The Everything Box

A Novel

By: Richard Kadrey

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Reminiscent of the edgy, offbeat humor of Chris Moore and Matt Ruff, the first entry in a whimsical, fast-paced supernatural series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Sandman Slim novels—a dark and humorous story involving a doomsday gizmo, a horde of baddies determined to possess its power, and a clever thief who must steal it back . . . again and again.

22000 B.C. A beautiful, ambitious angel stands on a mountaintop, surveying the world and its little inhabitants below. He smiles because soon, the last of humanity who survived the great flood will meet its end, too. And he should know. He’s going to play a big part in it. Our angel usually doesn’t get to do field work, and if he does well, he’s certain he’ll get a big promotion.

And now it’s time . . . .

The angel reaches into his pocket for the instrument of humanity’s doom. Must be in the other pocket. Then he frantically begins to pat himself down. Dejected, he realizes he has lost the object. Looking over the Earth at all that could have been, the majestic angel utters a single word.

“Crap.”

2015. A thief named Coop—a specialist in purloining magic objects—steals and delivers a small box to the mysterious client who engaged his services. Coop doesn’t know that his latest job could be the end of him—and the rest of the world. Suddenly he finds himself in the company of The Department of Peculiar Science, a fearsome enforcement agency that polices the odd and strange. The box isn’t just a supernatural heirloom with quaint powers, they tell him.

It’s a doomsday device. They think . . .

And suddenly, everyone is out to get it.

Dresden files meets good omens

Title says it all. Loved the book. Other descriptions I read didn't fit as well as mine imho.

Richard Kadrey pretending to be Larry Correia?

Enjoyable as this is, I twice checked the cover to make sure it wasn't a new installment of the Monster Hunter series. Oliver Wyman has pretty much reused those exact voices and mannerisms, and the story has the same feel. This is not Sandman Slim.

great story. some real laugh out loud moments.

Good pace. characters similar to Sandman Slim series. if you like send me Slim you will love this exclamation point

hilarious!

I have been reading Richard Kadrey books for a long time, and I think Coop just moved to the top of my favorites from him. The plot is interesting, world is enjoyable, but the details are worth the price of admission all by themselves! It's like Donald Westlake's Dortmunder wandered into a Satanic Los Angeles and just sighed and got down to business.

The story is a solid caper plot, which is a great set up. Just as I get into the caper groove, Kadrey throws in a few paragraphs that have me laughing myself out of breath, which is a pleasure too rare in these days. This book is a joy!

The performance is well delivered and just straight faced enough to blind side me with the fun.

A total treat and Iall of us can use this kind of fun!

Clever, funny, thoroughly enjoyable

I think the narrator was the perfect match for this well written, follow the bouncing ball of twisting humor and ironic look at belief. Love this book, author, and narrator.