Nightside (book series)

The Nightside books are a series of fantasy novels by author Simon R. Green.

The series is focussed on John Taylor, a private investigator based in the fictional Nightside, a dark, hidden netherworld of London in which magic and advanced technology co-exist. Dark, cynical, and humorous, the books offer an adventure into the Nightside, where classic pulp PI novels blend with fantasy and science fiction.

The novels also contain references to various British television series and films such as Doctor Who (referred to as the "Travelling Doctor" and his sonic screwdriver) and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Holy Hand Grenade of St. Antioch).

After Just Another Judgement Day Green has three more books planned for a total of twelve, which will end the series.

Setting

The series takes place in a fictional inner city area of London called "The Nightside". Elements of fantasy, science fiction and the supernatural all feature heavily in both the Nightside itself and its inhabitants.

Indicated by its name, the Nightside experiences perpetual night ("it's always 3am"). The Nightside itself is contained within London, yet is larger than London by a significant measure. Though access to the Nightside is hidden, it does experience a steady stream of tourists from the "normal" world.

The main character, John Taylor, describes the Nightside "as a place where dreams come true and nightmares come alive. Where one can buy anything, often at the price of your soul... or someone else's. Where the music never stops and the fun never ends". Numerous seemingly impossible services or goods are available-often quite commonly-in the Nightside; examples include stores selling albums from alternative time-lines (e.g. a live Mama Cass concert from 2003), a business where customers pay to be possessed for a brief period of time "just for the kick of it," and a drug called Revert which causes users to temporarily devolve into a biological ancestor (e.g. a Neanderthal).

A recurring feature in the Nightside is the appearance of "Timeslips", locations where the Nightside has collided with another part of space and/or time, and sometimes with a completely separate, alternate timeline as well. A number of characters identified within the series are "refugees" displaced by Timeslips. The appearance of Timeslips is largely unpredictable, though in some cases Timeslips have been predicted or even deliberately created.

The Nightside is overseen by The Authorities, a committee whose members are largely unknown which makes rules, policy, and decisions concerning what is allowed to happen within the realm. The Authorities' decisions are enforced by their Agent (or "The Man"), who among other equipment and abilities is given The Voice, a way of issuing vocal commands which no human can refuse. At the beginning of the first book this position is held by Walker.

Main characters in the series

John Taylor

The main character of the series, John possesses the ability to locate anything with a supernatural ability he refers to as his "private eye". This allows him several secondary abilities, such as unloading enemy weapons at a distance or removing cavity fillings, or disrupting magical forces and wards by finding and removing the lynch-pins that hold them together. Taylor is the son of Lilith, who first created the Nightside. Lilith herself has stated that her history is a parable and not literal truth. This fact has made Taylor a primary target for many powerful forces e.g. the Harrowing, who wish to aid or kill Taylor depending on their opinion of his mother.

Suzie Shooter aka Shotgun Suzie aka Dear God It's Her Run!

The Nightside's most dangerous bounty hunter, named for her trademark pump-action shotgun. Known for bringing back her bounties dead because, as she always puts it, "it takes less paperwork". Later in the series, she reveals to John that her older brother raped her and made her pregnant when she was a teenager, forcing her to have an abortion. After she murdered her brother, she disappeared into the Nightside. Later in the series she and Taylor become lovers. Introduced in the book as "Suzie Shooter, also known as Shotgun Suzie and Oh Christ its her, RUN!!!"

Razor Eddie, Punk God of the Straight Razor

A former gang member turned homeless vigilante, he is known for prowling the streets and killing bad guys with his trademark straight razor. In later books, he apparently went to the Street of the Gods and became a deity. Razor Eddie is also mentioned in another of Green's series', Hawk and Fisher, as a well known street fighter, turned vigilante from the Street of the Gods. Eddie's pearl-handled straight razor is purportedly the only thing that can end his immortality.

Walker

The man behind the "Authorities". First name Henry. Was a good friend of John's father. Most of Taylor's cases in the Nightside are due to him. He is known for using 'The Voice', allegedly given to him by the Authorities, which forces people to do as he wants, although there are a few members of the Nightside that can defy or outright ignore his 'Voice'.

Alex Morrisey

The current owner of Strangefellows, an irritable young man always dressed in black. Taylor goes to him for information and meets clients at the bar. His sour behaviour has something to do with the fact that Merlin Satanspawn, his direct ancestor, put a curse on the bar so that he can only leave if another member of his family takes his place—and apparently he's the last of the Morrisey family. Has something of a grudging friendship with Taylor.

Dead Boy

Once a young man who was brutally murdered outside a Nightside club, he came back as a zombie to avenge his own death. He is stuck in the Nightside, so in the meantime he does good deeds, often getting in the line of fire because he can't die; but then he can't heal, either, and so he is largely held together by staples and duct tape.

Merlin Satanspawn

The Merlin of Arthurian legend is buried underneath Alex's bar, Strangefellows, and sometimes appears in public by possessing Alex Morrisey. An act which Alex finds quite traumatic. Merlin has had his heart ripped out and wants John to find out where it is and get it back to him so he can regain his former strength and glory. Later in the series, it is revealed that it is Taylor himself who is responsible for Merlin losing his heart. Taylor knows the current whereabouts of Merlin's heart but is keeping it a secret, fearing what would happen to the world if Merlin regained his former power.

The Harrowing

A collection of faceless assassins that possess anaesthetic-filled hypodermic needles for fingers, the Harrowing have been attempting to kill John since he was a child. Unstoppable by normal means and nearly indestructible. Taylor has managed to either avoid them or escape from them when assisted by powerful forces. The Harrowing locate Taylor when he attempts to use his gift, which allows those who can detect his ability to home in on him. It's revealed that the Harrowing are actually Taylor's friends and former allies and clients, sent back in time from one potential future where Taylor is primarily responsible for the death of all life on Earth, with the intent of questioning and executing him.

Books in the series

US-Only

1. Something from the Nightside (New York, Ace 2003), ISBN 0-441-01065-2
2. Agents of Light and Darkness (New York, Ace 2003), ISBN 0-441-01113-6
3. Nightingale's Lament (New York Ace 2004), ISBN 0-441-01163-2
4. Hex and the City (New York Ace 2005), ISBN 0-441-01261-2
5. Paths not Taken (New York Ace September 2005), ISBN 0-441-01319-8
6. Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth (Ace February 28, 2006), ISBN 0-441-01387-2
7. Hell to Pay (Ace December 27, 2006), ISBN 0-441-01460-7
8. The Unnatural Inquirer (Ace January 2, 2008), ISBN 0-441-01558-1
9. Just Another Judgement Day (Ace January 6, 2009), ISBN 0-441-01674-7
10. The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny (Ace January 5, 2010), ISBN 0-441-01816-5
11. A Hard Day's Knight (Ace January 4, 2011), ISBN 0-441-01970-6
12. A Walk on the Nightside (Ace September 5, 2006), ISBN 0-441-01448-8 A collection of the first three Nightside novels.

UK-Only

Into the Nightside (Nightside Omnibus 1) (Solaris Books, 2008), ISBN 1-844-16642-2

A collection of the first and second Nightside novels.

Haunting the Nightside (Nightside Omnibus 2) (Solaris Books September 1, 2008), ISBN 1-844-16638-4

A collection of the third and fourth Nightside novels.

The Dark Heart of the Nightside (Solaris Books October 6, 2008), ISBN 1-844-16635-X

A collection of the fifth and sixth Nightside novels.

Damned if you Do in the Nightside (Nightside Omnibus 4) (Solaris Books, 2009),

A collection of the seventh and eighth Nightside novels.

Just Another Judgement Day in the Nightside (Nightside Omnibus 5) (Solaris Books, 2010),

A collection of the ninth and tenth Nightside novels.

Novellas contained within anthologies

The Nightside, Needless to Say (Powers of Detection) (Ace, October 2004), ISBN 0-441-01197-7

An anthology of twelve paranormal detective stories.

Razor Eddie’s Big Night Out (Cemetery Dance #55) (Cemetery Dance, 2006),

Magazine with a short story centering on Razor Eddie.

Lucy at Christmastime (Wolfsbane and Mistletoe) (Ace Hardcover, October 7, 2008), ISBN 0-441-01633-2

An anthology about Werewolves at Christmastime. The story centers on a Werewolf in the Nightside.

Appetite for Murder (Unusual Suspects) (Ace Trade December 2, 2008), ISBN 0-441-01637-5

A follow up to Powers of Detection with twelve new stories.

The Difference a Day Makes ( Mean Streets) (Roc January 5, 2010), ISBN 0-451-46306-4

An anthology of assorted novellas tied to existing crime/fantasy series.