Prague Noir (Akashic Noir)

"The 14 crime stories set in Prague in this superior entry in Akashic's Noir Series offer armored car robbery, kidnapping, murder masked as suicide, and more—not bad for a burg that, as the editor notes in his intro, didn't even have 'the profession of private detective' until 1990...In the varied and polished content of this volume, readers will find much to amuse." — Publishers Weekly "Murder and mayhem erupt, even in fairy-tale Prague. Editor Mandys maintains that it may be hard to imagine dark doings taking place virtually in the shadow of Prague Castle, yet he manages to harvest 14 artful tales that speak directly to the contrary. Although there are few standard whodunits, Prague's long history provides fertile ground for evildoers...Perhaps nowhere but Prague do vice and enchantment live at such close quarters, and Mandys' collection captures both beautifully. A lovely addition to Akashic's venerable series." — Kirkus... Number of Words in Auth: 2 Formats : EPUB Number of Formats : 1 Has Cover : Yes Single Author : Pavel Mandys Original Source : Mirc Undernet New 01 23 24 Sorted Author by LN, FN: Mandys, Pavel Title Length : 011 Title Parm D : Prague Noir Title Parm F : Prague Noir Num of Aut : 1 Title Parm B : ( Record ID : 6532 Uncomma Author : Pavel Mandys Title Parm A : Prague Noir Vali Khalili's story "Fear Is the Best Keeper of Secrets" has been named a finalist for the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award for Best P.I. Short Story! Named a Notable Translation of 2014 by World Literature Today "This entry in Akashic's noir series takes the gritty sensibilities born out of American film and fiction to Tehran." -- Publishers Weekly "A tour de force not to be missed." -- World Literature Today " Tehran Noir is not only a solid crime collection, but an illuminating look into day-to-day life in the Middle East, with religious and political implications galore, as well as racial tensions bubbling just beneath the surface...The stories in Tehran Noir aren't always easy to read, but they are engaging in the extreme." -- San Francisco Book Review "The 15 stories in this collection also come from a stellar and diverse cast of Iranian writers....A collection such as this is able to bring Iran to life for the foreign reader in a way other fiction and non-fiction cannot....Superb." -- PopMatters " Tehran Noir is a worthy addition to Akashic's collection...bloody and beautiful." -- Digging Through the Fat " Tehran Noir will prove fascinating reading to anyone with an interest in Iran. It will be equally intriguing for a reader who is simply curious about a theocratic society in the 21st century, or what became of a vibrant, cosmopolitan society after the fall of its dynastic ruler." -- Gumshoe Review Launched with the summer '04 award-winning best seller Brooklyn Noir , Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies. Each book is comprised of all-new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book. Includes brand-new stories Gina B. Nahai, Salar Abdoh, Lily Farhadpour, Azardokht Bahrami, Yourik Karim-Masihi, Vali Khalili, Farhaad Heidari Gooran, Aida Moradi Ahani, Mahsa Mohebali, Majed Neisi, Danial Haghighi, Javad Afhami, Sima Saeedi, Mahak Taheri, and Hossein Abkenar. From the Introduction by Salar "There is something of both the absolutely spectacular and positively disgraceful about Tehran. But most writers around the world are inclined to think that their own sprawling metropolis is the capital of every imaginable vice and crime, of impossible love and tenderness and cruelty and malice in measures that seldom exist anywhere else. For me, Tehran's case is no different--except that there really is a difference here. The city may be a hothouse of decadence, a den of inequity, all that. But it still exists under the watchful eye of a very unique entity, the Islamic Republic. The city enforces its own morality police, and there are regular public hangings of drug dealers and thieves. Because of this, there is a raging sense of a split personality about the place--the imposed propriety of the mosque rubbing against the hidden (and more often not so hidden) rhythms of the real city... There is always an element of the end of the world about this place. A feeling of being once removed from the edge of the precipice. Elsewhere I have called it the "Seismic City"--the seismic sanctuary. All of this will end one day. Yes. And maybe sooner than later. And when it does, by God, we will miss it." "The 14 crime stories set in Prague in this superior entry in Akashic's Noir Series offer armored car robbery, kidnapping, murder masked as suicide, and more--not bad for a burg that, as the editor notes in his intro, didn't even have 'the profession of private detective' until 1990...In the varied and polished content of this volume, readers will find much to amuse."--Publishers Weekly"Murder and mayhem erupt, even in fairy-tale Prague. Editor Mandys maintains that it may be hard to imagine dark doings taking place virtually in the shadow of Prague Castle, yet he manages to harvest 14 artful tales that speak directly to the contrary. Although there are few standard whodunits, Prague's long history provides fertile ground for evildoers...Perhaps nowhere but Prague do vice and enchantment live at such close quarters, and Mandys' collection captures both beautifully. A lovely addition to Akashic's venerable series."--Kirkus Reviews"Prague's top writers explore the hidden corners of the 'City of a Hundred Spires,' pulling back the curtain to reveal gloom and despair, in this entry in Akashic's Noir Series."--Publishers Weekly, Spring 2018 Announcements, Mysteries and ThrillersAkashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. The noir quotient of this legendary Eastern European city will enthrall and terrify readers from across the globe.Brand-new stories by: Martin Goffa, Štěpán Kopřiva, Miloš Urban, Jiří W. Procházka, Chaim Cigan, Ondřej Neff, Petr Stančík, Kateřina Tučková, Markéta Pilátová, Michal Sýkora, Michaela Klevisová, Petra Soukupová, Irena Hejdová, and Petr Šabach.From the introduction by Pavel Mandys:How do you write noir in a city where, until 1990, the profession of private detective didn't even exist? Where the censors cultivated a positive image of the police in both media and literature? Where, in essence, organized crime was nowhere to be found, and the largest criminal group was the secret police?...If, however, the concept of noir is extended and considered a label for literary works that contain elements of crime, danger, and menace, or where main characters find themselves in a critical situation, then you will find fourteen such stories in this collection...I see Prague Noir as a chance for Czech authors to introduce themselves to international audiences...Contemporary Czech literature is vivid, vibrant, and informed by contemporary world literature which--thanks to active translators--is usually available in Czech very fast. It is global and local, poetic and humorous, filled with stories from the past, present, and from imaginary worlds. And it is waiting for when, in addition to all the enthusiastic Czech readers, it will also gain a great international audience This “varied And Polished” Anthology Of Original Noir Fiction Introduces A New Wave Of Czech Authors To English-speaking Audiences (publishers Weekly). It Can Be Difficult To Imagine Noir Fiction Emerging In A City Like Prague, Where The Profession Of Private Detective Didn’t Even Exist Prior To 1990. Before The Velvet Revolution, The Only Serious Criminal Organization Was The Secret Police. Yet, With Its Complex And Often Tragic History, The Home Of Franz Kafka And Milan Kundera Offers A Uniquely Rich Setting For Stories Of Menace, Danger, And Secrecy; Tales Of Individuals Driven To Break The Law In The Face Of A Desperate Situation. In This “superior Entry In Akashic’s Noir Series,” Fourteen Contemporary Czech Authors Introduce Themselves—and Their World—to An International Audience (publishers Weekly). Prague Noir Includes Brand-new Stories By Martin Goffa, Štěpán Kopřiva, Miloš Urban, Jiří W. Procházka, Chaim Cigan, Ondřej Neff, Petr Stančík, Kateřina Tučková, Markéta Pilátová, Michal Sýkora, Michaela Klevisová, Petra Soukupová, Irena Hejdová, And Petr Šabach. Crime fiction set in Iran—including a finalist for the Shamus Award for Best PI Short Story. “Tehran Noir is not only a solid crime collection, but an illuminating look into day-to-day life in the Middle East, with religious and political implications galore, as well as racial tensions bubbling just beneath the surface.... The stories in Tehran Noir aren't always easy to read, but they are engaging in the extreme.” —San Francisco Book Review Includes brand-new stories by Gina B. Nahai, Salar Abdoh, Lily Farhadpour, Azardokht Bahrami, Yourik Karim-Masihi, Vali Khalili, Farhaad Heidari Gooran, Aida Moradi Ahani, Mahsa Mohebali, Majed Neisi, Danial Haghighi, Javad Afhami, Sima Saeedi, Mahak Taheri, and Hossein Abkenar. “A stellar and diverse cast of Iranian writers.... A collection such as this is able to bring Iran to life for the foreign reader in a way other fiction and non-fiction cannot.... Superb.” —PopMatters This Entry In Akashic's Noir Series Takes The Gritty Sensibilities Born Out Of American Film And Fiction To Tehran. The Fat, Fat Story Of The Fat City / Danial Haghighi -- Fear Is The Best Keeper Of Secrets / Vali Khalili -- A Woman's Geography Is Sacred / Lily Farhadpour -- The Shelf Life Of Revenge / Sima Saeedi -- The Corpse Fixer / Majed Neisi -- Lariyan's Day In The Sun / Aida Moradi Ahani -- The Whitest Set Of Teeth In Tehran / Salar Abdoh -- The Restlessness Of A Serial Killer At The Finish Line / Javad Afhami -- My Own Marble Jesus / Mahsa Mohebali -- In The Flophouse / Farhaad Heidari Gooran -- A Stoning Before Breakfast / Azardokht Bahrami -- Bridge Of Simon / Yourik Karim-masihi -- Not Every Bullet Is Meant For A King / Hossein Abkenar -- The Groom's Return / Mahak Taheri -- The Graverdiggers Kaddish / Gina B. Hanai. Edited And Translated By Salar Abdoh.