Robert Devereaux

What if the Santa Claus you think you know wasn't really Santa? For that matter, if the Santa that Santa knows wasn't really Santa?

In Santa Steps Out by Robert Devereaux, we are introduced to a world where the Christian angels, mythological figure (like Santa and the Easter Bunny), and even God himself were once other mythological being, but had their identities erased and were cast in new roles by the current being who calls himself God. This isn't a spoiler, You're told as much in the very show more beginning. For example, the angel Michael was originally Hermes, or the Son (guess who?) was at one time known as Apollo. Even Mrs. Claus was once another mythological being. And instead of Rudolph, Santa's reindeer are led by Lucifer with flaming antlers (although there's not indication that he is any relation to the Biblical Lucifer). But there's a flaw with this new order, and certain mythological beings must never see each other, lest their true identities begin to leak through.

This is the case with Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. At one point, by sheer accident, they see each other, and a lusty past between them begins to leak through and revive, and Santa's original identity begins to leak through and fights with himself (think Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings”). Then the Easter Bunny enters the fray. Take that for what you will.

It seems silly, but Santa Steps Out is actually incredibly good, not to mention surprisingly deep. It's one of those books that makes you think at first that it's going to be low-brow, highly sexualized and based solely on shock value. But it's not this at all. It goes deeply into the subjects of history, identity, love, family, and loyalty.

The author's choice of words doesn't make it the easiest of reads. It's like if Vladimir Nabokov wrote sexual holiday-themed bizarro fiction. Yet it's so engaging that you never feel lost. The writing style is fluid and artistic, and the editing impeccable (something I'm usually a stickler for). Looking at the cover and the title, it really takes you by surprise. This book was a genuine pleasure to read.

The only complaint I have was the ending. Most of the answers we're looking looking for are relegated to an epilogue, and things seem to get tied up too quickly, even with the subtle hint at the end that there is more to come. There is a sequel, [b:Santa Claus Conquers the Homophobes|13157032|Santa Claus Conquers the Homophobes|Robert Devereaux|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323287443s/13157032.jpg|6158535], which I will eventually get around to reading if it's anything like this book. Still, at the end it did feel like the author might have written himself into a corner and had to resort to deus ex machina to end the book, even while deus ex machina seemed inevitable. With knowledge that there is a sequel, this takes some of the sting out of it, as Santa Steps Out is rather hefty compared to many bizarro books, not to its detriment.

Santa Steps Out by Robert Devereaux earns 4.5 gold coins out of 5. show less

Definitely one of the oddest books I've read. This book (which is categorized in the Horror genre) is about a lusty Santa Claus who carries on a highly libidinous affair with the Tooth Fairy. And to complicate things, Santa's exploits are making the Easter Bunny crazy with jealousy. The Easter Bunny is, of course, a giant rabbit with the ability to become invisible but his only paramour is a self-made model he's named Petunia, made from wire mesh and bunny excrement. Oh, and of course Mrs. show more Claus finds out and gets royally ticked. She enacts a memorable revenge. This book is like some bizarre dream dripping with explicit sex, gruesome scenes of gory horror, and a benevolent Santa who enjoys taking time out from his yearly rounds to indulge himself in hours of carnality with the twisted but curvaceous Tooth Fairy. It's kind of like a Penthouse letter mixed with Clive Barker and a fairy tale. It's hard to imagine upstanding citizens reading this book and not hurling it from them with a disgusted look. But there's also some cons to this book: it's a little overlong for such a simple plot and Mrs. Claus' actions aren't always in character. I would not recommend this book to anyone who's offended by graphic sex and violence or blasphemy. But if you're looking for something truly odd then this fits the bill. show less

This novel is almost sacrilegious for perverting the child aspects of major holidays. In short, you shouldn't expect to think of any major holiday the same after reading this book. Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are all key figures in this modern and very adult view of holiday figures.

The story focuses around Santa Claus who one year happens to spy the Tooth Fairy and who is then quickly seduced by her. Of course, Mrs. Claus finds out and is not too pleased by it. The rest show more of the story follows their lives as they naturally, or magically, evolve.

There was only two things that kind of rang wrong while reading the novel. The first was that near the beginning of the book Santa Claus seemed out of character at times; it got resolved in the story and it made sense but at the time it was a bit off. The other was the almost deux en machina ending of the book. Yes, it too made sense and flowed naturally but it was almost too easy. However the ride of the novel was definitely well worth it and is not something I'll ever forget. This is highly recommended to anyone with an open mind who doesn't mind their childhood memories being shattered for the adult world. show less

Devereaux matreiðir hér sögu þar sem Jólasveinninn, Páskakanínan og Tannálfurinn ásamt fleiri goðsagnapersónum gegna starfi sínu samviskusamlega - allt þar til minningarbrot fara að birtast þeim sem gera þeim ljóst að þau lifðu áður sem hálfguðir þar til Guð breytti þeim í núverandi form.
Ágætis hugmyndafræði en úrvinnslan var óáhugaverð og ég gafst upp á ritinu.