Hello all. I decided to take a break from the monumentally time-consuming art of lurking to start a thread (although I'm sure there are a dozen others and I just missed them) about the newest ShadowRun novel, Drops of Corruption, by our very own (well, I see him post here...) Jason Hardy!

I'm only in the midst of chapter 11 right now, but I have a few comments I feel like making. I'm going to dodge major spoilers for now, and I trust that those of you who reply can label your spoilers well- I would like to preserve my sense of surprise a while longer.

Item One: I love chapter 11. It could have been a standard decking chapter, but there are things that just make it fun to read. It may be the image of Petey at work, actually. I grinned so hard it hurt!

Item Two: This book feels very different from the Kenson Trilogy that opened the series. I love Kenson's older SR Novels, but Born to Run (and its companion pieces) was obviously written as an SR intro and I, myself, didn't need such a thing. Still, I reccommend it to those who are new to the universe, particularly since the Secrets of Power trilogy (my own introduction) is somewhat hard to scrape up in these far flung modern days. 16 years ago, they were everywhere! The point- those who were soured by the Trilogy should try this book anyway- it is a return to what you (can/should) expect from a SR novel!

Item Three: This book makes me curious which characters were dictated by Wizkids. I know (well, I've heard) Banickburn was a figure from SRD Wave Three, and Jackie Ozone was present in the rulebook (so that means she was a likely candidate for Wave 3 or 4), and I love Kross (released in Wave Two) but is anyone else from the SRD line? Just curious. Also curious if Kross (in the novel) is of the super-rare "six-fingered man" metavariant

Ok. I'll stop. In general, as of this moment, I am really enjoying this book! I like that I'm not being forced to wallow in pity for our burnout hero... but I also like that I *want* to feel sorry for him.

--PenAgain

Glad the first 11 chapters are working for you! I'm especially glad you liked Petey--that chapter had to undergo some significant revision, but I made sure he stayed in it 'cause I liked him.

Re: which characters were dictated by WizKids: none. I'd been thinking of the Duels characters for a while (I had been lined up to potentially do a Duels novel before that all went under), and the first outline I presented to Sharon at WizKids had two Duels characters, Bannickburn and Jackie Ozone, as main characters. That outline needed a lot of changes, and Sharon made it clear that I didn't need to feel tied to Duels characters. I decided to stick with those two, though, because I thought the relationship between them could be fun, and I had some ideas about what I'd like to do with them. I was given the green light, though, to alter some of the Duels canon material about the two of them.

Kross and G-Dogg from Duels also make appearances. The rest--Cayman, Bailey, Shivers, Spindle, X-Prime, Murson Kader--are not Duels characters.

Hope the book stays enjoyable for you!

Jason H.

Mr. Hardy, I just had the pleasure of finishing up DoC. Very entertaining, and my first SR novel to boot. It was (litterally) the only SR book on the shelves at the Borders near Milwaukee's Grand Avenue mall when I was there on Monday.

Not to impose, but just a quick question: are you planning on using these characters again in a future SR novel (hopefully in the near future)? I'm not totally on top of the novel scene, so...

LordHaHa

Glad you enjoyed it, LordHaHa, and thanks to the good people at Borders for at least having _my_ book in stock.

As far as future SR novels go, I'm hoping to hear about books set in the SR4 setting in the somewhat near future. I've got an idea kicking around in my head, and it would require a new lead character--partially because what the character would need to do just wouldn't fit with any of the novel's characters, and partially because it's fun to write about new people. But I like having established characters show up in cameos from time to time, so it's likely that many of the people in _DoC_ will show up again in some way, shape, or form. Assuming they survived.

Jason H.

I'll have to try and get this. I enjoyed the Unmaking The Man short, which seems to have some of the same characters.

I have a question maybe its been awnserd already, why are the new novels being set in 2060s and not 2070s? Is it going to build up to that, the reason being I want to see how they handel some of the new technology in novels, the only source I have right now is from BUzzkill.

Want to buy my Limited Edition copy and double your fiction sources? Nice story in the back.

Those novels were comissioned some time ago by Wizkids for their SR miniatures game and their release is being handled and dictated by Wizkids, not Fanpro.

Curious question I have (that probably won't get a satisfactory answer)....

Drops of Corruption features the SR4 logo, while the first Trilogy features the SR3 logo. Why the change NOW, when the change would have made more sense after the books move to the 70s?

*le sigh*

Still really enjoying DoC though. Should be finished tonight!

--PenAgain

As soon as it's in the B&N in my area I'll be picking it up. I must say that it gives me hope to not see all the negative feedback that came from Steve Kenson's books. It's reall sad that they had to limit him so much. I hate to talk bad about something that wasn't really his fault. I've always liked his other stuff.

I would like someone to post something more specific about what they liked about Drops, assuming you can without ruining the story. I've been waiting for this one for a while and can't wait for it to finally get here. Seems like Utah gets books two months after everyone else. Had thesame problem with SR4. STill waiting for Winterhawk's/Robyn's SR4 adventure to get here too. ergh

I reserved up my copy the day it was released & picked it up a week later. I just finished off Wild Cards XVII;Death Takes Five, & plan to start this new book tomorrow. Looking forward to an interesting read.

Greetings.

Absolutely amazing read. Very well done.

The spirits must shine on me. I rarely make it to the bookstore, but have stumbled on to the newly released ShadowRun books, apparently each as they come out-I need to get on to a site that lists the release schedule. Yet another thing to obsess about...

Great characters. I loved the refined ork-way to break stereotypes. Jackie's great, as was Jimmy the Shiv. The burnout's solution(s) to problems that he would have used to have handled with magik (and reluctance to access magikal talent) was very insightful-first time I was sympathetic to a burned-out mage. The border run was very well done as well-not seen it done better since From Dusk Till Dawn. Curious about SnowMaker's voodoo problem...

Congratulations, JM. And, thanks.

R

Finished-- and I must concur with all of the praise this thread is garnering for the talented Mr. Hardy!

A fast read, but not because it is simplistic or underdeveloped-- this book just moves so fast! Free from the burden of establishing this rich setting from the ground up but instead deftly weaving vivid description and dynamic characterization with the level eye of a well-researched architect, Jason M. Hardy tells a tense and well-realized tale of corruption, betrayal, and cool stuff () that sets the standard for what will hopefully stand as a long-running new generation of ShadowRun novels.

That's my best back-of-book level commentary. In short: I loved this book. I want more stories! I'd love to know more about the main characters, either forward or backward in their lives.

This book tells a great ShadowRun story without relying too heavily on either the matrix or magic, letting plain old mundanes strut their stuff in a setting often over-burdened by the extraordinary. While the setting elements unique to SR are present, they are viewed from a spectacularly well-realized outsider perspective... or perhaps, better stated, an exile's standpoint.

No dragons, greedy megacorps, insect spirits, or powermad mega-magicians, and it STILL felt like ShadowRun... even to me, and I LOVE all of those things!

Thanks.

--PenAgain

PenAgain and rlemansky--you've made my week. Thanks for the comments, and glad you enjoyed the book!

Jason H.

So, before buying this book: are there any Drop Bears in it? The title raised some hope in me...

See that small broken thing lying on the floor next to your computer desk?

That's your hope. It wasn't just dashed- it was mangled. Sorry about that.

This book is 100% Drop Bear Free

--PenAgain
Bearer of bad news for the Drop Bear Elitist Regime

Well hold on a second. What sort of conspiracy would it be if the drop bears in the book were obvious and plain to every reader? Perhaps all the drop bear-related material is encoded . . .

That's all I can say--in fact, I believe I've already said too much.

Jason H.

Hrmmm. Perhaps Snowmaker's back story, all askew with Voodoo, was an allusion to the puppet strings of the global Drop Bear Conspiracy...

Drat! How could I have missed it!

Your clever symbolism almost became my undoing, Dreaded Hardy! Now you have tricked me into rousing the ire of the Drop Bear Elders! How cleanly you have eliminated me as a potential threat to your literary supremacy...

Zounds! I am undone!

--PenAgain

Awesome. In the true sense of the word. I just love that Mr Hardy has allowed a short thread jack by the D.B.C. , and embraced the ideals.

On that note, back on subject:

I am thrilled to see these reviews. Still waiting for one to hit my local Barnese and Nobles, anxiously awaiting. Please all you that have read his book and loved it, post soemthing on Amazon. There's only one crapping review and it cramped my day reading it.

Hardy: still haven't gotten to read it, but very much looking forward to it. Nice to have a novel coming out, and look forward to it!

Quite an amazing job on the book Mr. Hardy. I have to agree with what PenAgain said, you made a wonderful Shadowrun novel without all the pomp and flash of cyberware, huge spells, and stereotypical dumb ork/trolls. Not to mention the insights you gave into the mob influence in Seattle.

On a side note, do you have any plans on doing another Mechwarrior book? Scopion Jar absolutely blew me away!

Ordered it at amazon.de just a few minutes ago. And I'll find all D.B.C. hints in it!

see, that's where we go back to that whole "only remember when I don't have money" thing. [sarcasm]And yeah, as far as I know they ship here. I think that the package has to be specially consecrated at the border and handed off to a holy-certified courier with a trumpet. Not too sure, I never really pay attention to these things. I'm to busy trying to cope with all of my wives and collecting welfare checks [/sarcasm].

Thank you for the first good laugh this day.

any time. Have you read the book yet BTW Grinder?

No, I just ordered it today. But it will be hopefully here at the weekend, so I can read it at work (weekends are usually calm there).

All right, to address a few issues and questions:

First, about books in Utah. My crack Drops of Corruption Promotion Unit (Utah Branch)--in the person of my brother--is returning to Utah shortly after a brief visit here, and he has promised to request copies in every bookstore he walks into. So certain parts of the Salt Lake Valley should get a few copies in soon.

Second, thanks for the comments, Silent Recoil! My next MechWarrior book, Principles of Desolation (written with Randall Bills), is due out in August. Hope you like it!

And finally, regarding my graciousness in allowing a DBC thread-jack--can you really believe I had a choice in the matter? Of course you know what happens if you go against the will of the almighty MMMMFFFFF--

<<transmission interrupted>>

I love this guy

I think Brother Hardy will make it for the beginning. He has to proof his dedication before we'll grant him a special title.

Fistandantilus, do you mean to say those glowing red eyes I keep seeing are real? That's a relief. Now what about those long lines of paired hammers that keep marching in front of me like giant legs?

And as far as titles go, please, do not feel any need to come up with one. I'm already involved in far too many other conspiracies of a dark and nefarious nature to need another . . .

Oops. I've said too much again.

Jason H.

Oh man, I gotta get reading this book. I feel like I'm being left in the dust.

JM: The hammers aren't us. That might be the Masons though. I hear they're active in your area. If you have trouble remembering a title because you have a bunch of others in different cabals, that's ok. Just do what I do, use the same title in each cabal. it's like a password that way really. If you use it everywhere, it's easier to remember, and more recognizable as you.

Granted problems can arise, like when you use titles like "Lord of the Dark Despair of Your Never-ending Torment" at you book club meeting instead of the Church of Satan [*disclaimer-I make no claims to knowing actual titles of the CoS members so please don't curse me, I'm very fragile*]. Of course, I suppose that depends on the book club.

Perhaps for now, we'll just stick with "The Hardy One", and ignore any possible innuendo.

Grinder: I think he can use something more than just 'Brother'. After all, how many ofthers in the DBC have managed to drop subtle hints into a published piece of fiction (it is fiction right? still haven't read it)?