Customer Reviews

Fade to Black (Shadowrun)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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Absolutely the finest of FASA's Shadowrun fiction, this one has it all. No BS game-speak, a killer plot, believeable (if not exactly likeable) characters. Great setting as well, expecially for the overall texture and subculture; Smith's Newark is a character in and of itself. Compared to earlier SR novels (including Smith's Striper Assassin), this was the first that impressed me as a viable story outside of the SR mythos; FTB can stand on its own in the sci-fi/cyberpunk genre. I recommend this book to all new players of the game, as an intro to a non-comic book version of the SR world. I was particularly impressed by the lack of plot devices; the story isn't some cutesy mystery or heroic fantasy with a pat ending. It reminded me somewhat of Ellroy's books. I also recommend Smith's "Who Hunts the Hunter" and "Steel Rain". A must-read for all non-munchkin Shadowrunners and GMs; this book makes the GM screen's characters come to life (heh heh).

I've read several of the books in the Shadowrun line and this one is my favourite to date. It is one of the few shadowrun books that gives a decent portrayal of shadowrunners and shadowrunning as described in the game. It does an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere of the world, and gets heavy into the nuances of the etiquette and wheeling and dealing a shadowrunner must go through to survive. If you are new to the game and want to get some tips for roleplaying shadowrunners this is the book to read. It is also an excellent source of inspiration for the GM. There are no grand sweeping, save the world sort of plots in this book, just good old fashion shadowrunning as it should be.