Virtual Light by William Gibson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Virtual Light
Book Review: A different side of Gibson
Summary: 5 Stars
Virtual Light is very much a departure from the world of Neuromancer, showing instead an insidiously closer-to-home look at a possible near future. The grittiness and vivid bleakness are still there, but they make up a different picture: our own society, just a little bit worse. The result is a bit more believable, but neither better nor worse; it's just a slightly different perspective.Similar in style to Neuromancer's sequels (yet with a bit more substance), the story is actually composed of several stories that meet up throughout the course of the book; each is important. Gibson manages to get a strong feeling of tension going as the characters become more deeply mired in their plight. The story's villain, Loveless, is creepier and more dangerous than expected, adding a sense that the stakes are higher than they seem and that nothing is predictable.
Idoru, set in the same universe as Virtual Light, I'd say is slightly better, but Virtual Light shouldn't be missed. No Gibson fan should pass this up; anyone new to his work should start with Neuromancer and read Virtual Light next.
Book Review: A great book, if you like this kind of thing.....
Summary: 5 Stars
"Why can't you give zero stars?" I'm sorry that the person who said this feels that way, because to me everything that Gibson has written provides an enjoyable experiance. "Technology that isn't fully explained...don't know what it does or how it does it..." Gibsons ambiguity is what makes the books interesting. He gives skeletal details, and your imagination fills in the details. Techno-babble and an alternate future make for an interesting story despite, or maybe because of, the lackluster plot and un-inspired characters, but an interesting story it is, which means that it's a good book.Book Review: A ripoff of Stephenson's Snow Crash
Summary: 2 Stars
Read this before I read Stephenson's Snow Crash and wish I'd skipped this one - truly enjoyed Snow Crash but found alarming similarities - messengers as heroes - butt kickers as side kicks - big time money folks who are the enemy - if you're looking for this type of book - pick up Snow Crash instead!Book Review: An intense futuristic thriller
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent story. Gibson is definitely cutting edge in his writing with regards to incorporating technology and creating new terms. Everything that I've read by him has been based far enough in the future to be new, but close enough that the world is still real and not made up of flying cars and alien races. In other words, cyberpunk but try not to get the negative feelings about that word that a lot of people get. Instead this is an intense thriller incorporating virtual reality, designer drugs, new age weaponry, new religions and many other things which quickly pull you into this world rather than your own. It centers around two people: one an ex-cop and ex-rent-a-cop and the bicycle messenger. They quickly find their lives colliding over the theft of a pair of sunglasses. You definitely should read this and other novels by Gibson; I believe that he will continue to be a driving force in cutting edge suspense.Book Review: Dark, Stunning, A Real Page-Turner!
Summary: 5 Stars
Brilliant. Gibson at his gritty best. The action is fast-paced, the characters believable, and the backdrop real enough to be scary. A truly in-your-face adrenaline rush of a read. I heartily recommend this book to suspense, fiction, and science fiction fans alike