[Nathan Carter]

I've not heard him mentioned once... this is the man who has Stephen King as the self proclaimed president of his fan club... the man who beat a thug sensless for stealing Christmas gifts from an aids clinic, and performed the merciless brutality on him while dressed in a santa claus costume, just to screw with his head.

The man without a scocial security number, who can fix any "situation" with his own brand of adrinaline fuled justice...

Does no one know of Repairman Jack?

[estranghero]

What's your review on these books? And how many books are there anyway? Sounds like an interesting bloke... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

[Nathan Carter]

Ahhh.... an interesting bloke indeed...

He is F. Paul Wilson's masterpiece character...

You must read The Tomb, before anything else... that is the foundation piece, from there he has four more novels out, that involve him as the main character...

However, The Tomb is also part of a series called: The Advasary Cycle, it is the second book in the series, and Jack dosn't resurface until Nightworld, which is the last book in the series...

But I don't know of a more facsinating character ever created... he's like... batman, without hoky costumes, and a hightend sense of vengeance... that likes to collect comic book paraphernalia and old horror movies... except... that's not a great description, because unlike Batman, he dosn't claim to be a hero... he's a businessman... and his business is getting back the people who have screwed you...

Imagine, a hitman for hire, with a superior intellect, and a great imagination....

man... I don't know... he's hard to describe... I suggest you just read for yourself

[estranghero]

Sounds great, what with a name like 'Repairman Jack'. Thanks. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

Will keep an eye out for the books Might have some of Wilson's stuff around the bookstores here somewhere...

[Zsinj16]

From what I've heard, Repairman Jack is kind of like Indiana Jones also.

[Cygnus]

Okay, I just finished The Tomb and I feel I have a lot to say about it.

First of all, as I said in a previous post, I stopped reading horror because I starting having nightly nightmares. It's so weird.. I read so much fantasy, yet I've never dreamed of dragons, elves, magic or anything really fantasy related. But the first night after I started The Tomb I had a nightmare.. though I don't find the book all that scary. Those creepy creatures were after me and the only way I could protect myself was to raise a hatchling.

Now on to the book. I don't think I liked this book as much as Nathan did, but it wasn't an awful read by any means. Everyone gives authors like Danielle Steele a hard time for writing romance novels, but guys do it to. Though Wilson certainly didn't focus on sex and romance like Steele does (honestly I hate to compare these two authors!), his characters are pretty idealized. You've got your tough, justice-seeking, good looking guy with a heart of gold (oh yeah, and he loves kids). And he has amazing looking women weak in the knees wherever he goes. Ugh.. so typical of male writers! Koontz does it all the time.. always the movie star couple have to get together by the end of the book.

That is my only complaint though. I find Repairman Jack's style of justice very appealing. I don't know if it makes me a bad person, but I wish there were people like him. I know if someone hurt someone I loved that I wouldn't be happy with the lawful response to it.

It's just wrong for child molesters or rapists or killers to be able to walk out of a courtroom on a technicality. Or spend a few years in jail and then go free after they ruined the lives of so many. That's not justice.

I didn't mean to turn this post into commentary on society or the crimial justice system, but this book got me thinking about it.

[Nathan Carter]

Well Cygnus,

I am entirely compelled to tell you YOU ROCK just for reading The Tomb upon my recomendation.

However, with that praise aside, I will now tell you exactly why you miss the point. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

You've got your tough, justice-seeking, good looking guy with a heart of gold (oh yeah, and he loves kids).

I'll give you tough... you gotta be tough to fight a Rakoshi and live, plus, who wants a weak hero? But justice seeking? I think that's a severe oversight... Jack's whole philosophy is one of a businessman, he doesn't get involved with matters just because someone is right or wrong... he's in it for the money... the only reason he even accepts the case within the story, is because he is madly in love with his ex-girlfriend... he says repeatedly how much this isn't his kind of job.

Also, the only kid he's really fond of is Vicky... she is like his daughter in his eyes... those two females (along with Abe perhaps) are really the only things that make Jack into a compassionate character... otherwise he is a calculated and skilled agressor... with a temper one would wisely avoid.

And he has amazing looking women weak in the knees wherever he goes. Ugh.. so typical of male writers!

I'll agree... Jack gets the chicks in this novel... while it makes you wretch, I kinda dig it... but your right... to a degree... because if you look at the reasons why the woman in this story wants Jack, it has nothing to do with your traditional Dudley Do-Right cliches... he's never described as a good looking guy, or even ruggedly handsome... the author makes a point that Jack is the most average looking guy you could ever look at, and people are downright amazed at what he can pull off, concidering his un-impressive looks.

But anyway... it's actually very interesting to hear a womans perspective on this book... I've never heard one before... I'm glad you didn't hate it... and maybe because I've read the other books, I'm more insightful of Jacks character... but I find him one of the most intriguing, complex, ultra competent, yet vulnerable protagonists ever to arise out of contemporary fiction.

[Cygnus]

Well, at least I rock even if I did miss the point. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif Though, with this book fresh in my mind, I do have to offer a couple more counter-arguments.

Jack's whole philosophy is one of a businessman, he doesn't get involved with matters just because someone is right or wrong... he's in it for the money

I TOTALLY disagree with this... though you may have more insight into Jack since you have read more about him. Yes, he wants to get paid, he's not Superman. But, his working philosphy is that he gets paid to right a wrong. If justice had nothing to do with it, then he would take any thug job.. like some mafia goon. That is what he started off doing with his very first job.. getting the bad guys when no one else could, and that is what he liked so much.

So justice has everything to do with it.. IMHO http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

[Nathan Carter]

Ok, well put...

And I cannot argue...

He has a moral conscious, and a sense of justice... that's one of the favorable aspects of his character... he's like a hitman with the capacity for right and wrong... I think my disagreement with you comes with the coined phrase, "Justice Seeking"

He doesn't exactly roam the night in search of mischief... and he turns down plenty of oppertunities to do justice...

The very fact that he's not afraid to apply the kind of justice he delivers, putting himself on the wrong side of the law, and the posistion of knowing he deserves to be paid for his work... place him in a very seperate catagory than your everyday hero...

throughout the series, I've seen him scam people out of money that they originaly scammed for themselves... scare a group of large gang members away by making them think he ate their eyeballs... I mean... the guy is just entertaining... I guess I felt you put Jack into a bottle along with your average, boring, good looking, do-right type characters... and it hurt my feelings http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif

im kidding... but anyway... if you get a hankerin for another dose of Jacks brand of adventure, you'll want to check out "Legacies" OR a book you might just like better for it's original horror content would be "The Keep"

You wont be able to tell, but the The Keep is a part of a series that also includes The Tomb...

[chocky]

I am a big Repairman Jack fan. Although, I have trouble finding them in my local bookstore. They don't know what section to put them in. I have seen them in Horror/Fantasy/General Fiction. Finally, I just bought it at Amazon.