The Blog of Lone

If you thought that the genre of cyber punk literature began and ended with William Gibson, then you’re in for a surprise.
‘Shamanspace’ from Steve Aylett, the author of the Beerlight books, is a modern classic in alternative fiction. The book’s premise is summed up as “God has been found to exist and the race is on to take revenge”, and such a contentious issue never got a more stylish treatment than in ‘Shamanspace’. The protagonist Alix oozes caustic style in a way that will leave readers both envious and inspired. The premise of the book, the idea of assassinating the Creator, raises all sorts of questions about God’s culpability with the cruelty of existence, but Aylett manages to steer his novella away from the road blocks of lofty philosophising straight onto the highway of thought provoking yet accessible literature.

When something is described as, “as short, seductive and deadly as a bad midget in a shiny red coat” by Grant Morrison, creator of ‘The Invisibles’, you know you’re in for a treat.
Aylett’s writing walks a thin tightrope between prose and poetry, exploding into the reader’s brain with a frightening intensity. While this never makes ‘Shamanspace’ an easy or casual read, it does make it a book with the potential to alter the reader’s perception of fiction as they know it.
While non-fans of cyber punk will find ‘Shamanspace’ a provocative and intriguing novella that is well worth the read, fans of the genre will be whole heartedly glad to see that with ‘Shamanspace’ the genre continues to go from strength to strength.
This book is highly recommended.

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