“Afterthoughts is three things. Firstly it is a collection of all the prologues & epilogues that LB has added to various stories throughout the years as they’ve received new attention. Secondly, it is a fantastic introduction to not only the unknown, but also the known titles by him. I consider myself a big fan, having several of the lost gems that for years LB had disowned, yet it reminded me of the existence of the Tanner series that I never really tried before. Obviously that will be remedied forthwith. Third, and most importantly in my view, it’s an autobiography of Lawrence Block through the years that generally matter to us strangers – the writing years. Reading about the aspects of his life that inspired sections of his stories was just fascinating to me.
“One might view Afterthoughts as really good marijuana – it is the gateway book to get you onto the harder stuff – be it the Heroin of Scudder (serious, hard hitting); the Magic Mushrooms of Bernie (makes you giggle) or the Ecstasy of Chip Harrison (horny but nice with it). Pretend they are Pokemon – you’ve gotta get them all!”
