SPIKE MAGAZINE

Rooted in the history and traditions of the Pacific Northwest, Jonathan Evison’s West of Here rethinks the epic American novel for the 21st century. Dan Coxon talks to the author about the difficulties of selling his American vision overseas. Portrait

Set in the harsh forests of the Canadian wilderness, Alexi Zentner’s debut novel, Touch, draws upon mythology as well as literary convention. Dan Coxon finds that its author is rooted in the power of traditional storytelling. Portrait by Laurie Willick. For

Set against the backdrop of South America’s poorest economy, Peter Mountford’s first novel is a smart read on the human side of economic, political and ethical dramas. For the author it was also a long road to publication, as Dan Coxon learns.

Sidestepping the industry circus and downplaying his own achievements, Urban Waite isn’t your typical thriller writer, and his debut, The Terror of Living, isn’t your typical crime novel, as Dan Coxon finds out. Portrait by Sean Hunter Crossing into

Dan Coxon You have to give Jessica Anthony credit: in this current climate of MFA-educated clones it’s unusual to come across a truly unique narrator. We’ve all read plenty of Holden Caulfield rip-offs, or various takes on the Kerouac drifter-philosopher,

Dan Coxon There’s something to be said for the contemporary novelist having a background in psychology. While the mass-market thrillers and romance novels that pack the supermarket shelves are happy to remain plot-driven page-turners, the modern literary

Dan Coxon Over the last few years Chuck Palahniuk has revelled in the sordid, the grotesque, and the downright dirty like a particularly literate pig in shit, and for many readers his decision to set a novel within the pornography industry must have

Dan Coxon Mr. Sebastian And The Negro Magician – Daniel Wallace See all books by Daniel Wallace at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com Thanks to Tim Burton’s movie adaptation, Daniel Wallace has become best known for his novel Big Fish –

Dan Coxon On Chesil Beach – Ian McEwan See all books by Ian McEwan at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com There’s something rather disappointing about Ian McEwan’s latest book. It’s not the quality of the writing – that, after

Dan Coxon The Pesthouse – Jim Crace See all books by Jim Crace at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com Maybe it’s natural, in the early years of a new millennium, for our writers and artists to turn their thoughts toward what the future could hold.

Fugitive Pieces Jeremy Padewsa Dan Coxon Fugitive Pieces – Anne Michaels See all books by Anne Michaels at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com Transferring literary bestsellers to the big screen is never an easy business. Firstly, there’s the

Dan Coxon The political climate in the US has become something of a cause celebre in the popular media over the last few years, with journalists, novelists and filmmakers attacking the present regime from every conceivable angle. When even Green Day can

Dan Coxon Bang Crunch – Neil Smith See all books by Neil Smith at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com It has become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy that the publishing industry can’t sell debut short story collections. If it’s a new

Dan Coxon The Barbarous Coast – Ross Macdonald See all books by Ross Macdonald at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com Originally published in 1956, as the sixth novel in the Lew Archer crime series, The Barbarous Coast demonstrates exactly why Ross

Dan Coxon House Of Meetings – Martin Amis See all books by Martin Amis at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com Any new Martin Amis book always comes with plenty of baggage, and House Of Meetings is no exception. As his first full-length fiction since

Dan Coxon Hundred In The Hand – Joseph M. Marshall See all books by Joseph M. Marshall at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com On the surface, the idea behind Hundred In The Hand sounds like a surefire winner. For decades the story of the American

Dan Coxon The Swing Voter Of Staten Island – Arthur Nersesian See all books by Arthur Nersesian at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com ‘A Novel By Arthur Nersesian, Author of The Fuck-Up’ proclaims the cover of The Swing Voter Of Staten Island.

Dan Coxon My Tango With Barbara Strozzi – Russell Hoban See all books by Russell Hoban at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com On most occasions the old adage that you can’t judge a book by its cover holds true, but with the latest offering from

Dan Coxon Therein Lies The Problem – Steve Dupont See all books by Steve Dupont at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com It’s always exciting when a debut novel from an unknown author lands on your desk. There’s an added frisson of excitement

Dan Coxon Soon I Will Be Invincible – Austin Grossman See all books by Austin Grossman at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com If you’ve missed the buzz surrounding the hit NBC TV series Heroes, then you’ve probably been living in another

Dan Coxon The Gum Thief – Douglas Coupland See all books by Douglas Coupland at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com In recent years Douglas Coupland has achieved a remarkably consistent output. It’s not that every novel he’s written has been

Dan Coxon Cheating At Canasta – William Trevor See all books by William Trevor at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com There’s something pleasantly old-fashioned about William Trevor’s short fiction. The fact that he harks back to traditional

Dan Coxon In recent years high quality, intelligent travel writing has proved hard to come by. The genre that produced such greats as Colin Thubron and William Dalrymple has gone into decline, partly due to the current spate of comedy travelogues (“worst

Dan Coxon The Many Lives Of Tom Waits – Patrick Humphries See all books about Tom Waits at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com There’s no disputing that gravel-voiced oddball Tom Waits is an enigma to all but his closest associates, and that

Dan Coxon Bad Monkeys – Matt Ruff See all books by Matt Ruff at Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com Try to imagine Fight Club crossed with K-Pax – with elements of The Matrix and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome thrown in for good measure –