The Forever Drug

Shadowrun Novels #37

by Lisa Smedman

A shapeshifter and freelance agent for the Lone Star police department, Romulus risks his life to save a beautiful amnesiac woman from ruthless drug dealers who are peddling the ultimate high--a magical creature that gives its victims an extraordinary feeling of euphoria before it destroys them.

Genres: Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

About the author

Lisa was very much the tomboy growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia--playing in the woods behind her house, building tree forts, damming the creek, playing army with GI Joe dolls, swinging on ropes, playing flashlight tag, building models and go-carts (which she later rode down the street). She also liked reading science fiction novels from the 1940s, the Doc Savage series, and the Harriet the Spy books.

In 1984, she began her professional writing career, first as a journalist then as a fiction writer. She counts science fiction authors Connie Willis, Robert J. Sawyer, and H.G. Wells, and classic books such as Treasure Island, as influences.

Several of Lisa's short science fiction and fantasy stories have been published in various magazines and anthologies, and in 1993 she was named a finalist in the Writers of the Future contest for science fiction and fantasy writers. She has also had three of her one-act plays produced by a Vancouver theater group.

Lisa is the author of Extinction, one of several novels set in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game’s Forgotten Realms universe. Released in 2004, Extinction made the New York Times bestseller list for hardcover fiction.

After authoring several science fiction and fantasy novels, Lisa recently turned her hand to children's books. From Boneshakers to Choppers (2007) explores the social history of motorcycles. Her interest in motorcycles goes way back--as a teenager, Lisa enjoyed trips up the British Columbia coast, riding pillion on friends' motorcycles. She later purchased her own bike, a 50cc machine, to get around town.

Lisa is one of the founders of Adventures Unlimited, a magazine providing scenarios and tips for role-playing games. She has written short fiction for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game's Ravenloft and Dark Sun lines. She has also designed a number of adventures and gaming products for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Cyberpunk, Immortal, Shatterzone, Millennium's End, and Deadlands. Her original games include Valhalla's Gate, a tabletop skirmish miniatures game drawn from Norse mythology and runic lore. An avid gamer, Lisa belongs to the Trumpeter Wargaming Club.

After working for more than 20 years as a journalist, Lisa now divides her time between writing fiction and contributing to the Vancouver Courier (she edits and writes the History's Lens column). Besides a diploma in journalism, she also has a degree in anthropology. She is fascinated by history and archaeology, particularly the Bronze Age. Her future plans include writing more historical fiction, alternative historical fantasy, and game tie-in novels. Lisa is also interested in building models and dioramas, and tabletop miniatures gaming.

She lives in Richmond, British Columbia, with her wife, their son, four cats, and two pugs.

Reviews

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Habt ihr auch schon Pen&Paper-Rollenspiele gespielt? Weil Shadowrun bei mir das System war, das ich am längsten gespielt habe, greife ich immer mal wieder zu den Büchern, wenn ich sie in Tauschschränken, auf Flohmärkten oder sonstwo günstig finde. Dabei merkt man dann auch immer, dass die Serie von sehr unterschiedlichen Autoren geschrieben wurde. Manche besser, manche schlechter.
Das hier fand ich noch eins von den besseren, auch wenn es immer wieder Nebensätze gab, die ich eher weird fand.
Worum geht es?
Romulus ist ein Wolfsgestaltwandler, der für Lone Star Jagd auf paranormale Tiere macht und dabei auf einen Schmugglerring stößt, der eine neue Droge vertreibt, die oft genug tödliche Folgen hat. Bei einem Einsatz trifft er auf Jane, die scheinbar ihr Gedächtnis verloren hat, die ihn aber auch auf die Spur der Drahtzieher hinter dem Schmugglerring bringt.
Wie bereits erwähnt, fand ich die Geschichte ganz unterhaltsam und hätte mit einigen Wendungen so nicht gerechnet. Deshalb vergebe ich insgesamt 3,5 ⭐.

[E J · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. It's a damn good read, unexpected page turner. There are allegorical parallels to native rights, imperialism and of course, corporate greed (because what other driving emotion are megacorps going to have). I've next to no idea why this installation was graded by other readers so relatively mediocre. I thought it was sensitively written. The story was moving, exciting, touching and above all fun. Read the fucking book, you losers and stop being impressed by the superficial aspects of SR, what with the cyberpunk fashion, flashy hardware and bullshit.

[Christine Ku · Rating 2 out of 5]

Still a good fast-paced adventure in the Shadowrun setting. I’m not quite sure about my feelings about this novel though. I thought I might get a cliffhanger feeling from the novel but that’s not what I felt. Then again, maybe that is an academic concern (side effect of my job and how my mind works).

[Kenny Ketner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story with unexpected twists. Demonstrates a deep understanding of the Shadowrun universe.

[Manuel Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

good one

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

A sort of good book. I didn't like how Lisa used Romulus's sense of smell as a shapeshifting wolf to track everyone down.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good; nice to read something from a shifter's perspective. The larger plot he was drawn into was interesting, as was the conclusion of his part in it.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending was highly unexpected. Loved it!