View from the Shadows

Behind the scenes of my new Ryan Mercury story

I borrowed heavily from Blade Runner for my new Shadowrun novella, “Burns Twice as Bright” (featured in Shadowrun: Through the Decades). Astute readers will find a number of references, both obvious and subtle. There are so many great lines in the script by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. So many!

Shadowrun Again?

It’s been 25 years since I wrote anything set in the Shadowrun universe. I’d made my mark with five (5!) novels (one in collaboration), and was happy to let the younger and more enthusiastic cadre of writers move thing along. But… but I’ve always loved the Shadowrun universe and its unabashed blend of magic and technology. So, when Jennifer Brozek and John Helfers asked for a new story, I got excited about it… especially because I could tell a tale about the origin of my most well-known character.

Ryan Mercury

Famous or infamous? For the epic trilogy — The Dragon Heart Saga — I needed a main character that was ultra-capable, iconic, and larger-than-life. The events surrounding the assassination of the great dragon Dunkelzahn were on such a scale that the protagonist had to be resourceful, high-powered, and plain badass.

So I invented Ryan Mercury — special agent, prime runner, and Dunkelzahn’s most accomplished (and previously unknown) trusted asset. In Stranger Souls, Ryan is already at that level… he had to be because of the level of the antagonists.

Reader reaction was mixed. A lot of them enjoyed an expansive, world-changing story and characters. But Shadowrun had mostly focused on the street-level runners, working in the gray spaces between monolithic corporations and governments. Ryan wasn’t street level. A significant (and understandable) response from fans was that he was a Gary Stu — a perfect, too good, wish-fullfillment stand in for the author. They had a point; Ryan wasn’t perfect, but he was a far cry from a flawed, shades-of-gray shadowrunner.

Burns Twice as Bright

In my new story, I was happy for the chance to tell some of Ryan’s backstory before the critical, world events of the Dragon Heart Saga. I got to show his imperfections, his mistakes, and (most importantly) his relationship with someone who helped shape him into who he becomes later. I loved it.

At the same time, I got to show how Ryan was involved behind the scenes in some of the events prior to Dunkelzahn’s death. Cameos include Maria Mercurial, Henequen, the Universal Brotherhood, Nadja Daviar, and of course “Mr. D.” himself.

Pick up a copy and let me know your thoughts.