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The Nicotine Chronicles
Lee Child recruits Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Ames, Cara Black, and others to reveal nicotine’s scintillating alter egos.
In recent years, nicotine has become as verboten as many hard drugs. The literary styles in this volume are as varied as the moral quandaries herein, and the authors have successfully unleashed their incandescent imaginations on the subject matter, fashioning an immensely addictive collection.
Featuring brand-new stories by: Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Ames, Eric Bogosian, Achy Obejas, Michael Imperioli, Hannah Tinti, Ariel Gore, Bernice L. McFadden, Cara Black, Christopher Sorrentino, David L. Ulin, Jerry Stahl, Lauren Sanders, Peter Kimani, and Robert Arellano.
Inspired by the ongoing international success of the city-based Akashic Noir Series (Brooklyn Noir, Boston Noir, Paris Noir, etc.), Akashic created the Drug Chronicles Series in 2011. Following The Speed Chronicles (William T. Vollmann, Megan Abbott), The Cocaine Chronicles (Lee Child, Laura Lippman), The Heroin Chronicles (Jerry Stahl, Eric Bogosian, Lydia Lunch), and The Marijuana Chronicles (Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates) comes The Nicotine Chronicles, masterfully curated by blockbuster hit maker Lee Child.
In recent years, nicotine has become as verboten as many hard drugs. The literary styles in this volume are as varied as the moral quandaries herein, and the authors have successfully unleashed their incandescent imaginations on the subject matter, fashioning an immensely addictive collection.
Featuring brand-new stories by: Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Ames, Eric Bogosian, Achy Obejas, Michael Imperioli, Hannah Tinti, Ariel Gore, Bernice L. McFadden, Cara Black, Christopher Sorrentino, David L. Ulin, Jerry Stahl, Lauren Sanders, Peter Kimani, and Robert Arellano.
Inspired by the ongoing international success of the city-based Akashic Noir Series (Brooklyn Noir, Boston Noir, Paris Noir, etc.), Akashic created the Drug Chronicles Series in 2011. Following The Speed Chronicles (William T. Vollmann, Megan Abbott), The Cocaine Chronicles (Lee Child, Laura Lippman), The Heroin Chronicles (Jerry Stahl, Eric Bogosian, Lydia Lunch), and The Marijuana Chronicles (Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates) comes The Nicotine Chronicles, masterfully curated by blockbuster hit maker Lee Child.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2020
134 people are currently reading
557 people want to read
About the author
Lee Child
442 books34.2k followersLee Child was born October 29th, 1954 in Coventry, England, but spent his formative years in the nearby city of Birmingham. By coincidence he won a scholarship to the same high school that JRR Tolkien had attended. He went to law school in Sheffield, England, and after part-time work in the theater he joined Granada Television in Manchester for what turned out to be an eighteen-year career as a presentation director during British TV's "golden age." During his tenure his company made Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown, Prime Suspect, and Cracker. But he was fired in 1995 at the age of 40 as a result of corporate restructuring. Always a voracious reader, he decided to see an opportunity where others might have seen a crisis and bought six dollars' worth of paper and pencils and sat down to write a book, Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series.
Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.
Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.
Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.
Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.
Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar's Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.
Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 16, 2020
Perhaps you must be nicotine addicted to find solace with these stories. 0 of 10 stars
August 11, 2020
From the introduction by Lee Child:
Food scientists have discovered a complex compound naturally present in, among other things, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. The compound offers us a number of benefits: it improves our fine motor skills; it increases our attention spans; it improves our cognitive abilities; it improves our long- and short-term memories; it lessens depression...In and of itself, it has no real downside. It's called nicotine. We should all get some. The problem is the delivery system...The most efficient way is to burn dried tobacco leaves and inhale the smoke. Ten seconds later, the compound is in your brain, doing good in all its various ways. Unfortunately, the rest of the smoke doesn't do good. And therein lies a great mystery of human behavior. To get the good, we risk the bad. Or we prohibit ourselves the good, for fear of the bad. Which approach makes more sense?
Lee Child and the others authors that contributed stories to this book, employee the cigarette as a bonding experience for each of the characters featured in these short stories. I can’t say that the object used was in any way my favorite thing to have these 12 stories based on …but they were what lead the characters to share their individual stories and experiences. Having always been a huge Lee Child fan and a fan of many of the other authors that contributed to the book… I was thrilled to have received this book from the Early Reviewer site. While the stories were all interesting I just couldn’t get in out of my head that the cigarette was the drawing point for these well done stories. The writers never indicated that they were advocating for smoking, but it could be viewed as such by some I’m sure. I believe the idea was for these writers capture what went on in the characters brains behind their “bad decisions” and the momentary small joys such bad decisions can produce…but I guess I just don’t get it. I gave the book 3 stars for who wrote it and how well done the stories were…but I would never have bought this book. I understand there are other “chronicles” books with similar topics.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Akashic Books in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed by this reviewer are entirely my own.
Food scientists have discovered a complex compound naturally present in, among other things, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. The compound offers us a number of benefits: it improves our fine motor skills; it increases our attention spans; it improves our cognitive abilities; it improves our long- and short-term memories; it lessens depression...In and of itself, it has no real downside. It's called nicotine. We should all get some. The problem is the delivery system...The most efficient way is to burn dried tobacco leaves and inhale the smoke. Ten seconds later, the compound is in your brain, doing good in all its various ways. Unfortunately, the rest of the smoke doesn't do good. And therein lies a great mystery of human behavior. To get the good, we risk the bad. Or we prohibit ourselves the good, for fear of the bad. Which approach makes more sense?
Lee Child and the others authors that contributed stories to this book, employee the cigarette as a bonding experience for each of the characters featured in these short stories. I can’t say that the object used was in any way my favorite thing to have these 12 stories based on …but they were what lead the characters to share their individual stories and experiences. Having always been a huge Lee Child fan and a fan of many of the other authors that contributed to the book… I was thrilled to have received this book from the Early Reviewer site. While the stories were all interesting I just couldn’t get in out of my head that the cigarette was the drawing point for these well done stories. The writers never indicated that they were advocating for smoking, but it could be viewed as such by some I’m sure. I believe the idea was for these writers capture what went on in the characters brains behind their “bad decisions” and the momentary small joys such bad decisions can produce…but I guess I just don’t get it. I gave the book 3 stars for who wrote it and how well done the stories were…but I would never have bought this book. I understand there are other “chronicles” books with similar topics.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Akashic Books in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed by this reviewer are entirely my own.
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March 29, 2021A weird little collection of short stories where most characters are smokers. Stories are odd.
January 18, 2021
I give five stars to EVERYTHING Lee Child write, EXCEPT this... nothing more to say
October 5, 2024
Some were four stars but most were 2. Short stories always seem to rely on two main characters, experiencing something intense and having slow meaningful conversation.
April 13, 2023
It is an interesting collection of short stories which most of them just happen to include smoking and cigarettes. I would prefer to be some stories in which smoking was moving the plot and being the main theme.
August 14, 2020
As with most short story collections some are better than others
October 15, 2020
3.5 stars.
Overall, about a third of the stories simply didn't work for me. But, as always some are good, some are not, depends on the reader. I absolutely enjoyed the theme and creative ways smoking was weaved into them. It also appeared that they were asked to weave in a sexual thread too...maybe that was random...
Overall, about a third of the stories simply didn't work for me. But, as always some are good, some are not, depends on the reader. I absolutely enjoyed the theme and creative ways smoking was weaved into them. It also appeared that they were asked to weave in a sexual thread too...maybe that was random...
Read
September 26, 2020interested in Lee Child story only - didn't like it.
November 25, 2020
I like anthologies, so I was willing to take a chance on this one. That was an unfortunate decision. The stories meandered, were filled with quirky characters, and were sometimes entertaining but mostly not. In an anthology, you can get the crème, but you can also get the curdled milk. Most of these stories were tired, clichéd, and just plain boring. I wanted to like this collection. I wanted to be able to give it a 4 star. But, read it for yourself. Opinions vary. If you had to light it up, I’d say it was harsh, burned too quickly, and left a bad taste.
September 25, 2020
not impressed with this collection of short stories.
October 14, 2020
This ranks as one of the worst books I've ever read. Stories are too short to develop any interest or to get to know the characters or build a real plot
February 24, 2021
Each story made me want to smoke a cigarette. Not recommended for smokers who have recently quit.
October 22, 2020
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S THE NICOTINE CHRONICLES?
This is an anthology of stories centered around nicotine—users, their delivery system of choice, and how it shapes their thinking/lives. (you can read an excerpt from Child's Introduction here to flesh this out a bit). There's one or two that discuss cigars, vaping only shows up once, the rest of these focus on cigarettes (oh, I can think of one mention of a pipe, too). If you care about things like that.
Some of these sixteen stories would fit under the "Crime Fiction" umbrella, one is sort of speculative fiction, and the rest would be "General Fiction." Not all wax rhapsodically about nicotine or tobacco—in fact, it's usually portrayed as a pretty negative habit/substance—actually, I think it's a positive thing only once (and not directly). So even non-/anti-smokers can read this without having to put up with a celebration of smoking or anything.
THE NAMES I KNEW
On the whole, these authors were new to me, with four exceptions.
So, I knew Eric Bogosian from miscellaneous roles, and I wasn't surprised to see that he writes a little. His essay/monologue/first-person rant, "Smoking Jesus," starts with the paragraphs I started this post with. It's the best thing in this collection. Sadly, it's only 4 pages of it. That just isn't right.
I was surprised to see that Michael Imperioli writes, but I'm glad he does. His contribution was one of the better and more imaginative pieces.
Lee Child and Joyce Carol Oates, are names, of course, that I recognized because I've walked into a bookstore/library at least once in the last twenty years. Child's story wasn't the kind of thing that fans would expect, but was pretty decent. I appreciated what Oates was doing, but it felt a little...obvious? Unnecessary? Clichéd?
THE NAMES THAT WERE NEW TO ME
That leaves 12 names I'm pretty sure I've never run across before. None of them moved me to seek out other work of theirs, but there were only two that I actively disliked. I'd be open to reading things from all of them were I to stumble across them.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE NICOTINE CHRONICLES?
Every story was well-written, well-executed. I'm not going to complain about the technical aspects—top-notch work, really. But the overwhelming majority of these left me cold. And even with the ones I felt most positive about I could only muster mild interest over.
I have no real animus about this, but no real reason to recommend it. It's just something I read.
---
I've tried to stop smoking.
I know it's important not to smoke. In fact, it's stupid to smoke. I smoke, but I try not to smoke. Every time I light a cigarette I think, I should not be doing this.
I want a better life. But it's an uphill battle, it is an uphill battle because I try to do the right thing, but I don't do the right thing. And...I smoke anyway.
Fuck it, I don't smoke that much. The chances that something really bad will happen to me as a consequence of my smoking habit are slim. In fact, the chances that something else might happen to me for other reasons are far greater. Something will happen to me, though.
Sooner or later. That's guaranteed.
WHAT'S THE NICOTINE CHRONICLES?
This is an anthology of stories centered around nicotine—users, their delivery system of choice, and how it shapes their thinking/lives. (you can read an excerpt from Child's Introduction here to flesh this out a bit). There's one or two that discuss cigars, vaping only shows up once, the rest of these focus on cigarettes (oh, I can think of one mention of a pipe, too). If you care about things like that.
Some of these sixteen stories would fit under the "Crime Fiction" umbrella, one is sort of speculative fiction, and the rest would be "General Fiction." Not all wax rhapsodically about nicotine or tobacco—in fact, it's usually portrayed as a pretty negative habit/substance—actually, I think it's a positive thing only once (and not directly). So even non-/anti-smokers can read this without having to put up with a celebration of smoking or anything.
THE NAMES I KNEW
On the whole, these authors were new to me, with four exceptions.
So, I knew Eric Bogosian from miscellaneous roles, and I wasn't surprised to see that he writes a little. His essay/monologue/first-person rant, "Smoking Jesus," starts with the paragraphs I started this post with. It's the best thing in this collection. Sadly, it's only 4 pages of it. That just isn't right.
I was surprised to see that Michael Imperioli writes, but I'm glad he does. His contribution was one of the better and more imaginative pieces.
Lee Child and Joyce Carol Oates, are names, of course, that I recognized because I've walked into a bookstore/library at least once in the last twenty years. Child's story wasn't the kind of thing that fans would expect, but was pretty decent. I appreciated what Oates was doing, but it felt a little...obvious? Unnecessary? Clichéd?
THE NAMES THAT WERE NEW TO ME
That leaves 12 names I'm pretty sure I've never run across before. None of them moved me to seek out other work of theirs, but there were only two that I actively disliked. I'd be open to reading things from all of them were I to stumble across them.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE NICOTINE CHRONICLES?
I craved a cigarette right then like I was missing not some foreign chemical but a part of my own, soul, and from each cell of my throat and my lungs, I thanked the universe that I had one.
Every story was well-written, well-executed. I'm not going to complain about the technical aspects—top-notch work, really. But the overwhelming majority of these left me cold. And even with the ones I felt most positive about I could only muster mild interest over.
I have no real animus about this, but no real reason to recommend it. It's just something I read.
February 6, 2021
This was a disappointment. I was hoping for more...what I can't say.
Part I: Thank You for Not Smoking
1 - “Park & Play” by Hannah Tinti - 4 Stars
2 - “My Simple Plan” by Ariel Gore - 3.5 Stars
3 - “The Renovation of the Just” by Christopher Sorrentino - 2 Stars
4 - “Deathbed Vigil” by Jonathan Ames - 3.5 Stars
Part II: Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health
5 - “Dying for a Cigarette” by Lee Child - 4.5 Stars
6 - “The Smoke-Free Room” by Achy Obejas - 3 Stars
7 - “Spécial Treatment” by Cara Black - 3.5 Stars
8 - “Yasiri” by Michael Imperioli - 3 Stars
Part III: Hungry for Flavor?
9 - “Smoking Jesus” by Eric Bogosian - 1.5 Stars
10 - “The Summer You Lit Up” by Lauren Sanders - 3.5 Stars
11 - “Climax, Oregon” by Robert Arellano - 2.5 Stars
12 - “Freshly Cut” by Peter Kimani - 2.5 Stars
Part IV: Inhale to Your Heart’s Content
13 - “Smoke Break” by David L. Ulin - 2 Stars
14 - “God’s Work” by Bernice L. McFadden - 2.5 Stars
15 - “Menthol” by Jerry Stahl - 2 Stars
16 - “Vaping: A User’s Manual” by Joyce Carol Oates - 3.5 Stars
47 Total ÷ 16 = 2.9375 (3 Stars)
I used to smoke, 25 years ago. Have never looked back. Very thankful to have kicked the habit.
Part I: Thank You for Not Smoking
1 - “Park & Play” by Hannah Tinti - 4 Stars
2 - “My Simple Plan” by Ariel Gore - 3.5 Stars
3 - “The Renovation of the Just” by Christopher Sorrentino - 2 Stars
4 - “Deathbed Vigil” by Jonathan Ames - 3.5 Stars
Part II: Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health
5 - “Dying for a Cigarette” by Lee Child - 4.5 Stars
6 - “The Smoke-Free Room” by Achy Obejas - 3 Stars
7 - “Spécial Treatment” by Cara Black - 3.5 Stars
8 - “Yasiri” by Michael Imperioli - 3 Stars
Part III: Hungry for Flavor?
9 - “Smoking Jesus” by Eric Bogosian - 1.5 Stars
10 - “The Summer You Lit Up” by Lauren Sanders - 3.5 Stars
11 - “Climax, Oregon” by Robert Arellano - 2.5 Stars
12 - “Freshly Cut” by Peter Kimani - 2.5 Stars
Part IV: Inhale to Your Heart’s Content
13 - “Smoke Break” by David L. Ulin - 2 Stars
14 - “God’s Work” by Bernice L. McFadden - 2.5 Stars
15 - “Menthol” by Jerry Stahl - 2 Stars
16 - “Vaping: A User’s Manual” by Joyce Carol Oates - 3.5 Stars
47 Total ÷ 16 = 2.9375 (3 Stars)
I used to smoke, 25 years ago. Have never looked back. Very thankful to have kicked the habit.
June 22, 2022
I recently said that I was growing a bit tired of Akashic's Noir series set in different cities. While I generally would enjoy the books, sometimes the authors seemed so intent on dropping information about cities and neighborhoods that didn't add to the story that it actually distracted from the story. That is not the case in this, the first of Akashic's Drug Chronicles, The Nicotine Chronicles.
Smoking is such a staple of noirish stories, that it is easy to forget that it is the theme of the book. Some of the stories made smoking or cigarettes a key part of the narrative, while others just had characters who smoked. I would imagine that this will be harder to do in the other Drug Chronicles, but for this one, it made of a good collection of short stories.
Smoking is such a staple of noirish stories, that it is easy to forget that it is the theme of the book. Some of the stories made smoking or cigarettes a key part of the narrative, while others just had characters who smoked. I would imagine that this will be harder to do in the other Drug Chronicles, but for this one, it made of a good collection of short stories.
November 2, 2021
Quirky collection of smoke-themed stories. Interesting premise, some surprising authors and varying story quality. Overall, enjoyable and thought-provoking. Will likely try others in the Akashic Drug Chronicle series: Cocaine, Marijuana, Speed, Heroin. Sounds like a fun afternoon without the physical, emotional or financial toll ...
January 15, 2021
Downloaded from my public library, this is book was an interesting endeavor, a whole bunch of stories with one theme. Some were great, some "meh".. but thats to be expected. Surprisingly enough, Lee Child's was not my favorite!
February 10, 2021
Dark, expertly written collection of short stories. I liked that they all revolved around some type of smoking--cigarettes, cigars, vaping. Quick read that made me think about how much our habits have ability to impact big and little situations in life.
April 1, 2021
Lee Child editing this collection made me choose to read it, wish I hadn't. None of the short stories in this collection were enjoyable, some were just downright bizarre with no real story at all. Do yourself a favour and don't even start to dip into this one.
October 4, 2023
Solid short stories, different themes, but all wrapped up with cigarettes and the joy they bring. Or the trouble they bring. Or the sadness they bring. Loved hearing new voices and enjoyed my return to writers I've cherished in the past.
September 22, 2020
Stories of smoking
September 22, 2020
The only part of this collection of short stories I liked was the introduction by Lee Child. This just wasn’t for me.
October 6, 2020
Pleasant? No...Gritty...yes. the writing was exceptional, sometimes painfully descriptive and somewhat unexpected from some of the authors.
October 12, 2020
A fascinating collection of short stories with smoking or nicotine as the connecting thread. The characters were well drawn. One story about vaping gives a contemporary feel to three collection.
October 26, 2020
This is a collection of short stories all revolving around tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and nicotine. Interesting collection.
December 23, 2021
Some gems and some duds. "The Summer You Lit Up" by Lauren Sanders was far and away my favorite. Beware of "Menthol" by Jerry Stahl if you're squeamish regarding sexual situations.
May 9, 2022
The short stories in this collection struck me as being a bit mediocre but that is probably because I have been an Ex-Smoker now for 10 years
October 17, 2022
Some stories were okay. Most were awful.
December 20, 2024
An "ok" collection of short stories. I did the audiobook, each evening I'd listen to a story in bed before going to sleep. Nothing spectacular in this collection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews