Changeling (Shadowrun 05) (v. 5) [Mass Market Paperback]

Chris Kubasik (Author), John Zeleznick (Illustrator), Joel Biske (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 1992

Transformed into a troll, Peter Clarris attempts to combat with science the forces of magic that the politically dominant megacorporations and the underworld are determined to exploit for profit.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 325 pages
• Publisher: Roc (June 2, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451451635
• ISBN-13: 978-0451451637
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,596,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful introductory story for Shadowrun, February 29, 2000

By 

Johnathan Heart (America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Changeling (Shadowrun 05) (v. 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

This was one of the first SR books I have had the previlage to read, and it is one of the best. This is wonderful story that has an easy flow to it. It is one of the easiest books to get into and allows you to get familiar with SR. If you are new to the world of Shadowrun, then this is defiantly a good choice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the very best Shadowrun novels, July 20, 2010

By 

Jack Tripper (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Changeling (Shadowrun #5) (Paperback)

I've recently been in a nostalgic mood, re-reading some of the classics of cyberpunk, e.g. Gibson, Stephenson, etc., when I decided to read a couple of my favorite Shadowrun novels from the past. Shadowrun being what got me into cyberpunk in the first place, I wanted to see how some of the more memorable ones withstood the test of time.

Changeling took me by surprise. I remembered enjoying it back in the day, but reading it now, 17 or so years later, it really struck me as a very engaging, well-written novel. It's perhaps the most 'human' story of all the Shadowrun novels, which is ironic since the main character, Peter, is a troll who transformed when he was 15. It details his life in a world that fears him, and his years-long quest to discover a cure that will make him human again, all while trying to survive in the harsh streets of Chicago.

This is a very absorbing, sometimes even moving story about a boy learning to come to terms with his lot in life, and a lot more besides, with a number of memorable, well-drawn characters, especially Eddie; a burnt-out, small-time con who Peter befriends. Chris Kubasik has a very engaging style that allows you to feel connected to the characters, and makes me wish he'd written a few more novels in the Shadowrun universe, or any universe, for that matter.

Very highly recommended for Shadowrun fans, and even science-fiction and fantasy fans in general. There's less action than your typical Shadowrun novel, but the story is so good it's hardly noticeable. In fact, it's a nice change of pace from the usual fare. Of the forty Shadowrun novels released from '90-'01, only a handful really qualify as great sci-fi/fantasy, imho.

Changeling, though, is near the very top.

5 stars as far as gaming-related fiction goes.

Ranking among Shadowrun novels, imo- 2nd

(Kubasik's Earthdawn novels, under Christopher instead of Chris, are also of very high quality and well-worth tracking down. He also has a Battletech novel, 'Ideal War,' which I've yet to read)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Shadowrun fans and those interested in Genetics, March 5, 2010

By 

Karl L. Justice "Decker 423" (Johnson City, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Changeling (Shadowrun #5) (Paperback)

There's more to this book than the "usual suspects" of the Shadowrun world that you can read in the other reviews. What I found interesting was the amount of writing on genetics, the possibility of genetics, the ethics of genetic engineering, etc. I also found the examples of anti-Metahuman racial bias and the "look from the downtrodden" point of view the author wove throughout the book. The shadowruns in and of themselves are simple fan-fare. The larger parts of racism, trying to blend in as a minority, having a friend with a major disorder (Fast Eddy and his older, erroding nerve/wired reflex system) and the ethics of genetics on why or why not we should change or even if we should consider changing what we have/who we are.
Read the prior reviews for the "regular" shadowrun stuff. There's more to this book than the usual Shadowrun novel.