New Taboos
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Mixing outlaw humor, SF adventure, and cutting social criticism, Shirley draws upon his entire arsenal of narrative and commentary. The title essay, “New Taboos” is his prescription for a radical revisioning of America. A new novella, A State of Imprisonment, is a horrifying and grimly hilarious look at the privatization of the prison industry. “Why We Need Forty Years of Hell,” Shirley’s 2011 TEDx address, presents his proudly contrarian view of the near future.
Also featured is our Outspoken Interview showcasing the author’s transgressive sensibility, deep humanity, and mordant wit.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lyricist and "Dread Lord" of cyberpunk Shirley (A Song Called Youth) releases a full-throated howl about the twinned perils of corporate hegemony and citizen apathy. The latest in PM's Outspoken Authors series matches up an original novella, "A State of Imprisonment," with two essays and an interview conducted by Terry Bisson. The novella follows desperate reporter Faye Adullah inside the walls of a near-future Arizona that's been turned into a titanic private prison. Darkly humorous and deeply unsettling, the novella saves its real sting for the denouement. The title essay, on the other hand, is a too-earnest rumination on trying to rein in corporate malfeasance through reviving the concept of taboo, uneasily paired with a transcription of a grim TEDx talk. The long, wide-ranging, and insightful interview that closes the book is far more hopeful than the other material, providing context for Shirley's political views as well as a useful guide to his career and approach. Brief but potent, the book is a treat for Shirley fans, and a reasonable starting point for newcomers.
