Corpus Chrome, Inc.

by S. Craig Zahler

Who should be given a second chance at life?

Decades in the future Corpus Chrome, Inc. develops a robotic body, dubbed a “mannequin,” that can revive, sustain and interface with a cryonically-preserved human brain. Like all new technology, it is copyrighted.

Hidden behind lawyers and a chrome facade, the inscrutable organization resurrects a variety of notable minds, pulling the deceased back from oblivion into a world of animated sculpture, foam rubber cars, dissolving waste and strange terrorism. Nobody knows how Corpus Chrome, Inc. determines which individuals should be given a second life, yet myriad people are affected. Among them are Lisanne Breutschen, the composer who invented sequentialism with her twin sister, and Champ Sappline, a garbage man who is entangled in a war between the third, fourth and fifth floors of a New York City apartment building.

In the Spring of 2058, Corpus Chrome, Inc. announces that they will revive Derek W.R. Dulande—a serial rapist and murderer who was executed thirty years ago for his crimes. The public is horrified by the decision, and before long, the company’s right to control the lone revolving door between life and death will be violently challenged…

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fiction

332 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2014

About the author

"S. Craig Zahler is certain to become one of the great imaginers of our time." ― Clive Barker

Novelist and cartoonist S. Craig Zahler is also the screenwriter, director, and musical co-composer for the movies, Bone Tomahawk, Brawl in Cell Block 99, and Dragged Across Concrete. His second graphic novel Organisms from an Ancient Cosmos was released by Dark Horse Comics as an oversized hardback in December 2022. He wrote and illustrated this large-scale sci-fi work.

"What a fantastic read!" ― Patton Oswalt

"I had the best time reading this graphic novel. I never knew where it was going or how." ― Brian Michael Bendis

His debut graphic novel, Forbidden Surgeries of the Hideous Dr. Divinus and his crime book The Slanted Gutter came out in 2021.

Praise for his other books:
"Whether writing westerns, science fiction, or crime, Zahler (Corpus Chrome, Inc., 2013) always manages to bring something new to the genre. [We fell] completely under Zahler’s spell... A bravura literary performance.” —Booklist, Starred Review

"Zahler tells a gripping story." ― Kirkus Review

"Five-plus stars to Hug Chickenpenny. Complex, well-drawn characterizations, compelling imagery and a well-ordered story..." ― Publishers Daily Reviews

"Zahler’s mean streets are bizarrely mean. But Mean Business is often mordantly funny, too—and not to be missed." Booklist, starred review

“CORPUS CHROME, INC describes one of the weirder post-singularity futures. The characters are very much alive. I was entertained throughout.” —Larry Niven, Hugo & Nebula award winning author

"Zahler's a fabulous story teller..." Kurt Russell, star of Escape from New York, Tombstone, and Stargate

My dark western Wraiths of the Broken Land is also available in trade paperback, hardback and ebook editions. Below is some praise from Joe R. Lansdale, Booklist, Jack Ketchum, and Ed Lee:

"If you’re looking for something similar to what you’ve read before, this ain’t it. If you want something comforting and predictable, this damn sure ain’t it. But if you want something with storytelling guts and a weird point of view, an unforgettable voice, then you want what I want, and that is this." –Joe R. Lansdale, author of The Bottoms, Mucho Mojo, and Savage Season

"It would be utterly insufficient to say that WRAITHS is the most diversified and expertly written western I’ve ever read." –Edward Lee, author of The Bighead and Gast.

"[C]ompulsively readable…. Fans of Zahler’s A Congregation of Jackals (2010) will be satisfied; think Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. [C]lever mayhem ... leads to a riveting climax." –Booklist

"WRAITHS always rings true, whether it's visiting the depths of despair, the fury of violence, or the fragile ties that bind us together for good or ill. It's a Western with heart and intelligence, always vivid, with characters you will detest or care about or both, powerfully written." –Jack Ketchum, author of Off Season and The Girl Next Door

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a blast! This rollicking cyberpunk-ish techno-thriller in many ways hearkens back to the new wave sci-fi of the 60's and 70's and brings to mind authors like John Brunner and Philip K. Dick, without feeling derivative. It is a far cry from the ultra violent, gruesome westerns that Zahler is best known for.

The story is composed of a couple of intertwining tales involving a future where resurrection from death has become reality. At least for a lucky few randomly chosen by Corpus Chrome Inc., the corporation that exclusively controls the technology. It paints a picture of a near future that is at times terrifying, thought provoking, wacky and just plain absurd in varying measures. Zahler tackles notions of politics, religion, morality, social activism, terrorism, crime, familial and romantic relationships and more, often by taking ideas to an extreme and radically deconstructing them in ways that are utterly humorous and/or horrifying.

[William M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Corpus Chrome, Inc., author S. Craig Zahler continues to hit the literary ball out of the park. Critically praised for his ultra-violent westerns, A Congregation Of Jackels and Wraiths Of The Broken Land, Zahler tries his hand this time at science fiction and succeeds brilliantly. The story instantly hooked me and never let go. Set in Earth's near future, Corpus Chrome is a skillfully sculpted saga involving the resurrection of humans by transplanting their carefully preserved brains into new re-bodied chromium mannequins to extend life indefinitely. Never overly technical or preachy, this is science fiction at its best.

The author masterfully handles themes of religion, politics, terrorism, and the ethical questions of avoiding death, the afterlife, and its consequences. Zahler's words sing with skill and confidence as his characters burst to life with vivid and sometimes painful realism, using dialogue that fits each persona in an organic, refreshing way. Separate story elements begin to weave together and I found myself in awe of the tightly plotted storytelling. Peppered throughout with humor, action, technological advancements, romance, shocking violence, and unnerving suspense, Corpus Chrome, Inc. truly delivers on every level. Original world building and mythology is rare in today's science fiction, but this novel has accomplished just that and gets my highest recommendation and is currently the best book I've read this year.

[Daniel Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love or hate S. Craig Zahler's work, no one can ever say he's predictable. We are dropped into this strange, but somehow realistic vision of the future, that feels like something straight out of a novel by Philip K. Dick. We are introduced to three different main characters; a handsome garbageman, a music producer who's still grieving over the loss of her sister, and a lawyer with great moral and ethical values (that's how you can tell it's truly a work of fiction :-P). The three are tied together by recent developments at Corpus Chrome, Inc, a company that resurrects the dead and places their consciousness in "mannequins" so they can continue living normal lives. At the behest of a rich, dying woman the company decides to bring her son, a convicted murderer back from the dead. That's when all hell breaks loose.

Were it not for the holidays, I would've finished this book in 3 days. It's thoroughly engrossing and hard to put down. Sometimes thrilling, sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad, it plays with all genres and works to near perfection.

The characters are all written so well, even the supporting characters like the delightfully eccentric RJ the Third, whom the garbageman rents a room from early in the novel. Thank you Mr. Zahler for creating RJ the Third one of the strangest, funniest, but oddly likable characters I've ever come across in literature.

If you like the work of Philip K. Dick, then I believe you'd enjoy Corpus Chrome, Inc. It's an intelligent, strange, and unpredictable ride through the creative mind of one of the best modern novelists today.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters, really innovative view of the future. Zahler's work continues to impress and engage.

[Peter Derk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe sci-fi fans will dig this more than I did. I liked Zahler's western stuff better.

I think sci-fi is a little boring to me because it sort of feels like "Let's get fucking stoned as fuck and just imagine stuff that would make life better and sort of like a big Apple commercial." So you get doors made out of re-healing whatever, gels that act as seatbelts, foamish cars that bump into each other with no problem.

I think you're supposed to be like, "Wouldn't it be awesome if this stuff existed?"

And I'm like...no.

Why would a door, which is semi-permeable and healed after you walk through by nanobots, be better than a regular-ass door? I guess you don't have to actually open it, so if your hands are full, that's a plus. But other than that, it seems like a very complicated solution to a problem we've already solved with a plank of wood and some hinges. Sci-fi often ends up feeling like that story about the U.S. spending tons of money to invent a pen that works in space where Russia used a pencil. Yeah, dummies. Is space pen cooler? Totally. Is it a realistic solution? Hell no.

The book shines more in the spots that are less oriented towards the future and technology. The sort of polite war between different floors in an apartment building was great. The part where a garbageman has to deal with being a garbageman was fun. The overall premise was good too. I just don't get as into sci-fi. I guess flying cars just don't pop me any boners.

[CrowCaller · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tepid and bizarre, Corpus Chrome, Inc., reckons it has something to say (it does not)

☆☆☆☆☆

(0 stars)

A fun fact about me is I don’t feel anger. I lost that back when I was a kid, and it’s perpetually a chillfest here- sometimes I get hyper with a restless need to fix issues, but I’ve never experienced a rage.

Anyways I hated Corpus Chrome, Inc, by S. Craig Zahler, with an inspired passion. This is a quite complex book- a far future world involving radical (and idiotic) changes of technology and culture, weaving three narratives that never touch over several busy months. The horrible writing is exactly what you imagine a too-smug man in a MFA to show off at workshop and refuse critique on, the tone and story adding to the feeling the author believes we live in a society and only he’s figured it out. It’s violent, with gruesome torture acting as a pointless diversion in a story that lacks a climax and by the end barely pretends it had any purpose at all.

Oh, and it’s weirdly racist.

To the degree I spent most of the book assuming the racism was the author trying to be ‘honest’ in some ‘dark satire’ way, or if the racism was maybe set up to a plot point and the character was just written racist. Then I googled the author, most of the way through, and oh. Yeah, he’s actually a successful screenwriter and director who says he’s apolitical but whose last film is a sort of pro-police, racist fantasy starring Mel frigging Gibson. He isn’t exactly rejecting the kind of vile people he’s attracted.

With this in mind I’m reluctant to count this as anything other than a zero stars, do not read. I’m still going to be entirely honest, death of the author and all that- honestly, there’s one or two glimpses in this mess of originality and something that my rating is one star. Sadly then the book loses a star for the racism, bringing us down to zero, so my bad person penalty didn’t actually factor into the scoring.

Alright. Let’s discuss moon squid hell.

...On my blog- the full review is too long to go here! Features a very deep review, with quotes.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good but it petered out in the last 50 or so pages and left it as a weird almost unfinished feeling book.

[Jonathan Ammon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange, provocative, and imperfect cyberpunk sci-fi. Characteristically hyperviolent, but less disturbing than perhaps anything else I have read by Zahler, this weird novel is full of interesting ideas, but never quite finds its way. The social commentary is confusing, making this perhaps Zahler's most provocative book as it's hard to know what ideas to take seriously. Zahler packs his prose with interesting details which is a virture, but one of the interesting details he often uses is bigotry. Including bigoted characters in a dystopian future works well, but when the narration refers to characters as "the jew," "the asian," "the semite," and so on readers will have suspicions. Zahler loves his characters a little too much in this novel, and it ends without enough payoff, but most people will find something absorbing, shocking, provoking, horrifying, interesting, or amusing here.

[Jess ☠️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite Zahler. It took me forever to read this one and so maybe my gut knew what my mind didn't want to believe. There's some incredible world-building and fantastic ideas, there are even some really engaging characters... But it just didn't come together for me. It felt like he wanted this to be a magnum opus of sorts and so it was sprawling in a way that lost a lot of the immediacy and intimacy that I love about his novels. The good news is that this is an earlier work and he is clearly getting better and better with time. Now I'm just hoping he'll switch back to straight novels even if just for a minute.

[Cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool sci-fi world that had an odd balance of sometimes young adult writing but then some of the most horrific things imaginable. Never felt like it dragged and had a nice flow from character to character. The concept alone is enough to make this interesting, and it certainly delivers on that aspect. What if my grandpapa could come back 🥲

Like the three perspectives offered and how their lives are impacted by Corpus Chrome.

Can’t tell if Snapdragon is a cool or lame name.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very strange book.

Basically a series of mundane human stories set within a dystopian world on the cusp of a cataclysmic event. The book sets up an antagonist and a big climax that doesn't ever really arrive, though it is alluded to. Kind of scatterbrained, going from absurdist social commentary to pitch-black body horror to romantic melodrama. It's a little bit of everything and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it on the whole. There's certainly a lot more that I like about it than I dislike but the sum of the book's parts doesn't add up to anything that interesting or profound.

[Randy French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked it! A real mix of everything...with some lines that made me laugh as well...I will have to look for other books by the author

[Sam Gor · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've read a book synopsis that is actually pretty far from the actual contents of the book.

To save you some time, this book is literally just about how lives are affected with the powers that Corpus Chrome, Inc has and that is that this company can resurrect people. The story does go over the resurrection of a serial rapist and murderer but it not the crux of the story.

I really enjoyed this book because despite the sci-fi elements, it still went into the details of the lives of our characters. The day to day stuff I find is lacking in a lot of my sci-fi readings. Really hope i can pick up more sci-fi books that are more laid back and not MUST SAVE THE WORLD types of narratives.

Each storyline were pretty different from each and were entertaining to read. Granted, I was confused as to where the book was going because it just seemed so different from the synopsis . I was interested in the synopsis but I'm glad the book isn't what it is about. The actual story goes beyond.

We have a composer who deals with finding new love after her twin dies, a garbage man who's simply trying to live, and a lawyer who does not agree to the whole lack of transparency with resurrecting people. And even throughout, there are chapters told through the eyes of the side characters in those stories. It was seamless and never missed a beat.
This largely is because the mundane actions of the day are also told so when side characters are put in the forefront it seems like an extension of that.

This is a pretty far departure from what Zahler previous wrote which were 2 westerns. I was curious as to how he was gonna fare in this change of genre but he did exceptional. I continue to look forward to his works.

[Frank Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This flopped a bit for me. Mostly I found the delivery annoying and I didn't like many of the characters. The premise was good but the writing wavered and the plot didn't grab me.

I don't think we were supposed to like most of the characters, that might have been the point really. Perhaps something about how memories of people are sometimes better than the people remembered.

I found each of the scenarios a bit clichèd and consequently was hoping for something dramatically unexpected to occur but was left wanting. The individual stories work well to craft the cautionary "careful-what-you-wish-for" tale, which I was able to appreciate.

I think my greatest disappointment was in the writing, which had some great elements but drove me batty overall. For example, I really liked the often witty way that Zahler described things and the conversational tones were natural and realistic. But then some of those witty observations became overused labels for things and people. I got tired of Lisanne being referred to as 'The Petite Blonde' pretty quickly, for the most obvious example.

I also found great lumps of the plot frustrating. I didn't enjoy reading the very large portion of a holographic film that we were subjected to somewhere near the middle of the book.

I wanted to finish on a gooder note because it wasn't all bad but I've run out of useful observations so I'll just re-establish that the premise is good. Maybe give it a try. I've been a bit of a grumpy reader lately so it's probably a heap better than I've given it credit for.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it doesn't have brutal violence or a girl missing a leg, it's not a Zahler! (tm)
Zahler's future is pretty zany. Rubber cars bounce off one another as they jostle for position on the streets, migraine pens replace guns as debilitating weapons, brains are being put into "mannequins" to give a chance at a second life, and not a drone to be found in the sky. But there are "hopping" cars.
Essentially, there is a lot to unpack in this novel crammed to the brim of "what-ifs" conceived while passing around a bong.
The characterizations are still razor sharp in Zahler's style. A few pertinent details are given when introduced to a character then from there are referenced as "the tall woman", "the garbageman", "the petite blonde" and this makes Zahler's work a very visual one, which is unsurprising considering he is also a fairly talented director. This also makes for a very fast read as Zahler doesn't waste words on the inner working of the mind. Instead, what other authors would spend a paragraph describing, Zahler nails it in one glib sentence. Plus, there are arcs to these people, even if they get a bit trope heavy. The dialogue is of course varied from slang that doesn't quite hit right ("Kick the stars!"), to the usual theatrically obtuse that is a must include in any Zahler work.
I think you'll notice I've used Zahler's name quite a lot because his writing has become idosyncratic, which for me is a plus, but may turn others off.
Pretty great stuff

[Kay Vanantwerpen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's like if Kurt Vonnegut had a penchant for hyperviolence (sparing hyperviolence, though -- there are some gruesome and heartbreaking moments, but they happen in limited frequency). I make the Vonnegut comparison as a compliment and a criticism, 'cause while the mimicry is done well -- it does at moments feel like mimicry. It's a small complaint though for what is mostly a masterfully crafted book.

This book is filled with well-fleshed characters you'll feel intimately attached to by the end of the book, and their are some adorable and heartwarming queer and interacial relationships. However Zahler does seem a little preoccupied with race at some moments, and his treatment of a particular Jewish character (who starts the book as a hero but becomes something of an accidental, maybe purposeful villain by the end) makes me a little nervous.

There's nothing overtly racist or anti-semetic here, and I'd reccomend this book highly. But Zahler IS gaining traction with an alt-right audience, and has lately hidden behind the shield of "I write fucked up characters, none of them are supposed to be perfect." For the moment I believe that, but there are moments here and there that make me question its authenticity and if he were a less gifted storyteller, I might be quicker to step away from his work.

But he's just so damn good.

[Gavin McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corpus Chrome Incorporated begins feeling a bit disparate as the various characters are introduced and developed in their separate chapters and there are quite a few different strands to follow. However, somewhere along the way, and without knowing that it is happening, Zahler has fleshed out these characters and you find yourself immersed in their chapters and their plight.
Again, Zahler has a wonderful tone and style to his writing, but having come off the back of reading Wraiths of the Broken Land, Corpus Chrome Inc is just not quite as focused a story or as intense but it is, in its own way, a completely engaging story and an incredibly rich world that he has created.
Without a doubt the best chapter I've read in a long while is nestled within the pages of this book. Detailing a terrorist/hostage situation. If you have read this book, you'll know which chapter I'm talking about (and having just found out that there is a plan to make a film out of that chapter's story, I can honestly say that I'm excited to see what happens).
Zahler's turn at Sci-Fi is a definite winner for me. Touching on religion, spirituality, ethics, sexuality, and familial bonds, Corpus Chrome Inc doesn't hold back but also throws in some absurdity alongside the harshness.
Really enjoyable read from first page to last.

[Brendan Kraus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well it had to happen one day. Something written by Craig Zahler that doesn’t work for me.

Corpus Chrome has some GREAT ideas. A world where the technology to raise the dead and bring them back. There isn’t really a through plot in the book. We are instead following multiple characters and seeing how they live in this world where your loved one can potentially come back.

A cool premise plus a zany sci-fi world created by Craig Zahler. This should be better. VERY PKD feeling in how a lot of things are written. I think that the exploration of everything in theory is cool but the execution is off. Too often do the stories drag on. I question why Snapdragon and Autumn are even characters in this besides telling us some history. We see a lot of the trademark Zahler violence which for me contradicts how all of these stories end. All sunshine and rainbows. Again execution, the stories drag for so long but then are wrapped up so fast with no buildup.
Could have been better.
2.5/5

[Red · Rating 1 out of 5]

When you die, your body turns into a squid. You're a squid now, not a kid now! Do crime, when you die, you become a squid and if you're a crime squid you don't go to squid heaven. Also people can resurrect you against your consent and your robot meat body can be puppeted by an AI. No thanks.

Don't worry, everyone explodes into robot blood and guts when the evil AI is defeated, even the good people.

Also if you kill anyone, even accidentally, you don't go to squid heaven. Sure glad animals don't factor into this, it's only human lives that matter.

Very racist, very homophobic, and iirc a little fatphobic, very... It's a mess. I don't need to explain this.

I wasn't comfortable with homosexuality being compared to incest, or with the "fake bisexual" plot point. It really was stupid. Also this book drops slurs a lot, literally just says "dyke" a bunch for no reason other than Craig is clearly a fucking nasty man.

0.5 stars.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an overall excellent work of science fiction, taking place in a fascinating and totally loony vision of the future populated by a diverse cast of memorable characters. The eponymous corporation and it's technology used to resurrect dead by implanting cryogenically frozen brains into robotic "mannequin" bodies is the through line that ties all of the plot threads together, and provides an interesting moral dilemma as well. It all comes together quite nicely, if unconventionally, in the end as well. Definitely recommended.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Zahler's film work, but I had never read any of his novels. This was not at all what I expected based on his movies or the direction the first few chapters of this seemed to be headed in. Once I locked into the type of story that was actually unfolding here, it was a nice surprise. This has some incredibly unique world building and really well-drawn characters. There are moments in this that are going to stick with me for quite a while.

[Gavin Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was hard work . Took ages to read it.
First off, Zahler's two western novel are excellent . Seek them out, read them. They are so good I persevered with this thinking it must come together at some point but it doesn't. It feels like a writing experiment that just doesn't work. Jumps about between unrelated stories/characters that you think will come together at some point and create, maybe a plot. No. Just too fragmented to get into.

[Adam Hulse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first quarter of this but was thinking it didn't compare to the author's crime and Western books. However, by the end of Corpus Chrome Inc, I was totally besotted with both the story and the characters. Some of the concepts within this science fiction story are completely unique to the genre and are highly entertaining. A fantastically clever interwoven narrative that pulls on your emotions. Great stuff!

[Ben Brackett · Rating 4 out of 5]

So it's very different from his other novels and reads like a weird mix of the golden age 50s/60s style sci-fi and yet still had a somewhat modern feel. It took me a bit to get into but came together by the end, I would probably recommend his other books over this one to read first but I still enjoyed it.

[Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zahler’s most profound out of what I’ve read (this, Wraiths, and A Congregation) of his and also including his movies. It’s strange and borderline experimental at times, but it’s always interesting. Very beautiful and very dark, as is the world and life it ruminates upon. I think I’ll be returning to this more than the others I’ve read of his.

[Nicholas Prior · Rating 3 out of 5]

Corpus Chrome Inc. - S. Craig Zahler

A company has a way to revive frozen brains in chromium mannequins.
A character study on 3 individuals and the way this practice affects their lives.
He builds a fantastic world, however it kind of felt pointless.

6/10
#NicksMiniReview
https://t.co/1oMyN9gVuD

[Mario Villanueva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good shit

Highly recommended. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah saga Aida's sadfgas

[Mirjam Celie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great piece of very entertaining sci-fi! Very visual in its descriptions: like a movie-script. And very funny and creative in describing completely new futuristic concepts... Highly recommended!

[Stephen J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another completely original one day to be classic. Pick up any book or piece of creative by Craig Zahler and prepare to be impressed. One of the few authors whose work I anxiously wait on…

[Matrix_cat · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not going to read any more Zahler books.