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Virtual Light
William Gibson
Spectra
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Gibson' future vision
I fear, may be more accurate than one would like to admit. Well written and paced an excellant read
Book Rating.
4 STARS, originality. 3 STARS, story quality, kept interest, would buy simular item. 2 STARS, entertainment value. 1 STAR, recommend to a friend. DESCRIPTION, A bike delivery person finds trouble after stealing a high tech set of optical sunglasses.
Talented author, weak book
Gibson has obvious literary talents and raw skill at writing, but reading much of his opus it seems that he's applying them in the wrong way. Certainly that's my feeling after reading Virtual Light. Ultimately it's a story with a flimsy plot (I always find with Gibson's stuff that a month later I can never remember the plot), unlikable characters and a dirty setting where people do seedy things. As a dystopian novel it fails to adequately commit to its setting, to explore root causes, or to showcase essential dysfunction. In technology is feels unimagnative, a projection of today's conventional tech wisdom and cliches magnified by ten. The failings in the setting makes the weak characterization a deal breaker in enjoying this novel, when I'm not able to care at all about the cast's danger, failure and triumph I'm faced with an ultimately unappealing and unentertaining novel. I'm aware that at at a certain level I'm criticizing Gibson for not writing the book I would have liked him to, but his dirty already-obsolete cyberpunk scenario doesn't offer enough to leave me satisfied.
If you want to read something from one of the contemporary top scifi authors try Greg Egan, Vernor Vinge, Iain M. Banks or Alastair Reynolds. Gibson leaves me empty, less from his bleakness than from his methodology in presenting that bleakness.
Seek your VR story elsewhere
This book has almost nothing to do with virtual reality, and left me feeling somewhat ripped off. All dystopia, no VR. And he named it Virtual Light!
If you're interested in a good VR read, check out Tad Williams's Otherland series instead. Much, much more entertaining. Gibson is sadly overrated.
Not Free SF Reader
Your future may not be bright if you are wearing these shades.
Gibson's technological level regresses from that of the Sprawl books. No cybernetic implants here, but old fashioned gear like googles and gloves for connections.
A lowly courier gets into trouble when lifting the wrong pair of glasses - a super advanced gear prototype with some startling abilities.
Through in a down on his luck investigator and another shady, seedy tale follows.
3 out of 5