Black Glass [Paperback]

John Shirley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

Taking the fall for his younger brother, Richard Candle went from being a cyber cop to a condemned criminal. After four years of "UnMinding"—with his mind suppressed and his body enslaved—he's released to discover his brother has slipped back into the underworld of the V-Rat: the virtual reality addict. Meanwhile, Candle's harried by the murderous Grist, the head of the world's biggest multinational. But his real enemy is something else: a conscious program, the Multisemblant, a meld of copied personalities, the dark side of five powerful people, with its own brutal agenda. Human society is sinking ever deeper into a mire of escapism, but Richard Candle, looking for his missing brother, fights his way through the real world of underground stock markets, flying guns, the trash-walled labyrinth of Rooftown, and the fringe of the fringe.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Shirley’s 25-year-old “lost novel” depicts a dystopia that is not entirely unrecognizable. Citizens are under constant surveillance, prisoners’ minds are disconnected during their sentences, a black wind spreads a toxic storm that wipes out whole populations, semblants (digital clones) take care of business while humans attend to other things, and virtual reality is the new crack, literally. Ex-cop Richard Candle is released from prison after four years of UnMinding he endured for taking a rap for his brother, a virtual-reality junkie who then fails to show up. Candle sets out tracking him down, only to be targeted by corrupt and powerful tech mogul Terrence Grist, whom Candle has dirt on. While seeking his brother, Candle works security for a gang in the underground stock market—the very people he went after as a cop. Meanwhile, Grist, trying to seize control of the Fortune 33, hacks a new kind of semblant. Unfortunately, this multisemblant has a mind of its own. Shirley’s cyberpunk pulp novel, fast-paced and violent, bristles with provocative new technologies. --Ben Segedin

About the Author

John Shirley is a winner of the Bram Stoker Award and the author of numerous novels, including City Come A-Walkin', Crawlers, Demons, The Other End, and A Splendid Chaos. He lives in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Elder Signs Press (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934501077
• ISBN-13: 978-1934501078
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #596,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Shirley won the Bram Stoker Award for his story collection Black Butterflies, and is the author of numerous novels, including the best-seller DEMONS, the cyberpunk classics CITY COME A-WALKIN', ECLIPSE, and BLACK GLASS, and his latest, new from Simon & Schuster, the urban fantasy novel BLEAK HISTORY. He is a screenwriter, having written for television and movies; he was co-screenwriter of THE CROW. He will be in Prime Books' THE YEAR'S BEST DARK FANTASY AND HORROR anthology, this year, and his story collection IN EXTREMIS: THE MOST EXTREME SHORT STORIES OF JOHN SHIRLEY from Underland Press has been getting rave advance reviews. His novel BIOSHOCK: RAPTURE , telling the story of the creation and undoing of Rapture, from the hit videogame BIOSHOCK is about to come out from TOR books.

He is also a lyricist, having written lyrics for 18 songs recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult (especially on their albums Heaven Forbidden and Curse of the Hidden Mirror), and his own recordings.

John Shirley has written only one nonfiction book, GURDJIEFF: AN INTRODUCTION TO HIS LIFE AND IDEAS, published by Penguin/Jeremy Tarcher.

Other John Shirley story collections include BLACK BUTTERFLIES, IN EXTREMIS, LIVING SHADOWS and REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WEIRD STORIES.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read for Cyberpunk/Post-Cyberpunk Fans, November 1, 2010

By 

Made in DNA (Japan) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Black Glass (Paperback)

In the future the poverty line has risen to engulf the middle class, the oceans have risen to swallow the coasts, the US government is a puppet to multinational corporations, the police have been privatized, and super AIs known as semblants hold corporate shareholder meetings while their flesh-and-blood counterparts get laid.

This is the world of ex-cop Richard Candle who has just come out of an 'UnMinding' prison term meant for his VR-addicted ex-rockstar brother. Unfortunately for Candle, the day of his release is just the beginning of his new life on the run from Grist, the powerful and maniacal multinational leader who tried to have Candle's brother incarcirated to begin with. Forced into the back alleys of the criminal world he once worked as a cop, he must dodge murderous AIs, flying guns and a nasty faux-sentient pollution plague dubbed the Black Wind to try and save himself and his brother.

An excellent read for cyberpunk, post-cyberpunk and science fiction fans.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars engaging somewhat cautionary cyber future thriller, November 4, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Glass (Paperback)

In 2033, former cop Rick Candle is being released from the California State Centenary once he is ReMinded. He spent four years of being UnMinded for taking the software piracy rap for his younger brother musician and V-Rat addict Danny.

Slaken CEO Terrence Grist is unhappy with Rick's freedom as the cop came close to destroying his empire. However the Fortune 33 member has a hitman Halido poised to kill Candle.

Rick visits Danny's former girlfriend Zilia, who he is attracted to, but she has no idea where his sibling is. Meanwhile Shortstack hires Rick to protect his underground illegal web. At the same time Grist orders his leading technocrat Sykes to create the Multisemblant, a merging of the personalities of five of the top Fortune 33 members. Soon that new creation will be out of control and after Rick who stands in the way of its personal agenda.

This is an engaging somewhat cautionary cyber future thriller in which Big Business runs the United States any way they want. The story line is action-packed from the moment Rick regains his mind and never slows down as he searches for his brother, deals with his attraction to Zilia and tries to protect Shortstack and his cronies from Grist's killers. However it is the unique Multisemblant that steals the show as the copied conscience of five of the top of the Fortune 33 personalities seems almost God-like with the ability to go almost anywhere in cyberspace. BLACK GLASS is a terrific science fiction tale.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, June 2, 2009

By 

L. C. Ross "New John Shirley Fan in Long Beac" (Long Beach, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Glass (Paperback)

I couldn't put this book down and I'm not a big fan of this genre. Now I have to read more works by Mr. Shirley. He's has a twisted mind and an amazing imagination!