Crooked Little Vein

I read a few books in the last week (including The Raw Shark Texts, which was alright but not as great as it initially promised) but the one which stands out in my mind is Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis. Ellis is the writer of a lot of graphic novels and comic books, and writes a very interesting blog, and Crooked Little Vein is his first novel.

It's a very strange story: a detective who always gets the thin end of the wedge, who always ends up working the weirdest cases is tasked by the Chief of Staff to the president to find the real constitution of the United States - something which can help bring the country back on track. He sets off, meeting body modifiers, Godzilla porn enthusiasts and serial killers on the way...

It's probably not to everyone's taste (and I think ten minutes spent reading through random posts on Ellis' blog will help you to figure out whether it might be to your taste), but it is an entertaining read and it's also a thought-provoking read. People say, "Oh, there's all kinds of weird stuff on the internet" - but the internet is mainstream, it connects a huge percentage of the world's population, and so if something is on the internet, is it not already in the mainstream?

Even if that material is for Godzilla porn enthusiasts?

Crooked Little Vein is not for everyone, but it's a good read, moves along at a breakneck pace and makes you think as much as it makes you go "There can't be people interested in that..."