Foreshadows: The Ghosts of Zero

by Jeff LaSala (editor/co-Author), John LaSala (Editor/contributor), C.S. Friedman (Contributor)

Book comes bundled with soundtrack CD (MP3s in e-book version) and includes downloadable bonus content. Official site: www.forehadows.net

"Foreshadows: The Ghosts of Zero" is a unique 19-story anthology of dark science fiction paired with a 19-track album of original soundtrack songs and instrumentals. In the dystopia of "Foreshadows," multinational corporations vie for power on the world stage, individuals take extreme measures to find answers, and a mysterious creature called the Geist lurks between both groups, pursuing an unknown mission.

Contents:

• Foreword by C.S. Friedman
• Prologue: "The Ghosts of Zero" by the Digital Alchemist
• "Geist Anthropic 1:4" by Jeff LaSala, John LaSala, and Jeremy L.C. Jones; music by Michelangelo and Dylan Leeds
• "Too Much is Never Enough" by Don Bassingthwaite; music by Bilian
• "Cenotaph, or We've Been Reduced to Lo-Fi" by Mike Ferguson; music by Alternate Modes of Underwater Consciousness and Colin Garvey
• "Graveduggery" by Brian W. Matthews and Jeff LaSala; music by Michelangelo
• "Love Simulacra" by Joe Rixman; music by Bilian
• "Cold as the Gun" by Robert J. Randisi; music by Joshua Wentz
• "...And Weave the Spider's Web" by Keith Baker; music by Joshua Wentz
• "Geist Threnodic 2:4" by Jeff LaSala and John LaSala; music by Dylan Leeds and Ali Kilpatrick
• "Best Served Flash-Frozen" by Ed Greenwood; music by Michelangelo
• "Geist Eidetic 3:4" by Jeff LaSala and John LaSala; music by Dylan Leeds
• "All the Good Things You Are" by Robert Velarde; music by Bilian
• "Twenty-One-Oh" by Ari Marmell; music by Michelangelo
• "Made in Brazil | Living in Japan" by Jaleigh Johnson; music by Gene Pritsker and Bilian
• "Crossed Swords" by Ken Hart; music by Michelangelo
• "Geist Intrinsic 4:4" by Jeff LaSala and John LaSala; music by Dylan Leeds
• "Anodyne Fading: The Wolf Without" by Christopher Dinkins; music by Thee Crumb
• "Lament" by Brian W. Matthews; music by another cultural landslide
• "Deep in the Deep: Reaction-Diffusion Dies Tonight" by Rosemary Jones; music by Jeremy Simmons
• "Unto the Interface" by Ruth Lampi and Jessica Van Oort; music by Ali Kilpatrick
• [Physical book+CD only]: Unique code for downloading entire soundtrack (songs and instrumentals) as single-edit MP3s, additional extended edits, and other bonus materials.

Genres: Science Fiction, Cyberpunk

389 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 21, 2012

Reviews

[Philip Athans · Rating 5 out of 5]

FORESHADOWS: The Ghosts of Zero is a monumental achievement—a collection of fiction and music that succeeds on every level, from concept to execution. Listening to the accompanying CD while reading the stories makes for a wild ride, with both media supporting the other in fresh and exciting ways. This isn’t just a book, but an experience that must not be missed.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went in cold on this, and made the mistake of thinking the stories in this anthology would only be loosely connected, set in the same universe but with no overarching narrative, with the result that I got distracted from reading it straight through and, after a few months away, only vaguely remembered crucial earlier stories when I finally read the second half over the past week. Though there is a fair amount of seemingly fragmented world-building at the beginning, it was a joyous discovery to see the stories coalesce into a compelling and unified story told from multiple angles by different authors, with first-rate writing across the board.

The music is a great collection of alternately cyberpunk-tinged and cinematic electronic music, veering from dark industrial rock to unsettling ambient pieces - each one a fitting companion / inspiration to its linked story. Plus, the CD makes for an ideal accompaniment to driving through the city at half past midnight.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

While some say that cyberpunk is a dead genre, the authors and artists behind Foreshadows: the Ghosts of Zero would disagree having gathered 19 stories of a cyberpunk future, each with its own musical track and illustration. The world portrayed in the stories is not a happy one, dominated by mega-corporations, scarred by war and economic upheavals and racked by future shock. Overall, the authors do a good job building ties to the background and including threads from other stories so that you can see that they all take place in the same world.

As with any anthology, it is a mixture of styles and voices many of which are from the gaming fiction side of things (Keith Baker, Ed Greenwood, Ari Marmel) and all of whom seem comfortable writing the broad cyberpunk genre. As mentioned, each story is illustrated (ably by Talon Dunning) and given its own musical score which adds an interesting framework to the stories. I found Foreshadows a very good read with an interesting blend of voices and viewpoints, though there were a couple of stories that failed to really come together, I would certainly read more set in this world. If you read the cyberpunk genre, you should enjoy this collection.

Part of the purchase price of Foreshadows goes to aid the Hunger Project.

Disclosure: The Very Us Artists provide me with a review copy of Foreshadows after meeting with them at GenCon.

[Nanci · Rating 5 out of 5]

BUY THIS BOOK! Seriously -- "Foreshadows" is chock full of well-written stories by a variety of authors whose names need to be better known by readers everywhere, and includes a CD of excellent music which perfectly fits each tale. While the stories are all set in the same cyberpunk universe, each author's own unique voice immediately embraces you and hurls you into a fully-realized world with believable characters that you care about, and want to know more about. There's something for everyone here: mystery, monsters, suspense, love, tech, philosophy, action. The best short stories manage to tell a complete tale in a compelling way while leaving the reader wanting more, and every part of this anthology (stories and CD) fits that description. I hope the Very Us Artists continue to create great art, and I look forward to experiencing more of their inspired creations!

[Chrisrumore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up the physical form of the book soon after its initial release, and have read it twice so far. The stories ranged from 'very good' to 'fantastic', and the "geist" story arc was AWESOME! Some of the music was hauntingly beautiful, some was rather 'catchy' - definitely 'earworm potential'. The Digital Alchemist's quest was enjoyable to follow, and the ending was quite satisfying. Many of the stories were short "situational snippets" which left you hungering for more - I'm glad they have been continuing to add new snippets online (the "webshadows") These talented folks did a great job at providing slices of a world one wishes to explore further. I do, at least... Too much is NEVER enough!

[Jesse Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most amazing novels I've read in a LONG time. I picked it up in August 2012 and read it as soon as I had the time. I literally never put it down. It's jam packed with suspense, action, drama, horror, and some comedy thrown in as well (depending on your sense of humor). I honestly can say that if you EVER have the time to pick this up, DO IT! You will not be wasting any money on this novel. The music is SUPERB and blends perfectly with each chapter. It's just jaw-droppingly beautiful. I will be reading this novel for years to come. I cannot wait to see more from The Very Us Artists, I will be keeping my eyes peeled for anything from them. Again, do not be afraid to spend the money on this book, it's worth more than the price on the cover, a lot more.

[Daniel Wible · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original cyberpunk(y) fiction accompanied by an original electronic soundtrack? This was a no-brainer for me. An intriguing concept executed with techno-savvy flair and (mostly) superb writing, Foreshadows - The Ghosts of Zero does not disappoint. As a reader who prefers novels to short stories, I was a bit skeptical of this project in the beginning. But at the same time, I was hooked by the rather unique pairing of short stories of the dystopian-futuristic kind with original songs written specifically for each one. All of the stories take place in the same future, where huge corporations rule the world and governments are a joke... so not that far-fetched after all. Many of the stories work very well, while others are somewhat forgettable. Several of the stories are directly linked, such as the Geist ones, and this reader enjoyed the continuity they provided.

Do the stories work without the music? Absolutely. In fact, I rarely listened to the soundtrack at all while reading through them. (Old-school EBM like Front Line Assembly or Front 242 work just as well as soundtracks, as do newer works by bands like Featureless Ghost or Thyx) Will you be listening to the songs afterward, removed from the stories? Some songs, yes, especially those by Bilian. Others, not so much. All in all, this was a fantastic concept and I highly recommend it for anyone with any interest in this type of thing.

[Thedigitalalchemist · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was AWESOME!!!