What do you think?
Rate this book
...And the Angel with Television Eyes
"...And the Angel with Television Eyes" explores the region where fantasy meets reality. This surreal journey of self-discovery and transformation at once questions the nature of our world, and redefines it in the context of 21st century pop culture and technology. It takes a writer of John Shirley's talent and audacity to bring together elements as disparate as Shakespeare, Nietzsche, on-line role playing games, soap operas, and classic mythology - binding them together, creating a heady mélange on, above, and below the streets of Manhattan.
Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
John Shirley
333 books470 followersJohn 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 Halo novel, HALO: BROKEN CIRCLE is coming out from Pocket Books.
His most recent novels are STORMLAND and (forthcoming) AXLE BUST CREEK. His new story collection is THE FEVERISH STARS. STORMLAND and other John Shirley novels are available as audiobooks.
He is also a lyricist, having written lyrics for 18 songs recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult (especially on their albums Heaven Forbidden and Curse of the Hidden Mirror), and his own recordings.
John Shirley has written only one nonfiction book, GURDJIEFF: AN INTRODUCTION TO HIS LIFE AND IDEAS, published by Penguin/Jeremy Tarcher.
John Shirley story collections include BLACK BUTTERFLIES, IN EXTREMIS, REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY WEIRD STORIES, and LIVING SHADOWS.
source: Amazon
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 Halo novel, HALO: BROKEN CIRCLE is coming out from Pocket Books.
His most recent novels are STORMLAND and (forthcoming) AXLE BUST CREEK. His new story collection is THE FEVERISH STARS. STORMLAND and other John Shirley novels are available as audiobooks.
He is also a lyricist, having written lyrics for 18 songs recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult (especially on their albums Heaven Forbidden and Curse of the Hidden Mirror), and his own recordings.
John Shirley has written only one nonfiction book, GURDJIEFF: AN INTRODUCTION TO HIS LIFE AND IDEAS, published by Penguin/Jeremy Tarcher.
John Shirley story collections include BLACK BUTTERFLIES, IN EXTREMIS, REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY WEIRD STORIES, and LIVING SHADOWS.
source: Amazon
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 29, 2019
I have not reviewed A John Shirley book in some time. With almost thirty books in print when you include the novels and various short story collections, I have written many words about his work. Almost all of those books have been reviewed here from the gonzo early masterpieces like Transmanicon to the recent Lovecraft Alive collection. For some reason, I had missed reading this book. It seems it is a lost book because it only has very few reviews. All of those reviews are positive it just seems odd to me that there are not more.
If you are not familiar with John Shirley he is my favorite living author who writes Science Fiction, Horror, proto-bizarro and pretty much is the first Cyberpunk. I mean William Gibson said that it is not just my opinion. He was the first Sci-fi writer to show up to reading wearing spiked dog collars. You can't read John Shirley without a sense of the dangerous feeling of his fiction, that said it is equally well written and at times beautiful and genius.
A prime example is "...and the Angel With Television Eyes." This is one of Shirley's weirdest novels and that is actually saying a lot. The novel was released in 2001 so it stands to reason it was written in the late '90s. It features a washed-up actor (I was thinking a Kevin Sorbo type) whose longtime fantasy show has ended and has turned to soap operas. After an experiment with a sensory deprivation tank, Max has his mind opened. Wide open actually. This is where it gets weird. Up until this point, we have a slightly comical but kinda sad look at Hollywood. This part of the novel is OK. There are some interesting parts particularly when Max deals with an apparently crazy stalker who cos-plays as one of his famous characters.
Once it gets weird is when you see why John Shirley is an underrated master. That is when the novel goes from good to great. Max discovers that there are beings that live in the subatomic particles who are struggling to free themselves called plasmagnomes. These creatures are cast off shed particles of our souls created by our fantasies. The Plasma world is in trouble because the increased technology in the form of electromagnetic energy is disrupting everything.
For Max the door between the plasma world and ours has been pushed open. There are incredible moments that take place in a bar that links the worlds built into closed tunnels of the NYC subway system. This part of the book when Max meets the various Plasmagonomes is beautifully weird. This contains some of Shirley's most tragic and beautiful descriptions of creatures so strange they are jaw-dropping. Like Clive Barker or Burroughs level weird with Shirley's razor-sharp edges that make this book somewhat unexplainable.
For example from page 177: "But all of the faces- Shifting across the front of her head in a kaleidoscoping ripple of three-dimensional projections-were spangled with glitter, were dopey with dream and drugs...And on her delicate little feet she wore pump action, puce Nike high top sneakers."
This book reminded me why Shirley is my favorite. A beautifully weird and unique novel that works on lots of levels not sure I understand all of. This is a pure weird masterpiece that has to be read to be believed.
If you are not familiar with John Shirley he is my favorite living author who writes Science Fiction, Horror, proto-bizarro and pretty much is the first Cyberpunk. I mean William Gibson said that it is not just my opinion. He was the first Sci-fi writer to show up to reading wearing spiked dog collars. You can't read John Shirley without a sense of the dangerous feeling of his fiction, that said it is equally well written and at times beautiful and genius.
A prime example is "...and the Angel With Television Eyes." This is one of Shirley's weirdest novels and that is actually saying a lot. The novel was released in 2001 so it stands to reason it was written in the late '90s. It features a washed-up actor (I was thinking a Kevin Sorbo type) whose longtime fantasy show has ended and has turned to soap operas. After an experiment with a sensory deprivation tank, Max has his mind opened. Wide open actually. This is where it gets weird. Up until this point, we have a slightly comical but kinda sad look at Hollywood. This part of the novel is OK. There are some interesting parts particularly when Max deals with an apparently crazy stalker who cos-plays as one of his famous characters.
Once it gets weird is when you see why John Shirley is an underrated master. That is when the novel goes from good to great. Max discovers that there are beings that live in the subatomic particles who are struggling to free themselves called plasmagnomes. These creatures are cast off shed particles of our souls created by our fantasies. The Plasma world is in trouble because the increased technology in the form of electromagnetic energy is disrupting everything.
For Max the door between the plasma world and ours has been pushed open. There are incredible moments that take place in a bar that links the worlds built into closed tunnels of the NYC subway system. This part of the book when Max meets the various Plasmagonomes is beautifully weird. This contains some of Shirley's most tragic and beautiful descriptions of creatures so strange they are jaw-dropping. Like Clive Barker or Burroughs level weird with Shirley's razor-sharp edges that make this book somewhat unexplainable.
For example from page 177: "But all of the faces- Shifting across the front of her head in a kaleidoscoping ripple of three-dimensional projections-were spangled with glitter, were dopey with dream and drugs...And on her delicate little feet she wore pump action, puce Nike high top sneakers."
This book reminded me why Shirley is my favorite. A beautifully weird and unique novel that works on lots of levels not sure I understand all of. This is a pure weird masterpiece that has to be read to be believed.
August 3, 2007
And the Angel with Television Eyes, John Shirley, Night Shade Books, 2001
Max Whitman is a moderately successful actor in present-day New York City. Cast member on a soap opera, he seems to have acquired a stalker who dresses exactly like his TV character. One day, the stalker is found dead in the middle of the street. Indications are that he was dropped from a great height.
In preparation for a big audition, Max agrees to spend some time in a sensory deprivation tank. His soul is taken to a place of tall buildings made of energy and hears voices talk to him like he is someone named Lord Redmark. Max also meets neon colored snakes in glass tubes, and harpies who look human, except for their wings of blue-black vinyl and mini-TV cameras for eyes. A door seems to have been opened between "here" and "there." Max starts talking like Lord Redmark, and, more than once, he is attacked, in midtown Manhattan, by these vinyl-winged harpies.
Quantum theory speculates about each physical body having an interrelated body made solely of subatomic particles, a "soul." Such bodiless beings do exist on their own, and they are called plasmagnomes. They are divided into two factions, one of which is ready to declare war on mankind. Man’s computers, cell phones and other electromagnetic generators are causing real problems in the plasma world. Antoinette, a friend of Max’s, does human-looking metal sculptures. More than once, he sees what looks like her sculptures coming to life. Max is taken deep beneath the streets of Manhattan, where he meets people who have turned into various beings. Their true, plasmagnome self has been awakened; Antoinette becomes one of them. To put it simply, reality is being turned upside down and pulled outside out.
John Shirley seems to make a habit of exploring parts of the human psyche that few other writers even wish to visit. In a way, this book is vintage John Shirley; very weird and very, very good.
Max Whitman is a moderately successful actor in present-day New York City. Cast member on a soap opera, he seems to have acquired a stalker who dresses exactly like his TV character. One day, the stalker is found dead in the middle of the street. Indications are that he was dropped from a great height.
In preparation for a big audition, Max agrees to spend some time in a sensory deprivation tank. His soul is taken to a place of tall buildings made of energy and hears voices talk to him like he is someone named Lord Redmark. Max also meets neon colored snakes in glass tubes, and harpies who look human, except for their wings of blue-black vinyl and mini-TV cameras for eyes. A door seems to have been opened between "here" and "there." Max starts talking like Lord Redmark, and, more than once, he is attacked, in midtown Manhattan, by these vinyl-winged harpies.
Quantum theory speculates about each physical body having an interrelated body made solely of subatomic particles, a "soul." Such bodiless beings do exist on their own, and they are called plasmagnomes. They are divided into two factions, one of which is ready to declare war on mankind. Man’s computers, cell phones and other electromagnetic generators are causing real problems in the plasma world. Antoinette, a friend of Max’s, does human-looking metal sculptures. More than once, he sees what looks like her sculptures coming to life. Max is taken deep beneath the streets of Manhattan, where he meets people who have turned into various beings. Their true, plasmagnome self has been awakened; Antoinette becomes one of them. To put it simply, reality is being turned upside down and pulled outside out.
John Shirley seems to make a habit of exploring parts of the human psyche that few other writers even wish to visit. In a way, this book is vintage John Shirley; very weird and very, very good.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews