Or maybe sooner, since these things seem to be fairly fluid. I wonder if Costco, the best source of discounted harcovers I know about, will be carrying it. Oh yeah, the novel is called Pattern Recognition and the page linked to the title has a short description plus an excerpt (from Gibson’s own website). [via Slashdot]
Gibson is a generally amazing author and this book includes, at least in some small way, his reaction to 9/11. He’s most famous for Neuromancer–he coined the term cyberspace in the book, published in 1984 long before that which we currently call the Internet existed–which was his first novel and won all the major awards for which the book was eligible except the Pulitzer. Should have won the Pulitzer too but the judges are doofii. This book, along with the works of Phillip K. Dick, were probably most directly responsible for the cyberpunk movement in science fiction from about 1988 forward.
He also co-wrote a novel called The Difference Engine (with Bruce Sterling) that spawned the steampunk movement; steampunk combined alternate history and cyberpunk into a new strain. A great novel which asked the question how different life would have been if Charles Babbage and Lady Ada had been able to implement their computer plans in the 19th century.
Not to leave out the most American of modern media, Gibson also wrote the short story, and then the screenplay, for Keanu Reeve’s underrated movie Johnny Mnemonic. Most of Reeve’s films are less well appreciated by most people than I would have it, though.
I saw Gibson make an appearance at a local bookstore a few years back. He read a short excerpt from Idoru but the bulk of the session was devoted to Q&A. What I found interesting is that he doesn’t really consider himself a science fiction author but rather an author who happens to use elements of scientific and social speculation to draw out truths of human nature. You’d never know Gibson was an MFA working on his professorship when Neuromancer hit like a sledgehammer. Wink wink.
I expect this will be a novel I give a solid recommended or better rating. Gibson just has… a way with words. A way I surely envy.
BillSaysThis 