From:	Charles Baker <karolusb@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject:	Re: Novels...
Date:	Wed, 25 Dec 1996 03:25:06 -0800

Fro wrote:
>
> At 22:08 12/25/96 -0700, Airk wrote:
> >Allo!
> >
> > Does anyone have some suggestions on what the best SR novels are?
> >
[snip 2xs good(sorta) stryper bad]
This post is entirely IMO (Cause it might offend some people)

Into the Shadows: is in my mind (with one exception) an excellent
compilation. A very good feel for the genre.
Dead Air: another book that has a good feel, ridden with inconsistency
and other minor problems(how come every mage in a novel only knows the
hellblast spell)
Preying for keeps(I think): Good and gritty, I have grown to hate the
goody-goody shadowrun heros (too many lasers, monosword cuts through
tanker hull, but otherwise alright).
I also remember liking 2xs and changeling but I haven't read them in
ages.

The bad are there as well- I don't know if it's the character or the
writer but *Stryper* was my least favorite book until I read *who hunts
the hunter*, the only shadowrun novel I was unable to finish. *Worlds
W/o End* came very close to also falling into the unfinished category
but I was able to buck up and pull through it. Both *streets of blood*
and *Black madonna* were bad (the latter much worse) but the book in
between was actually kinda good.

(Mild spoiler of black madonna follows)

On a side note Warhammer is a great FRPG, unfortunately with the new
company having to abide by the restriction that no new material they
publish can contradict the extreme changes GW has implemented in the
boardgame they will probably have little room for new publication. Now
for the tie-in My least favorite FASA personality, the guy who brought
us Davinci the immortal elf is also the guy who got my favorite
Warhammer character stuck in Castle Drachenfels- does that guy know how
to get on my bad side or what. And now I hear Jak Koke(any info on the
name would be appreciated) may be falling into this category after one
good book he goes and claims responsibility for the big D fiasco.