For the Cocoa Brovaz song, see The Rude Awakening.
The fifteenth volume (dubbed "Book III of a New Cycle") in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series edited by George R. R. Martin. Published in 1995, it is the final book in the "Card Sharks" cycle, with the completion of the Black Trump virus (fatal to anyone with the Wild Card infection) and its release in the world. Unlike the two previous books, Black Trump was a mosaic novel, much like Jokers Wild and Ace in the Hole.
Black Trump features the following characters as the main focus of the various storylines:
| Character | Author(s) | Plot |
|---|---|---|
| Gregg Hartmann | Stephen Leigh | An ace turned joker, Gregg struggles between being a hero and a villain. |
| Jay Ackroyd | George R. R. Martin | With his partner Jerry "Mr. Nobody" Strauss, conducts a personal investigation on the Card Shark matter. |
| Billy "Carnifex" Ray | John J. Miller | Is hired by the president himself to find a criminal presumed dead. |
| Zoe Harris | Sage Walker | Teams up with Croyd Crenson to obtain the means of negotiation for the Wild Cards. |
| Captain Trips | Victor Milán | Is coerced by the Sharks in finishing and replicating the Black Trump virus, and ends up meeting a dear old "friend". |
| Preceded by Marked Cards |
Black Trump 1995 |
Succeeded by Deuces Down |