Eclipse
Published on 9. July 2024
250 pages
978-1-5040-9509-9 (ISBN)
Description
A former rock star fights a fascist private army in a war-torn future Europe in this"chillingly plausible" and prescient science fiction classic (
Kirkus Reviews).
It is 2039, and parts of Europe have been annihilated by tactical nukes and Russian aggression. As the chaos of a third world war rages, the Second Alliance smells an opportunity. They present themselves as a large multinational capable of creating some much-needed order. In reality, they are an organization of racists and theocrats with a very specific idea of "order" in mind-led by an ambitious televangelist, staffed with mercenaries, and harboring a dangerous cult within its ranks.
Using media manipulation and propaganda, they gain power in the United States, in a pioneering space colony, and on an artificial island known as Freezone. But the New Resistance recognizes the SA for what it really is. And Rick Rickenharp-a once-famous guitarist hanging around the underground clubs-is about to play an unexpected role in their cause...
Originally published in 1985 and updated by the author in 2012, Eclipseis the first book in an extraordinary trilogy by a visionary science fiction talent.
"Spiky prose [hooks] the reader's attention... a Goya-esque vision of war-torn western Europe, bombed out and unstable... from a resurgence of Russian militarism and the collapse of NATO." - Publishers Weekly
"[John Shirley is] cyberpunk's Patient Zero." -William Gibson
It is 2039, and parts of Europe have been annihilated by tactical nukes and Russian aggression. As the chaos of a third world war rages, the Second Alliance smells an opportunity. They present themselves as a large multinational capable of creating some much-needed order. In reality, they are an organization of racists and theocrats with a very specific idea of "order" in mind-led by an ambitious televangelist, staffed with mercenaries, and harboring a dangerous cult within its ranks.
Using media manipulation and propaganda, they gain power in the United States, in a pioneering space colony, and on an artificial island known as Freezone. But the New Resistance recognizes the SA for what it really is. And Rick Rickenharp-a once-famous guitarist hanging around the underground clubs-is about to play an unexpected role in their cause...
Originally published in 1985 and updated by the author in 2012, Eclipseis the first book in an extraordinary trilogy by a visionary science fiction talent.
"Spiky prose [hooks] the reader's attention... a Goya-esque vision of war-torn western Europe, bombed out and unstable... from a resurgence of Russian militarism and the collapse of NATO." - Publishers Weekly
"[John Shirley is] cyberpunk's Patient Zero." -William Gibson
More details
Person
John Shirley is one of the original cyberpunk authors, and appears in
Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology.His novel
City Come A-Walkin',and his Eclipse trilogy, are regarded as seminal cyberpunk works. He is the winner of the 1998 Bram Stoker Award for his story collection,
Black Butterflies: A Flock on the Dark Side.His novels include
A Splendid Chaos,
Demons,
Wetbones, Black Glass,
Crawlers,The Other End,
High,and
Stormland. Shirley has also written scripts for films such as
The Crowand television shows such as
Stark Trek:Deep Space Nine, as well aslyrics for American rock band Blue Öyster Cult.
