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A decidedly low-tech pre-cyberpunk novel, City Come A-Walkin’ by John Shirley (The Crow screenplay, the Bram Stoker Award-winning short fiction collection Black Butterflies, as well as musical credits with Blue Öyster Cult (!), among many other credits) is most definitely a precursor to all the novels in that genre to follow.

The novel follows Stu Cole, the owner of a struggling nightclub called Club Anesthesia, and his punk-rock somewhat love interest, Catz Wailin’, as they fend off pressure from the mob. However, tonight they aren’t going it alone, as a mysterious man who is the embodiment of the city of San Francisco appears to them. He needs their help to rid himself of a cancer at his core. The corrupt government is working hand-in-hand with the mob to implement a new technology to control all financial transactions, which they can abuse to force anyone they want under their thumb by cutting them off from their money.

It might not seem like a groundbreaking title today, but less than half of American households had a credit card when this novel was first published. In the pre-internet era when City Come A-Walikin’ was released, this idea was probably a frightening notion. As an added bonus, Shirley predicts email, videophones, remote work, and a handful of other notions that help keep this novel feeling modern, keeping it from going down the path of other much-maligned 80s novels such as Tek-War.

The idea of The City, as he calls it, coming alive could come off as schlocky, and if I’m honest, it sometimes does, but Shirley’s deft writing keeps the idea lucid and enigmatic. For much of the novel, I was trying to figure out whether The City was a figment of Cole’s imagination or if someone might be playing a cruel trick on him, using him for their own goals. Catz has a psychic connection she can use from time to time, so it wouldn’t be far-fetched to believe it’s all a ruse.

However, none of that would explain the sheer power and gravitas The City has among the people. From the beginning, Cole and Catz are both drawn to him and find they can’t say no to his demands. He’s almost portrayed as a Christ-like figure when he goes to a brothel to free prostitutes from their bondage. It isn’t until the story nears its end that all other potentials are shed, and we are left with the fact that this is indeed a manifestation of San Francisco, and he’s here for a singular deadly purpose.

At a little over 200 pages, City Comes A-Walkin’ is a quick read for anyone who loves the cyberpunk genre, and this definitely fits that bill. It may not be as tech-heavy as the novels it inspires, but the core ideals, message, and setting are there. It may not stick the landing completely, but it rightfully earns its place in the annals of this pre-cyberpunk era.

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