WETBONES
John Shirley
Leisure/ $5.50/ 332p.
ISBN:0-8439-4524-7

Leisure Books takes having the only horror line in mass-market paperbacks very seriously. One of the greatest services they provide is reprinting wonderful novels that never had a U. S. paperback edition. John Shirley's Wetbones is a perfect example. It was originally published in a beautiful hardcover edition by Mark V. Ziesing books in 1991. This edition is now out of print, so if you missed out on this neon and blood-soaked marvel you've been given a second chance.

Wetbones has a lot to say about the nature of human addiction. It moves a large and colorful cast of characters from all walks of life through a gaudy nightmare of depravity. Whether we belong to the cultural elite or the downtrodden underclass, we are equally vulnerable to the addict inside. Shirley creates a race of cosmic horrors that feed off our weaknesses. They are worm-like creatures called the Akishra, who are ethereal on our plane, but are reaching the strength to become corporeal. They can control anybody's actions through stimulation of the pleasure or pain centers in the brain.

Shirley excels in painting atmosphere, from glitzy Hollywood parties to the dingiest crack house in Watts. Always at the forefront are the desires that drive his characters from drugs, to sex, to horrific violence. There is an overall sense of the interconnectedness of people. Shirley comes at his story from every which direction so we can understand it from all perspectives. It is both a warning and a call for responsibility. It is every bit as relevant as when it was first published.

This novel succeeds as both entertainment and important social commentary. Don't miss this second opportunity to view the world through the darkly shaded eyes of John Shirley.