Helpful Score: 3
a collection of early short stories by the cyberpunk fore-father william gibson. neat stuff. in burning chrome we can see the initial published characters some of which appear in gibsons later works. i recomend this author to those who enjoy action set in a blade runner meets star wars meets mad max type of environment, from toxic wastelands populated by outcasts and mechanical misfits to shiny chrome edifices lit from halogen gases in which no speck of dust is allowed entry much less the time to accumulate in the MANY dark and secret corners of such hi end corporate places. a world where national govts compete and lose to multinational corps who are running private agendas thru each and every landscape. all in all a wonderfull wordsmith and a master of his craft william gibson never fails to delight and intrigue me. id like to see clive barker willaim gibson and neil gaimen get together on something. hmmm
Helpful Score: 2
Ten brilliant, streetwise, high-resolution stories from the man who coined the word cyberspace. Gibson's vision has become a touchstone in the emerging order of the 21st Century, from the computer-enhanced hustlers of Johnny Mnemonic to the technofetishist blues of Burning Chrome. With their vividly human characters and their remorseless, hot-wired futures, these stories are simultaneously science fiction at its sharpest and instantly recognizable Polaroids of the postmodern condition.
Though the stories were good, the format was too "cookie-cutter", and started getting old toward the end of the book. I think he would have done better in a mixed-author anthology, rather than a solo collection.
The short story Burning Chrome officially began the Cyberpunk era of SF when it was first published in 1980. The short story Johnny Mnemonic is also included in this collection. Both a classic and a great read by the author of Neuromancer.
I feel Gibson is an "important" American author in much the same way as Studs Terkel, ("Last exit to Brooklyn."), and Jack Kerowak, ("On the road."). I get the same flash of recognition. Gibson's "All Tomorrow's Parties." really shook me. (Calling it "cyberpunk" is the same as dismissing Terkel as a "trash-talker".) Gibson has grabbed himself a hunk of the tiger- what a ride! "Burning Chrome" is most interesting as a collection of short S/F stories that show Gibson developing his style- "The Winter Market." is the gem in this collection. You won't be dissapointed.
Considered the father of cyberpunk, this is a collection of Gibson's short stories, including Johnny Mnemonic and a few collaborations with other authors.
Gibson's short fiction is as good as his long form. It functions as something of a survey of his influences and interests, and the stories are quite eclectic. Highly recommended for any fans of cyberpunk.
Collection of short sci-fi stories all my the same author.
