Complete Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey
Author photo by Allan Amato
Find about the books in the spellbinding series about a vengeful magician/hitman’s return from hell…
The Sandman Slim series features stunning, high-octane thrillers—filled with intense kick-ass action and inventive supernatural fantasy—that are dark, twisted, and hilarious.
The Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey is a wild and weird, edge-of-your-seat supernatural roller-coaster ride. This spellbinding tale of a vengeful magician/hitman’s return from hell is part H.P. Lovecraft, part Christopher Moore, part Jim Butcher, and totally, unabashedly dark, twisted, and hilarious. Combining outrageously edgy humor with a dark and truly twisted vision, Richard Kadrey delivers a masterful amalgam of action novel, urban fantasy, and in-your-face horror that will delight a wide range of readers of Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Simon Green.
The Sandman Slim books have been recommended by a number of big urban fantasy and horror authors:
“An addictively satisfying, deeply amusing, dirty-ass masterpiece.”—William Gibson
“I couldn’t put it down.”—Charlaine Harris
“I loved where Kadrey started with this series, but I love where he’s going even more.”—Cory Doctorow
“Sandman Slim is my kind of hero.”—Kim Harrison
“Richard Kadrey is a genius.”—Holly Black
“If anything, the Sandman Slim series has been about the rehabilitation of a monster,” author Kadrey shared on John Scalzi’s blog. “The eleven books that followed Sandman Slim were about reintegrating him into human society, reconnecting him to people, even finding love and a new affection for the world itself.”
He said that through all the grimness of Stark’s life, the one thing that the character never lost was his sense of humor. “It’s the black humor of homicide detectives and EMTs,” Kadrey said. “People who’ve seen the worst of the worst and have to process it through dark levity.”
Find out more about all the books in the series below!
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Complete Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey
Sandman Slim: A Novel
Kill the Dead: A Sandman Slim Novel
Aloha from Hell: A Sandman Slim Novel
Devil Said Bang: A Sandman Slim Novel
Kill City Blues: A Sandman Slim Novel
The Getaway God: A Sandman Slim Novel
Killing Pretty: A Sandman Slim Novel
The Perdition Score: A Sandman Slim Novel
The Kill Society: A Sandman Slim Novel
Hollywood Dead: A Sandman Slim Novel
Ballistic Kiss: A Sandman Slim Novel
King Bullet: A Sandman Slim Novel
BONUS STORY: Devil in the Dollhouse: A Sandman Slim Story
Complete Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey
Sandman Slim has arrived—a wild and weird, edge-of-your-seat supernatural roller-coaster rider that propels author Richard Kadrey to the forefront of the fantasy, thriller, and a host of other literary genres.
This spellbinding, utterly remarkable tale of a vengeful magician/hitman’s return from hell is part H.P. Lovecraft, part Christopher Moore, part Jim Butcher, and totally, unabashedly dark, twisted, and hilarious.
Review: “Sandman Slim instantly gripped me in a way no other urban fantasy had. It boasted all the requisites of an urban fantasy: Magic, demons, vampires and a half-human/half-angel protagonist. But it also had brains, guts and a deliciously blackened heart.” (NPR)
Sandman Slim is back from Hell. After wreaking unholy havoc in author Richard Kadrey’s resoundingly acclaimed Sandman Slim, the demon-slaying anti-hero and half-angel fugitive from the underworld returns in a brutally funny, eye-poppingly inventive, and totally addicting follow-up, Kill the Dead.
If you’re a fan of Buffy and Jim Butcher, Christopher Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Warren Ellis, or you dig the dark urban fantasy vibe of Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Simon Green, you’ll cheer Lucifer’s onetime personal assassin as he signs on as his ex-boss’ Hollywood bodyguard…and takes on the zombie apocalypse almost single-handedly.
Review: “I absolutely love this series thus far. Sandman Slim should be on more lists and garner more praise. It should be up there with the likes of Dresden, and October Daye; it is just that damn good.” (Before We Go Blog)
Supernatural fantasy’s greatest anti-hero goes back to hell! In Aloha from Hell, the ruthless avenger, a.k.a. Stark, finds himself trapped in the middle of a war between Heaven and Hell. Perfect for fans of Jim Butcher, Warren Ellis, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Simon R. Green.
Once again all is not right in L.A. Lucifer is back in Heaven, God is on vacation, and an insane killer mounts a war against both Heaven and Hell.
Stark’s got to head back down to his old stomping grounds in Hell to rescue his long lost love, stop an insane serial killer, prevent both Good and Evil from completely destroying each other, and stop the demonic Kissi from ruining the party for everyone.
Even for Sandman Slim, that’s a tall order. And it’s only the beginning.
Find Aloha from Hell on Amazon
Review: “I love Kadrey’s characters. They’re irreverent. They’re insane. They have ambitious plans that threaten to re-write the universe. They have a ton of personality. They’re larger than life, and yet at the same time grounded just enough in reality to give them that lived-in feel. They make plans both large and small, and betray anyone they feel like betraying.” (Errant Dreams)
Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim—aka James Stark—is, quite simply, one of the most outrageous uber-anti-heroes ever to kick serious butt on this or any other world or dimension.
In his previous three adventures—Sandman Slim, Kill the Dead, and Aloha from Hell—Stark has fled Hell for California, taken on angels, demons, outlaw bikers, zombies, covert government operatives, and all manner of monsters, while saving humankind from total annihilation on numerous occasions. But in Devil Said Bang, he finally assumes the role he was destined for: as the new Lucifer, ruler of the Underworld.
Find Devil Said Bang on Amazon
Review: “The fourth volume (after Aloha from Hell) in Kadrey’s saga featuring sarcastic antihero James Stark (aka Sandman Slim) is the most irreverent, darkly comedic, and downright cool installment to date. While the existential and spiritual speculation isn’t quite as strong as in earlier books, the action-packed and bombshell-laden blend of dark fantasy, crime fiction, and Hellish sitcom is utterly readable.” (Publishers Weekly)
New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey’s fifth Sandman Slim adventure.
James Stark, aka Sandman Slim, has lost the Qomrama Om Ya, an all-powerful weapon from the banished older gods. Older gods who are returning and searching for their lost power.
The hunt leads Stark to an abandoned shopping mall infested with tribes of squatters. Somewhere in this kill zone is a dead man with the answers Stark needs. All Stark has to do is find the dead man, recover the artifact, and outwit and outrun the angry old gods—and natural-born killers—on his tail.
But not even Sandman Slim is infallible, and any mistakes will cost him dearly.
Find Kill City Blues on Amazon
Review: “Sandman Slim (or Stark, as he prefers to be called) is back and once more stomping a boot in the face of supernatural menaces everywhere. Stark has always been a pretty consistent bad-ass, but in Kill City Blues, Kadrey does his best to blunt his considerable edge.” (Tor.com)
End times are here again…
A half-human, half-angel with a bad rep and a worse attitude—we are talking abuout the former Lucifer here—James Stark, aka Sandman Slim, has made a few enemies. None, though, are as fearsome as the vindictive Angra Om Ya—the insatiable, destructive old gods. But their imminent invasion is just one of Stark's problems, as L.A. descends into chaos, and a new evil stalks the city.
No ordinary killer, the man known as St. Nick takes Stark deep into a conspiracy that stretches from Earth to Heaven and Hell. Further complicating matters is that he may be the only person alive who knows how to keep the world from going extinct. He's also Stark's worst enemy—the only man in existence Stark would enjoy killing twice—and one with a direct line to the voracious, ancient gods.
Find The Getaway God on Amazon
Review: “Rivers of blood, Armageddon and a resurrected enemy Stark personally made sure was dead. Welcome to L.A. The Old Gods are at the door and they want the squatters out. One problem, all of Stark’s favourite stuff is there, his DVD's, his guns and his girlfriend, and as they say possession is nine-tenths of the Law.” (Fantasy Book Review)
Sandman Slim investigates Death’s death in this hip, propulsive urban fantasy through a phantasmagoric LA rife with murder, mayhem, and magic.
James Stark has met his share of demons and angels, on earth and beyond. Now, he’s come face to face with the one entity few care to meet: Death.
Someone has tried to kill Death—ripping the heart right out of him—or rather the body he’s inhabiting. Death needs Sandman Slim’s help: he believes anyone who can beat Lucifer and the old gods at their own game is the only one who can solve his murder.
Stark follows a sordid trail deep into LA’s subterranean world, from vampire-infested nightclubs to talent agencies specializing in mad ghosts, from Weimar Republic mystical societies to sleazy supernatural underground fight and sex clubs. Along the way he meets a mysterious girl—distinguished by a pair of graveyard eyes—as badass as Slim: she happens to be the only person who ever outwitted Death. But escaping her demise has had dire consequences for the rest of the world . . . and a few others.
For years, Slim has been fighting cosmic forces bent on destroying Heaven, Hell, and Earth. This time, the battle is right here on the gritty streets of the City of Angels, where a very clever, very ballsy killer lies in wait.
Review: “Sandman Slim aka James Stark is distinctly of the nasty, badass sort of anti-hero.” (Everyday Should Be Tuesday)
Sandman Slim returns in a stunning, high-octane thriller filled with the intense kick-ass action and inventive fantasy that are the hallmarks of New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey.
The request from Thomas Abbot, the Augur of the Sub Rosa council, couldn’t come at a better time for James Stark, aka Sandman Slim. For a man who’s most recently met Death—and death’s killer—a few months of normal life is more than he can handle. He needs a little action, and now Abbott wants Stark and Candy to investigate the disappearance of a young boy—and help uncover council members who might be tied to Wormwood’s power brokers.
Stark’s plans change when he meets a dying angel who gives him a vial of a mysterious black liquid that could be a secret weapon in the ongoing war between angels who want to allow human souls into Heaven and rebel angels willing to die to keep them out. When one of Stark’s closest friends is poisoned with the black liquid, Stark and Candy have to go to the only place where they might find a cure: Hell.
But standing in their way are the damned souls who, even after death, still work for Wormwood. The secret deal they’ve struck with the rebel angels is darker than anything Stark has encountered. Not only does the fate of the world hang in the balance, but also the souls of everyone in it. Stark has to find a way to break the stalemate in the angel war, score the Perdition cure for the black poison, and make it back to LA in one piece—where an old enemy waits to finish him once and for all.
Find The Perdition Score on Amazon
Review: “The Perdition Score is filled with witty, acid-tinged observations about human nature and bizarre, nearly hallucinatory visions of Hell, whether it’s a trip through a very strange corn maze or a stroll in a poison garden that made my skin itch while I was reading it. And then The Perdition Score ended on a shocking note, leaving me saying, What? Really?” (Fantasy Literature)
Sandman Slim returns in this stunning, high-octane ninth thriller in the series, filled with the intense, kick-ass action and inventive fantasy that are the hallmarks of New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey.
Sandman Slim has been to Heaven and Hell and many places in between, but now he finds himself in an unknown land: the far, far edge of the Tenebrae, the desolate home of the lost dead. Making his way inland with nothing but his unerring instinct for trouble to guide him, he collides with a caravan of the damned on a mysterious crusade, led by the ruthless Magistrate. Alone and with no clue how to get back home, he throws in with this brutal bunch made up of human souls, Hellion deserters, rogue angels—and Father Traven.
Slim didn’t land in Tenebrae by chance. His little stunt of trying to open Heaven has set off a tsunami across the universe. Now, the afterlife is falling apart because of the ensuing warfare. And when Heaven finds out Slim is close by, the angels put a fat bounty on his head.
It’s one thing to ride with a ferocious criminal pack across the treacherous plains—it’s another to do it when everyone in the land of the dead is itching to keep you there permanently. But Slim’s not too worried. He’s been fighting cosmic forces bent on destroying Heaven, Hell, Earth, and him for years. A pack of vicious bounty hunters, vengeful angels, and dangerous enemies with friendly smiles isn’t going to stop him fixing the chaos he’s caused—one way or another.
Find The Kill Society on Amazon
Review: “If you’re a newbie to the series, you’ve probably realized by now that starting nine books into it is probably not a great jumping-on point. For fans of Kadrey’s profane assassin, it’s a welcome return to form and a wildly entertaining bridge to bring Stark back from the brink. One of horror’s most singular characters goes to hell. And back again. As per usual.” (Kirkus Reviews)
Life and death takes on an entirely new meaning for half-angel, half-human hero James Stark, aka, Sandman Slim, in this insanely inventive, high-intensity tenth supernatural noir thriller in the New York Times bestselling series.
James Stark is back from Hell, trailing more trouble in his wake. To return to L.A., he had to make a deal with the evil power brokers, Wormwood—an arrangement that came with a catch. While he may be home, Stark isn’t quite himself . . . because he’s only partially alive.
There’s a time limit on his reanimated body, and unless Stark can find the people targeting Wormwood, he will die again—and this time there will be no coming back. Even though he’s armed with the Room of Thirteen Doors, Stark knows he can’t find Wormwood’s enemies alone. To succeed he’s got to enlist the help of new friends—plus a few unexpected old faces.
Stark has been in dangerous situations before—you don’t get named Sandman Slim for nothing. But with a mysterious enemy on the loose, a debt to pay, and a clock ticking down, this may truly be the beginning of his end....
Review: “The tenth book in Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim series, Hollywood Dead plays like a greatest hits album, trotting out all of your favorites and perhaps offering up one new track along the way. Hollywood Dead is just what you would expect from a Sandman Slim novel. It’s a fun, fast-paced read that hits all of the beats. The good stuff’s there—Stark’s brutal simplicity, his snarky commentary, and his general disdain for collateral damage.” (SF Revu)
As the battle between warring angels continues, James Stark is focused on seemingly simpler matters now that he’s resurfaced on earth: an invasion of ghosts. L.A.’s Little Cairo neighborhood has suddenly been overrun by violent spirits, and Thomas Abbott knows if anyone can figure out why they’ve appeared—and how to get rid of them—it’s Stark.
Armed with the Room of Thirteen Doors, Stark quickly learns that the answer may reach back to the 1970s and the unsolved murder of small-time actor, Chris Stein. As he begins to dig into the cold case, another area of Stark’s life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes entangled with Janet, a woman he saved during the High Plains Drifter zombie attack.
Janet’s brush with the living dead hasn’t quenched her thirst for danger. She’s an adrenaline junkie and a member of The Zero Lodge—a club that promises “there’s zero chance you’ll get out alive.” The Lodge attracts thrill seekers who flock to perilous events such as night walks through the LA Zoo—with its deadliest animals uncaged. Joining the lodge to be with Janet, Stark makes a pair of crucial discoveries that could decide the fate of LA and Heaven itself.
To prevent the Little Cairo haunting from consuming the city, Stark must piece together the connections between the Lodge and a missing angel last seen in a Hollywood porn palace. But while he may dispatch the ghosts, Stark knows that without his help, the bloody war in Heaven could rage forever.
Review: “Sandman Slim is back in Los Angeles and kicking more supernatural ass in this inventive, high-octane page-turner—the next to last volume in the popular and acclaimed fantasy adventure series from New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey.” (Cats Luv Coffee)
#12 King Bullet: A Sandman Slim Novel
The incredible finale of the page-turning, high-octane Sandman Slim series filled with an explosive ending and intense kick-ass action from New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey.
It’s been three months since Stark stopped a death cult and a potential ghost apocalypse, and he’s at loose ends. His personal life is a mess. His professional life isn’t much better. And the world…well, the world is going to shit. L.A. is gripped by a viral epidemic that has everyone wearing masks and keeping their distance from each other. But what’s even more frightening is the Shoggot gang and their leader, King Bullet, who revels in the city’s collapse.
Who is King Bullet? No one knows. He seemingly came from nowhere with nothing but a taste for mayhem and an army of crazed killers who follow his every command. What king wants seems simple on it face: Chaos. Destruction. A city in flames. But there’s more to the king and his plans for L.A. and what Stark discovers will change Heaven, Earth, and Stark himself forever.
Review: “Overall, King Bullet is a satisfying conclusion to an epic noir saga, and is the perfect reading choice for both a day on the sand at Venice Beach, or an evening sipping bourbon amidst West Hollywood’s wild nightlife. While it’s always bittersweet to see a story come to an end, I’ll still keep an eye on the shadows, because someone like Sandman Slim doesn’t stay gone forever.” (Lightspeed Magazine)
James Stark, a.k.a. Sandman Slim, has a new job, but being the new Lucifer in town gives fresh meaning to the word “Hell.” Especially when he hears of hideous massacres near a haunted fortress out on Hell’s frontier.
As far as Stark’s concerned, the more dead Hellions, the better, but he still has to prove that no one screws with Sandman Slim. And facing creatures so terrible even Hell does not want them is no cakewalk, even for Lucifer.
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