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Better Together
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A semi-talented television actor is an unlikely channel for gnostic mysticism and pop phenomenology in this loopy dark fantasy from Shirley (From Hell; Darkness Divided). Max Whitman, star of a hit soap opera, is poised to claim his first serious role on the New York stage when he's overwhelmed by visions of mythical monsters and voice-overs calling him Prince Redmark. A mysterious fan named Carstairs convinces Max that he's one of "the Hidden Race," whose souls are highly developed "plasmagnomes," capable of independent, invisible life after the body's death. The plasmagnomes, which have schismed into factions that either protect or exploit humankind, manipulate the course of human events to serve their ends. The revelation awakens Max to a sense of "tucked-away worlds, living alongside one another, intertwining, and struggling in secret places each to assert its own agenda," and Shirley enhances it with adroit explorations of dualism involving Max's screen persona, a sensory deprivation tank experience and a back-talking interactive computer game. Though clever, the story disseminates its philosophy in preachy monologues that read like college lecture crib notes and suggest there may be less here than meets the eye. Still, the riot of incongruous images that Shirley plucks from our cultural consciousness to incarnate his wispy plasmagnomes adds ballast to his glib satire and shows one of the most energetic imaginations in modern fantastic fiction rising to the challenge of the material.
From Library Journal
As a star in a popular soap opera, Max Whitman desires to expand his acting abilities to include serious parts. A series of strange occurrences, however, sidetracks Max's ambitions and sets him on an eerie path toward insight or insanity as the boundaries of reality collapse and he receives glimpses of a hidden reality populated with monsters and heroes. The author of Wetbones and Dracula in Love continues his exploratory approach to sf and fantasy with a raucous modern fantasy that revels in the shocking and the explicit. Purchase where the author has a following.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
A semi-talented television actor is an unlikely channel for gnostic mysticism and pop phenomenology in this loopy dark fantasy from Shirley (From Hell; Darkness Divided). Max Whitman, star of a hit soap opera, is poised to claim his first serious role on the New York stage when he's overwhelmed by visions of mythical monsters and voice-overs calling him Prince Redmark. A mysterious fan named Carstairs convinces Max that he's one of "the Hidden Race," whose souls are highly developed "plasmagnomes," capable of independent, invisible life after the body's death. The plasmagnomes, which have schismed into factions that either protect or exploit humankind, manipulate the course of human events to serve their ends. The revelation awakens Max to a sense of "tucked-away worlds, living alongside one another, intertwining, and struggling in secret places each to assert its own agenda," and Shirley enhances it with adroit explorations of dualism involving Max's screen persona, a sensory deprivation tank experience and a back-talking interactive computer game. Though clever, the story disseminates its philosophy in preachy monologues that read like college lecture crib notes and suggest there may be less here than meets the eye. Still, the riot of incongruous images that Shirley plucks from our cultural consciousness to incarnate his wispy plasmagnomes adds ballast to his glib satire and shows one of the most energetic imaginations in modern fantastic fiction rising to the challenge of the material.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
As a star in a popular soap opera, Max Whitman desires to expand his acting abilities to include serious parts. A series of strange occurrences, however, sidetracks Max's ambitions and sets him on an eerie path toward insight or insanity as the boundaries of reality collapse and he receives glimpses of a hidden reality populated with monsters and heroes. The author of Wetbones and Dracula in Love continues his exploratory approach to sf and fantasy with a raucous modern fantasy that revels in the shocking and the explicit. Purchase where the author has a following.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
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Inside This Book Citations: This book cites 14 books | 3 books that cite this book Explore: Citations | Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Key Phrases - SIPs: angel with television eyes, vinyl harpy, hidden race, mirror ball Key Phrases - CAPs: Max Whitman, Queenly King, Bowtie Guy, Richard the Third, Lord Redmark (more) Browse Sample Pages: Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover | Surprise Me! |
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Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
"Because you aren't suited to it, that's why, Max," said his agent, as she sat up next to him in bed. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
angel with television eyes, vinyl harpy, hidden race, mirror ball Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Max Whitman, Queenly King, Bowtie Guy, Richard the Third, Lord Redmark, Puerto Rican, Skymaster General, New Jersey, Hazel Johnson, Lord Thanatos, Uptown Hearts, Lady Day, Las Vegas, Tom Stoppard New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
"Because you aren't suited to it, that's why, Max," said his agent, as she sat up next to him in bed. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
angel with television eyes, vinyl harpy, hidden race, mirror ball Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Max Whitman, Queenly King, Bowtie Guy, Richard the Third, Lord Redmark, Puerto Rican, Skymaster General, New Jersey, Hazel Johnson, Lord Thanatos, Uptown Hearts, Lady Day, Las Vegas, Tom Stoppard New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover | Surprise Me!