Product Description
Body armor has been devised for the commando forces that are to be dropped on Banshee-the home of the most implacable of humanity's enemies. A trooper in this armor is a one-man, atomic-powered battle fortress, but he will have to fight a nearly endless horde of berserk, hard-shelled monsters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (355)

Unusual, in the best way
I was so impressed with Armor that I went looking for other books by John Steakley. Armor has a rich story, a vivid universe, solid characters, and crisp, bright, compelling writing. There is something very unusual about this novel, it's candid and honest and bold, and it really works. Steakley has a staggering talent for writing and I only wish (selfishly) that he'd written more. I began his novel Vampires recently and it's feeling so far like it's of comparable quality.

One dimensional
This first novel is an entirely one dimensional story.For the first 89 pages the hero battles thousands of hard shelled space aliens - mostly by tearing them apart with his atomic powered armor.He is the only survivor in his 2,000 person unit.

You get the picture. After a while you figure out that the heor will never get killed.So there is little suspense left.

I read the next 40 pages but couldn't go on.

It would have been much better as an illustrated novel

Starship Troopers in drag
If you've read Starship Troopers - Heinlein's classic sci-fi novel of interplanetary war - you'll doubtlessly agree that Paul Verhoeven's eponymous 1997 movie starring Caspen Van Dien is only loosely based on the original novel.The Hollywood blockbuster does borrow key plot points from the book, but adds large elements of scary alien monster movie schlock to excite the popcorn crowd.Now behold Armor, the "bestselling military classic" by John Steakley.If Verhoeven didn't give Steakley credit for inspiring the man-versus-monster battle scenes, he certainly should have; for Armor was published in 1984, a decade before Troopers made the leap to the big screen.Reading Armor, I couldn't stop thinking about Van Diem and company zapping and getting munched by nasty insectivore meanies on an inhospitable world, while cruel, clueless military leaders play chess with the soldiers' lives, a million miles away, safe in their enclaves and battleship bridges.It is this nightmare vision of a futuristic foot soldier's bleak existence which envelopes the reader of Armor. Steakley cleverly weaves his narrative of galactic guts-and-glory into Heinlein's original military milieu without explicitly saying so - but you know it's the same universe, just darker, bloodier. It's really unfortunate then, that Steakley's attempt - to go beyond the genre and create a multi-layered character study - falls so furiously flat half way through, that the reader is tempted to take scissors and excise the middle third of the book, and give the other two-thirds the benefit of a doubt, placing this remainder back on the bookshelf, perhaps a little to the left of, and maybe a shelf or two below, Heinlein's brilliant masterpiece.Seriously, Daw Books' editorial drones need a slap across the collective naked eyeball with a wet noodle. The missing punctuation marks, spelling errors, and ninth-grade writing style give Armor a really amateurish aftertaste.Where are all the missing periods? Are the printing plates worn down, or is it that nobody has ever actually proofread the book after 30-plus printings?

On My Top 10 Greatest Sci-Fi Books List
Felix is a grunt. Felix has a knack for fighting bugs. And surviving.Before his adventure is over he will be forced to question the nature of free will and destiny. In his despair he will inspire others to do the same.

Steakley is a bit of an enigmatic writer.He hasn't written much but what he has written is awesome.This book game me the chills.Heck, I've read it twice now and I never reread books.

Classic
Read it. ... Read more

Product Description
The cult classic is back—for fans who like their vampire hunters hard-boiled.

You don’t just kill vampires for the money—you do it for the satisfaction. You do it because somebody has to. You do it no matter what it does to you. And you drink—a lot. Some jobs just suck. This one bites.

But nobody does it better than Jack Crow, the leader of VAMPIRE$ Inc. His crack team of hunters takes down the blood suckers with a lethal combination of cojones and crossbows.

After members of Jack’s team are ambushed and slaughtered, however, the survivors need to rethink their strategy. With a new recruit from the Vatican— a priest who’s not afraid to wield a stake—and a sharpshooter loaded up with silver bullets, it’s payback time. The only problem is that the vampires have no intention of going down easy. They have their own hit list—and Jack Crow’s name is scrawled in blood right at the top.Amazon.com Review
Vampire$ (the title does end with a dollar sign) isabout a tightly knit group of professional vampire killers. They maysay they're in it for the money, but their death-defying bravado andwarm male friendships are as intense as those in any soldier-heroepic. The irrepressible, foul-mouthed, hard-drinkin' Jack Crow--deckedout in high-tech chain mail and wielding a fearsome crossbow--is theleader of the bunch. He's the sort of man who screams obscenities atthe pope, and then (after a lot of booze) weeps in the pontiff's lapover the horrors he's witnessed.

Author John Steakley is the son of a Chevrolet dealer from Cleburne, Texas, and he uses his roots to good effect. Not only does much of the action take place in the Lone Star state, but when we first meet the major character named Felix, he's an apparition out of the Old West--living in an abandoned boxcar on the Rio Grande with a Mexican whore, an endless supply of tequila, and a tacky bleeding Jesus on the wall.

Vampire$ is one gaudy, action-packed novel. The men are men, the women are vulnerable, and the vampires are mean, ugly monsters. Unless you don't like that sort of thing, you'll love it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (124)

Jack the Vampire Hunter
Jack Crow is a gothic hero. In a worldthat refuses to acknowledge the horror that stalks the nights, Jack has been charged with banishing these horrors to hell. And it will cost him.

Vampire$ is one of the few novels written by the enigmatic Steakley. The most amazing thing to me about this book is that in so few pages the author manages to develop the characters so fully yet keep the action going at a blinding pace.The characters are flawed human beings yet they manage to rise above their situation to do what must be done. Brilliant.

I wish the Author would continue writing...
I have a thing for vampire stories, I have always consumed them. Unfortunately, supernatural is a difficult subject to dabble in without coming across ridiculous.Rarely do you find an excellent story, and when the story is good enough, it is immediately insulted with follow up formula books.This story is excellent.The characters are three dimensional, the dialogue is interesting, amusing, and thought evoking.I found myself hoping the characters wouldn't encounter any more vampires so they could stay alive. Usually, I am squarely in vampire court.The underlying story of the men and their relationships/friendships, is well worth the read.If you are a Texan, or have ever served in the military, you won't find yourself blushing at the adult language presented. I thought that it was a fairly accurate depiction of dialogue in a high stress environment, but I remember learning the myriad of contexts one could drop the "f" bomb in during basic training, so perhaps I am not as easily offended as others. Of course it contains a damsel in distress, which I also found a delightful addition.

I do not reread books and I have read this book three times.I have purchased it three times as well, since whenever I lend it to a friend with high praises, I never get it back.(as a matter of fact, this will be my fourth purchase and the reason for today's visit to Amazon).

I concur with the reviewer that often enters John Steakley to see if he has written another book, only to be disappointed when nothing else pops up.I wish the writer would continue writing...

Vampires
I was very disappointed with the expletives used LIBERALLY throughout the book. I did not finish it.

Bleh
Ok....I watched the movie which was based on this book, and following the usual logical path that the book is always better than the movie I was sure I would love this book.

Turns out that there ARE exceptions to every rule. This book did absolutely nothing for me and I had many gripes with it but I will list just a few so you can get the point.

1)There is a guy named Cherry Cat.....yea that's right. One of the "big tough" vampire hunters is named Cherry Cat. I know I know, you are reaching for the Jack Daniels and revolver already...but wait there's more.

2) All of these so called "tough guys" seem to break down and sob at the drop of a hat....now I work at a hospital and see people die a lot and I never cry....but these guys hunt vampires..a very manly profession and the abundance of tears and "touching" moments in this book may have you checking the title again just to make sure it is about vampires.

3) There are more complaints but I will close it out with this one.The main character (Jack Crow) says the words Rock 'n' Roll about every two pages when he decides it's time to stop crying and attempt to be manly. This is cringe inducing for me and it made me want to stop reading....I, unlike Crow, am a man so I finished the book...I did not enjoy it though.

Vampires
While never been a very good reader. I recently have begun to engulf myself in reading anything that intrests me that I can get my hands on. Even going back to the library. (which I hadnt done sice high School)I picked this up from the local book/movie store for about 3$.Not sure how good of a read it was going to be.

I was thrilled!!This was amazing. The characters are vivid, real, and as personal as being with close friends. Even tho they all wish they were true tough guys.Annabell is one heck of a lady, tending to all these 'boys'.Which realy touched me. Im like Annabell some times im the only girl in my house of 4 boys!

Im sure wishing this came in Kindle format. Since Im expecting my new Kindle in the mail tomarrow. I would definately read this book again. ... Read more

Product Description
Suppose there were really vampires. They'd have to kill wouldn't they? But who'd be crazy enough to try and make a living out of it? Meet Jack Crow - mercenary vampire slayer who leads a contingent of Vatican renegades in a a long-waged war against the undead.Amazon.com Review
Vampire$ (the title does end with a dollar sign) isabout a tightly knit group of professional vampire killers. They maysay they're in it for the money, but their death-defying bravado andwarm male friendships are as intense as those in any soldier-heroepic. The irrepressible, foul-mouthed, hard-drinkin' Jack Crow--deckedout in high-tech chain mail and wielding a fearsome crossbow--is theleader of the bunch. He's the sort of man who screams obscenities atthe pope, and then (after a lot of booze) weeps in the pontiff's lapover the horrors he's witnessed.

Author John Steakley is the son of a Chevrolet dealer from Cleburne, Texas, and he uses his roots to good effect. Not only does much of the action take place in the Lone Star state, but when we first meet the major character named Felix, he's an apparition out of the Old West--living in an abandoned boxcar on the Rio Grande with a Mexican whore, an endless supply of tequila, and a tacky bleeding Jesus on the wall.

Vampire$ is one gaudy, action-packed novel. The men are men, the women are vulnerable, and the vampires are mean, ugly monsters. Unless you don't like that sort of thing, you'll love it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (124)

Jack the Vampire Hunter
Jack Crow is a gothic hero. In a worldthat refuses to acknowledge the horror that stalks the nights, Jack has been charged with banishing these horrors to hell. And it will cost him.

Vampire$ is one of the few novels written by the enigmatic Steakley. The most amazing thing to me about this book is that in so few pages the author manages to develop the characters so fully yet keep the action going at a blinding pace.The characters are flawed human beings yet they manage to rise above their situation to do what must be done. Brilliant.

I wish the Author would continue writing...
I have a thing for vampire stories, I have always consumed them. Unfortunately, supernatural is a difficult subject to dabble in without coming across ridiculous.Rarely do you find an excellent story, and when the story is good enough, it is immediately insulted with follow up formula books.This story is excellent.The characters are three dimensional, the dialogue is interesting, amusing, and thought evoking.I found myself hoping the characters wouldn't encounter any more vampires so they could stay alive. Usually, I am squarely in vampire court.The underlying story of the men and their relationships/friendships, is well worth the read.If you are a Texan, or have ever served in the military, you won't find yourself blushing at the adult language presented. I thought that it was a fairly accurate depiction of dialogue in a high stress environment, but I remember learning the myriad of contexts one could drop the "f" bomb in during basic training, so perhaps I am not as easily offended as others. Of course it contains a damsel in distress, which I also found a delightful addition.

I do not reread books and I have read this book three times.I have purchased it three times as well, since whenever I lend it to a friend with high praises, I never get it back.(as a matter of fact, this will be my fourth purchase and the reason for today's visit to Amazon).

I concur with the reviewer that often enters John Steakley to see if he has written another book, only to be disappointed when nothing else pops up.I wish the writer would continue writing...

Vampires
I was very disappointed with the expletives used LIBERALLY throughout the book. I did not finish it.

Bleh
Ok....I watched the movie which was based on this book, and following the usual logical path that the book is always better than the movie I was sure I would love this book.

Turns out that there ARE exceptions to every rule. This book did absolutely nothing for me and I had many gripes with it but I will list just a few so you can get the point.

1)There is a guy named Cherry Cat.....yea that's right. One of the "big tough" vampire hunters is named Cherry Cat. I know I know, you are reaching for the Jack Daniels and revolver already...but wait there's more.

2) All of these so called "tough guys" seem to break down and sob at the drop of a hat....now I work at a hospital and see people die a lot and I never cry....but these guys hunt vampires..a very manly profession and the abundance of tears and "touching" moments in this book may have you checking the title again just to make sure it is about vampires.

3) There are more complaints but I will close it out with this one.The main character (Jack Crow) says the words Rock 'n' Roll about every two pages when he decides it's time to stop crying and attempt to be manly. This is cringe inducing for me and it made me want to stop reading....I, unlike Crow, am a man so I finished the book...I did not enjoy it though.

Vampires
While never been a very good reader. I recently have begun to engulf myself in reading anything that intrests me that I can get my hands on. Even going back to the library. (which I hadnt done sice high School)I picked this up from the local book/movie store for about 3$.Not sure how good of a read it was going to be.

I was thrilled!!This was amazing. The characters are vivid, real, and as personal as being with close friends. Even tho they all wish they were true tough guys.Annabell is one heck of a lady, tending to all these 'boys'.Which realy touched me. Im like Annabell some times im the only girl in my house of 4 boys!

Im sure wishing this came in Kindle format. Since Im expecting my new Kindle in the mail tomarrow. I would definately read this book again. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: David Mcwilliams, Willie Lewis, John Steakley, Wingo Anderson, Jack Welch. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 20. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: David McWilliams was an assistant and head coach for the Texas Longhorns football team and also spent one year as the head football coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Raised in Cleburne, Texas, McWilliams long tenure with the Longhorn football program started 1961-1963, when he helped the team compile a record of 3021. During that time, the squad won a national championship, three conference championships and finished the year ranked among the nations top four each year. He served as a tri-captain during the 1963 season. After graduating, McWilliams served two years as an assistant coach at Abilene High School in Texas, and in 1966, became one of the state's youngest head coaches, carving out a record of 21172 in four years before Darrell Royal hired him in 1970. For the next 16 years, he was an assistant under both Royal and Fred Akers, working on defense with ends and linebackers for Royal and Akers, then serving as defensive coordinator for Akers from 1982-1985. McWilliams then spent the 1986 season as head coach at Texas Tech (leading the Red Raiders to a win over Texas and a bowl bid) before returning as head coach of the Longhorns the following year. McWilliams finished 75 in his first season at the helm for the Longhorns that included a dramatic last-play victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks and a bowl win over the Pittsburgh. However, a 47 season the next year (which included a 6615 loss to Houston), followed by a 5-6 year in 1989 put McWilliams' job status in question. In 1990, the Longhorns bounced back with a 101 regular season record. Fueled by what became known as the "Shock The Nation" tour, Texas won the SWC ch...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4071338 ... Read more