Virtual Light

By William Gibson

Book Overview

NEW YORK TIMES bestseller - 2005: Welcome to NoCal and SoCal, the uneasy sister-states of what used to be California . The millennium has come and gone, leaving in its wake only stunned survivors. In Los Angeles, Berry Rydell is a former armed-response rentacop now working for a bounty hunter. Chevette Washington is a bicycle messenger turned pickpocket who impulsively snatches a pair of innocent-looking sunglasses. But these are no ordinary shades. What you can see through these high-tech specs can make you rich--or get you killed. Now Berry and Chevette are on the run, zeroing in on the digitalized heart of DatAmerica, where pure information is the greatest high. And a mind can be a terrible thing to crash. . . . Praise for Virtual Light "Both exhilarating and terrifying . . . Although considered the master of 'cyberpunk' science fiction, William Gibson is also one fine suspense writer." -- People "A stunner . . . A terrifically stylish burst of kick-butt imagination." -- Entertainment Weekly "Convincing . . . frightening . . . Virtual Light is written with a sense of craft, a sense of humor and a sense of the ultimate seriousness of the problems it explores." -- Chicago Tribune "In the emerging pop culture of the information age, Gibson is the brightest star." -- The San Diego Union-Tribune

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553566067
• ISBN13: 9780553566062
• Release Date: July 1994
• Publisher: Random House Worlds
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

WHAT A RIDE

Virtual Light was my first cyber-punk book and my first William Gibson book. I had to read it three times to make any sense of it. Once I wrapped my mind around the odd wordage of the story, I love it!! I really enjoyed the weird characters and the odd off-the-wall twists in the plot. The story possesses a bent sense of humor which I found to be really different. This book introduced me to the cyber-punk genre and I am...

More story, less technology

William Gibson is an author that creates characters and situations that capture your imagination. When you put one of his books down your thoughts stay with the story. Gibson is a major player in the Sci-Fi genre. His visions of technology and the world to come have influenced many other visions from the TV shows like Dark Angel to films like the Matrix.Fans of Gibson's work love and hate Virtual Light. In one hand his...

Fast-paced and Suspenseful

Virtual Light is a good read. Although very different than Neuromancer, William Gibson's cyberpunk classic, it is still very well written. The book is not only suspenseful, fast-paced, and imaginative, but it has just a hint of humor throughout. All of these things make you want to keep turning the pages, just to see what Chevette and Rydell will do next. Chevette is a bicycle messenger with an attitude. After some tough...

A different side of Gibson

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...

Second only to Neuromancer

This is the first book in the trilogy (Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrows parties), and a good place to start if you are new to Gibson.In my and most peoples opinion, it is only second to Neuromancer, not because of style or content, but because it's not as revolutionary and original. William Gibson is excellent in describing characters, technology and environment. This book represents a 'new' style for him (as opposed...