10 Comments
Mar 7, 2023Liked by Sam Wiebe

“‘People don’t want anything dark’ is the prevailing wisdom, though the “people” I know still admire James Lee Burke and Lawrence Block, wait anxiously for a new Tana French novel, get excited for what the genre can do. Those people might not be Nixon’s silent majority, but they’re out there, and I think they’re ill-served by a lot of book culture. But it’s also very hard to mobilize them.”

I’m a member of this tribe, so I feel seen here. But is it a tribe? My impression is that we’re a bunch of stubborn grumpy individualists who struggle to come together in the service of a good new crime novel of contemporary hard unstylized realism unless it’s canonical. Maybe there should be a con for us. But what would we call it?

Expand full comment

Well said, Sam! An old dinosaur like myself is considering the indie route because of time constraints. I share your belief that excellence in writing will survive, that art will prevail. Perhaps someone digging through the detritus of the internet will find gems that speak to them.

Expand full comment
founding

This is the most beautiful, well written email I’ve ever received.

Expand full comment

I wish I could be at your launch, Sam. Texas is a bit far... I'm like you, I love what I'd call Classic Crime, like there's Classic Rock. I strongly believe there is room for it still. I probably would sill write the stuff I write even if there was no room for it, lol. So, yes, stubborn like Jim says. Cozies don't do it for me, but neither do the hyper-violent/light on plot variations.

Expand full comment
Mar 7, 2023Liked by Sam Wiebe

I prefer the gritty crime writing such as yours, the other types of writing I cannot tolerate. Onward through the fog.

Expand full comment