AUTHOR-Various
FORMAT-Hardback
FIRST TIME READING-Yes
PRICE-50 cents
This is a collection of cyberpunk short stories. It came out in 1986,right about the time the cyberpunk genre was starting to take off. Before finding the book I had never heard of this collection. But once I saw it had a story by William Gibson I had to get it.
The Gernsback Continuum by William Gibson
A fairly short story about a photographer that is going around the USA taking pictures of stuff that was designed with a "futuristic" look back in the 30s and 40s. And he starts seeing visions. All full of stuff that was common in the science fiction stories of the 30s and 40s. I really enjoyed this story.
Snake-Eyes by Tom Maddox
A man who underwent having a cybernetic implant is having issue with it. So he is sent to a space station and taught how to live with this implant. This story has that dark grimy feel that all good cyberpunk fiction has.And is the first thing I have read from Tom Maddox.
Rock On by Pat Cadigan
This really short story is a dark look at how music has evolved in the near future. Really dark and kind of disturbing.
Tales of Houdini by Rudy Rucker
Not good. Not good at all. What I got from this is in the future someone has brought Houdini and his mother into the future. And they keep setting up more and more elaborate deathtraps. Each of which Houdini manages to escape from.
400 Boys by Marc Laidlaw
This makes up for how bad the last story was. It is a futurist version of West Side Story or the Warriors. Trapped in a bubble that surrounds part of the city a gang of male youths tries to survive. Once they discover a new threat they end up teaming up with a few other youth gangs to combat this new enemy.
Solstice by James Patrick Kelly
Set in the near future,where designer drugs have taken over. This is a tale of a man that has created a bunch of the now legal designer drugs. And how he just wants what is best for his clone/daughter. She is dating someone he doesn't like. So he plans on making sure this relationship doesn't last.
Petra by Greg Bear
Wow this was boring and made no sense. Besides being set in the future I see no cyberpunk stuff at all in this story. Took me 4 nights to finish reading it.
Till Human Voices Wake Us by Lewis Shiner
Sent on a vacation by his work,a man discovers what secret stuff his company has been up too.
Freezone by John Shirley
An aging rock star loses is band. Then joins up with a gang of criminals. All while stuck in on the floating city of Freezone.
Stone Lives by Paul Di Filippo
A man from the slums of NYC gets hired on to spy on a big corporation. And is shocked when he finds out why.
Red Star,Winter Orbit by Bruce Sterling & William Gibson
Set on a space station orbiting the Earth. A Russian ends up being the savior of a bunch of humans.
Mozart in Mirrorshades by Bruce Sterling and Lewis Shiner
A group of people from the future travel back to the past to steal artwork and treasures. When it all goes to hell an Army of Mongolians on motorcycles comes to save them.
So 2 horrible stories and the rest are at least decent.
Mirrorshades gets a 3.98 outta 5.