John Shirley, Black Glass

Black Glass

John Shirley

Elder Signs Press, Nov 2008, $15.95

PO Box 389

Lake Orion, MI 48361

ISBN: 1934501077

In 2033, former cop Rick Candle is being released from the California State Centenary once he is ReMinded. He spent four years of being UnMinded for taking the software piracy rap for his younger brother musician and V-Rat addict Danny.

Slaken CEO Terrence Grist is unhappy with Rick's freedom as the cop came close to destroying his empire. However the Fortune 33 member has a hitman Halido poised to kill Candle.

Rick visits Danny's former girlfriend Zilia, who he is attracted to, but she has no idea where his sibling is. Meanwhile Shortstack hires Rick to protect his underground illegal web. At the same time Grist orders his leading technocrat Sykes to create the Multisemblant, a merging of the personalities of five of the top Fortune 33 members. Soon that new creation will be out of control and after Rick who stands in the way of its personal agenda.

This is an engaging somewhat cautionary cyber future thriller in which Big Business runs the United States any way they want. The storyline is action-packed from the moment Rick regains his mind and never slows down as he searches for his brother, deals with his attraction to Zilia and tries to protect Shortstack and his cronies from Grist's killers. However it is the unique Multisemblant that steals the show as the copied conscience of five of the top of the Fortune 33 personalities seems almost God-like with the ability to go almost anywhere in cyberspace. 'Black Glass' is a terific science fiction tale.

Harriet Klausner