjoy the story to it's full.
I do ask people, if they love complicated plots and this style of writing, pick it up and give it a read.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it.
However, it was at some points difficult to follow and hard to read, I couldn't submerge myself in the book as I found myself going back to reread some parts to make sure I knew what was going on. It was hard work, the different format was confusing and I first though they were flashbacks to help aid the story, but that wasn't the case and it made following the story harder and a bit of a chore, it was a little depressing too. I couldn't make it flow.
Overall, it was really well written and structured but I think you have to be a focused, maybe an educated reader who loves this type of genre to be able to follow and enjoy the story to it's full.
I do ask people, if they love complicated plots and this style of writing, pick it up and give it a read.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it.
September 17, 2013
When I read this book, I said to the author, "Because it's anything but a mainstream novel, it could go one of two ways: either end up a cult favorite or a spectacular failure." In response, he laughed. My own vote is for a cult favorite, with the hope that, in time, this book gains the recognition it deserves. I loved it because the plot is so far off the beaten path that the author must be admired for his imagination and courage. The magic of the protagonist is elusive and undefined, as wonderfully mysterious as the life that he lives and the torments he endures. The antagonism toward writers and the attempted control of literature will be familiar to anyone who has a background in Soviet history. But in this book, the protagonist has a personal stake and interest in watching over his chosen artists.
About four pages into the novel, I was hooked for the duration. This is a spectacular turnout by a terrifically talented author.
About four pages into the novel, I was hooked for the duration. This is a spectacular turnout by a terrifically talented author.
August 27, 2013
This was a very different type of book from anything i've ever read before. it was written in sort of a journal form, and it took me awhile to figure out what was going on since it jumped around in place and time, as well as reality vs in the main character's mind.
i enjoyed the book to a point, i felt sort of lost through probably the first half but once i figured out what was going on i enjoyed it more. i plan on reading it again, and will probably enjoy it much more since i won't face the confusion i had on first reading.
3 1/2 stars is my actual rating, but it won't let me pick that.
(Sorry About No Caps, My Phone Either Capitalizes every Word On One Keyboard, Or Nothing On The Other)
i enjoyed the book to a point, i felt sort of lost through probably the first half but once i figured out what was going on i enjoyed it more. i plan on reading it again, and will probably enjoy it much more since i won't face the confusion i had on first reading.
3 1/2 stars is my actual rating, but it won't let me pick that.
(Sorry About No Caps, My Phone Either Capitalizes every Word On One Keyboard, Or Nothing On The Other)
September 30, 2013
I found this book to be very confusing and I couldn't follow it. It continually jumped to different subjects and it didn't flow.
I do respect that Dee even states that he has hallucinations, it was hard to differentiate what was real and what was the main character's hallucinations.
He is an alien, he is a magician, he loves a writer, something has happened to the writer. He is a mercenary, there is an albino boy that showed him his mind.
I read all sorts of genre and I could not get into this one. It is a mix of maybe a memoir? It has hints of Satire. It just doesn't flow.
I really cannot suggest this one. I received this book from a library thing giveaway and this is my honest opinion.
I do respect that Dee even states that he has hallucinations, it was hard to differentiate what was real and what was the main character's hallucinations.
He is an alien, he is a magician, he loves a writer, something has happened to the writer. He is a mercenary, there is an albino boy that showed him his mind.
I read all sorts of genre and I could not get into this one. It is a mix of maybe a memoir? It has hints of Satire. It just doesn't flow.
I really cannot suggest this one. I received this book from a library thing giveaway and this is my honest opinion.
October 20, 2013
My name is Dee is about aliens and a magician who must save the world. Or is it? My take is that it is about a schizophrenic murderer, but the book is unclear enough to leave on guessing and the truth is never fully revealed. A lot of this is because of the way that the narrative jumps between time and place and how nonlinear it is. Most of it is because the narrator is very unreliable and even admits to being prone to hallucinations. This serves to make the book an interesting read that I thought could have been great. However, I felt that there were a few rushed parts near the climax of the book and that some parts of the book should have been edited because they didn't add much to the narrative and merely frustrated the reader.
August 12, 2013
Dunn's style is like nothing I have seen before. Which is good. Though sometimes a little difficult to follow, he always manages to punch the reader in the chest with strong emotion, giving his pieces a mood that helps carry the reader along. This pre reading of the authors work made me more excited to enjoy his book. Unfortunately I was not as impressed with the novel as I had been with his shorter works..
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See more of my review over at, unspeakablegibberer.com
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See more of my review over at, unspeakablegibberer.com
October 20, 2013
I really wanted to like this book- the synopsis was intriguing & it sounded totally off-the-wall. I had high hopes for it.
Unfortunately I just could not get on with this book! The way in which it's written totally distracts from the story. In fact I don't think I could tell you happens in it as it got so difficult to follow...
I felt it was trying too hard to be clever, showing off about how different it is from other stuff out there & ultimately, for me, it spoilt it.
Don't get me wrong, I like different- different is good- but this was just too much.
Unfortunately I just could not get on with this book! The way in which it's written totally distracts from the story. In fact I don't think I could tell you happens in it as it got so difficult to follow...
I felt it was trying too hard to be clever, showing off about how different it is from other stuff out there & ultimately, for me, it spoilt it.
Don't get me wrong, I like different- different is good- but this was just too much.
September 20, 2013
I did enjoy this book
September 27, 2013
What the hell ??
A total discombobulated mess of words.
*Received in exchange for a review
A total discombobulated mess of words.
*Received in exchange for a review
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews