John Shirley: TRANSMANIACON

The dedication to John Shirley's debut novel, TRANSMANIACON, explains something -- who knows what -- about the young author

To
The Blue Oyster Cult[sic]
& Patti Smth & Leslie Fiedler & Aleister Crowley
& not necessarily in that
"Order."

Shirley on TRANSMANIACON:

When I was really young I wrote a book called TRANSMANIACON -- main premise was: a guy wore the transmaniacon device, which enabled him to release hidden well-springs of "suppressed anger" in those he met. It was assumed those hidden well-springs of fury could be found in anyone, somewhere hidden. This gave him the power to psychically manipulate crowds of people in certain ways --which is a hint about twentieth century history.

Shirley created the prototypical sf punk novel with the dystopian TRANSMANIACON and demonstrated a hatred of the status quo, a theme often found in his writings. TRANSMANIACON is a more straightforward and simple book than DRACULA IN LOVE, even though both were published the same year. One suspects this may be the result of trying to fit into the expected science fictional mode in order to make a first sale.

Main character BenRackey's talent is for disruption and his mission eventually involves inciting rebellion. He also demonstrates many of the attributes of the typical Shirley hero -- death-loving, anarchic, unconstrained by "normal" morality -- but lacks character development. He's a bit *too* controlled to really rip. That he needs "the exciter" -- a device that can enhance, even inflame, human emotion -- to accomplish his role in the plot is almost ironic. Gloria, the supposedly tough-as-nails independent femme sidekick is similarly unconvincing: a case of an inexperienced writer relying on stereotype. Still, the book is alive with imaginative future scenarios (a decadent pleasure palace; sentient dolphin-Lords who sacrifice humans for socio-religious reasons) and Shirleyian rock'n'roll references. (Muzak has evolved into "euphonium" used to dull the mind and the capacity for rebellion; rock, though extinct, is the only music capable of countering the euphonium. The Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, and the Beatles are all mentioned.) The beginnings of the author's fluid style and vivid imagery pop in here and there and the book's rapid pace sustain the reader. Considering the author's later anti-drug and addiction themes, it is interesting to find drugs (in this case futuristic stimulants) seen as "good" and helpful.

Blue Oyster Cult Album Cover The title (and the fictional eighties-era biker club brought into the 22nd century of the story were inspired by Blue Öyster Cult's "elegy to Altamont", Transmaniacon MC, a song from their debut album on Columbia, Blue Öyster Cult (released January, 1972). Matt Silcock, in a feature for Grace and Fury, gives an accurate description of the track:

"Transmaniacon MC" is the blasting opener, a hammer-down minor chord riff that slams into a wild descending chromatic run. Add psychedelic organ by Lanier or Bloom and you're space-truckin' into Deep Purple territory; top it off with the totally unique (nothing like Ian Gillan) soulful sneer of E. Bloom, singing lyrics which obliquely refer to evil Hell's Angels and the disaster at Altamont, and you've got the beginnings of BOC's trademark cryptic menace.

John Shirley, of course, later became acquainted with the band and is now their main lyricist.

Transmaniacon MC
by Sandy Pearlman, Albert Bouchard, Donald Roeser and Eric Bloom
Š1972 B. O'Cult Songs, Inc.
With Satan's hog no pig at all
And the weather's getting dry
We'll head south from Altamont
In a cold-blood traveled trance
So clear the road, my bully boys
And let some thunder pass
We're pain, we're steel, a plot of knives
We're Transmaniacon MC

Behind the pantry, behind the tree
The ghouls adopt that child
Whose name resound forever
Whose name resounds in terror
And I'm no fool to call that hog
'Cause man, I remember
Those who did resign their souls
To Transmaniacon MC

And surely we did offer up
Behind that stage at dawn
Beers and barracuda, reds and monocaine, yeah
Pure nectar of antipathy
Behind that stage at dawn
To those who would resign their souls
To Transmaniacon MC

Cry the cable, cry the word
Unknown terror's here
And won't you try this tasty snack
Behind the scene or but the back
Which was the stage at Altamont
My humble boys of listless power
We're pain, we're steel, a plot of knives
We're Transmaniacon...

Look, all right! You can feel it!

At one point "We're pain, we're steel, we're a plot of knives" is used in the book as a passcode. The "ancient Greek mathematical symbol for Chaos" also shows up. It appears to be identical to the symbol -- otherwise known as a "Kronos (Chronos) Logo" and a common ideogram for the planet Saturn -- Blue Öyster Cult used in its iconography.

Some other odd facts about Transmaniacon:

In Italy, the pulling of "merry pranks"online by cyberfreaks has been called "Transmaniacality". This usage is directly derived from the novel.
Revelations, a Live Action Role-Playing Game (LARP) set in White Wolf's World of Darkness, concerns the events and existence of supernatural creatures living in and around New York City. Players take on the roles of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, etc. One "resource" for the game mentions: "There is also rumors of an ancient text called The Transmaniacon ('The Book Beyond Madness'), which was written by a mortal scholar who was able to enter the Underworld and return to the lands of the Living. The Transmaniacon recently surfaced in New York City. It slipped through the hands of the Tremere and is now believed to be in the possession of the Garou." (The Tremere and the Garou are clans.) It is not known if the book or the song inspired this title.