Presenting Heavy Metal Pulp, a new line of novels combining noir fiction with fantastic art featuring the themes, story lines, and graphic s... read full description
reviews
Feb 03, 2010
Marvin
rated it: 
Received this ARC as a win from Goodreads. It is not a graphic novel as I thought but a 200+ page novel with occasional illustrations. Put out by Heavy Metal so you know it will be full of Sci-Fi, violence and sex. In other words, a hormonally challenged college boy should be the one reading this.
Instead they got this only slightly more mature 59 year old bookworm to read this while my wife gives me strange looks as she glances at the lurid cover...
So I finished it and i More...
Instead they got this only slightly more mature 59 year old bookworm to read this while my wife gives me strange looks as she glances at the lurid cover...
So I finished it and i More...
Feb 22, 2010
Jeffrey
rated it:
I won this book in a First Read's giveaway
Shallow, trashy, tawdry, and titillating in a way that appeals to 14 year-old boys (well 14 year old boys in the late 80s, I suppose), if you know what Heavy Metal and pulp fiction are then you know exactly what you're going to get in this volume.
Women are objectified, the hero is virile yet chivalrously chaste (in that order), unless the woman in question is a prostitute and then she's clearly begging for it, and cliched dystopi More...
Shallow, trashy, tawdry, and titillating in a way that appeals to 14 year-old boys (well 14 year old boys in the late 80s, I suppose), if you know what Heavy Metal and pulp fiction are then you know exactly what you're going to get in this volume.
Women are objectified, the hero is virile yet chivalrously chaste (in that order), unless the woman in question is a prostitute and then she's clearly begging for it, and cliched dystopi More...
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Aug 01, 2011
Theresa
rated it: 
Publisher's Weekly just doesn't understand pulp fiction.
"Pulps were the successor to the penny dreadfuls, dime novels, and short fiction magazines of the nineteenth century. Although many respected writers wrote for pulps, the magazines are best remembered for their lurid and exploitative stories and sensational cover art. "
~Wikipedia
Christopher Rowley, on the other hand, has a firm grasp of the genre.
Pleasure Model by Christopher Rowley, the f More...
"Pulps were the successor to the penny dreadfuls, dime novels, and short fiction magazines of the nineteenth century. Although many respected writers wrote for pulps, the magazines are best remembered for their lurid and exploitative stories and sensational cover art. "
~Wikipedia
Christopher Rowley, on the other hand, has a firm grasp of the genre.
Pleasure Model by Christopher Rowley, the f More...
Jun 22, 2010
Mystique
rated it:
Now, I'm conflicted. I have a hard time rating this book a three when I know I've rated actual literature with three stars, but let's be realistic: this book is what it is. I mean, this is clearly a book that one reads in an afternoon, in one's parents' basement. I mean, it's not going to change the way you view the world, it's not going to cure what ills the world, it's not going to prevent anyone from writing bad checks, but...as pulp paperbacks go...really...NOT bad! There's an actual plo
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Feb 08, 2010
Nick
rated it:
This is the first in a planned 3-book run subtitled "Heavy Metal Pulp" (inspired by the famous illustrated fantasy magazine), but note these AREN'T graphic novels; they're novels with plenty of interior artwork (this time courtesy of Justin Norman).
The story is basically a mixture of BLADERUNNER and the "Harry Canyon" segment of the 1981 animated HEAVY METAL film. When a former special ops big shot named Sangacha is found murdered, Investigating Officer Rook Venn More...
The story is basically a mixture of BLADERUNNER and the "Harry Canyon" segment of the 1981 animated HEAVY METAL film. When a former special ops big shot named Sangacha is found murdered, Investigating Officer Rook Venn More...
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Feb 28, 2010
U.L.
rated it:
Here's the thing. This is the sexy story of some cop who is trying to solve some case about some guy military guy or something who might have been important or bad or who really cares.
The writing is there. It is executed well, for whatever it is trying to do. Great. It is fun in parts. Great. But it's boring, to me. The characters weren't interesting and don't get me wrong they're not supposed to be. This is pulp...that I don't want to read. I'll say it again: I was bored that's why More...
The writing is there. It is executed well, for whatever it is trying to do. Great. It is fun in parts. Great. But it's boring, to me. The characters weren't interesting and don't get me wrong they're not supposed to be. This is pulp...that I don't want to read. I'll say it again: I was bored that's why More...
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Feb 03, 2010
Natalia
rated it: 
So I have to admit, this book was much better than I expected. After all, it's published by Heavy Metal - I was expecting sex, violence, and large-breasted women in metal bikinis. There's some sex, lots of violence, but they decided to pass on the metal swimwear for this book. Good call.
The story is classic pulp: Good cop in a world gone bad. And the world is *bad* - An ex-president that shows up for a cameo is the worst kind of twisted pervert, senators are tied up in some kind of m More...
The story is classic pulp: Good cop in a world gone bad. And the world is *bad* - An ex-president that shows up for a cameo is the worst kind of twisted pervert, senators are tied up in some kind of m More...
Feb 16, 2010
Lanica
rated it:
I picked this up as a FirstRead, and was under the impression that it was a graphic novel. It was not, there were black and white drawings thrown in throughout the book, but it was a novel with some illustrations - not a graphic novel.
It takes place in a futuristic New York with a lot of technology embedded into humans, much of it illegally. There is also a 'race' of people created in laboratories. The Pleasure Model is allowed extremely limited intelligence, but more than normal sex More...
It takes place in a futuristic New York with a lot of technology embedded into humans, much of it illegally. There is also a 'race' of people created in laboratories. The Pleasure Model is allowed extremely limited intelligence, but more than normal sex More...
Feb 03, 2010
Halona
rated it:
In the beginning of "Pleasure Model" you meet Angela who has been in hiding for the past 25 years from the killers who murdered her fiance. She is now "Mistress Julia", a dominatrix, living in New York. Her latest client is murdered and she barely escapes with her life but not before she over hears the killers talking and realizes that these are the same killers from decades ago and they've found her. She now has to find help with going into hiding again and this time she
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Feb 07, 2010
Paige
rated it:
This was an interesting book. It was done in a new style of graphic novel/comic book look. There were some pictures on the pages that illustrated what was going on at the time. The artist, Justin Norman, has a wonderful way with pencils. At least, the pictures looked to be done in pencil. The plot was very interesting and I would be interested in reading the other two books that are to come from this series. Christopher Rowley creates his own futuristic world that comes alive as you keep up with
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Feb 03, 2010
Cynthia
rated it:
It has been a while I've read a graphic novel, but I did enjoy reading this one. The illustrations were just enough to give a gentle push to your imagination without overwhelming it. The novel itself was a combo of Blade Runner meets John McClain. I'm not a reader of Heavy Metal magazine, but, I imagine, the regular readers should enjoy this. If the novel needed a rating, I would give it NC-17 for nudity, D/s, violence, and language. This is not a graphic novel for middle school children.
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Feb 22, 2010
Christy
rated it:
I received this book as a First Read and was pleasantly surprised with the book, not being of a genre I read on a regular basis. The cover made it seem a lot more sexual of a story than it actually was. I guess it's made to attract the target audience of young males, but it mostly made me have to hold it carefully while reading it in public to avoid judging looks.
The story is a noir set in a very bleak future, revolving around a cop who might be the only moral creature left in the More...
The story is a noir set in a very bleak future, revolving around a cop who might be the only moral creature left in the More...
Feb 13, 2010
Shelley
rated it: 
This book was a First Reads win for me, and it definitely did not disappoint. While I am a twenty-something female and probably not the target audience, I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read the next two in the trilogy. Having never read any noir fiction or Heavy Metal magazine, I had no clue what to expect from this book. The illustrations were fantastic and added an element of fun. This was a fast paced dark story about a rogue cop named Rook in a seriously messed up futuris
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Jan 31, 2010
Mindy
rated it:
I just received this book from the giveaway. Can't wait to read it. It doesn't appear to be the style book I usually read. It has some drawings and rather large print. I'll start reading it tonight or tomorrow.
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I didn't realize Heavy Metal Pulp was a certain group or style of books. My husband was excited to see what I was reading, he reads those books.
So far so good. It's futuristic yet classic in that it's a detective story.
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I really liked this More...
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I didn't realize Heavy Metal Pulp was a certain group or style of books. My husband was excited to see what I was reading, he reads those books.
So far so good. It's futuristic yet classic in that it's a detective story.
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I really liked this More...
Feb 14, 2010
glitrbug
rated it:
What fun. Reminds me of back in the 70's when I'd be babysitting late and catch something racy on late night cable. More innuendo and carefully draped costume than now. The back cover describes the book as "combining noir fiction with fantastic art featuring the themes, story lines and graphic styles of 'Heavy Metal' magazine." Can't say that I ever ran into any of those magazines but I would liken this to an old Humphrey Bogart black and white movie with him as the slightly comp
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Jan 29, 2010
Christy
rated it: 
This is supposedly a cutting edge style of reading; half novel, half comic. What it actually is, is a simple large printed book with pictures. You might have seen others like this in the children section.
I'm not going to compare this book to rape statistics. No. Not will I won't mention the absurd and horrible sexualization of women portrayed in this “book,” not at all. I wont suggest that this book is in any way offensive to women. I won't be mentioning these things due to lac More...
I'm not going to compare this book to rape statistics. No. Not will I won't mention the absurd and horrible sexualization of women portrayed in this “book,” not at all. I wont suggest that this book is in any way offensive to women. I won't be mentioning these things due to lac More...
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Nov 25, 2010
Aaron
rated it:
This book was like reading a good action movie which comes in three parts. The illustrations peppered throughout the book remind me of the old zebra books from back in the day. The story focuses on a murdered retired general, his pleasure model and a cop who is trying to solve the case. Needless to say everything goes wrong, political and military involvement increases the stakes at hand, and just as the action is really getting going the book ends leaving you on the edge for the next volume.
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Oct 26, 2010
Aaron
rated it:
I laughed. I cried. It was the best thing since Cats the Musical.
As a kid, in the time before parental advisory warnings, I would walk to the local convenience store to buy a copy of Heavy Metal magazine. I remember the illustrated magazine to be rather violent and sexually explicit. (Ahhh, those were the days.) I found this book to be tame compared to the magazine of my youth. Although I haven't picked up a copy of Heavy Metal in a long time, so the magazine may have also tamed More...
As a kid, in the time before parental advisory warnings, I would walk to the local convenience store to buy a copy of Heavy Metal magazine. I remember the illustrated magazine to be rather violent and sexually explicit. (Ahhh, those were the days.) I found this book to be tame compared to the magazine of my youth. Although I haven't picked up a copy of Heavy Metal in a long time, so the magazine may have also tamed More...
Feb 09, 2010
Jeffrey
rated it:
The book is not quite as lurid as the cover promises; thankfully there is something beyond the prurient to be found here. Nice, bare plot. Interesting speculative ideas about what will happen when the tea parties take over, although I'm inferring from the mostly unexplored dichotomy between the "insured" and the "uninsured," which seems to have a different meaning but similarly tragic repercussions. There is also an amusing repartee between the main character and his Nokia, w
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Mar 05, 2010
Jamie
rated it:
This is the third book I've received through Goodreads, and the first one in a while.[return][return]The cover alone should tell you the target audience for this series. While not really my thing, it looked interesting enough, and likely more entertaining than the romance and mystery books I keep ended up with.[return][return]Now, my copy is an ARC, so I don't know exactly how the final version will look. Keep that in mind. From what I've read about the marketing on the back, the final copy will
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Sep 22, 2010
Alex
rated it:
Tor presents what they call the first “illustrated novel” with Christopher Rowley’s Pleasure Model, the first in the Netherworld trilogy. It represents a new partnership between Heavy Metal magazine and Tor books: “Heavy Metal Pulp will partner the top illustrators and designers from the iconic fantasy magazine with today’s most talented science fiction authors, blending the sensuous artistic style and graphic imagery of Heavy Metal with classic noir storytelling.” While I wouldn’t ordinary st
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Jan 31, 2010
Sandy
rated it:
I won a copy of this graphic novel from Goodreads early reviewers. The idea of the story is interesting. Set in New York state in the future, a genetically grown pleasure model is the only witness to a murder. The detective in charge has to keep her safe from the people who are trying to kill both of them and still solve the crime.
Unfortunately due to the short length of the book there is a limited amount of world building or character development. And some of the illustrations don't More...
Unfortunately due to the short length of the book there is a limited amount of world building or character development. And some of the illustrations don't More...
Jan 29, 2010
Audra (Unabridged Chick)
rated it:
I'm unfamiliar with Heavy Metal magazine, so I had no idea what to expect from Pleasure Model. What it was is unexpected, delicious fun.
Even though it's got a bit of a cyberpunk/sci-fi setting, it reads like a noir: gritty setting, sexy and amoral heroes, a strong sense of place, lots of shades of gray. The world building was just appropriate -- enough to give the reader a sense of what life is like without bogging anyone down with unnecessary details.
This is the firs More...
Even though it's got a bit of a cyberpunk/sci-fi setting, it reads like a noir: gritty setting, sexy and amoral heroes, a strong sense of place, lots of shades of gray. The world building was just appropriate -- enough to give the reader a sense of what life is like without bogging anyone down with unnecessary details.
This is the firs More...
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Jan 31, 2010
Amy
rated it:
This is a book that I won on Goodreads. It was an interesting concept in the future, but fairly predictable and more graphic in nature than I expected. When you look at the book it appears to be an adult book with graphic cartoon-like pictures. Is this supposed to enthrall younger readers and draw them towards sexuality sooner? But, if you want a fast reading book that moves at a faster pace, this is a good choice. It would be interesting to read the rest of the series to see how the charac
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Feb 04, 2010
Amber
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. I had read the Heavy Metal Magazine before and enjoyed it, so when I applied for this book I thought it might be an enjoyable read.
If you like an action movie, with lots of twists, turns, and gunfire, then you would enjoy this book. It was an easy read, it took me less than a day, and it moved forward quickly. The only thing that I did not like about this book was the way it ended, especially since I have no idea when the second book will be available. More...
If you like an action movie, with lots of twists, turns, and gunfire, then you would enjoy this book. It was an easy read, it took me less than a day, and it moved forward quickly. The only thing that I did not like about this book was the way it ended, especially since I have no idea when the second book will be available. More...
Feb 15, 2010
Bleumoon
rated it:
I was excited about winning this book on Goodreads. I used to read Heavy Metal magazine and was looking forward to this new type of offering from them. I was disappointed by the artwork, or rather the size of it. I was expecting a full page picture here and there throughout the book instead there are mostly 2x3" pictures on most pages. The story was set in the future and reminded me of the old Heavy Metal magazine stories I used to read. I was expecting more and felt disappointed by th
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Feb 06, 2010
Charlotte
rated it:
I won this book from GoodReads and actually this is my first Heavy Metal book. I was marvelling at the amount of sex and violence in it. Not to mention how shallow and underdeveloped the characters are!
That said, the story is not bad. The plot is fast and straight to the point although very predictable, it offers lots of action if that what the readers expect.
Yes, this book is well appreciated in the hands of its fans!!!
That said, the story is not bad. The plot is fast and straight to the point although very predictable, it offers lots of action if that what the readers expect.
Yes, this book is well appreciated in the hands of its fans!!!
Jun 27, 2010
Karagan
rated it:
Pleasure Model gave me everything I expected in the world of pulp fiction with great suspense and a few twists along the way. A good cop is forced to the other side of the law, a split minded dominatrix ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a Pammy, who has never given ‘pleasures’ despite that being her one and only purpose for existence, brings the two together.
As far as personal tastes go, I didn’t care for Rook’s affection for Plesur or for his mind to bed Soozie, th More...
As far as personal tastes go, I didn’t care for Rook’s affection for Plesur or for his mind to bed Soozie, th More...
Feb 01, 2010
Ash
rated it:
It was tamer than I was expecting, and much better than I was expecting. It's kind of an interesting detective story/whodunit against a scifi with erotica backdrop, but it works. I guess I thought it was going to be slightly cheesy romance, but it's actually got quite a good suspense going. A bit cliche at times, but intriguing and entertaining all the same.
Feb 13, 2010
Nicole
rated it:
I got this book as a first read and it was entertaining. A cyber pulp science fiction/mystery. Its not a graphic novel but I enjoyed the illustrations that are through out the book. My husband raised his eyebrows at the cover, and it was not something I could read during my work lunch time but the book is fun.
