For those of you who haven't touched any of F. Paul Wilson's "horror" novels because of the, well, horror, get ready for a great surprise. Many of them contain a steady current of pro-freedom ideas, courtesy of the protagonist, Repairman Jack. Furthermore, Wilson's horror is unlike any other I've read, most notably in that it is not anti-reason.
Let me back up a little. I don't like horror novels -- never have. But when a dear friend whose judgment I trust kept suggesting I read a Repairman Jack novel, I decided it was time to try the first one, which is The Tomb, originally published in 1984. I devoured it, enjoying every bit, then waited impatiently for my partner to finish the second in the series so that I could immerse myself in it. Now I've read them all, and find myself waiting impatiently to get my next Repairman Jack ("RJ") fix. Probably labeled horror because of the supernatural content, the most accurate term for the RJ novels is "action thriller." Even that doesn't do the series justice, as Wilson doesn't stick to a formula in writing the stories.
Repairman Jack is a man who lives outside the system, outside its laws. He's a "fixer" of problems that individuals can't take to the justice system. Despite being a "criminal," Jack's integrity and adherence to a strict moral code make him more honorable than most law-abiding citizens. He is quite possibly the most complex fictional character I've come across to date -- driven to do right by his code, yet utterly capable of killing and enjoying it under the right circumstances. Jack's personal life is similarly complex and challenging, and Wilson never gives him an easy out.
The supernatural content of the RJ novels revolves around the nature of good and evil, with Wilson's own take on the issue. Although Jack deals with otherworldly elements, such as the rakoshi and ghosts, there are no magic solutions. His fixes are always based in reality; Jack reasons his way through every problem, with a stubbornness that also endears him to many libertarians.
In The Tomb, the first RJ novel, Jack is sought out by an Indian diplomat who wants him to find an irreplaceable family heirloom stolen during a mugging. His former lover also seeks his services to locate an aunt who's disappeared. Legacies has Jack caught up in a bizarre inheritance situation between a brother and sister that somehow involves big-time American, Saudi, and Japanese interests. Conspiracies is a clever RJ romp through the shadowy world of conspiracy theories that is at times laugh-out-loud funny. In All the Rage some of the pieces of the puzzle regarding the Otherness forces begin to come together for Jack, as he takes on the dangerous world of designer drug makers. Hosts reveals more, as Jack is immersed in a fix that has immense personal stakes, as well as for the future of the human race. The Haunted Air weaves a subtle exploration of epistemology into a fast-paced action story that also introduces Jack's greatest vulnerability to date. In Gateways, Jack reconnects with his father, and gets much more than he bargains for in this Florida-based adventure. It closes with Jack ominously being informed, "There will be no more coincidences in your life". Crisscross provides more insight into the Otherness Jack is up against, while Jack copes with distractions arising from personal challenges. Infernal is perhaps lighter on action, but richer in personal exploration and psychological tension, as Jack's forced to deal with various family issues past and present.
Each Repairman Jack novel offers something new within the comfortable structure of the novels. Jack grows and develops over the years, and Wilson is masterful in melding plot, characters, and atmosphere into story after story that grips your imagination and won't let loose. For intelligent, well-crafted stories and good individualist content, pick up The Tomb -- the books are best taken in sequence, although that isn't necessary to understand each novel -- turn down the lights, and enter the shadowy, challenging world of Repairman Jack. You won't be disappointed.
The Repairman Jack books in order:
The Tomb
Legacies
Conspiracies
All the Rage
Hosts
The Haunted Air
Gateways
Crisscross
Infernal
(read Sunni's review)
