Synopses & Reviews
Spademan used to be a garbage man. That was before the dirty bomb hit Times Square, before his wife was killed, and before the city became a blown-out shell of its former self.
Now he’s a hitman.
In a near-future New York City split between those who are wealthy enough to “tap in” to a sophisticated virtual reality, and those who are left to fend for themselves in the ravaged streets, Spademan chose the streets. His new job is not that different from his old one: waste disposal is waste disposal. He doesn’t ask questions, he works quickly, and he’s handy with a box cutter. But when his latest client hires him to kill the daughter of a powerful evangelist, his unadorned life is upended: his mark has a shocking secret and his client has a sordid agenda far beyond a simple kill. Spademan must navigate between these two worlds — the wasteland reality and the slick fantasy — to finish his job, clear his conscience, and make sure he’s not the one who winds up in the ground.
Adam Sternbergh has written a dynamite debut: gritty, violent, funny, riveting, tender, and brilliant.
Review
“Stunning narrative sleight-of-hand....Characters [with] humor and a resilient humanity....Mixing dystopian science fiction and urban noir with a Palahniuk swagger, this could well be the first novel everybody is talking about over the next few months.” Booklist (starred review)
Review
“Spademan is an unlikely yet tragic hero, and it takes a talented author to make a reader root for such a damaged and ruthless man....This is a gripping genre mash-up and a stunning debut.” Library Journal (starred review)
Review
“[An] edgy, noir-soaked thriller.” Bookpage
Synopsis
The futuristic hardboiled noir that Lauren Beukes calls "sharp as a paper-cut" about a garbage man turned kill-for-hire. Spademan used to be a garbage man. That was before the dirty bomb hit Times Square, before his wife was killed, and before the city became a blown-out shell of its former self.
Now he's a hitman.
In a near-future New York City split between those who are wealthy enough to "tap in" to a sophisticated virtual reality, and those who are left to fend for themselves in the ravaged streets, Spademan chose the streets. When his latest client hires him to kill the daughter of a powerful evangelist, he must navigate between these two worlds--the wasteland reality and the slick fantasy--to finish his job, clear his conscience, and make sure he's not the one who winds up in the ground.
About the Author
Adam Sternbergh is the culture editor of
The New York Times Magazine. Formerly an editor-at-large for
New York, his writing has been featured in several other publications including
GQ, The Times of London, and on the radio program
This American Life. He lives in Brooklyn and is at work on a second Spademan novel.
www.adamsternbergh.com · @sternbergh