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The Doom Magnetic Trilogy
CHORIZO, NEVADA is filled with the grittiest of men and the filthiest of women—the perfect place for a man chockful of secrets to hide. But one fateful day, his past catches up to him...
A Japanese assassin, with a cue-ball for an eye, invades the town with an army of two-foot eyeless minions who thirst for human blood. This man has two things on his mind: Where is his purple television? And who is the dead man that stole it from him?
The DOOM MAGNETIC Trilogy is a fast-paced sci-fi western, packed plum-full of sex, violence, cosmic voids, coliseum-style combat, genetically-engineered mutants, breathy brain whispers, cigar smoke torture chambers, and a sea of electric television zombies.
This is the weirdest book you will ever read.
A Japanese assassin, with a cue-ball for an eye, invades the town with an army of two-foot eyeless minions who thirst for human blood. This man has two things on his mind: Where is his purple television? And who is the dead man that stole it from him?
The DOOM MAGNETIC Trilogy is a fast-paced sci-fi western, packed plum-full of sex, violence, cosmic voids, coliseum-style combat, genetically-engineered mutants, breathy brain whispers, cigar smoke torture chambers, and a sea of electric television zombies.
This is the weirdest book you will ever read.
ebook
First published March 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
607 people want to read
About the author
William Pauley III
40 books609 followersRead/listen at www.doomfiction.com
"The beauty of Pauley’s work is that he makes the reader (relatively) comfortable with these fun, weird elements and then injects the narrative with short bursts of deep thinking and questions that cut to the marrow of human nature." — Gabino Iglesias, author of The Devil Takes You Home
William Pauley III has been praised by critics and readers alike for his contributions to weird science fiction and horror over the last 15 years. He's received rave reviews from Fangoria Magazine, Verbicide, and Dead End Follies, the latter stating "William Pauley III is one of the most recognizable voices in weird literature." He is the author of The Bedlam Bible, Hearers of the Constant Hum, and Automated Daydreaming. He lives in Lexington, KY.
"The beauty of Pauley’s work is that he makes the reader (relatively) comfortable with these fun, weird elements and then injects the narrative with short bursts of deep thinking and questions that cut to the marrow of human nature." — Gabino Iglesias, author of The Devil Takes You Home
William Pauley III has been praised by critics and readers alike for his contributions to weird science fiction and horror over the last 15 years. He's received rave reviews from Fangoria Magazine, Verbicide, and Dead End Follies, the latter stating "William Pauley III is one of the most recognizable voices in weird literature." He is the author of The Bedlam Bible, Hearers of the Constant Hum, and Automated Daydreaming. He lives in Lexington, KY.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 17, 2010
This is my first Bizarro sci-fi-western book. In all honestly, I haven't read much sci-fi as an adult. I left that genre behind in my teen years. Westerns have never attracted me. Somehow, mixing those two genres with Bizarro works exceptionally well. This was such a fabulous book!
Here are a couple reasons why I read it...
1. The town is named Chorizo, which is also the name of a delicious Mexican sausage.
2. Qoser, the cue-ball eyed, Japanese assassin. He was a weirdly fascinating character. I wanted to find more information on him. What was he doing in a western? What exactly is the doom magnetic?! What the devil happened to his eye? Why was he searching for a purple television?
Eventually, all my questions were answered in unexpected ways. What the purple television was for and who wanted it, ended up being a complete surprise. It's not something you'd ever guess!
3. William Pauley III is one of the few authors to interact with me online. He was so nice and polite, that I felt really compelled to read his work. It went up to the top of my to-read list.
Here are a couple reasons why I read it...
1. The town is named Chorizo, which is also the name of a delicious Mexican sausage.
2. Qoser, the cue-ball eyed, Japanese assassin. He was a weirdly fascinating character. I wanted to find more information on him. What was he doing in a western? What exactly is the doom magnetic?! What the devil happened to his eye? Why was he searching for a purple television?
Eventually, all my questions were answered in unexpected ways. What the purple television was for and who wanted it, ended up being a complete surprise. It's not something you'd ever guess!
3. William Pauley III is one of the few authors to interact with me online. He was so nice and polite, that I felt really compelled to read his work. It went up to the top of my to-read list.
July 29, 2023
What did I just read? Whatever it was I LOVED it. It’s classified as Bizarro Fiction which describes it well. I listen to the audiobook while I was on a road trip. I had a smile on my face because I was enjoying it so much. This is different than anything I have ever read and now I want more. This book has a Japanese Assassin from the Planet Japan who heads to Chorizo Nevada to find a purple tv. This story has a hero, villain, a queen and a purple tv and other crazy things. It’s fast paced. My mind was blown as early as Chapter 1 and it kept building. There is a lot of colorful language and swearing that fits the story. I highly recommend you try something new and pick this up. The narrator, Connor Brannigan, is one of the best I’ve listened to and the author, William Pauley III, is nothing short of a mastermind in the absurd. He is a great writer. I will read more of his books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Doom Fiction Audio for providing this audiobook to me for my honest review.
I want to thank NetGalley and Doom Fiction Audio for providing this audiobook to me for my honest review.
June 20, 2014
-Bizarrada tan potente como intrascendente.-
Género. Novela corta.
Lo que nos cuenta. En Chorizo, Nebraska, la cantina local está teniendo una noche con mucha marcha (alcohol y cadáveres) cuando entran una centena de criaturas de color púrpura hechas de colmillos y malas vibraciones al mando de un japonés calvo y al que le falta un ojo que viene en busca de un tal Maudin, que parece haber robado algo importante. Primer volumen de la trilogía The doom magnetic.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Novela corta.
Lo que nos cuenta. En Chorizo, Nebraska, la cantina local está teniendo una noche con mucha marcha (alcohol y cadáveres) cuando entran una centena de criaturas de color púrpura hechas de colmillos y malas vibraciones al mando de un japonés calvo y al que le falta un ojo que viene en busca de un tal Maudin, que parece haber robado algo importante. Primer volumen de la trilogía The doom magnetic.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
April 1, 2010
This is one of those kitchen sink books where there is too much of everything to nail it down into one genre or niche. It's like a Sanrio bag of false-eyes, cowboy hats, purple TVs, pop idols, and ADHD.
Pauley didn't stick to even a consistent writing style and instead of being schizophrenic it's charming and dynamic..and schizophrenic.
Pauley didn't stick to even a consistent writing style and instead of being schizophrenic it's charming and dynamic..and schizophrenic.
July 21, 2010
A must read.
This book was so good that I want to tell you every single little detail about why I enjoyed this book so much, but I'm not going to because I don't want to give it all away.
I will tell you this though. It's a strange mix of red-neck cowboys, Japanese culture, kung-fu, cue-ball eyes, arachnids, and just general bizarre debauchery and it was awesome, so awesome that I bought this book to add to my collection after downloading the free e-book to read during my breaks at work.
I must admit that this ending doesn't disappoint and in fact it was a fantastic ending because THE VOICE, yes, THE VOICE is the most fun character ever. So, if you're wondering what I'm talking about, I urge you to download the e-book or buy a copy from the author himself for $8, which to be honest, is the cheapest book I've seen in a long while.
Now, I must go and see what other goodies William Pauley III has to offer.
This book was so good that I want to tell you every single little detail about why I enjoyed this book so much, but I'm not going to because I don't want to give it all away.
I will tell you this though. It's a strange mix of red-neck cowboys, Japanese culture, kung-fu, cue-ball eyes, arachnids, and just general bizarre debauchery and it was awesome, so awesome that I bought this book to add to my collection after downloading the free e-book to read during my breaks at work.
I must admit that this ending doesn't disappoint and in fact it was a fantastic ending because THE VOICE, yes, THE VOICE is the most fun character ever. So, if you're wondering what I'm talking about, I urge you to download the e-book or buy a copy from the author himself for $8, which to be honest, is the cheapest book I've seen in a long while.
Now, I must go and see what other goodies William Pauley III has to offer.
November 24, 2010
I only have two complaints about this book. 1) In his vision he is too kind to Nebraska and 2) I already finished reading it and don't get to spend any more time in this world he created.
Everything else about this book I loved. Reading it is like getting home on Halloween night as a kid and going through my pillow case full of candy. Instead of just having a bar of chocolate I would have a mix of everything: licorice, gummy stuff, gum, popcorn balls, everything. On that night I would feel rich and eat until I got sick. Reading this reminds me of that, except for the part about getting sick. It is so full of different kinds of ideas and genres and even writing styles that I really felt like a whole world was crammed into those 100 or so pages.
This book was alot of fun. I can't wait to see what he does next. I want to buy like four or five of his books at once so I can just pig out on his stories.
Everything else about this book I loved. Reading it is like getting home on Halloween night as a kid and going through my pillow case full of candy. Instead of just having a bar of chocolate I would have a mix of everything: licorice, gummy stuff, gum, popcorn balls, everything. On that night I would feel rich and eat until I got sick. Reading this reminds me of that, except for the part about getting sick. It is so full of different kinds of ideas and genres and even writing styles that I really felt like a whole world was crammed into those 100 or so pages.
This book was alot of fun. I can't wait to see what he does next. I want to buy like four or five of his books at once so I can just pig out on his stories.
March 11, 2010
DOOM MAGNETIC! is a full throttle punch in the face.
William Pauley III has mixed part Big Trouble in Little China, part Flash Gordon, and part The Wild Bunch with some whiskey and snake venom in a coal-powered blender to make one of the most dangerous forms of gravy known to man. He poured it over a raw porterhouse and served it with a kick in the gut.
DOOM MAGNETIC! will course straight to your brain and explode into a bright flash of fury. Every orifice on your body with blaze alight with its awesome power. So no matter what, you would have to tell others what you saw. You saw the coming of a new writer. One who has flawlessly mixed bizarro and steampunk into one smooth and bitter gravy.
Enjoy it. Fiction will never be the same.
William Pauley III has mixed part Big Trouble in Little China, part Flash Gordon, and part The Wild Bunch with some whiskey and snake venom in a coal-powered blender to make one of the most dangerous forms of gravy known to man. He poured it over a raw porterhouse and served it with a kick in the gut.
DOOM MAGNETIC! will course straight to your brain and explode into a bright flash of fury. Every orifice on your body with blaze alight with its awesome power. So no matter what, you would have to tell others what you saw. You saw the coming of a new writer. One who has flawlessly mixed bizarro and steampunk into one smooth and bitter gravy.
Enjoy it. Fiction will never be the same.
January 19, 2014
Carlton Mellick - Satan Burger.
Jeff Burk - Shatnerquake.
Jeremy Robert Johnson - Angel Dust Apocalypse
These are books that put their authors on the map. Doom Magnetic is the work that put William Pauley's name on the Bizarro map.
William Pauley splits his time between Copeland Valley Press (which is incredibly difficult to be published by) and Grindhouse Press, disinfecting his mind with images of cue ball eyes, giant slugs, stardust and robot vendettas.
Maundin hijacks a purple television set and is on the run from a Planet Japan assassin named Qoser, a character whom I feel eclipses the protagonist Maundin in many ways throughout the trilogy.
Qoser has huge, Freudian mommy issues. He frequently lapses into fever dreams where he is nursed back to good health by his mother's breast milk. He goes through bodies the way David Bowie went through costumes, and Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Spiders From Mars concepts are also shoehorned into this book.
At best, I would describe this as orchestrated chaos on Pauley's part, and he admits that it's a whirlwind of surreal which can be a bit byzantine and overwhelming at times. Sometimes, I like being overwhelmed by a book. This was one of those times!
Jeff Burk - Shatnerquake.
Jeremy Robert Johnson - Angel Dust Apocalypse
These are books that put their authors on the map. Doom Magnetic is the work that put William Pauley's name on the Bizarro map.
William Pauley splits his time between Copeland Valley Press (which is incredibly difficult to be published by) and Grindhouse Press, disinfecting his mind with images of cue ball eyes, giant slugs, stardust and robot vendettas.
Maundin hijacks a purple television set and is on the run from a Planet Japan assassin named Qoser, a character whom I feel eclipses the protagonist Maundin in many ways throughout the trilogy.
Qoser has huge, Freudian mommy issues. He frequently lapses into fever dreams where he is nursed back to good health by his mother's breast milk. He goes through bodies the way David Bowie went through costumes, and Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Spiders From Mars concepts are also shoehorned into this book.
At best, I would describe this as orchestrated chaos on Pauley's part, and he admits that it's a whirlwind of surreal which can be a bit byzantine and overwhelming at times. Sometimes, I like being overwhelmed by a book. This was one of those times!
November 10, 2015
I always know when I read something from Pauley, I am going to enjoy it. This is probably only my second or third book that could be deemed a bizarro sci-fi western, but definitely my favorite one thus far. This book had so much packed into it, yet was done with the right amount of charm. The characters were colorful and memorable. As far as the story, limitations seemed thrown out in favor of something that really defies genre in a good way. The 80's video game references didn't hurt either. My thanks to the author for playing a significant part in making the last year of reading so great for me.
March 29, 2010
States fleeing the planet, Ziggy Stardust, a guy with a cue ball for an eye, and exploding heads galore! A highly entertaining tale told in exciting, frenetic bursts.
April 12, 2023
Hello, its me again, reading yet another book by this writer. I just cant help it.
Also, I cant really describe what went on in this book. Because even though I finished the entire thing, I am still confused.
Anyways, this starts off in a bar when a Japanese assassin? maybe? shows up looking for the person who stole the purple tv from the Japanese government.
And with that, the confusion starts and does not end even after the epilogue.
This story has humor, horror, scifi, good vs evil, and so much more. And this may just be a me thing since I am Japanese, but the whole Japanese planet, the people, the stuff that happens, and the making fun of the language made me cringe. It was not overt racism, so dont let my opinion sway you on that, but I was not comfortable.
Connor did another wonderful job on this one.
Also, I cant really describe what went on in this book. Because even though I finished the entire thing, I am still confused.
Anyways, this starts off in a bar when a Japanese assassin? maybe? shows up looking for the person who stole the purple tv from the Japanese government.
And with that, the confusion starts and does not end even after the epilogue.
This story has humor, horror, scifi, good vs evil, and so much more. And this may just be a me thing since I am Japanese, but the whole Japanese planet, the people, the stuff that happens, and the making fun of the language made me cringe. It was not overt racism, so dont let my opinion sway you on that, but I was not comfortable.
Connor did another wonderful job on this one.
March 24, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a blend of sci-fi and horror with so much gore. There were so many parts of this that I winced at, so many horrific scenes and there's so much detail on the gorey and unsettling parts. This was also such an interesting story, the overarching storyline was very cool. This is not for the squeamish but if you love horror with a lot of gore I would highly recommend.
March 27, 2023
This book was brilliant, such a unique and fun mix of sci-fi with western. It was fast paced and action packed, I couldn’t stop reading it, it was amazing!
Highly recommend reading this or any other books by the author all of his books are fantastic!
Thank you so much to @netgalley and the publisher for an AudioARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Highly recommend reading this or any other books by the author all of his books are fantastic!
Thank you so much to @netgalley and the publisher for an AudioARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 29, 2011
DOOM MAGNETIC!
By William Pauley III
With DOOM MAGNETIC! William Pauley III creates a fast-paced bizarro space western adventure. A space cowboy, Maundin, has followed a mysterious voice’s instructions and stolen a highly valuable purple television. A very powerful assassin, Qoser, with a cue ball eye and a small army of meat eating monsters known as Mopes is tracking Maundin across the entire galaxy in hopes of returning the purple television. Maundin gets the drop on the evil Qoser and manages to saw his head from his body before escaping. However, Qoser is a badass of the highest degree and possesses the power to open The DOOM MAGNETIC, a powerful and mysterious void, and a simple decapitation isn’t going to slow him down for long.
So with that DOOM MAGNETIC is off and running in what I can only describe as the best action movie from the 80’s that never really got made. Pauley creates a massive universe filled with space traveling jalopies, super hot chicks, incompetent doctors, floating state/ planets, stale smoke torture chambers, plenty of beer, coliseum battles, and Ziggy F’n Stardust. In short this is a highly accessible work of bizarro fiction that I have suggested to several bizarro-virgins. In long, this is a quick-paced, quick-witted, easy-to-read, non-stop-entertaining space western epic that will keep you chuckling all the way through. Highly recommend to fans of sci/fi, bizarro, action, and bizarro.
By William Pauley III
With DOOM MAGNETIC! William Pauley III creates a fast-paced bizarro space western adventure. A space cowboy, Maundin, has followed a mysterious voice’s instructions and stolen a highly valuable purple television. A very powerful assassin, Qoser, with a cue ball eye and a small army of meat eating monsters known as Mopes is tracking Maundin across the entire galaxy in hopes of returning the purple television. Maundin gets the drop on the evil Qoser and manages to saw his head from his body before escaping. However, Qoser is a badass of the highest degree and possesses the power to open The DOOM MAGNETIC, a powerful and mysterious void, and a simple decapitation isn’t going to slow him down for long.
So with that DOOM MAGNETIC is off and running in what I can only describe as the best action movie from the 80’s that never really got made. Pauley creates a massive universe filled with space traveling jalopies, super hot chicks, incompetent doctors, floating state/ planets, stale smoke torture chambers, plenty of beer, coliseum battles, and Ziggy F’n Stardust. In short this is a highly accessible work of bizarro fiction that I have suggested to several bizarro-virgins. In long, this is a quick-paced, quick-witted, easy-to-read, non-stop-entertaining space western epic that will keep you chuckling all the way through. Highly recommend to fans of sci/fi, bizarro, action, and bizarro.
November 9, 2023
*I received the audiobook version of this story via NetGalley *
After finishing the Bedlam Bible series and one other story by William Pauley III, I wasn’t sure where to go next. So I ended up buying the ebook of The Doom Magnetic Trilogy, since I enjoyed so many of his other works. A few days later I received the audiobook for free, so I read along while listening. Which was great.
Connor Brannigan’s work as the narrator never fails to impress. Such a wide range sometimes I forget it’s only him doing it and not multiple people.
The story had multiple nods to the other books by Mr. Pauley or perhaps the other way around. Either way, that was neat.
Very early in I was thinking that it felt mmm…. older and as far as I can tell, I was correct. Not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just interesting.
The story was well written but I didn’t find myself having as deep of a connection as I did with his other books.
Still worth the read/listen and I’m going to continue to read more by this author in the future.
After finishing the Bedlam Bible series and one other story by William Pauley III, I wasn’t sure where to go next. So I ended up buying the ebook of The Doom Magnetic Trilogy, since I enjoyed so many of his other works. A few days later I received the audiobook for free, so I read along while listening. Which was great.
Connor Brannigan’s work as the narrator never fails to impress. Such a wide range sometimes I forget it’s only him doing it and not multiple people.
The story had multiple nods to the other books by Mr. Pauley or perhaps the other way around. Either way, that was neat.
Very early in I was thinking that it felt mmm…. older and as far as I can tell, I was correct. Not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just interesting.
The story was well written but I didn’t find myself having as deep of a connection as I did with his other books.
Still worth the read/listen and I’m going to continue to read more by this author in the future.
October 5, 2013
William Pauley The Third has managed to take a sci fi western story and give it a bizarro spin. Mixing Japanese ancestry with cowboy rowdiness, this book is like reading a spinoff tale from FIREFLY....with a lot more what the fucks involved.
The narrative is my favorite part of this book. We get to see each side of the story told from our protagonist Maundin and our antagonist Qoser, the japanese samurai with a cue ball eye....he isn't too fond of his eye or is later transformation. What do these seemingly queer characters have in common? They are both after the purple television and to master the DOOM MAGNETIC.
After Maundin has severed Qoser's head leaving him for dead he retrieves the purple television through the help of THE VOICE. THE VOICE wants this purple television and the reason for which is not revealed until he materializes himself to help Maundin out of a jam. A jam that the pissed off Qoser has put him in pitting him against Scissorlips, a monstrosity of a man made to fight Maundin amongst an arena of onlookers. Ziggy Stardust makes himself known as what can only be described as Freddie Mercury and the demon Lauren from Angel love child....on more drugs than either of them could have consumed in their hay days. Giving a face to THE VOICE Maundin has found that seeing and speaking with him does not "send him to an early grave" as it does most men for he is the chosen one, one of Ziggy Stardusts disciples. Maundin is to be visited by the other Masters of Stardusts to be trained in the art of mastering the DOOM MAGNETIC (being able to split space and time and be in more than one place at one time and other little tricks of the trade). This all sounds awesome but a lot of the Masters are not as gentle as Ziggy in their teachings....
Qoser's chapters are rather weird and I have decided that he has serious mamma issues, but his wacked out dreams and visions of him and his mother's advice seem to fuel his mission as much as Ziggy's faith in Maundin becoming a Stardust.
Mother is dead
She lives in my head
La ti da, la ti da....
He too has a brief encounter with Ziggy when going after the purple television only to find out that it has been given to Maundin. Qoser's quest for Maundin's blood is sealed and with his pink little bubble in his head that allows him to telepathically see things upon pressure he and his right hand man Gusto seek to destroy Maundin and retrieve the purple television...at all costs.
The ending is one epic battle between the two for the purple televisions whose powers can be used for good or for evil and you will find that Qoser's plans are less than virtuous.
I like this book. It was an interesting concept and I would love to see a cheesy 80's movie made out of the Voidoids (purple television powers at it's best!) I loved the main characters that I mentioned but honestly the rest were just filler for me and yes were very much needed to explain the story but I felt very little for most of em. I am interested to see what else WIlliam Pauley The Third has out there in bizarro land.
The narrative is my favorite part of this book. We get to see each side of the story told from our protagonist Maundin and our antagonist Qoser, the japanese samurai with a cue ball eye....he isn't too fond of his eye or is later transformation. What do these seemingly queer characters have in common? They are both after the purple television and to master the DOOM MAGNETIC.
After Maundin has severed Qoser's head leaving him for dead he retrieves the purple television through the help of THE VOICE. THE VOICE wants this purple television and the reason for which is not revealed until he materializes himself to help Maundin out of a jam. A jam that the pissed off Qoser has put him in pitting him against Scissorlips, a monstrosity of a man made to fight Maundin amongst an arena of onlookers. Ziggy Stardust makes himself known as what can only be described as Freddie Mercury and the demon Lauren from Angel love child....on more drugs than either of them could have consumed in their hay days. Giving a face to THE VOICE Maundin has found that seeing and speaking with him does not "send him to an early grave" as it does most men for he is the chosen one, one of Ziggy Stardusts disciples. Maundin is to be visited by the other Masters of Stardusts to be trained in the art of mastering the DOOM MAGNETIC (being able to split space and time and be in more than one place at one time and other little tricks of the trade). This all sounds awesome but a lot of the Masters are not as gentle as Ziggy in their teachings....
Qoser's chapters are rather weird and I have decided that he has serious mamma issues, but his wacked out dreams and visions of him and his mother's advice seem to fuel his mission as much as Ziggy's faith in Maundin becoming a Stardust.
Mother is dead
She lives in my head
La ti da, la ti da....
He too has a brief encounter with Ziggy when going after the purple television only to find out that it has been given to Maundin. Qoser's quest for Maundin's blood is sealed and with his pink little bubble in his head that allows him to telepathically see things upon pressure he and his right hand man Gusto seek to destroy Maundin and retrieve the purple television...at all costs.
The ending is one epic battle between the two for the purple televisions whose powers can be used for good or for evil and you will find that Qoser's plans are less than virtuous.
I like this book. It was an interesting concept and I would love to see a cheesy 80's movie made out of the Voidoids (purple television powers at it's best!) I loved the main characters that I mentioned but honestly the rest were just filler for me and yes were very much needed to explain the story but I felt very little for most of em. I am interested to see what else WIlliam Pauley The Third has out there in bizarro land.
November 23, 2023
I really don't know why I enjoy Pauley's work, but I really do.
It is a complete break from reality where you can immerse yourself into an alternate universe.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
It is a complete break from reality where you can immerse yourself into an alternate universe.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
September 24, 2010
Cast your mind back to childhood – if you were a child of the 80s, even better. You’ll understand where I’m coming from. Remember the toys? I’m thinking specifically of play sets and the like. Remember excitedly tearing into some box full of garishly coloured plastic? Remember the action men frozen in dramatic poses, absurd weaponry, forts and vehicles? How exciting was it? It was a box of pre-packaged imagination that allowed you to delve into ridiculous fantasy. As I stare at William Pauly III’s ‘Doom Magnetic’, this is the feeling I have.
Consider the artwork. It’s a richly coloured collage of mysterious joy. It draws you in – just like the boxes that housed the toys of my youth. I’m automatically struck with a feeling of nostalgia and can’t help but indulge. And when I read what lies within, I do so with that same childlike glee. The action is a kaleidoscope of over the top joy. I can visualise Pauly’s hands physically clutching each character and controlling the action – just as I used to with my toy sets.
Doom Magnetic is, in essence, a steam punk, sci-fi western. It’s set in a future that feels like the past, with modern day accoutrements that possess futuristic capabilities (vans are capable of interplanetary travel for instance). The characters lurch about with grizzled western snarls and magical abilities. The ‘Doom Magnetic’ the title refers to is a physical tear in space performed by the cue ball-eyed, Qoser , who is one nasty individual. His mission is to recover a purple television, purportedly stolen by a dead man. He will wreak excessively bloody havoc in the process and make our inner 8 year old jump for joy.
The sense of absolute, completely unpretentious, insanity that fills each page is what really makes Doom Magnetic shine. The story itself is a vessel for the madness. This isn’t a cloying madness that paints the book with a ‘weird for its own sake’ façade. This is unadulterated joy. This is William Pauly handing each of us our favourite childhood toy and giving us permission to indulge. It’s pure FUN.
This is a book worthy of support. I am officially a fan of William Pauly III and find myself waiting like an impatient child for his next work to hit.
Consider the artwork. It’s a richly coloured collage of mysterious joy. It draws you in – just like the boxes that housed the toys of my youth. I’m automatically struck with a feeling of nostalgia and can’t help but indulge. And when I read what lies within, I do so with that same childlike glee. The action is a kaleidoscope of over the top joy. I can visualise Pauly’s hands physically clutching each character and controlling the action – just as I used to with my toy sets.
Doom Magnetic is, in essence, a steam punk, sci-fi western. It’s set in a future that feels like the past, with modern day accoutrements that possess futuristic capabilities (vans are capable of interplanetary travel for instance). The characters lurch about with grizzled western snarls and magical abilities. The ‘Doom Magnetic’ the title refers to is a physical tear in space performed by the cue ball-eyed, Qoser , who is one nasty individual. His mission is to recover a purple television, purportedly stolen by a dead man. He will wreak excessively bloody havoc in the process and make our inner 8 year old jump for joy.
The sense of absolute, completely unpretentious, insanity that fills each page is what really makes Doom Magnetic shine. The story itself is a vessel for the madness. This isn’t a cloying madness that paints the book with a ‘weird for its own sake’ façade. This is unadulterated joy. This is William Pauly handing each of us our favourite childhood toy and giving us permission to indulge. It’s pure FUN.
This is a book worthy of support. I am officially a fan of William Pauly III and find myself waiting like an impatient child for his next work to hit.
August 11, 2014
Doom Magnetic is like Kill Bill written and directed by Douglas Adams. William Pauley has formed a pulp sci-fi adventure with a grizzled voice and a true flair for bizarro.
March 25, 2023
I think listening to this authors work is the perfect way to interact with the text (without making your brain explode - just remember no matter how amusing you find the narrative, keep your mouth closed, don’t smile and don’t show your teeth while you listen).This is my second decent into one of William Pauley III’s books. This book, like the last, has a beginning and an end; in between you are never entirely sure what is coming next. Think weird Sci-fi mixed with Japanese computer games mixed with guts and gore B movies, and you might start to get an idea. Cosmic purple TV, 8-ball eye, burrito guys, super villain head on his …… *body (* …… it’s weird but no spoilers) making people into mindless minions are just some of the things thrown at you. But, even if it doesn’t always make sense, it does make for a very fun whole. Thank you to William Pauley III and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
July 2, 2018
A Sci-Fi Western traveling through cosmic voids from one scene to the next. Pauley’s rip roaring tale of one man’s journey to become the next Ziggy Stardust. Filled with weird humor from the western front and not a single piece of dirt is left unturned.
William Pauley III is science fiction from a whole other universe.
William Pauley III is science fiction from a whole other universe.
December 19, 2024
2.5 stars
November 26, 2023
Every time I finish a book by Pauley, I feel like I’ve just come awoken from a very vivid drug induced nightmare. The characters are wild and chaotic, bringing lots of energy to this book. The violence can be jarring at times but they definitely don’t leave much to the imagination. Not exactly my genre, but still a great quick little listen.
September 7, 2010
William Pauley delivers bizarre Bowie style, again and again with his awesome packed ‘Doom Magnetic’. You like westerns? You like pulp? You like time warping? How about mind warping? Then travel along with the Japanese’s cowboy with a pool ball for an eye. Watch out for the space spiders. The ending will literally blow your mind. I can say without a blink, William Pauley III is one of the most creative minds out there today. I immensely enjoyed this wild ride of a book, and I look forward to his next one.
March 25, 2010
Doom Magnetic! is a ridiculously fun read. Very comic book-ey, with an incredible amount of disparate influences and elements. Each chapter shifts the perspective (and sometimes tense) of the narration, but the characters have such distinctive voices, it's never confusing. The perspective shift also lends to the comic book feel.
Without giving away any spoilers, I will say this book earns its Bizarro credibility with the most out-of-left-field cameo appearance EVER.
Without giving away any spoilers, I will say this book earns its Bizarro credibility with the most out-of-left-field cameo appearance EVER.
April 2, 2010
I had no idea what to expect from this book. Bought it because the author said he would sign it and after reading it I am glad I took a chance on this book. Plus the cover looked cool! I mean, a guy with a cue ball for an eye?
The story is very entertaining and you never know what to expect next. Exploding heads and a purple TV, mixing sci-fi with western, a job well done in writing a fun story. This is a great addition to the Bizarro genre.
The story is very entertaining and you never know what to expect next. Exploding heads and a purple TV, mixing sci-fi with western, a job well done in writing a fun story. This is a great addition to the Bizarro genre.
May 7, 2010
Fun, fast-paced sci-fi Western! I was never a huge fan of sci-fi *or* Western...yet, this really works.
I really enjoyed this book. The only thing that made me sad was that I wish it went on longer and got into a little more detail about the characters. They were fascinating and I wanted to know more about them and their strange world.
Highly recommended! The author is a great guy and he deserves to have a billion people read his stuff :)
I really enjoyed this book. The only thing that made me sad was that I wish it went on longer and got into a little more detail about the characters. They were fascinating and I wanted to know more about them and their strange world.
Highly recommended! The author is a great guy and he deserves to have a billion people read his stuff :)
March 30, 2010
Thank you William that was a wonderful experience.
Talk about a book that leaves you saying "WTF just happened?" It was a hilarious quick read that left me wanting more. Q-Balls, Voices and Purple TV's OH MY. I didn't know where the next page was going to take me and that is a pleasant surprise.
Talk about a book that leaves you saying "WTF just happened?" It was a hilarious quick read that left me wanting more. Q-Balls, Voices and Purple TV's OH MY. I didn't know where the next page was going to take me and that is a pleasant surprise.
June 18, 2010
This book changed my life.....not really, but it definitely changed my views on the western genre. He took the elements of the typical western and twisted, stretched, intoxicated and inhiliated it until it became a world like none I've ever imagined and I'm sure no one else has either. Fast-paced and fancy-free...simply a great read!
October 21, 2014
too much insanity to describe, it's like the craziest anime you've ever seen combined with a scifi western, some random pop culture references (remember Todd's Adventures In Slime World?) and a healthy dose of surrealism. and Ziggy Stardust. it's a lot of fun.
even better if you watch the videos of the author reading the book, he does voices!
even better if you watch the videos of the author reading the book, he does voices!
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