This is a fun sourcebook for people who like to stay as far away from the center as possible. It's the White Pages for alternative cultures that exist right under the snout of mainstream America. You can find everything from wearable computers to World Music CDs to cyberpunk novels to a video full of drive-in movie intermission reels. Covert Culture Sourcebook also covers a variety of 'zines, such as Smart Drug News, Jack Ruby Slippers, and Women & Guns. Every item is reviewed and most include price and address information.
One problem is its shelf life. Unless regularly updated, in just a short while it will no longer serve as a source for new-edge material. As author Richard Kadrey points out in his introduction, "The new media maw gobbles up trends and ideas so fast that what seemed hot at breakfast is just empty jars of Cheez-Whiz by lunch. So where the hell is the edge now?" - Carla Sinclair
Covert Culture Sourcebook, by Richard Kadrey, US$12.95, St. Martin's Press: +1 (212) 674 5151.
STREET CRED
VoyeurOpen the Men's Room Door, HAL
Will the Real Bill Gates Please Stand Up?
Worth Its Weightlessness in Gold
Hooked on Non-linear
