If the face in the visor is a reflection of the person stood where we are, and he looks normal when his image is on a curved surface, he must be unbelievable skinny.
This cover painted by someone who really loved Drost.
@Tor: GSS.
@Tat: Something about that didn’t look at all right to me, and you’ve figured it out. No wonder Trooper doesn’t have his firearm pointed at the other one — doesn’t look that dangerous.
Unless, of course, we’re seeing what Trooper’s streaming on his cyberpunk helmet.
This book suffers from Pretentious-Title-itis… Suspect they wrote some SF words on slips of paper and drew them from a hat until they got something that looked kinda cool.
I don’t know what a Penumbra is, other than it’s got a pen at the start, a numb in the middle, and a bra at the end (and that’s why I should stick to giggling over GSS cover offerings and absolutely not attempt to take up writing as a career in any genre, ever)
@GSS Ex-noob: I am rather tickled by the notion that the cyberpunk sinister soldier is bored out of his skull and watching a post-apocalyptic survival movie on his Google Glasses helmet. Let’s hope his sargent doesn’t catch him goofing off!
@Emster: the fact that it’s part of a book series called “A Song Called Youth” is the cherry on the pretentiousness sundae.
To be fair to Shirley’s pompous trilogy title, the “song called youth” does get played by somebody at the end of the first novel: the character who does so dies nobly creating a diversion so that his associates can escape the bad guys hunting his associates while the bad guys are busy shutting him and his loud music up.
(To be less fair to Shirley, the guy’s so obviously a Mary Sue it beggars belief, but even so, there is a song called youth as a thing in the books…)
@Bruce: It’s the logical evolution of that new Apple headset thingy.
Trooper there of course loves action movies. This one’s wish-fulfillment, as not only does movie guy have a bigger weapon, he gets to shoot sans helmet and armor. Presumably while doing something more interesting than being a tent security guard.
February 8th, 2024 at 3:02 pm
Due to budget cutbacks, The Black Quilt-Troopers will receive only a single, right-sided shoulder pad.
February 8th, 2024 at 3:38 pm
In the not-too-distant future,
This Sunday A.D.
There lived a song called youth
Not too different from book one and three.
February 8th, 2024 at 7:02 pm
The embarrassment of showing up at camp dressed for Casual Friday but it’s Thursday.
February 8th, 2024 at 9:07 pm
If the face in the visor is a reflection of the person stood where we are, and he looks normal when his image is on a curved surface, he must be unbelievable skinny.
February 8th, 2024 at 9:49 pm
Reading that blurb Mr. Shirley surely can type 60 wpm with his toes.
Nice to see tire recycling is a thing in cyberpunk.
February 8th, 2024 at 11:05 pm
This cover painted by someone who really loved Drost.
@Tor: GSS.
@Tat: Something about that didn’t look at all right to me, and you’ve figured it out. No wonder Trooper doesn’t have his firearm pointed at the other one — doesn’t look that dangerous.
Unless, of course, we’re seeing what Trooper’s streaming on his cyberpunk helmet.
February 9th, 2024 at 1:49 am
This book suffers from Pretentious-Title-itis… Suspect they wrote some SF words on slips of paper and drew them from a hat until they got something that looked kinda cool.
I don’t know what a Penumbra is, other than it’s got a pen at the start, a numb in the middle, and a bra at the end (and that’s why I should stick to giggling over GSS cover offerings and absolutely not attempt to take up writing as a career in any genre, ever)
February 9th, 2024 at 5:23 am
@GSS Ex-noob: I am rather tickled by the notion that the cyberpunk sinister soldier is bored out of his skull and watching a post-apocalyptic survival movie on his Google Glasses helmet. Let’s hope his sargent doesn’t catch him goofing off!
@Emster: the fact that it’s part of a book series called “A Song Called Youth” is the cherry on the pretentiousness sundae.
February 9th, 2024 at 2:33 pm
To be fair to Shirley’s pompous trilogy title, the “song called youth” does get played by somebody at the end of the first novel: the character who does so dies nobly creating a diversion so that his associates can escape the bad guys hunting his associates while the bad guys are busy shutting him and his loud music up.
(To be less fair to Shirley, the guy’s so obviously a Mary Sue it beggars belief, but even so, there is a song called youth as a thing in the books…)
February 9th, 2024 at 11:56 pm
@Bruce: It’s the logical evolution of that new Apple headset thingy.
Trooper there of course loves action movies. This one’s wish-fulfillment, as not only does movie guy have a bigger weapon, he gets to shoot sans helmet and armor. Presumably while doing something more interesting than being a tent security guard.
@Emster: Agreed on the pretention.
February 11th, 2024 at 5:19 pm
Is this the book or the concept album?
February 11th, 2024 at 5:21 pm
Author: Here’s the finished manuscript for my new cyberpunk novel “Dark Eclipse”.
Editor: Fine, but the title needs to be more pretentious. Like “Darkest Eclipse” or “Really Really Dark Eclipse”, or… I’ve got it! “ECLIPSE PENUMBRA!”
February 11th, 2024 at 10:19 pm
Maybe he only has to stand there for a few hours till the Eclipse Penumbra passes and it gets fully light again.
@ARY: Don’t be silly. It’s book-shaped, so it’s the book. The concept album would be square and sold separately unless you paid for the combo pack.
Although it might be the cassette tape of the album…