Frontera

praise for frontera

“Lewis Shiner’s Frontera is an extraordinarily accomplished first novel...his pacing is brisk, his scientific extrapolation well-informed and plausible, and his characterization nothing short of outstanding...This is ‘realism’ of a sort seldom found in either commercial or literary fiction; to find it in a first novel makes one eager for more.”

—Roland J. Green, ChicagoSun-Times

“Frontera is hard-edged and colorful and relentless, and altogether a compelling read. Shiner paints his picture of the day after tomorrow with a gritty realism that makes you believe every minute of it.”

—George R.R. Martin, author of A Game of Thrones

“Well written...inspired...a breezy, terrific read.” —Heavy Metal

“Frontera is a heroic saga (literally) in which Promethius’ inspiration is a kaleidoscopic mix of his own desires and the subliminal whisperings of a microchip implanted in his brain.The ‘fire’ is a teleportation device developed by an abandoned Mars colony.The gods are represented by a multinational corporation and the Soviets...But Frontera is much more than this standard sf plot. It’s a well-written telling of the conflicts of intelligent humans.”

—Lili Dwight, Forced Exposure

“One of the genre’s more arresting books.” —Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone “Strong plotting in the political thriller vein is the hallmark of Lewis Shiner’s Frontera...Shiner wraps the story in a compelling package...its raw energy holds your interest and keeps you turning the pages.”

—Frank Catalano, Amazing

“A well-written first novel in the action-adventure vein, principally set in a lost colony on Mars. Frontera rises to literary art, first because several viewpoint characters are rendered with skill and sensitivity as complex people, and second because Kane, the central combat-capable figure, is a poor bastard who’s had his head screwed with in various unpleasant ways, so that he is both hero and victim, doing his deeds of derring-do as best he can with a headful of broken glass.”

—Norman Spinrad, Science Fiction in the Real World

“Combine[s] classic hard-sf structure with a harrowing portrait of postindustrial society in the early twenty-first century.”

—Bruce Sterling, Mirrorshades

Finalist for the Nebula Award (Science Fiction Writers of America)

Finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award (Best paperback original sf novel)