Shadowrun: World of Shadows

Shadowrun Novels #55

by John Helfers (editor), Russell Zimmerman (Contributor)

DARKNESS EVERYWHERE

The Sixth World is a dangerous place, with deadly hazards lurking around every corner. Everywhere shadowrunners go, from the top of the world to the deepest, darkest Sprawl neighborhood, someone’s always looking to make their rep by taking you down.

World of Shadows is the second anthology of original Shadowrun short stories, each one showcasing some of the most far-flung, treacherous locations around the world. From a scientific mission gone wrong in the snowy wilds of Russia to an AR nightclub in Morocco sheltering runners on the lam to a recovering runner drawn into a deadly web of intrigue in the darkest alleys of Hong Kong, these eighteen original short stories explore exotic settings far off the beaten path. Featuring stories by Michael A. Stackpole, Mel Odom, Jean Rabe, Aaron Rosenberg, Phaedra Weldon, Annie Bellet, Chris A. Jackson and many others, find out what happens when shadowrunners have to battle not only with ever-present threat of the corps and Mr. Johnson, but also the dangers of the very land they stand on.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Anthologies, Cyberpunk, Fiction

450 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the first anthology, "Shadowrun: Spells and Chrome" was a fantastic collection of tales that brought the unique world of Shadowrun to life. With that in mind, I was looking forward to this second collection of stories. Sadly, I have to say that it was not as good. While this is a collection that puts its best foot forward by leading with some good tales, the quality soon slips with the middle tales and finally sputters to a conclusion with the final few stories. In brief, I found too many of the included stories to be little more than slightly above average fan fiction, with the rest resembling extracts from forthcoming novellas of middling quality. Overall, this collection, while not terrible, was just a mediocre fizzle for me. Shadowrun fans probably won't regret reading this book, but it won't be a memorable experience.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good collection of short stories...unlike the first anthology there were hardly any weak ones in the bunch. Solid effort from a solid group of writers (I liked that some had down work for Shadowrun before and some were new to me). The themes were well suited and characters were well developed. Hope for another anthology soon.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Facebook goes to welcome distraction during the time of stress and dizziness. It allowed me to escape into the world of Shadow run. Most of the stories are really good and the characters were good quick and likable. I recommend this book for somebody who's got a few hours or just need some pure escapism.

[Matthew Gilliland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much better than the last anthology.

The stories are strong. I really like 8 out of 10 of them and that is a really high percentage in an anthology. The other 2 are still OK.

As a bonus it tells stories from all across the globe and from different perspectives.

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories are weaker than others, but I don't think I've read any anthology where the quality of the stories was so high. Most here are very good to excellent which is a real achievement. Making this a must-read for fans of the cyberpunk / shadowrun genera.

[Filip · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all anthologies, some stories were really good some less so, but all in all I did enjoy this anthology more than I thought I would. It was nice to be transported into the Shadowrun world and this is definitely a place I will be visiting again.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Your typical mixed bag of stories.

[Daniel Cloutier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starke und bunte Sammlung mit Settings in aller Welt.