The Everything Box

A Novel

By: Richard Kadrey

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Reminiscent of the edgy, offbeat humor of Chris Moore and Matt Ruff, the first entry in a whimsical, fast-paced supernatural series from the New York Times best-selling author of the Sandman Slim novels - a dark and humorous story involving a doomsday gizmo, a horde of baddies determined to possess its power, and a clever thief who must steal it back...again and again.

It's 22,000 BC. A beautiful, ambitious angel stands on a mountaintop, surveying the world and its little inhabitants below. He smiles because soon, the last of humanity who survived the great flood will meet its end, too. And he should know. He's going to play a big part in it. Our angel usually doesn't get to do fieldwork, and if he does well, he's certain he'll get a big promotion.

And now it's time....

The angel reaches into his pocket for the instrument of humanity's doom. Must be in the other pocket. Then he frantically begins to pat himself down. Dejected, he realizes he has lost the object. Looking over the Earth at all that could have been, the majestic angel utters a single word.

"Crap."

It's 2015. A thief named Coop - a specialist in purloining magic objects - steals and delivers a small box to the mysterious client who engaged his services. Coop doesn't know that his latest job could be the end of him - and the rest of the world. Suddenly he finds himself in the company of The Department of Peculiar Science, a fearsome enforcement agency that polices the odd and strange. The box isn't just a supernatural heirloom with quaint powers, they tell him.

It's a doomsday device. They think....

And suddenly, everyone is out to get it.

©2016 Richard Kadrey (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Clever, funny, thoroughly enjoyable

I think the narrator was the perfect match for this well written, follow the bouncing ball of twisting humor and ironic look at belief. Love this book, author, and narrator.

apocalyptic hilarity

This book is a blast (pun intended because, you see, it's about this box that can, sorry, no spoilers here). It's a refreshing read, unlike anything else unless you maybe compared it to Carl Hiaasen, but Hiaasen's stuff is hyperbole of events that happen and this is true fantasy. Well, I hope it's fantasy. This book had me laughing out loud beginning to end and I almost hope it's the start of a series. It would be a pleasure to follow our crook/hero and his crew of crazies through another adventure.

Another Great Read from Kadrey

Richard Kadrey just never fails to delight. This book is a departure from his wonderfully addicting Sandman Slim series: it is still filled with bizarre creatures and a protagonist who doesn't know when or how to quit, as well as plenty of violence and mayhem, but it is also a Keystone Kops-type madcap comedy, rather than a paeon to the Apocalypse.

There are certain unwritten rules to this type of bungling comedy -- for instance, there have to be a large number of bumbling incompetents, and they have to be bumbling in different, but always entertaining, ways, and they all have to be on a path that is leading inevitably to the same goal, you have to mix in laughs with plot elements, etc., etc. The point here is that I think this is a far more difficult type of book to write than the more freeform, make-the-rules-up-on-the-fly Sandman Slim series. I had to wonder going in if Kadrey could pull it off.

Not to worry. This book reads like he's been doing this all his life. There are more laugh-out-loud moments in this book than maybe any other book I've read. Kadrey is the modern master of the outrageous metaphor, and this book fairly explodes with them. The various plotlines all come together in a completely satisfying conclusion, leaving this reader definitely wanting more.

I don't know if this, too, is intended to become a series, but I hope so. I started missing Coop pretty much the moment the book ended.

A fun series that I'm going to relisten/reread

Would you consider the audio edition of The Everything Box to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but this book is a solid listen.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Everything Box?

I'm not sure I have a specific moment - the overall arc of the story works well and sets up the next book. I don't have a particular issue with cliffhangers at the start of a series but this book stands alone okay if you're only in it for the one read.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I'm all about satire and urban fantasy novels and this book hit the spot that I've only really found from a couple of other authors (Pratchett, Holt, Adams). It's got an original voice which I like.

Any additional comments?

I'd known about Sandman Slim but not read them so I didn't come into this book with any specific ideas about the author's approach. It was a solid first in the series book for me (read: the pacing isn't always perfect but the slower spots didn't drag enough for me to lose interest) and I'm definitely coming out of it wanting the next one in the series.

Dresden files meets good omens

Title says it all. Loved the book. Other descriptions I read didn't fit as well as mine imho.

Richard Kadrey pretending to be Larry Correia?

Enjoyable as this is, I twice checked the cover to make sure it wasn't a new installment of the Monster Hunter series. Oliver Wyman has pretty much reused those exact voices and mannerisms, and the story has the same feel. This is not Sandman Slim.

great story. some real laugh out loud moments.

Good pace. characters similar to Sandman Slim series. if you like send me Slim you will love this exclamation point

hilarious!

I have been reading Richard Kadrey books for a long time, and I think Coop just moved to the top of my favorites from him. The plot is interesting, world is enjoyable, but the details are worth the price of admission all by themselves! It's like Donald Westlake's Dortmunder wandered into a Satanic Los Angeles and just sighed and got down to business.

The story is a solid caper plot, which is a great set up. Just as I get into the caper groove, Kadrey throws in a few paragraphs that have me laughing myself out of breath, which is a pleasure too rare in these days. This book is a joy!

The performance is well delivered and just straight faced enough to blind side me with the fun.

A total treat and Iall of us can use this kind of fun!

YES!

Any additional comments?

OMG - one the best reads/listens this year! Classic Kadrey - sharp, well written and funny as hell!

Great concept, felt underdeveloped

I love the sci-fi genre, but this fell a little flat for me. The dialogue was lacking and though the voicing for each character was very well done, the narration itself had an odd cadence, that felt out of place. The concept of the book is very interesting, I just feel that the idea wasn't fully explored. Ends up feeling very much like a "first in the series" book; a lot of character development and exposition thrown at you.