Transmaniacon

John Shirley's Debut Novel!Ben Rackey, Professional Irritant: A man who is assigned to steal the Excitera devicethat can amplify and release strong, hostile human emotions in anyone, anywhere. TheExciter can turn suppressed anger into a full-scale war. With the power to psychicallymanipulate crowds of people, Rackey can demolish The Barrier, an invisible wall ofdensely flowing ions entirely enclosing the continental United States...and escape.BEN RACKEY Foremost Professional irritant, remarkable in acting both as burglar andinciter in the bizarre and pleasure-seeking world of the 22nd century is a fearless, ruthlessman of ingenuity, completely overwhelmed with his own strength. His latest and mostdangerous assignment is to stealTHE EXCITER. A dangerous and fragile device for the augmentation of the telepathictransfer of mania. By seeking out and amplifying strong, hostile human emotions, theexciter can turn a street brawl into a full scale war. As soon as Ben has possession if it hewill have the power to destroyTHE BARRIER. Conceived as the perfect defense against nuclear, biological, andchemical warfare, it was activated in 1989 - an invisible screen of densely flowing ionsentirely enclosing the continental zone labeled The United States. Once the barrier isdemolished Ben can escape.