"Cranked" was from the first collection of geezer noir from Busted Flush Press. Bill was nominated for an Edgar Award (2007) for it in the best short story category. In "Cranked" we have a meeting of four individuals at a roadside convenience store about to be robbed. Karla has escaped a meth fire and is on the run, Royce and Burl, the two bumbling, giggling robbers, are hopped up on meth, and Lloyd has run away from a hospital while his daughter is getting him a cola. These are four tough characters and yet the story has a lot of humor and grace in it. Few writers can pull off humor and violence (and there is plenty of both) as well as Bill did. Bill went on to write another story about Karla, who he took a liking to. I think you can read both of them on kindle for a few bucks. This first collection was edited by Duane Swierczyncki, who was just starting out then. He did a great job of luring good writers in here.
10 comments:
I think it's hard to go wrong with a Bill Crider story, Patti. I'm glad to see this one featured here.
Yes, indeed!
Thanks for putting in the link to mine, Patti, I appreciate it! You're right, this story by Bill is great.
I am not seeing anything but paperbacks listed for the two books. Of course, I bought mine when they first came out. Bill signed his story for me - "For Jeff, who's not a geezer (yet)."
I guess 14 years later, I am.
After finishing the very good collections by Antonya Nelson and Sara Paretsky, I am reading two anthologies: Rick Ollerman, ed. Bullets and Other Hurting Things: A Tribute to Bill Crider, and Jonathan Santlofer, ed. It Occurs to Me That I Am America: New Stories and Art, which I'd never heard of until reading Paretsky's powerful story ("Safety First") originally published there. It is set in a future we could well be in, had Trump been re-elected.
From the Crider tribute book, yesterday I read two very good stories - Patricia Abbott, "Pretty Girl From Michigan" (set in a small town near Traverse City) and Brendan DuBois, "The Strangers in Town" (set, as usual, in New Hampshire). DuBois is probably my favorite current mystery short story writer, and I urge anyone who hasn't read him to do so.
I feel bad that I've never read anything by Bill Crider although I used to follow his blog.
Just finished an excellent collection of stories-Eleven by Patricia Highsmith. Dark, very dark.
I think Brendan must have a great short story in every publication in existence. Thanks, Jeff.
I have read several novels by Bill Crider (and just recently purchased two more), but can't remember any short stories I have read. I will have to look for some.
I have only read one story by Brendan DuBois which I liked a lot. It was in a collection of his stories, which I have been meaning to continue reading. Should do that soon.
I love and admire and have read more than once "Cranked," and had the pleasure and honor of knowing its author albeit briefly via the Internet. I hope this message will prod others to read Bill's works.
Geezer noir, eh? Harumph. I'll hafta chew on that'n awhile...
I like this one a lot.
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