SubOrbital 7

John Shirley has written novels, short stories, TV scripts, screenplays, lyrics, poetry, songs, and nonfiction. More than forty of his novels have been published. Many of his 200 or so short stories have been compiled in eight short-story collections. As a musician, Shirley has fronted his own bands and written lyrics for Blue OEyster Cult and others. He currently lives in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife, Micky Shirley.

"Sure-footed descriptions of spaceflight and the toils of working without gravity enhance the plot without the technobabble ever pulling focus from the soldiers as they fight for their lives and honor. Shirley's fans will be pleased." -Publishers Weekly "This is a tight military procedural for fans looking for something like Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan transported to space, with rockets flying, ruthless Russians scheming, and unvarnished trust in the American way." -Library Journal PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR "Shirley has a reputation for being one of the edgiest, boldest writers around" Publishers Weekly One of our best and most singular writers. A powerhouse of ideas and imagery. -- William Gibson John Shirley achieves things that other writers wouldn't dare attempt. Brilliant. The true quill. -- Bruce Sterling Shirley writes at the neon-lit frontier of sensory experience.-- Publisher's Weekly Snapping, snarling, vigorously wrought drama -- Shirley writes splendid stuff. -- Kirkus Reviews John Shirley is an adventurer, returning from dark and troubled regions with visionary tales to tell. Wetbones is a wild and giddy ride, confronting the reader with marvels and horror in equal measure. I heartily recommend a journey with John Shirley at your side.-- Clive Barker A postmodern Edgar Allan Poe. -- Larry McCaffrey John Shirley is the possessor of an imagination like a ticker tape machine from Gehenna. He seems able to write in any genre...Strongly recommended.-- American Book Review In Wetbones John Shirley serves up the bloody heart of a sick and rotting society with the aplomb of an Aztec surgeon on dexadrine... --ALA Booklist Borges as directed by Scorsese. -- Covert Culture Potent, bizarre, full of raw energy...It's a good thing John Shirley is a writer. If he wasn't, he'd probably have to become a particularly inventive serial murderer to grab our attention the way he does...Four Stars! -- Inside Books Readers who enjoy living a little dangerously are likely to appreciate the sheer, headlong exuberance of Shirley's imagination. Wetbones is nightmarish pleasure. -- San Francisco Chronicle Shirley reads like a high octane mixture of Ballard, William S. Burroughs, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and William Kotzwinkle, yet emerges with a cranked-up paranoic style that is definitely his own.-- Nancy A. Collins Everybody's favorite genre outlaw. -- Interzone Magazine [Wetbones] has a cast of characters and a set of interesting plotlines that would do credit to any bestseller. Shirley's tapestry is tightly knotted and leaps to livid, vivid life from the first scene... The author does a bravura job of peeling away the plot like the layers of an onion. Utterly convincing and terrifically fascinating...Wetbones is a knock-down, kick-ass piece of writing. -- Ed Bryant, Locus Vivid, dense, powerful imagery... hard to put down! -- The Washington Post John Shirley's prophet-in-the-cyberwilderness voice deserves high billing among the best. -- Roger Zelazny Shirley is a literary juggernaut, full of humor and relentless energy. -- Lewis Shiner John's voice is unique and recognizable, capable of fine range and depth. His work is visual, energetic and spirited -- Pat Cadigan One of today's most incandescent talents. -- Terry Bisson John Shirley's writing reminds me of Philip K. Dick at his wildest -- a cross between Kafka and Chekov. Highly recommended. -- 2 AM Magazine