Book: Last Call By Tim Powers

Last Call is the first of two Seth-recommended books I read on my recent trip to Ohio. Magical realism, done well, is one of my favorite genres and Last Call certainly didn't disappoint.

It's set in Las Vegas, and the story is a re-imagining of the Fisher King in modern times. It practically drips with symbolism (and T.S. Eliot references); the main character is fighting for his soul in games of poker played with Tarot cards. Bugsy Seigel makes a guest appearance.

My own experience in Vegas was that of a city with a severe lack of soul. Powers paints a far differet picture, finding a kind of spiritual meaning in the mundanity of randomness, applying complexity theory to cards, dice, and roulette wheels as the storm gathers around the soul-searching lead.

The prose is lush, and Powers does an excellent job of not wasting a word.

It's not an easy book to summarize, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. If you dig magical realism, you'll want to give it a read.