New Taboos

Mixing outlaw humor, SF adventure, and cutting social criticism, Shirley draws upon his entire arsenal of narrative and commentary. The title essay, "New Taboos" is his prescription for a radical re-visioning of America. A new short story, "State of Imprisonment," is a horrifying and hilarious look at the privatization of the prison industry. The 1% get their comeuppance in "Where the Market's Hottest." His TEDx address (delivered in Brussels, 2011) presents his proudly contrarian view of the next forty years. Also featured is our Outspoken Interview showcasing the author's transgressive sensibility, deep humanity, and mordant wit.

John Shirley is one of the original “Dread Lords” of Cyberpunk who brought a new noir sensibility to SF and Fantasy in the 1990s. He is the author of numerous books and many short stories, including the novels Bleak History, Crawlers, Demons, In Darkness Waiting, and the seminal cyberpunk works City Come A-Walkin' and A Song Called Youth trilogy of Eclipse, Eclipse Penumbra, and Eclipse Corona. His collections include the Bram Stoker and International Horror Guild Award–winning Black Butterflies, Living Shadows, and In Extremis. As a musician, he has fronted his own bands and written lyrics for Blue Öyster Cult and others. He lives in San Francisco.