Science Fiction Age:

...While Gibson and Sterling stuck with cyberpunk and its Victorian doppleganger steampunk, Shirley moved on to experiment with high SF (A Splendid Chaos), horror (Wetbones), and even humor concealed as conspiracy fiction (Silicon Embrace). He's best known for his tight, intense short stories, the latest of which are found in his new collection Black Butterflies: A Flock on the Dark Side (Mark V. Ziesing Booksellers, trade paperback, $16.95, 256 pages).

Shirley is also known for his noirish screenplays (in particular, the original screenplay for The Crow), so its no surprise that these stories are exceedingly dark. For instance, the story "Woodgrains" examines the problems with creativity, in which a sculptor who carves stunning homages to his favorite artists is encouraged to get their likenesses tattooed on him to help keep himself in context, only the tattoos decide to break free and go their own way. Shirley's love of music (having performed as lead singer for the Panther Moderns and songwriter for Blue Oyster Cult) infuses Flaming Telepaths, wherein musicians and rock fans in general discover with certainty whether rock is inspired by God or Satan. As a finale, "Black Hole Sun, Won't You Come" takes an old trope -- What if you had the opportunity to live forever, but you had to take the lifeforce of another to extend your existence? --and wrings any enjoyment out of immortality.

John Shirley's fiction and nonfiction have managed, much like the music of John Lydon, to keep fans on their toes for two decades, and Black Butterflies demonstrates that Shirley's talents keep improving with time. While not completely science fiction or fantasy, the stories in Black Butterflies demonstrate the necessity for humanity (or the lack thereof) in the genre if it is to become a vital form of literature.

(fly back)