John Shirley is one of the original cyberpunk authors.

He has been called 'the Lou Reed of Cyberpunk'; in addition to publishing numerous polemical essays and seminal works of cyberpunk, he has also played in punk-rock bands such as Sado-Nation and is the lead singer [and lyricist] of The Panther Moderns - a San Francisco-based rock band. He's also been the lead singer in the rock bands Terror Wrist and Obsession. Among Cyberpunks, he is perhaps the only genuine Punk. Far be it from us to gossip, but when Shirley writes about rock'n'roll, weird hairstyles, controlled substances, sick violence and tacky sex, one gets the impression of a writer (like Jack London or B.Traven) who draws on his own adventures and has earned the right to a revolutionary stance by serving his season in the Lower Depths. His career as a punk started in high school in Salem, Oregon, where he was expelled for keeping a teacher locked in a closet while he lectured the class on what a nuclear war would be like.

Shirley is the author of numerous works in a variety of genres; his story collection "Heatseeker" was chosen by the Locus Reader's poll as one of the best short story collections of 1989.

John Shirley was born in February 10, 1953 in Houston, Texas, United States. He spent most of his youth in Oregon state. He has also written under the pseudonym of D.B.Drumm (the 'Traveler' series). He's married to Michelina Shirley [aka Micky].

Bibliography

Transmaniacon (1979)

Horror novel.

Dracula in Love (1979)

Horror novel.

Three-Ring Psychus (1980)

Surreal science fiction novel.

The Exploded Heart (1980)

Unpublished punk novel.

City Come A-Walkin' (1980)

Slipstream science fiction novel.

The Brigade (1981)

Thriller novel.

Cellars (1983)

Horror novel.

Eclipse (1985)

Cyberpunk science fiction novel. First book in "A Song Called Youth" trilogy.

Eclipse Penumbra (1988)

Cyberpunk science fiction novel. Second book in "A Song Called Youth" trilogy.

A Splendid Chaos (1988)

Science fiction novel.

In Darkness Waiting (1988)

Horror novel.

Heatseeker (1989)

Collection of short cyberpunk science fiction stories.

Eclipse Corona (1990)

Cyberpunk science fiction novel. Third book in "A Song Called Youth" trilogy.

Wetbones (1991)

Extremely weird horror novel.

New Noir (1993)

Collection of short stories.

The Exploded Heart: The Trajectory of a Science Fiction Punk (1996)

Short cyberpunk stories and song lyrics.

Silicon Embrace (1996)

Science fiction novel.

Black Butterflies: A Flock on the Darkside (1998)

Collection of short science fiction stories.

Links & References

John Shirley

The Authorized Web Site. Biography, bibliography, news, interviews, reviews, fiction, non-fiction, music, oddities...

The Skeptical Believer

An ongoing column by John Shirley, in which he variously rants about whatever enters his mind.

DarkEcho Interview

DarkEcho interviews John Shirley in May, 1998. By Paula Guran.