Rick Kleffel of the Agony Column has just posted his review of Joel Shepherd’s upcoming novel Crossover. He praises Joel for his:
“…immersive writing style. That and his ability to integrate rip-roaring noir plots with perceptive character development that spins off some interesting thought-experiments about how technology will make our lives bigger but not necessarily better. Shepherd also has a rather droll sense of humor. He pumps up his borderline clichés to make them snicker at themselves. The reader gets to join in. “
Rick goes on to compare Crossover, and the two books in the Cassandra Kresnov series which will follow it, to two other trilogies about “cyberpunkette heroines,” Elizabeth Bear’s Hammered, Scardown, and WorldWire, and Marianne de Pierres’ Nylon Angel, Code Noir, and Crash Deluxe.
My thoughts exactly. In fact, Marianne de Pierres just called Cassandra a “compelling addition to the world of Science Fiction’s Fatal Femmes.” Recall too that Publishers Weekly said, “Shepherd’s intriguing heroine and strong female characters bode well for this projected series. … Shepherd grapples with some genuinely thought-provoking questions on the nature of humanity.” Which is what I like about Joel’s work, as he marries the smart idea to the exciting action as well as anyone I’ve ever seen and better than most.