Rate this book

Distrust That Particular Flavor (2012)

by William Gibson(Favorite Author)

3.75 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

039915843X (ISBN13: 9780399158438)

languge

English

genre

Science Fiction

publisher

Putnam Adult

review 1: I recently finished Distrust that Particular Flavor by William Gibson. This is a collection of essays, introductions, talks, magazine articles, etc. that Gibson has written or given over the last 20 years. Gibson is probably best known for his 1984 novel, Neuromancer, which launched the cyperpunk genre in science-fiction. Neuromancer was awarded the Nebula, Hugo, and Philip K. Dick Awards. Cyberpunk deals with the near future and involves high tech computers and communication against a background of a crumbling, impersonal society. Due to his novels and background, Gibson is considered an expert in many areas of technology and the Internet.In reading this book, I’d recommend reading an essay or two and then doing something else. The topics range widely although if ... morethere was an overriding theme it would be technology and society’s reaction to it. His introduction is a brief story on how he learned to become a fiction writer.His opening article is essentially about the growth in technology from earlier days with radios up to the Net as seen by a person growing up in that era. He writes in the third person although the reader could easily be forgiven if he/she thought Gibson was actually writing about himself. The next essay is a short autobiography for a website a publisher was setting up for him. Next is a musing about the rock group Steely Dan. Then we have an appreciation of Japanese director, Takeshi Kitano.In a talk before the Book Expo in New York in 2010, Gibson discusses how he has responded to the Future in his novels. This is followed by a brief article on how we perceive time and our strange connection with the past through the use of media (photos and music). This is followed by an article on the development of film, especially digitally. Gibson next tackles a visit to Singapore and his views of the culture and politics. This article, written for Wired magazine, led to the magazine being banned in Singapore. He then tries to write about 9/11 in an article for The Globe and Mall. This is a very short piece that only deals with the tragedy obliquely.There are further articles about Japanese department stores; book reviews; why Japan plays such an important role in many of his novels; his interaction with Ebay and buying timepieces; a trip to Japan; George Orwell’s projected future and the reality; Gibson’s meeting with Skip Spence from Moby Grape; an introduction to Phantom Shanghai, a collection of photographs by Greg Girard; an introduction to Stelarc: The Monograph; television versus the Net; a wonderful autobiographical piece that was supposed to be a new introduction to H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine; will humans eventually have computer chips in their heads?; an imagined film festival of digital video (published in 1999 before the YouTube boom); being involved in the film industry as a writer; and finally, a lecture about cyborgs.I confess that although I found many of these essays interesting and although the book is relatively short, it wasn’t a particularly fast read for me. I’m not sure why. Far and away, my favorite essays/article/talks were the ones that related to his own upbringing and writing process. These I could relate to as I grew up in much the same time frame. Some of the writers and artists he wrote about, I had never heard of, so I couldn’t really relate to them through his words.I think the book is interesting and it certainly gives the reader a view of Gibson beyond that conveyed by his novels. From that point of view, I’d recommend it to fans of Gibson.
review 2: Gibson's non-fiction is less taut than his prose. The compilation itself is also sort of lazily put together; late in the book one piece substantially repeats a previous piece, for instance. As always, though, there are things that are worthwhile. The last essay, "Googling the Cyborg," is a stand out.There are also delightful moments and notes throughout. Gibson has such a tremendous talent for identifying and putting to words cultural moments. He's just better at it in fiction.(Indeed, several of the essays are clearly prep work for Pattern Recognition) less

Download links for: Distrust That Particular Flavor

Advertising