In the future dying is an art form. Dying artist in the beginning were forced to join the underground if they wished to continue their art. Traveling like ghosts across America. Some died and never came back, but there were those such as Lydia Melmoth, who made dying go beyond an art making it a completely overwhelming experience for her viewers. Years later she is out of a job, out of the art, and living with a 3' professional depressionist, Frankly Adams. Together the two become involved in the Banjos, are organization that shoots those who sell guns or use guns. In that age of one-shot-gun vending machines they are a threat to the American way of life and have become the governments number one enemy. So her brother drops by and propells her back into the underworld and art she had thought she lost. Traveling around she becomes involved in a huge mixed up plot of people, all of which want to use her for their own means. in this book it is literally life or death in some cases and the other times it is mearly art. nercomantic fun for all.

Red Spider White Web by Misha

This is at the top of my list with Snow Crash for the best book I read this summer. Red Spider White Web was a tough read at first. The domination of Japan in the future forces the reader to pay close attention to the use of both slang english and japanese picking up the pieces in between. Once you get past the language you then have to understand that there are four sections to Misha's dark society, Ded Tek, Dogton, The Bell Factory, and Mickey-san. Ded Tek is the waste land outcast refuse of both Mickey-san and Dogton. Dogton holds all the in betweens of Mickey-san, which is like a virtual playground for the elite. The Bell Factory is a prison like assembly line of brainless offenders. Ok, still with me? The artist are mainly outside the of Dogton in Ded Tek livinig like animals in a wasteland. Using everything from holos to shruken heads and a dug up old piano to create their art. In Ded Tek the artists have to fight deadly acid rain, toxic fumes, little food, zombies(yes zombies, read it and you will understand where they came from), a killer attacking all the artists, and homelessness. The main character is Kumo one of the older artsists forced out years before. Her friends, David, Jujube, Motler, Dori, Yugi, and the magnificant Tommy. Follow Kumo as she goes from one tragedy to another and read and learn about the devastating world around her. Excellent read. Great action. Better thought provoking storyline and background. Enjoy! I know I did.

Saturn's Race by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes