Robert Stone and Lynn Kostoff

[Jorn Barger]

Judging from Google, Lynn Kostoff is a seriously overlooked/
underappreciated genius, who reminds me of Robert Stone with
a little more Elmore Leonard/Carl Hiassen/Crying-of-Lot49...

I picked "A Choice of Nightmares" off the thriller shelf based
purely on the cover. Oddly, the jacket had no review-blurbs,
but a few decent quotes from the book instead. It was
published in 1991, and Google reports he's only just this year
released his second, "The Long Fall". (The jacket-bio says
his 2nd will be "The Work of Hands" which perhaps languishes
somewhere?)

Before reading Kostoff I would have placed Stone on a plateau
by himself, but Kostoff catches his moral seriousness well
enough to gauge the distances involved. Kostoff adds some
Pynchonian wit as well, and has a daring way with metaphors.

I can only guess that "Nightmares" was neglected because the
last half is somewhat rough going, as the coke-smugglers
construct byzantine layers of mutual betrayal. (As with
some Stone, the ending is also a bit of a letdown.)

But it's a shame he hasn't enjoyed more encouragement...

[artyw]

jo...@enteract.com (Jorn Barger) wrote in message news:<16e613ec.03072...@posting.google.com>...

>
> somewhere?)
>
> Before reading Kostoff I would have placed Stone on a plateau
> by himself, but Kostoff catches his moral seriousness well
> enough to gauge the distances involved. Kostoff adds some
> Pynchonian wit as well, and has a daring way with metaphors.
>

Do you like Kem Nunn? His "Dogs of Winter" would appeal to Stone fans
IMO. I have never heard of Kostoff, but I might try him out.

[str8fan1976]

I had Mr. Kostoff for two classes in the creative writing program at the
college I attended and I have to agree that he is very much a genius. I
have worked with him on my stories one on one and he is just an amazing
writer. I hope he becomes well known and famous one day because his stuff
is way more brillant than that of some of today's most popular authors.