?? about SR books

Bethyaga · Post by **Bethyaga** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 4:52 am

I've not read any Shadowrun novels, and I would like to. I know this topic has come up before, but what are the best ones in this group's opinion? Which one's do I absolutely avoid? What's most popular? (I would hope "most popular" corresponds with "best", but that is so often not the case in this world.)

Incidentally, I'm setting up a campaign, and I need some information on the Great Lakes region and Michigan in particular... is there any canon info on the area (novels or sourcebooks) that I could steal ideas from?

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 7:14 am

Lessee... 2XS, Burning Bright, Crossroads, Into the Shadows, Lone Wolf, House of the Sun, Shadowplay are all good books in and of themselves. By that I meant they'd be good reads even without the game link.

Stay well away from Shadowboxer- the first half was quite good but after that it went downhill fast, The Terminus Experiment, Black Madonna, The Forever Drug, and possibly Psychotrope as it's kinda iffy.

The rest run the range of quality and are generally what you'd expect from RPG novels. Of course, all of this is IMHO so YMMV.

Jestyr · Post by **Jestyr** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 7:50 am

To the "good" list, I'd add anything by Sargent & Gascoigne, and Night's Pawn by Tom Dowd.

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 11:05 am

Agreed. Sargent & Gascoigne do very good- and amusing- characters but their stories do seem to uber-powerful, but if you can set that aside you're set.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 2:26 pm

I disagree with the popularity of Burning Bright, actually. I know this makes me a heaten on this board, but I thought the story was great (enough that I picked up Bug City) but the writing didn't make me want to go back and read it again.

Sorrow · Post by **Sorrow** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 2:29 pm

I haven't read many, but I'll throw in another vote for 2XS.

Jestyr · Post by **Jestyr** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 2:36 pm

Eli, if you're talking about pedestrian writing, it's still leagues ahead of many of the recent SR novels. *cringe, wince*

Flak: Sargent & Gascoigne's stuff can be powerful, yeah, but on the other hand they do do street-level stuff very well, too. I just love their ability to create atmosphere. Streets of Blood, for instance, reads like a /real/ novel, and unlike most SR novels, doesn't make me want to throw it across the room in horror.

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 1:46 am

Yeah, some of them can be baaaadd.

Jestyr · Post by **Jestyr** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 2:44 am

Some of them deserve a place in the 'Masochistic Fun' thread, except they're not fun.

CykoSpin · Post by **CykoSpin** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 3:29 am

For what it's worth, the Secrets of Power trilogy rocked my Shadowrunnin' socks.