Showdown At The NOT-OK Corral

In his latest novel Everything Is Broken, veteran writer John Shirley returns to a territory I believe his legion of readers could all benefit from were he to revisit it more often: the setting of the real world. Having cut his teeth on practically every genre out there, (most notably helping to pioneer both the splatter- and cyberpunk movements, as well as carry on the horror tradition with great finesse in the novels In Darkness Waiting, Wetbones, and Demons, just to name a few), it's been a full decade since 2002's Spider Moon (another slim hard boiled yarn that packs a real wallop), a novella about street revenge set in our real world. In my opinion, reality is the setting this author knows best, and he applies all his skills toward rendering the fictional town of Freedom, California in an easy to read and believable manner, due largely to its well-sketched out characters which most of us can relate to. Suffice it to say this story is a lean, sharp, shock of a tale that does not pull its punches nor hold back from keeping the reader pinned to his seat through its relentless conclusion. There is real human tragedy and drama here to keep most anyone entertained. Folks concerned with realism take note, you may rest assured that the passages concerning shootouts and gunplay are among the finest I've ever had the pleasure to read, myself. A real treat for virtually any reader, I heartily recommend Everything Is Broken as an energetic and vibrant portrait of exactly why we have an American society in the first place. Read it on your Kindle (I did) or order the book directly, either way this is a book you'll want to pass on to a friend, after you've finished it, which will most likely be in one sitting. Pure satisfaction on a variety of levels, this author is among our nation's very best, and if you doubt that go ahead and read this novel--I dare you.