The Last Hot Time

by John M. Ford

Book Overview

John M. Ford's The Last Hot Time is the final novel from the brilliant author of The Dragon Waiting and Growing Up Weightless, a provocative noir fantasy of astounding subtlety.

When Danny Holman leaves the cornfields of Iowa for the bright lights of Chicago, he expects his life to change. He just can't guess how much and how fast. A violent incident on the road brings Danny the favor of a man known only...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250388821
• ISBN13: 9781250388827
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Answers to some questions asked in these reviews

1. Was John M. (Mike) Ford ever seen in the same room with Will Shetterly? Yes, more times than anyone could count. Mike lived in Minneapolis, and was a close friend of the writers in and around that milieu -- Will Shetterly, Emma Bull, Steven Brust, Pamela Dean, Neil Gaiman, Adam Stemple, and many others. He was also a friend to many of the Bordertown/Fairytales/Ace/Tor fantasy authors who didn't live in Minneapolis, such as Terri Windling, Jane Yolen, Ellen Kushner, and Delia Sherman. Mike Ford had a lot of friends. He was generally beloved. One underappreciated fact about him is that he's a character in the Bordertown series. The "M" in "John M. Ford" stood for "Milo." When you're reading the series, watch out for references to a Bordertowner named "Milo Chevrolet." 2. Is The Last Hot Time related to the Bordertown series? Yes. It was originally conceived as a Bordertown novel, but it mutated so much in the telling that Terri Windling and Mike amicably agreed that he would move it out of the series proper. It didn't move very far, as witness the fact that Linn and Rico can wander in unannounced. None of this should come as a surprise to anyone who's familiar with the history of his Star Trek tie-in novels.

The safeword is 'power'

I've seen this "contemporary fantasy" (as the cover copy calls it) compared to the Borderland series, but it's not that except in the most superficial background sense. Elfland has reappeared in our world from its parallel dimension to the general detriment of human society. Danny, nineteen years old, a trained EMT, and too bitter for his age, journeys from Iowa to the nearest point of contact with the Shade, in Chicago, where he becomes part of the entourage of Mr. Patrise, a partly bent, partly noble power in this new world. There he becomes Doc Hallow, repairing wounds caused by gunshot and other, less Worldly forces in the struggle between Truebloods and humans. And that's about all the real plot there is. The real point in reading this darkly magical book is to experience the characters who inhabit it, to enjoy the interplay among them, to observe what magic does to people and non-people alike. Doc has his own deep secrets that keep him from loving, but he also has a strain of glowing personality that leads people to defer to him unexpectedly. Ford is an artist with fairy dust on his brush.

Beautifully Written Urban Fantasy Novel

A long, long time ago, back when man was still hunting and gathering on the plains, the elves left our world to return to Elfland. About thirty years after JFK was president, they returned. They were horrified to see what humans had been doing in their absence and immediately started to change the world. One of the first things they did was to get rid of television. From there they established themselves throughout the world, making places like the "Levee" in old-Chicago where Elfland's and Earth's borders meet. Danny is a small town Iowa paramedic who has always dreamed of going to see the Levee. One day, he can no longer resist the "call" and hops in his souped up old car and heads out. When he gets near the Levee, he witnesses a drive-by shooting between rival elf gangs and races to help the survivors. He saves Norma Jean's life and enters the employ of Mr. Patrise. Mr. Patrise renames him Doc Hallownight and takes him to the Levee. There he is introduced to the 1920s/30s style of the elves and the humans who live on the border. He learns that magic is real, that everyone has secrets, that love is not always what is seems, and learns who he really is...This was a beautifully written novel that will stay in your mind long after you have finished it. The characters are fascinating and very well drawn. Ford does not completely flesh out the characters - he leaves them a little mystery, a little shadow, so that you never really know them, but you think you do, just like real life. I loved Ford's writing style. He creates an almost hazy, blurred vision of this beautiful and ugly world that Doc has chosen to live in. His prose was absolutely gorgeous and a delight to read. I absolutely loved this book and hope that we will hear more about these characters one day.

Quite a read!

My husband said, "I've never seen your re-read a book right after finishing it." and he's right -- I never have before. This one warranted an immediate re-reading. It pulled me along so fast the first time through that I thought I might have missed some of the good tidbits, images, and moody dialog and so decided to read it again. I like it just as much this time 'round. I'd recommend not reading too much about the book before hand. For this one, it is much more fun to let it unfold as you go. Enjoy!

The Last Hot Time is a hot book

The Last Hot Time is a fascinating tale of young man who leaves his home in the mortal world to live in The Levee, a region inbetween the mortal world & Faerie. Danny Holman becomes Doc Hallownight and quickly becomes involved in the intrigue of the Levee. Under the sponsorship of the mysterious Mr. Patrise, he uses his medical knowledge to help the other residents of the shadow region. With a colorful cast of characters with names like Cloudhunter, Stagger Lee, Ginevri Benci, & Phasia, he battles a dark force loose in the Levee. I have waited a while for Ford's new novel and it is well worth the wait. This made my Hugo nomination list for Best Novel of 2000.