Tuesday, 16 October 2012

Akashic Noir Series

by Beth Carswell

Brooklyn Noir from Akashic Books
Brooklyn Noir
The collection that began it all.
Edited by Tim McLoughlin
There's been a murder at a Mumbai spice market, the corpse's fingers sunset-stained with turmeric and saffron. A grisly discovery on a Copenhagen beach sends Danish police scurrying for answers. A woman with eyes like warnings and a terrible secret walks into a Pittsburgh P.I.'s office and won't be denied...
If you love the grit, grime and sultry sweat of a good piece of noir fiction, the Akashic Noir series is for you. Akashic Books is an independent publisher based in Brooklyn, and begun by musician Johnny Temple, the former bassist for long-running post-hardcore band Girls Against Boys. Temple founded Akashic Books in 1996, with the goal of publishing shining writing stars who might otherwise go overlooked, particularly in the arenas of urban literary fiction and political non-fiction.
Akashic had a surprise blessing in 2011, when they published Go the F*ck to Sleep, a "children's book for adults" by Adam Mansbach and illustrated by Ricardo Cortes. The book is a spoof of tender-hearted, loving poems from parents to infants, but in the voice of an exhausted, frustrated parent at wits' end, begging their infant to please, for the love of God, just go to sleep. The book went viral unintentionally, when advance PDF copies of the text were leaked, shared, and became a big hit. Akashic, which were suddenly in the spotlight, credit social media with the book's intense popularity.
The Akashic Noir series began in 2004 with the first book, called simply "Brooklyn Noir". Edited by Brooklyn-based novelist Tim McLoughlin (author of the critically-acclaimed Heart of the Old Country, and adapted to the film The Narrows in 2008), Brooklyn Noir is a series of 19 new pieces of short noir fiction, set in different Brooklyn neighborhoods. Spanning every age group, social status, class level, gender and ethnicity, this selection of stories vibrates and hums with the authentic underground buzz of Brooklyn. McLoughlin - who was also a contributor to the collection with his offering, When All This Was Bay Ridge - was clearly meticulous about maintaining the genuine article in his selection process. The collection earned so much attention and acclaim that it became the first in a series, that has now expanded - so far - to include over 50 titles in locales criss-crossing the globe. It seems the incorporation of familiar, well-known locations with excellent writing and plot is a winning combination that readers can't resist. Those who have stepped into the ring to edit the collections run the gamut from little-known talents to big names like Joyce Carol Oates and Dennis Lehane.
Enjoy a selection of excellent noir fiction from around the globe below.

Akashic Noir Books

Mumbai Noir
Mumbai Noir
Edited by Altaf Tyrewala
New Jersey Noir
New Jersey Noir
Edited by Joyce Carol Oates
Baltimore Noir
Baltimore Noir
Edited by Laura Lippman
Barcelona Noir
Barcelona Noir
Edited by Adriana V. Lopez & Carmen Ospina
Pittsburgh Noir
Pittsburgh Noir
Edited by Kathleen George
Boston Noir
Boston Noir
Edited by Dennis Lehane
Bronx Noir
Bronx Noir
Edited by S.J. Rozan
Brooklyn Noir 2
Brooklyn Noir 2
Edited by Tim McLoughlin
Copenhagen Noir
Copenhagen Noir
Edited by Bo Tao Michaelis
DC Noir
DC Noir
Edited by George Pelecanos
Venice Noir
Venice Noir
edited by Maxim Jakubowski
Trinidad Noir
Trinidad Noir
Edited by Lisa Allen-Agostini & Jeanne Mason
Toronto Noir
Toronto Noir
Edited by Janine Armin & Nathaniel G. Moore
Cape Cod Noir
Cape Cod Noir
Edited by David L. Ulin
Miami Noir
Miami Noir
Edited by Les Standiford
Los Angeles Noir
Los Angeles Noir
Edited by Denise Hamilton
Chicago Noir
Chicago Noir
Edited by Neal Pollack
Istanbul Noir
Istanbul Noir
Edited by Mustafa Ziyalan & Amy Spangler
DC Noir 2
DC Noir 2
Edited by George Pelecanos
Detroit Noir
Detroit Noir
Edited by E.J. Olsen & John C. Hocking
Delhi Noir
Delhi Noir
Edited by Hirsh Sawhney
Havana Noir
Havana Noir
Edited by Achy Obejas
Dublin Noir
Dublin Noir
Edited by Ken Bruen
Haiti Noir
Haiti Noir
Edited by Edwidge Danticat
Indian Country Noir
Indian Country Noir
Edited by Sarah Cortez & Liz Martinez 
 
 

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