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John Shirley

Goodreads Author

Born

in Houston, Texas, The United States

Website

https://john-shirley.com/

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Horror

Member Since

November 2013

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John Shirley won the Bram Stoker Award for his story collection Black Butterflies, and is the author of numerous novels, including the best-seller DEMONS, the cyberpunk classics CITY COME A-WALKIN', ECLIPSE, and BLACK GLASS, and his newest novels STORMLAND and A SORCERER OF ATLANTIS.

He is also a screenwriter, having written for television and movies; he was co-screenwriter of THE CROW. He has been several Year's Best anthologies including Prime Books' THE YEAR'S BEST DARK FANTASY AND HORROR anthology, and his nwest story collection is IN EXTREMIS: THE MOST EXTREME SHORT STORIES OF JOHN SHIRLEY. His novel BIOSHOCK: RAPTURE telling the story of the creation and undoing of Rapture, from the hit videogame BIOSHOCK is out from TOR books; his Hal ...more

755 posts
John Shirley's Blog

Gaia’s Quite Angry With Us. She has a prophecy.

Gaia’s Prophecy
By John Shirley

The human crowd is chattering
Unhearing men trade flattering;
Those ever speaking cannot hear
The voice of the Unseen One near

But quiet ones hear the unheard
Echolocation bears their words:
Spirits of trees, the spirits of mammals;
Animis Mundi of all animals

Spirits of caverns, spirits of sea:
Their moaning cries call out to me–
They mourn the loss of mermaid daughters;
Of

Combine Editions
John Shirley’s books

Average rating: 3.88 · 50,967 ratings · 4,654 reviews · 325 distinct works • Similar authors

	BioShock: Rapture 3.99 avg rating — 11,616 ratings — published 2011 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Halo: Broken Circle 3.88 avg rating — 2,019 ratings — published 2014 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Constantine 3.99 avg rating — 1,073 ratings — published 2005 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Eclipse (A Song Called Youth, #1) 3.91 avg rating — 698 ratings — published 1985 — 20 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Batman: Dead White 3.54 avg rating — 734 ratings — published 2006 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Grimm: The Icy Touch (Grimm, #1) 3.68 avg rating — 656 ratings — published 2013 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	City Come a-Walkin' by John Shirley (Goodreads Author), William Gibson (Introduction) 3.78 avg rating — 603 ratings — published 1980 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wetbones 3.76 avg rating — 505 ratings — published 1991 — 19 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Demons 3.26 avg rating — 526 ratings — published 2000 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Black Butterflies 3.80 avg rating — 429 ratings — published 1998 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by John Shirley…

Series by John Shirley

A Song Called Youth (3 books)
by

John Shirley (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,456 ratings

Borderlands (3 books)
by

John Shirley (Goodreads Author)

3.56 avg rating — 666 ratings

John Constantine Hellblazer Novels (2 books)
by

John Shirley (Goodreads Author)

3.74 avg rating — 372 ratings

Cleve Trewe (3 books)
by

John Shirley (Goodreads Author)

4.24 avg rating — 256 ratings

The Crow: Death & Rebirth (1 book)
by

John Shirley (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating

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John is Currently Reading

John Shirley is currently reading

Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years

by Carl Sandburg

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Aug 08, 2025 11:33PM

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رباعيات خيام

by Omar Khayyám

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Jul 19, 2025 12:08AM

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Bloody Newton

by Johnny D. Boggs

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Jul 13, 2025 12:04AM

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John’s Recent Updates

John Shirley is now friends with Shikhar
Mar 08, 2026 01:07PM · like
John Shirley is currently reading Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years by Carl Sandburg	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 08, 2025 11:33PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Abraham Lincoln by Carl Sandburg. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Abraham Lincoln by Carl Sandburg <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Shirley is currently reading رباعيات خيام by Omar Khayyám	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 19, 2025 12:08AM · like
John Shirley is currently reading Bloody Newton by Johnny D. Boggs	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 13, 2025 12:04AM · like
John Shirley is currently reading Soldier's Farewell by Johnny D. Boggs	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 13, 2025 12:02AM · like
John Shirley is currently reading The Killing Shot by Johnny D. Boggs	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 12, 2025 11:55PM · like
John Shirley is currently reading Grant by Ron Chernow	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 13, 2025 11:30PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Grant by Ron Chernow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Grant by Ron Chernow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Shirley is currently reading The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss by David Bentley Hart	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 07, 2025 12:50AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Experience of God by David Bentley Hart. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Experience of God by David Bentley Hart <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Shirley is currently reading Donald Trump v. The United States: Inside the Struggle to Stop a President by Michael S. Schmidt	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 15, 2025 11:14PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Donald Trump v. The United States by Michael S. Schmidt. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Donald Trump v. The United States by Michael S. Schmidt <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Shirley is currently reading Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump by Peter Strzok	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 15, 2025 10:59PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Compromised by Peter Strzok. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Compromised by Peter Strzok <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of John's books…

Quotes by John Shirley (?)

“No Gods Or Kings. Only Man. -Andrew Ryan”
― John Shirley, BioShock: Rapture

tags: objectivism, philosophy, religion, science

48 likes

“If the modern world were a patient in my care... I would diagnose it suicidal." - Dr. Sofia Lamb”
― John Shirley, BioShock: Rapture

tags: bioshock, game, rapture, shirley

37 likes

“A man must make of his life a ladder that he never ceases to climb -- if you're not rising, you are slipping down the rungs, my friend.”
― John Shirley, BioShock: Rapture

tags: andrew-ryan, bioshock, prosperity

19 likes

See all John Shirley's quotes »

Polls

What horror read shall we have for our 4th quarter of 2012 group read?

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

3 votes, 60.0%

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

2 votes, 40.0%

Song of Kali by Dan Simmons

0 votes, 0.0%

Demons by John Shirley

0 votes, 0.0%

Weaveworld by Clive Barker

0 votes, 0.0%

5 total votes

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