Novelist, screenwriter, songwriter and Bram Stoker Award-winning short story writer John Shirley has made an indelible mark in a wide array of genres, including horror, science fiction, dark fantasy, and is one of the originators of Cyberpunk. In 2021, his first poetry collection, The Voice of the Burning House, expanded his oeuvre into verse. His second collection, Ghost Confessions, continues his foray into poetic lands. Shirley’s poetic concerns are perhaps more wide-ranging than a good deal of the weird poetry in the field. Herein you will find explorations of doom and destruction, love and alienation; dark gnosis and environmental collapse; even Lovecraftian horrors and Halloween. Ghost Confessions is meant to unsettle, to evoke the frisson of the world of shadows—even to provoke fear. Some of his poems offer a chance for elegiac catharsis. And a few are just for fun. Most of these poems have underlying themes: efforts to make sense of life and death, to find meaning in a chaotic universe. Some even reach for metaphysical insight and epiphany. All are worth your time and attention.“One of our best and most singular writers. A powerhouse of ideas and imagery.” —WILLIAM GIBSON, Author of Neuromancer"...one of speculative fiction’s wildest and greatest talents.” —PETER ATKINS, author of Morningstar and screenwriter of Hellraiser 2 and WishmasterPraise for John Shirley's previous collection of poetry, The Voice of the Burning House“John Shirley’s poetry is smooth and powerful. If it doesn’t give you bad dreams, you weren’t paying attention.” —TIM POWERS, Winner of the World Fantasy Award and author of Last Call and On Stranger Tides“John Shirley’s poetry weaves haunting tales with the mesmerizing rhythm of music. Each piece will crawl into your bones, reinforced by the wonderfully startling illustrations of Dan Sauer. There are many ways to burn; I’ll take the fiery light of Shirley’s cosmic visions, with a side of sweet madness.” —LINDA D. ADDISON, award-winning author, HWA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and SFPA Grand Master“The Voice of the Burning House is a beautiful piece of gothic dark art on every level. The poems of cyberpunk legend John Shirley are so lyrical that they cannot be read without hearing raw guitars, pounding drums and smelling a crowded basement full of mohawks and dog collars. These poems protest and explore the universe. Wrapped up with stunning art, this book is a powerful experience, one you will be glad to have on the shelf.” —DAVID AGRANOFF, Author of Punk Rock Ghost Story and Last Night to Kill Nazis“Reading this book, I get the distinct feeling that John Shirley owns a secret and virtually infinite warehouse of potent poetic metaphors to which only he has the key. What’s more, he’s tapped into some heady linguistic hyperrealm that enables him to communicate these metaphors in language that is direct, luminous, powerful, and deceptively simple, with an accessible exterior concealing a rich, deep core. The themes and moods shift from darkness and horror to melancholy and more, but every poem conveys a sense of insight, coalescing into a spark of epiphany. I honestly can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book of modern poetry more than this one.” —MATT CARDIN, author of To Rouse Leviathan and What the Daemon Said“If true evil is a rose that sings, John Shirley’s poems are orchids that sting. Even those unfamiliar with Shirley’s legacy of songs, both from his own many different bands and the lyrics he wrote for Blue Öyster Cult, will find plenty of music in these lines, which lend them accessibility and the frisson of fear he effortlessly conjures.” —SHAUN LAWTON, Editor of the Freezine of Fantasy and Science Fiction Read more
