" . . . A major service for the community of biblical scholars. This comprehensive but handy stylesheet, building on the base of the SBL guidelines, incorporates all that most authors and editors currently need to know about the technical dimensions of publishing activity, from commas and hyphens to abbreviations, from transliterations to forms of annotation. All that's left to authors is to come up with good ideas. All editors have to do is to learn what is here."<BR>-Harold W. Attridge, Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School
The most common use for client-server is to combine the graphical display capabilities of a desk-top PC with the database and number-crunching power of a large central system. But peer-to-peer programs can run equally well.
Like many aspects of Microsoft programming, RPC forms a small world of its own, with conventions and terms that can be confusing. But once you understand the purpose behind each feature, programming with RPC is not difficult. This book lays out the concepts and the programming tasks so that you can use this powerful API.
Microsoft RPC is a new technology based on the RPC used in the Distributed Computing Environment (DCE). This book builds on O'Reilly's successful DCE series. It provides a solid foundation for programmers learning to use Microsoft RPC, including:
Administration tasks for an RPC server</li></ul>
This edition covers version 2.0 of Microsoft RPC. Four complete examples are included.
Customer Reviews:
Good book to learn the foundations of COM.......2001-10-25
COM is built on top of RPC. This book is a bit dated, but still a good guide for learning the technology that COM is based on. COM will make much more sense if you take a little time to learn RPC first.
500.......1999-07-07
using a microsoft rpc interfac
500.......1999-07-07
using a microsoft rpoc interfac
rpc programming.......1999-06-18
rpc programmin
The most cogent guide to RPC programming I have seen........1997-10-15
The authors take the reader from the very first steps to rather complex applications of Remote Procedure Calls. Along the way, they explain how RPC works, and why it is one of the better tools for implementing true client/server systems.
Despite a very few factual errors (the page on memory allocation using RpcSs contains one) and despite a too-short description of when to use which memory allocator, I rate this book at nine out of ten. For a perfect ten, the authors will have to include material on secure, authenticated, RPC, too.
If you do serious DCE or MS RPC programming, or if you are trying to learn the ropes: Try to find a copy. And no, mine is not for sale. ;-)
Average customer rating:
- JOHN SHIRLEY IS AN AUTHOR TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR!!!
- Post-Modern Poe Strikes Another Daring Pose
- Street Level Realism Brought Into Unflinching Focus
- you can only run as fast as you can
- It'll Catch You Up In Its Web (sorry)
|
Spider Moon
John Shirley
Manufacturer: Cemetery Dance Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Shirley, John
| ( S )
| Authors, A-Z
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Horror Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1587670542 |
Customer Reviews:
JOHN SHIRLEY IS AN AUTHOR TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR!!!.......2002-12-03
SPIDER MOON by John Shirley is the tragic tale of Slim Purdoux, an ex-con who served a year-and-a-half in a Texas state penitentiary and who's now working as a book editor for a publishing firm in San Francisco. Slim's world begins to fall apart one morning when he's informed by his new boss that he can either accept a transfer to New York City-away from his ex-wife and son-or lose his job because of cutbacks within the company. Then, within the next hour, Slim discovers to his dismay that the child he loves so much has just died from drug poisoning. He naturally blames himself for the unexpected tragedy, but most of all he blames the people who sold his son, Frankie, the bad drugs. When Slim returns to work from the hospital to hand in his resignation, he's shocked to discover that another employee has gone on a wild shooting spree, killing several co-workers. One unfortunate event swiftly leads to another and the police suddenly think that it was our Texas cowboy doing the actual killing in the office building. Barely escaping with his life, Slim decides that he now has nothing to lose by going after the drug dealers who killed his boy, and he's prepared to do whatever it takes to collect some sweet revenge. Before the week is over San Francisco is going to find itself in the middle of a bloodbath that will make the shootout at the OK corral look like a beach picnic. SPIDER MOON is one of those pleasant little surprises that every reader hopes for when discovering a new author. Though short in length (170pp), it's a whirlwind of a novel that delivers with in-your-face intensity. I could feel the anger and frustration boiling beneath the surface as Slim Purdoux tries to keep himself from going ballistic at the drop of a hat. He has to force himself to pull it together just long enough so that his mission of revenge can be accomplished with deadly accuracy. To the author's credit, he knows how to keep the tension building within the story and the pace moving quickly toward its exploding climax. I couldn't help but find myself getting caught up in Slim's emotional anguish, and this led to me care about him. Also, I was amazed at the degree of sympathy that evolves for the street people that Slim gets involved with while hunting down the individuals who were responsible for Frankie's death. The character of Wendell clearly stands out. Even with Wendell's violent temper, crudeness, and street savvy, it doesn't take long for the reader to start liking him. All in all, SPIDER MOON proved to be one of those wonderful experiences that catch you off guard and causes you to anxiously search for other books by the same author.
Post-Modern Poe Strikes Another Daring Pose.......2002-11-30
Another great outre' outing by one of today's foremost Masters of the Macabre. Recommended for those who like their fiction daring and edgy. See also his short story collection, "Black Butterflies."
Street Level Realism Brought Into Unflinching Focus.......2002-11-14
This slim little book packs a whallop. The First Part alone has plenty enough memorable turns of phrase to please the Shirlian reader, or any other reader, for that matter. I was so caught up in Slim's odyssey of vengeance that I felt as if I were in the same state of mind he is. When everthing just stops mattering, and something primal awakens within you, and you are carried along with it, your former personality suddenly taking a back seat to this new, more focused you. I found myself relishing every page even as the dismay mounted as the remaining pages diminished by the minute. It's as if I was trapped in a locked vehicle skidding out of control and my seat belt was stuck: I could see the crash-test-dummy brick wall straight ahead of me and a part of my mind knew the collision was inevitable so the other part just resigned itself to the adrenalized thrill of the ride.
Whatever you wanna label this genre, "streetwise" or whatnot, let me just say that in my opinion, the author is in his element here. SPIDER MOON is the gritty, street-level, real deal. It is trim, wound tight, and written as if the author were dipping a scalpel into his own blood. John's book is decidedly 21st-century, written from a viewpoint that places the reader's perspective in the cradle of the bullet itself. It's as if upon reading this novella, I have been carefully picked up, loaded into Slim's .44 chamber, and thoughtfully fired down the barrel along w/the story, to become imbedded into the heart of all that has awakened Slim's sense of injustice in this world.
This book is a one-sit read at a fast-paced 170 pages. And one of the best things about it is, what a goddamned satisfying resolution! All I can say is "Thanks, John Shirley!" for providing such a necessary tale of redemption and oulaw justice. I am not kidding when I say that the whole story is effective enough to produce real tears in the reader...and I'm not talking about those old snuffly "sad" tears: I'm talking about that one droplet of saline squeezed out of a duct that has everything to do with "Right On!" and little to do w/the tearjerker mentality of artificially induced sorrow.
SPIDER MOON, despite it's straightforwardness & brevity (or because of it-?), will from now on sit on the highest shelf of my collection for me, because it says something so damn many of us have wanted to hear, have needed to hear, for a long time now. It's a crash course in poetic justice, and why the hell Quentin Tarantino doesn't collaborate with John Shirley, I'll never figure out.
you can only run as fast as you can.......2002-10-22
John Shirley has written a short novel that seems larger, which is surprising since it is a fast-moving suspense novel. There is a lot happening in it's 170 pages. Spider Moon is a story of vengeance and hard truths, dark and violent. But it is also about remorse, consequences and the price of redemption - which is sometimes very high. Though the story unfolds at a gallop, the characters are very well drawn (some are surprisingly sympathetic) and there is a wealth of details that add depth to the story without slowing it down. Although not for the easily offended, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dark, well-written, and intelligent fiction.
It'll Catch You Up In Its Web (sorry).......2002-10-19
This one hits uncomfortably close to home -- so close, in fact, it took me two weeks to read this short (170 pgs) novel because whenever I came upon a particularly "familiar" passage or disturbing scene, I had to put it down and focus on less depressing things. But I did finish it, and I enjoyed every last punch to the gut. And I cried.
John Shirley has written something extremely important here; he, in his usual no-holds-barred style, has written a cautionary tale that manages to horrify without being gratuitous, warn without being didactic, and move without being sentimental.
There is some lovely imagery within Spider Moon, as well, gorgeous lines like: "She was close to crying, as she rocked, the mournful creaking sound of the rocking chair making a torn paisley shape in my mind..."
The combination of rough, realistic dialogue, the sometimes heart-breakingly angry narrative and fluid, lyrical prose is unique and utterly perfect -- Shirley makes cold-bloodedness seem almost noble, almost beautiful, even when he makes clear that it is anything but. He does "Street" better than any author I've read thus far, and he does it with apparent empathy and masterful grace.
Much of Spider Moon will stay with me, and I'll probably find myself still thinking about it weeks from now -- it will linger, as many excellent books do -- but that last page will always, always haunt me.
Average customer rating:
- A Strong Short Biography of a Fascinating Man
- Good Introduction
- Very Good
- Finally, a true Introduction
- Excellent & Readable Book
|
Gurdjieff
John Shirley
Manufacturer: Tarcher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
New Age
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Modern
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Spirituality
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Biographies
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
- Meetings with Remarkable Men (All and Everything)
- In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Harvest Book)
- Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson: All And Everything: 1st Series (All and Everything Series 1)
- Heart without Measure: Gurdjieff Work with Madame de Salzmann
- The Fourth Way
ASIN: 1585422878
Release Date: 2004-03-25 |
Book Description
A dramatic and literate introduction to one of the twentieth century's most influential and intriguing spiritual teachers.
Born in the shifting border between Turkey and Russia in 1866, G. I. Gurdjieff is a man who would continually straddle borders-between East and West, between man and something higher than man, between the ancient teachings of esoteric schools and the modern application of those ideas in contemporary life.
In many respects-from the concept of group meetings to the mysterious workings of the enneagram to his critique of humanity as existing in a state of sleep-Gurdjieff pioneered the culture of spiritual search that has taken root in the West today. While many of Gurdjieff's students-including Frank Lloyd Wright, Katharine Mansfield, and P. D. Ouspensky-are well known, few understand this figure possessed of complex writings and sometimes confounding methods.
In Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas, the acclaimed novelist John Shirley-one of the founders of the cyberpunk genre-presents a lively, reliable explanation of how to approach the sage and his ideas. In accessible, dramatic prose Shirley retells that which we know of Gurdjieff's life; he surveys the teacher's methods and the lives of his key students; and he helps readers to enter the unparalleled originality of this remarkable teacher.
Customer Reviews:
A Strong Short Biography of a Fascinating Man.......2006-05-21
John Shirley has written an invaluable biography of the philosopher and mystic G.I. Gurdjieff. His writing is clear and incisive, and he gives the reader a very good sense of the man, "warts and all."
Gurdjieff was a very difficult man to be around, according to those who were his students and companions. He relentlessly strove to shake people from their "dream" and get them to see reality. While he had many faults, he also had a compelling vision of what humans were and could become.
I would recommend reading this book to anyone who wants to study Gurdjieff or Ouspensky in depth, before they take on the original material. Gurdjieff's writing style is very difficult, while Ouspensky is much clearer, conveying the same general orientation. Shirley's book will help clarify the distinctions, and give a good overview of the body of Gurdjieff's thought.
Good Introduction.......2005-04-30
This was an easy to read book of a complex and complicated person.
My best friend passed away last year on Earth Day. I was able to spend some time with her just after the new year last year and she mentioned that we had mutual friends that were very involved with his teachings. It was news to me so I put him on my reading list. A year later, I have finally gotten around to it.
He seems to have been a very interesting man who developed - as a result of his own studies and travel - some very complicated but useful theories. From what I have read about him he seemed to have a love him or hate him personality. There also is a very strong patriarchal bent to what he developed and what came from his developments. That may or may not have been his intention, were he alive today, but it is there nonetheless. I would agree that humanity needs to wake up but some of his methodology - to me - is questionable, and in untrained hands possibly dangerous.
Georgia O'Keefe and Frank Lloyd Wright seem to be two stars of his teachings. They have obviously done well in their lives. Creative, lively and lived to the bone.
It was good to read - interesting. However, it is not my path and not anything that calls to me or makes me want to run out and get involved with it. The deeper I read on the internet and in a few other books the more I realized that this is not for me. To his credit - I have heard some of the music that is based on his philosophy and it is beautiful.
Very Good.......2004-08-13
Although I am not new in the "Work", it is always very stimulating to come across a nice and well written literary work about such a man as Mr Gurdjieff, or simply G. No matter how much deep we dig into our selves, to me at least, this man still stand above us in his sharp and compassionate view of our own possibilities. In reading Mr Shirley book, one gets the feeling and the atmosphere of those first years of the "work", in a time where the world was (like today!), very much immersed in deep sleep (wars...).
But I do have one little piece of criticism, nothing that denegrates the work itself, but an attitude commom among orthodox Gurdjieff followers. That is, the subtle negativity directed towards Mr Ouspensky. One can feel that throgought the book, and it is my belief that the work (or Mr G) does not need anyone defending its purity, or making sure everyone undertands that Mr G was really THE TEACHER.
Other than this minor mistake (in my view, of course), the book is very pleasent to read and well structured. I do recommend.
Finally, a true Introduction.......2004-05-14
The depth and complexity of Gurdjieff's teachings simply do not easily lend themselves to explanation. While there are many books on Gurdjieff which detail his complex philosophies, they require basic level of understanding of the Gurdjieff to understand them. Until now, that basic level of understanding could only be achieved through years of research. For the first time, this introduction is available in a single book. Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas is the seminal stepping stone toward all other Gurdjieff teachings. The clarity and charisma with which Mr. Shirley wields his pen, place this work apart from all other explanations of Gurdjieff and his teachings. Most of these other books, while indeed enlightening, are a true labor to digest. Mr. Shirley's book stands in stark contrast to these difficult reads. Without eschewing detail, Mr. Shirley enlightens and entertains with his splendid introduction. Finally, a definitive background on Gurdjieff and his philosophies, you will not want to put down.
Excellent & Readable Book.......2004-05-14
The author manages to make some extremely complicated ideas as clear as any introduction can make them and does so in a highly readable manner. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the teachings of Gurdjieff, knows nothing of them, or is already acquainted with his ideas, reading this book will be a rewarding experience. Gurdjieff has always been a controversial figure, but he founded no religion and neither have his followers, but those with an interest in religion, spirituality, philosophy, or just looking for an interesting biography of a fascinating chracter.
Average customer rating:
- countably good fun
- Challenging and Surreal - Not for Everyone
- Good early Rucker: sets, drugs, rock & roll
- Brilliant Fun
- An Interesting and Unique Novel
|
White Light, Third Edition
Rudy Rucker
Manufacturer: Four Walls Eight Windows
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 156858198X |
Amazon.com
Malcontent mathematics instructor Feliz Raymond's afternoon naps are the subject of Rudy Rucker's strange and delightful White Light. Bored with his life and job at a state university in New York and making no headway in solving Georg Cantor's Continuum Problem, Raymond finds himself every afternoon, lying flat on his floor, entering into a state of lucid dreaming that allows him to explore an entirely new surreal and mathematically-charged reality. What follows is an adventure through time and space, the likes of which only a collaboration between Umberto Eco and Lewis Carroll could attempt. With traveling companions ranging from Einstein to the devil to a giant beetle named Franx, Raymond explores the infinite reaches of his new playground, which is filled with a multitude of cultural and scientific references, some subtle and many overt. Each turned corner of White Light is another gleeful surprise, another celebration of cleverness and imagination. Rucker, who is just as comfortable presenting accessible introductions to modern ideas in geometry (The Fourth Dimension: A Guided Tour of the Higher Universes) as he is spinning yarns of hacker fiction (The Hacker and the Ants), wrote this novel while, like the protagonist, endeavoring to solve Cantor's Continuum Problem at a state university in New York. This novel belongs to the tradition of science fiction pioneered by H. G. Wells, where the science is the source of intrigue that adventures grow from and propel the protagonists.
Book Description
Felix Rayman spends the day teaching indifferent students, pondering his theories on infinity, and daydreaming. When his dreams finally separate him from his physical body, Felix plunges headfirst into a multidimensional universe beyond the limits of space and time — the place of White Light.
Customer Reviews:
countably good fun.......2006-11-17
I've been looking for a copy of this in the used book bins for a couple of years now. I finally got sick of looking at it in my "to read" database in my PDA. It was pretty entertaining, I have to admit. Much more so if the reader understands Cantor's work. Apparently it was a result of his musings on Cantor's work during a short teaching tenure in a podunk univeristy. Part of it is pretty close to what he must have experienced there (despair, a failing relationship with his wife, drugs and really, really stupid students -all familiar situations to the young academic). Most of it is concerned with a sort of Edward Abbot-esque, or more accurately a Lewis Carroll-ish, journey to the lands of aleph-null and etcetera. I admit to being annoyed by the appearance of, well, Jesus Christ and Satan. I suppose others might be as annoyed by the appearance of David Hilbert and Georg Cantor. It should be compared with Lewis Carroll's mathematical recreations and Edward Abbot's "Flatland," but, really, I think this is my favorite mathematical fiction book.
One of these days I need to get around to reading some more of his fiction. I've actually met the man in person (and unfortunately, I think I freaked him out with my vehemence in pointing out that 'nanotech' is extremely silly), and he seems like a clever fellow. The book is certainly virtually unique in style and substance.
Challenging and Surreal - Not for Everyone.......2006-10-28
I read somewhere, once, that Rudy Rucker was the original and actual father of cyberpunk, and that White Light was his seminal work. I'm not sure I really buy that, but I can say this - Rudy Rucker is certainly one of the most unique authors of his generation, and White Light is a unique work among unique works. Sort of Alice in Wonderland meets The Phantom Tollbooth, it is the story of a free-spirited mathematics professor who stumbles upon an extra-dimensional, parallel universe - where he embarks upon a journey to attain the ultimate truth; the White Light.
White Light is many things at once - so many things, in fact, that it hovers on the fulcrum between challenging and disturbing, between brilliantly complex and maddeningly random. At the end, I'm not certain whether I've read a work of coherent genius, so much as I am impressed by Rucker's ability to introduce so many surreal concepts, and maintain even the slightest impression of control over the story.
Definitely not a linear work, White Light is more like a vast dreamscape, or intense acid trip, where Rucker casts up a cacophony of bizarre characters, dead geniuses, and new age mysticism oddly blended with abstract mathematical theory. And while it is not a dense literary work, it is also not an easy read - it takes work to get through it. In the end, I found the effort worthwhile - but Rucker is definitely not for everyone. If you're up for a surreal intellectual challenge, though, I'd recommend it strongly.
Good early Rucker: sets, drugs, rock & roll.......2006-01-03
____________________________________________
Felix Raynor is a new assistant math professor at SUCAS Bernco, a cow
college in upstate New York -- but wait, Rudy Rucker was an asst prof at
SUCAS (really) Geneseo in upstate NY, 1972-78... Raynor is struggling
to adapt to rural academe while (occasionally) working on Georg
Cantor's Continuum Problem -- as was Rucker in RL: he started
writing WL when he got bogged down with Cantor. Raynor's & Rucker's
lives diverge ( I presume) when Raynor discovers astral projection and
checks into Hilbert's Hotel on the flipside of Cimon, after getting a
personal command from Jesus Christ to climb Mt. On...
As Rucker notes in his afterword, "White Light" has "nice
visualizations of infinity, fine evocations of the time when it was
written, heartfelt attempts to break thru to ultimate truth, good surreal
imagery, and lots of laughs." It's been on my "to read" list for years, and
I'm pleased to see it back in print.
Is it worth your $13? Ummm. Are you a serious collector/Rucker fan?
It's certainly worth picking up at the library. If you happen to be new to
Rucker (SF's own mad mathemagician) I'd start with "Master of Space
& Time" (1985 pb, OOP but easily found), still my favorite Rucker novel,
in which the tale of three wishes granted is explored via quantum
mechanics, with wonderfully bizarre results. The apotheosis of Harry
Gerber... I've read MST at least three times, & laughed aloud each time.
This is the book "White Light" is trying to be.
review copyright 1998 by Peter D. Tillman
http://www.sfsite.com/05a/wite32.htm
Brilliant Fun.......2004-03-01
Light, fun writing style. Concepts beyond human comprehension presented in humorous and approachable style.
I read it again after a couple years and liked it better than I had the first time.
An Interesting and Unique Novel.......2004-01-12
This is an interesting and amusing novel. It deals with some deep
things like infinity, consciousness, and the nature of reality.
As a physicist, I appreciated that the author connects the plot to
some actual mathematical truths in speculating about an alternate
reality and alternate states of consciousness. In addition it is just
an amusing and thought-provoking book. The plot is sort of dark
i.e. the characters are troubled and there is some drug use. This
may be a reflection of the author's own experiences or just his views
on modern life. I could certainly empathize with the characters and
enjoy the sort of dark humor that runs through this book, however
some other readers may not.
Average customer rating:
- FANTASTIC CYBERPUNK
- Dated but enjoyable.
- Gripping possible future novel
- Shocking, intense, visionary: a work of genius
- One of the finest cyberpunk novels
|
Eclipse (A Song Called Youth - Book One) (Song Called Youth)
John Shirley
Manufacturer: Babbage Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
- Eclipse Penumbra 2 (A Song Called Youth - Book Two)
- Eclipse Corona (Song Called Youth)
- Schismatrix Plus (Complete Shapers-Mechanists Universe)
- Really, Really, Really, Really Weird Stories
- War Lord (John Constantine Hellblazer)
ASIN: 1930235003 |
Book Description
Book one of John Shirley's pre-holocaust series, A Song Called Youth.
The Russians didn't use the big nukes.
The ongoing Third World War leaves parts of Europe in ruins. Into the chaos steps the Second Alliance, a multinational eager to impose its own kind of New World Order.
In the United States ... in FirStep, the vast space colony ... and on the artificial island Freezone -- the SA shoulders its way to power, spinning a dark web of media manipulation, propaganda, and infiltration.
Only the New Resistance recognizes the SA for what it really is: a racist theocracy hiding a cult of eugenics.
Enter Rick Rickenharp, a former rock'n'roll cult hero: a rock classicist -- out of place in Europe's underground club scene, populated by "wiredancers" and "minimonos" ... but destined to play a Song Called Youth that will shake the world.
Customer Reviews:
FANTASTIC CYBERPUNK.......2006-08-24
Shirley hits the ground running on this 1st novel of the series. You have great action, good plot, and some nice twist- all set in a future that looks scary close to the present world what more could you ask for!?! Love all the little details that make up the future - the desolve depression which has recently whipped out key banking info from a EMP burst causing a run on banks and ruining the American economy, to the worship of the Grid (internet), the rise of a new militant Russia who has started conventional warfare to solve its resource issue, and throw into that a new nationalist/fascist movement that is way more powerful than anyone realizes and you have the makings for a great series. Since I am waiting on the 2nd and 3rd book I have no idea if Shirley will carry this thru but all seems to start GREAT! Few critiques- where is China?!? With all heck breaking lose you think a superpower like China would be more involved- maybe he will touch on this in future books or I missed the explanation in this book? Shirley tends to almost write in "cliffnote" fashion giving you just enough brushed in character information to briefly understand many different people in his stories. Sometimes it works sometimes you have to remember who this character is and what their motivations are. But these are minor issues- get these books and have a BLAST! Also check out some of the other Shirley books- his Horror stuff is almost as good :)
Dated but enjoyable........2003-01-04
I've not got the patience to write a long, coherent review, so I will state only that fond readers of cyberpunk will enjoy -Eclipse-. Although the World War III setting makes -Eclipse- seem very dated (as speculative fiction, this book fails completely), the story is always exciting and very enjoyable. Worth spending an afternoon reading, if only as a light amusement.
Gripping possible future novel.......2002-08-21
After discovering John Shirley through his short horror fiction, I bought a copy of Eclipse and sat motionless for days to read it. In other words, I could not put it down. While this would be shelved in a store's science fiction section, it really is more than typical spaceships and lasergun fare. It falls more towards cyberpunk but exceeds it with a focus on characters instead of technology.
The basic premise of the rise of a neo-fascist "security" corporation during the starts of a limited nuclear war between the USA and Russia sets the background for the very believable characters, each with distinct personalities and flaws that come to life from the printed page. Mr. Shirley weaves a complex and intertwined tale of guerilla mercenaries, fading rock stars, and fasicst powermongers that would stand proudly with the great works on science fiction. If not for any other reason, his interpretation of developing cultural trends is at the same time illuminating and frightening.
Having only read the first book*, I am anticipating no less enjoyment from Penumbra and Corona, the second and third works in the series.
I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a complicated read where each page yields a small reward.
* Sometimes I do need to spend a little time reading my college textbooks, too.
Shocking, intense, visionary: a work of genius.......2001-09-03
World War III started but no one used the big nukes. While the USA and the New Soviets agreed to fight on European battlegrounds (and on a space station halfway between Earth and Moon), fascist fundamentalist Christian forces - under the name Second Alliance - are gaining in influence worldwide. Only the New Resistance sees the destructive power of the Fascists and starts a bitter and seemingly hopeless fight.
As this is only the first part of the recently reissued trilogy, I don't know yet the outcome of the War, but one thing is for sure: John Shirley wrote one of the most intense future histories I have ever come across. The plot is based in the year 2029, and as this is a revised edition (the original version was released about 15 years ago), a lot of the historical background is real and does not only paint an imaginative dark future, but also shows the frightening doings of some actual American congressmen (Trent Lott and the racist Council of Conservative Citizens).
Shirley apparently has a strong dislike for WASPs (understandably), and together with the malleability of people's minds, he paints us a visionary picture of the future that could happen only just too easily.
Very graphic violence (nothing for the faint hearted), strong language and a shockingly surreal glimpse into the future will make sure that this book will have an everlasting imprint to your neurons.
Only one small point of criticism: for a "revised and updated" version, there were awfully many typos and especially misplaced periods and commas, but that doesn't take away one ounce of the intensity of this groundbreaking novel.
One of the finest cyberpunk novels.......2001-05-16
John Shirley belongs to the generation of science fiction writers led by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling who are known as cyberpunks. Shirley was one of the early proponents of cyberpunk fiction. "Eclipse", the first in his "A Song Called Youth" trilogy, is a vivid, stylistically hip mix of politics, rock and roll and computers. His lean prose is almost as elegant as Gibson's; here he depicts a near future in which Europe falls under the sway of a Neo-Nazi Christian fundamentalist tyranny, the Second Alliance (SA), in the aftermath of a limited nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Opposing the SA are a motley band of rock musicians and socialist guerrillas known as the New Resistance. Those interested in reading some great cyberpunk fiction should acquire John Shirley's "A Song Called Youth" trilogy.
Average customer rating:
- Want to play with Fire?
- Shirley twists J.C. anew
- Entertaining
- A Fun Read - One that stays true to the Constantine mythos
- Interesting.
|
War Lord (John Constantine Hellblazer)
John Shirley
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Movie Tie-Ins
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Shirley, John
| ( S )
| Authors, A-Z
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Horror Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
( S )
| Authors, A-Z
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Saul, John
| Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
| Stine, R. L.
| Stoker, Bram
General
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
United States
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Movie Tie-Ins
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
- Subterranean (John Constantine Hellblazer)
- Hellblazer: Staring at the Wall (Hellblazer (Graphic Novels))
- John Constantine Hellblazer: Stations of the Cross (Hellblazer (Graphic Novels))
- John Constantine Hellblazer: Papa Midnite (Hellblazer (Graphic Novels))
- Hellblazer: Black Flowers (Hellblazer (Graphic Novels))
ASIN: 1416503439 |
Book Description
Englishman and amoral occultist John Constantine has been out of sorts lately, disconnected from himself...and this time not from another bender, but quite literally, as his soul is cast adrift during a fouled-up spiritual quest in an Iranian monastery. Now rescued and recruited by an agent for the Hidden World -- the supernatural realm that exists far beyond everyday mortal awareness -- Constantine and his extraordinary allies are forcibly dragged into a globe-spanning conspiracy. For the secret cabal known as the Servants of Transfiguration has set in motion a horrifying plot to raise the ancient demon god known as the War Lord -- and bring about a last great war that will annihilate everything on Earth....
Customer Reviews:
Want to play with Fire?.......2007-01-10
Try Hellblazer John Constantine Shirley style. This book is a great riveting compelling and exciting read. I love the magic twists and turns, the characters grab me and I can get behind them. Constantine leaps right off the page into your living room! Adding a literary and thought provoking Shirley voice to any story line fires it right up into overdrive and beyond. This is the best Constantine of the series hands down. Some like it HOT!
Shirley twists J.C. anew.......2007-01-05
Those expecting a clumsy version of either the movie or graphic novel will be sorely disappointed. This finely crafted novel finds horror legend John Shirley grabbing John Constantine by the throat and making him his own. Remaining true to general J.C. blueprint, Shirley weaves a fast-paced exciting tale, devoid of the unsatisfying deus ex machina one might expect when fantastic characters meet even more fantastic peril. Shirley is known for adding serious meat to his characters' bones and War Lord is no exception. Sit back and allow War Lord to wryly suspend your disbelief throughout this deeply satisfying Shirley-esque ride.
Entertaining.......2006-11-13
This was an entertaining read. Constantine's portrayal was good, although a little more dramatic than in the comic books, he seemed to use magic a lot more frequently. Overall it's not a bad read.
P.S. Props to J. Shirley on the explanation for the dark haired Contantine who lives in L.A.
A Fun Read - One that stays true to the Constantine mythos.......2006-09-24
This is a great book for fans of Hellblazer - that's Hellblazer the Comic book. Forget all about that movie and harken back to Jamie Delano and Garth Ennis, back when folks were doing something with this character. John Shirley is a visceral writer who's prose is sharp and exacting, he tells a great romp of a story that leads J.C. thru a very current tale of war and horror. The reviewers that are bent on trashing this book seem to be sychophanticlly dogmatic about their own misguided perceptions of the character. This novel would have made an excellent story-arc in the comic itself. It's a great read. Enjoy it!
Interesting........2006-08-15
John Shirley, John Constantine, Hellblazer: War Lord (Vertigo, 2006)
I was expecting another graphic novel when this one showed up for me, but no-- Vertigo signed on for a novelization, and they signed up with John Shirley, whose Wetbones is a horror-enthusiast genre legend. Put a Constantine storyline in the hands of a gore fiend and how can you go wrong? It does, though all of the mistakes here are minor, and the overall book is a lot of fun.
The biggest mark on the plus side of the ledger is that Constantine probably does more actual magic in these three hundred thirty-seven pages than his does in the graphic novel runs of Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis, and Brian Azzarello combined. That it comes as a pleasant surprise is quite depressing. Also sitting on the plus side are a general sort of believability (difficult to pull off in a Constantine venture of any sort), consistent, well'drawn characters and a good sense of pace.
On the negative side are little things. Details that an editor should have caught. Gatewood, one of Constantine's American allies here, sometimes slips into Britspeak. That sort of thing. Not big, but pulls the reader out of suspension-of-disbelief mode. There are also a few amusing typos scattered throughout. The biggest thing, though, and I admit that this has to do with the author and not the series, was that, well, I was expecting it to be... messier, you know? Now, don't let this lead you to believe this is all nice and bloodless now. There's a war going on, after all, with Constantine caught in the middle, as usual, so there are lots of body parts flying about and that sort of thing. But the violence on gets personal a few times, and there's only one scene liable to really strike you as memorable. In that scene, you can see what John Shirley is on about (and it may well goad you to go read Wetbones, if you haven't already tracked a copy down). It, however, stands rather lonely in the general scheme of things.
None of the negatives is enough to bring this down. Constantine fans are going to enjoy this, probably. Those turned off by the movie might be convinced to give the series another chance, exposed to this novel. It's good, straightforward stuff, not the twisted genius of Garth Ennis or the intricate subtlety of Brian Azzarello, but good in a different way. ***
Average customer rating:
- Ups and Downs
- A kid plot with adult content (But that's a good thing)
- Unique...
- The parameters of urban morality
- "City Come A-Walkin' "
|
City Come A-Walkin'
John Shirley
Manufacturer: Four Walls Eight Windows
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
- Software
- Eclipse (A Song Called Youth - Book One) (Song Called Youth)
- The Shockwave Rider
- Eclipse Penumbra 2 (A Song Called Youth - Book Two)
- Schismatrix Plus (Complete Shapers-Mechanists Universe)
ASIN: 1568581912 |
Book Description
Stu Cole is struggling to keep his nightclub, Club Anesthesia, afloat in the face of mob harassment when he's visited by a manifestation of the city of San Francisco, crystallized into a single enigmatic being. This amoral superhero leads him on a terrifying journey through the rock and roll demimonde as they struggle to save the city.
Customer Reviews:
Ups and Downs.......2007-05-02
This book is definitely an important one as the forward by William Gibson indicates. Still, there is much left to be wanting. Looking back I remember being basically floored by the first fifty pages, and then subsequently let down for the majority of the rest of the book. The main character is hard to like and not in an anti-hero sort of way. I think this probably hints at John Shirley's true talent lying in his short story writing abilities. If I could do it again I would probably try to find some of those first, but overall this one is worth checking out.
A kid plot with adult content (But that's a good thing).......2001-06-10
This book really opens up your imagenation, because it's plot. You really need to look at the wording to understand a lot of it.The only thing I didn't like about this novel was it was a little slow at times.
Unique..........2001-04-09
This is probably the most unique concept I've come across. The idea of a the city's consciousness manifesting itself is fresh and interesting. It's hard to believe this title is as old as it is. It seems like recently written cyberpunk. Pretty obvious that instead, all other cyberpunk has taken from it.
The parameters of urban morality.......2001-02-01
Shirley's early novel "City Come A Walkin'" takes us on a surreal (and frequently brutal) jaunt through a near-future San Fransisco where the city's overmind has the ability to manifest as a mirrorshades-wearing techno-shaman with a marked dislike for bad guys. The brilliance and terror behind this straight-forward tale is Shirley's refreshing refusal to cling to genre conceits. "City Come A Walkin'" challenges the nature of identity as well as the parameters of urban morality.
"City Come A-Walkin' ".......2000-04-05
For those of you that don't know john shirley, he is the father of Cyberpunk...a master of it. his novel, city come a-walkin', is one of my favorites, telling the story of a club owner who is visited by a representation of a city , in the form of a man. i highly recomend this book for those who are into dark, funny novels...
Average customer rating:
|
Subterranean (John Constantine Hellblazer)
John Shirley
Manufacturer: Pocket Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Movie Tie-Ins
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Mystery & Thriller Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Movie Tie-Ins
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
- War Lord (John Constantine Hellblazer)
- John Constantine Hellblazer: Empathy is the Enemy (Hellblazer (Graphic Novels))
- John Constantine Hellblazer: Stations of the Cross (Hellblazer (Graphic Novels))
- Hellblazer: Reasons to Be Cheerful (Hellblazer (Graphic Novels))
- Hellblazer: Lady Constantine
ASIN: 1416503447 |
Book Description
Tonsell-by-the-Stream, a sleepy little village outside of London, is suddenly swallowed down into the earth through the hellish machinations of an ancient, ominous force. At the behest of an extraordinary supernatural agent -- and in exchange for the life of his best friend -- down-and-out and amoral occultist John Constantine must venture deep into underground shadows to investigate this cataclysmic occurrence. But unbeknownst to Constantine, something beyond his worst nightmares awaits below -- the deadly and phantasmagorical realm of the Sunless . . . a terrifying world where the Gloomlord rules over all with a sadistic and merciless hand, and Tonsell-by-the-Stream was only his first target on the surface world. . . .
Authors:
- Shlian, Deborah
- Shute, Nevil
- Sidney, Philip
- Sienkiewicz, Henryk
- Silliman, Ron
- Silverberg, Robert
- Silvis, Randall
- Simenon, Georges
- Simic, Charles
- Simon, Neil
Authors
Authors
