Synopses & Reviews
William Gibson is known primarily as a novelist, with his work ranging from his groundbreaking first novel,
Neuromancer, to his more recent contemporary bestsellers
Pattern Recognition, Spook Country, and
Zero History. During those nearly thirty years, though, Gibson has been sought out by widely varying publications for his insights into contemporary culture.
Wired magazine sent him to Singapore to report on one of the world's most buttoned-up states.
The New York Times Magazine asked him to describe what was wrong with the Internet. Rolling Stone published his essay on the ways our lives are all andquot;soundtrackedandquot; by the music and the culture around us. And in a speech at the 2010 Book Expo, he memorably described the interactive relationship between writer and reader.
These essays and articles have never been collected-until now. Some have never appeared in print at all. In addition, Distrust That Particular Flavor includes journalism from small publishers, online sources, and magazines no longer in existence. This volume will be essential reading for any lover of William Gibson's novels. Distrust That Particular Flavor offers readers a privileged view into the mind of a writer whose thinking has shaped not only a generation of writers but our entire culture.
Review
"Gibson pulls off a dazzling trick. Instead of predicting the future, he finds the future all around him, mashed up with the past, and reveals our own domain to us." The New York Times Book Review
Review
"I forget that in addition to being a major novelist (Zero History, Neuromancer, etc.), he's one of the best essayists and critical observers currently operating within our sociocultural sphere. This is his first essay collection, and it's messed up how good it is: raw, weird, honest, smart." Lev Grossman, Time
Review
"Exquisitely written, done to a turn with both insight and that unmistakable prose that is just shy of spectacular....This is a fine and even essential complement to the Gibson canon, and a delight to read." BoingBoing.net
Review
"Though he's often lauded as a big-picture man, these pieces make one thing clear: He's even better with the little details." A.V. Club
Review
"The most startling pieces here crackle with his excitement at discovering some unexpected aspect of the new." The Globe and Mail (Canada)
Review
"A breezy, engaging read." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Review
"Potent...elegant prose." The Seattle Times
Synopsis
Though best known for his fiction, William Gibson is as much in demand for his cutting-edge observations on the world we live in now. Originally printed in publications as varied as Wired, the New York Times, and the Observer, these articles and essays cover thirty years of thoughtful, observant life, and are reported in the wry, humane voice that lovers of Gibson have come to crave.
About the Author
William Gibson is the New York Times bestselling author of Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Burning Chrome, Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrow’s Parties, Pattern Recognition, Spook Country, Zero History, and Distrust that Particular Flavor.