I'm slowly working my way through the novels, and I don't know where I need to go now. I'm looking for books important to the metaplot or have very good writing quality. This is what I've read so far (not in any order):

Secrets of Power trilogy
2XS
Shadowplay
Lone Wolf
House of the Sun
Never Trust an Elf
Nosferatu
World Without End
Dragonheart Trilogy

I'm currently reading Night's Pawn. What else do I need to get?

The Abstruse One

You've got a good handle on basic IE conections from the look of it. I'd say Black Madonna or Technobabel should probably be next.

Black Madonna and Technobabel. Any others? I'm wanting to make a sort of reading list so I know exactly what books to try to track down through eBay or whereever else.

The Abstruse One

1. house of the sun (!!! best sr novel EVAR, IMO)
2. shadowgames
2. technobabel

If you're looking for geat witing you're going to have a hard time in my opinion.
Technobabel is a good read, though I'd recommand Black Madonna only if you're a deep fan, this one was a pain to read.
Go for Ragnarock and possibly The Burning Time by Kenson.
I remember I liked Burning Bright by Tom Dowd too, but plot-wise it's a little dated. Good read anyway.
Psychotrope and The Forever Drug by Smedman are pretty awful (especially the latter) but if you're fond of plots you'll find a few bits there.

House of the Sun is good, quality wise, but most of the SR books are pretty ordinary. I think the best, writing quality, is Changeling - that was a really good read and put you into the head of the main character. I was just looking through my collection to refresh my memory of what was good and what was not, but most of it is scattered through my chummers - trying to encourage the runners ot get their heads into the SR world. I lucked out about 12 months ago and picked up about a dozen books for 25cents a pop at a second hand book stall at a church fete! This in a little town in the mountains on the urban fringe of Melbourne Australia - really quite bizarre...
Gibson's Neuromancer is still by far the best SR-flavoured novel I've read - if only some of the official genre writers were up to his standards...

Lone Wolf
Good read

Shadowplay
Cool vision quest

Lucifer Deck
Cool spirit

Tails you lose
Cool multiple personality disorder

There isn't a Shadowrun novel called "Shadowgames." Perhaps the poster was referring to "Shadowplay"?

I second "Burning Bright"--it is a little dated, but the writing is good and it's important to the metaplot (it's where the end of the Bug City story gets described).

I've read all of Nigel D. Findley's works, so I'm ready to accept I might have to struggle through some of these books. I'm mainly looking for stuff that has to do with the metaplot. The novel about the Cermack Blast (Is that right? The nuke dropped on Chicago), stuff about IEs, stuff about the Otaku, the Shutdown, the Horrors, the Bugs...basically, I realized I've read every sourcebook and still AH is able to get stuff I had no clue about, so I want in on his secret

Earthdawn books that explain stuff about the Shadowrun world would be nice recommendations as well, but I never played Earthdawn and had problems figuring out the system so I didn't read many of the books (save the Dragons pdf). Basically, if it's runners-on-a-run type stuff, I'm not that interested. But if it's runners-on-a-run-protecting-Richard-Villier's-daughter, or runners-on-a-run-watching-as-Glasgan-smashed-dragon-eggs, then I'm interested...

The Abstruse One

If you can get hold of it, the Earthdawn sourcebook "Horrors" is a fascinating read, and has connections to Shadowrun. Ditto "Blood Wood."

During my update, revision and expansion of my website, I will be going much more in-depth on what resources I got my information from for those who want to know where to look for something. Although not yet complete, take my revised Insect Spirit page as an example of things to come.

Dear god. Only ONE person mentioned Burning Bright?!

Burning Bright has to be one of the best RPG tie-in novels I've ever read, period. If they make a Shadowrun movie -- make Burning Bright. Sweet Jesus. Tom Dowd does an excellent job making the book have scary as hell parts, exciting action parts, sick to your stomach parts (the euthanasia scene, for instance), and really makes a good use of characters. This is why Tom Dowd is and always will be the DLoH to me.

Almost anything by Nigel Findley is good too, but it looks like those have been pretty well covered (although I preferred 2XS to House of Sun myself -- less of the Immortal Elves and more of th scary-as-hell Insects from the period shortly after the publication of Universal Brotherhood, or shortly before; I don't remember exactly). Most of them tie in to the metaplot in some way too (except for maybe Shadowplay).

I totally second Isis's feelings on Burning Bright. It is definitely one of the most enjoyable SR novels. Although it is less "shadowy" than some books, and skips the standard johnson/run/doublecross formula.

I love Findley's books too, but does anyone else find that Dirk Montgomery is overparanoid even for a shadowrunner. I keep wanting to shake him and say, "You can't know everything...just do something....yeah the dude from Yamtetsu is shady, but he always helps you out !!" Might just be me.

I think, for a guy who isn't cybered and has no magic or decking abilities, he's not paranoid enough to run the shadows.

The Abstruse One

Check out Mason's reviews on the first 13 or so paperbacks. There's a lot of cool stuff in the novels. The ones with Jak Skater (Headhunters, Preying for Keeps) are not all that bad. Low on my list, i.e. semi-regret I bought them, are Lucifer Deck, Dead Air, and most of Nyx Smith's books, mostly because I can't really get myself to like his writing style.

Hat tip to Black Isis. Burning Bright was the 1st thing connected to Shadowrun that I bought. As a novel, it is great, especially the oh so human end. Although it is dated, it is probably the best, House of the Sun not withstanding. Burning Bright also serves as a really good primer as to what is what in Shadowrun, mostly due to the explanations that are given in the book. If you know nothing about Shadowrun, read this book; you get a really good idea of part of the world. Cyberware, basics of SR magic, shamans v. mages, megacorps, spirits, all kinds of stuff. Simply a great book any way you look at it.

The "trilogy" of Streets of Blood, Nosferatu, and Black Madonna aren't all that bad; they tend to require one to reread everything to get it down pat and see all the connections. Ditto for all of Tom Dowd's stuff.

Don

Wolf & Raven by Michael A Stackpole. This is the best street level runner group set of stories I've had the pleasure of reading. Sure, its dated being pre-SR 1st ED release concepts, but the writing and characters are all the more significant for that.

Worst one I've read - Shadowboxer. The Dragonheart Saga isn't far behind IMHO. But then I'm talking about writing rather than metaplot here. And don't get me started on things like The Terminus Experiment or anything about Talon...

Personally, I thought Psychotrope was a good read. Interesting in concept and easy to digest without becomming overwhelmed by references to other metaplot stuff. Likewise I really enjoyed the freshness of The Lucifer Deck by Lisa Smedman and Dead Air by Jak Koke.

Anyhow, you're talking to an old timer who's been collecting everything since Day One here. I'm bias towards the earlier stuff, it had more atmosphere and character. Changeling by Christopher Kubasik is a particular favourite as was 2XS by Nigel Findley. And yes it was tied into the events portayed in the Universal Brotherhood sourcepack. I can still recall the effect reading Missing Blood's handout had on me and eventually my players. Now, THAT was a good read.

I say this again: the short story written in Virtual Reality 1.0 by Chris Kubasik remains the best introduction to decking for beginners ever.

Speaking about novels: is there any new ones?

I heard something about an S:D novel, but couldn't find anything about it.

Is Wizkids stopped (has it started?) publishing gaming literature, or it is only me who couldn't find any new products?

WizKids has the rights to the Shadowrun novels and AFAIK there aren't any immediate plans for them. I know there was a plan to publish a series of Shadowrun:Duels novels, but now that the Duels line isn't getting the strong support of some of the other WK products, who knows when/if this will happen. I also heard somewhere that the SRD novels were more likely to be published sooner in Germany, but I'll believe it when I see it.

For the forseeable future, the only canon SR fiction we're going to get is the short stories on the Shadowrun webpage. That is unless my plan to kidnap Jordan Weisman and force him to sell me the rights to make a Shadowrun feature film doesn't work ^_^;;

The Abstruse One

I know where he'll be all of Origins....and I'll be there...just sayin yo....