This splendid book is the story of a hero with the unlikely name of Zero who, with three friends, is kidnapped by aliens called the Meta and left to fend for himself on a bizarre planet called Fool's Hope. There are other humans there already, also kidnapped by the Meta — but there are also thirty alien races to compete against, not only for survival, but for the bonus waiting for whomever can get to the fabled Project Station first.

Since Zero is the main character, it's not surprising that he is the leader of the group of humans and aliens who finally succeed in reaching the Project Station, but there is more to the story than just that quest. There is also the matter of the renegade humans, the Twists, led by the fanatic social darwinist named Fiske, who are raising hell while Zero's group is gone. And raise hell they can because when they became Twisted they gained wild almost supernatural powers that enable them to kill some of Zero's allies and take over the remaining human colony.

John Shirley is a masterful writer with a bizarre imagination and a unique style that makes A Splendid Chaos gripping writing and difficult to leave alone. Moreover, Zero's struggle is a fine libertarian saga as well, for he and his friends are struggling against both the dictatorial Fiske and the remote Meta for their freedom as well as their survival — and they do it with dignity and style.

If A Splendid Chaos doesn't win the Prometheus award this year it may be because Shirley's other 1988 novel edged it out; I haven't had a chance to read it at this point, but Eclipse: Penumbra, volume two of Shirley's A Song Called Youth cyber-punk trilogy, looks very promising. Advisory members should look into it — right after they read this Splendid Chaos.