Gibson

But there's also the facinating papers, observations, interpretations, parallels, and (dare say I'm biased about them) communities who's soul purpose of existance is based around -it-. Within it's pages are contained a world so vividly real it indisputably sets the standard by which all other works of a similar nature are judged. He's the first to use the term 'matrix' in such a context.

Sindome advertises that you can roleplay in a world inspired by people like William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Phillip K. Dick, John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson, CP2020, Shadowrun, Steve Jackson, and everyone else who believes that information should be free.

It changed my standard by which I compare what I read. The images don't burn nearly as bright in Piers Anthony books anymore, and Redwall just didn't make the cut at the tender age of 15 when I first stumbled my way though it. I didn't get half of what was going on, but I read it a second time and that's when it really sank in. Knowing the 'verbage' from the end of the book made reading the begining of the book a lot easier. Since then it's been turned through and throughout many times over, and every time I marvel at the intensity of my own attention as I hang on every razor sharp detail engraving a series of still frame photos in my mind as the scene changes, like a movie that you see a different cut of every time, so the action is not only fresh but vivid and graphic.

It's only fitting that all of his other work is still compared to this day to his first published book. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long.

-Kevlar

(Edited by Kevlar at 10:05 pm on Mar. 18, 2003)

Like the footageheads that devour and consume every frame and still of 'the work' before rendering thier opinion, I have consumed this work called Pattern Recognition and am now ready to toss my opinion on this, our version of the F:F:F.

Don't know what the hell I'm making reference to?

Read the damn book.

Why?

There are many themes that run within Cyberpunk, and it is the volume and mass and proportions of those themes that gives each work it's own unique feel.

This, to me, is why CP is different for each person and each person has thier own version of CP. �It's all in your tastebuds.

First, the cardinal rule (IMHO) of CP is style over substance. �And this work delivers.

This is not to say the book has no substance or poor substance in that the story and plot are lacking, rather, the excellent story and twisting plot is presented in a style that to me is so CP, the style overcomes the substance. �The telling of the story, itself, demonstrates the mantra much better than any flashy character with a BigAss attitude and nothing to back it up, could ever hope to.

This book hits you on an unconscious level. �I deliberately slowed the pace of my reading down to a crawl, simply because I found that I needed time to assimilate whatever unconscious messages were slipped between the lines. �The result, is an almost intuitive knowledge of the world in which the book is set that never before have I felt in any work.

This is, without a doubt, the best single book (not part of a series) I have ever read, period.

Globalism is another one of those themes that CP is founded upon. �Being able to be anywhere, talk to anyone, anywhere at anytime, send and receive data to and from anywhere, at anytime. �The sense that although there are still political and geographic boundries, they are hardly relevant.

Pattern Recognition, set in a world that we know today, with just the barest of changes that unless we live in Tokyo or Russia we would never really know drives globalism just a bit deeper into your soul with each and every cell phone call, and e-mail from board rooms, back alleys, coffeshops or airport terminals around the world. The multitude of characters from other contries only adds to that feel.

Overbearing corporations, the ultra-rich manipulating people, the sense of something happening just beyond your perception, a paranoia necessary to self-survival, a slang so pervasive it almost becomes it's own language ..

Just read the damn book.

Read the book.

Learn from the book.

And use that to make your character the best damn CP there is.

I have about 7 ideas for the next character I have, should Dorotea have her way with my current one.

If Pattern Recognition doesn't inspire you, I don't know what the hell will.

The back cover of course!

WHY oh WHY has no one mentioned that Gibson lives in Vancouver, B.C.? *eyes Iga* C'mon, we have to brag about what we can with C-A-N-A-D-Ayyy, neh?

Well. I grew up in Vancouver, lived there for 7 seven years. The book was copywritten the year before I was born, so that would be....4 years before I moved to Vancouver. And I'm finding it preeety ironic that not only did I not watch TV while I lived there, thus utterly missing out on the fact that the X-Files was being filmed practically on my back porch, but I also could have rubbed shoulders with mister Gibson himself!

Ohhh, cruel world. Why must I see these connections that don't exist?

I swear, I could go on and on about the wierd coincidences that happen to me..or...at least seem to.
Methinks I need a life.

GOLDFISH! *munchmunchmunch*
RAMEN!*munchmunchmunch*
There, life has returned to me. :D

Oh and J-man, I'm on page like...30 of Virtual Light. Will report back soon! Whee.