http://nhw.livejournal.com/1008604.ht...

Lived up to its reputation. I'm not a wild-eyed enthusiast for cyberpunk (and William Gibson's story here, "The Gernsback Continuum", which rather lacks an ending, reminded me why not) but I'm always ready to be convinced by a good story, and there are loads of them in here. I think the only one I'd read before was Sterling and Gibson's "Red Star, Winter Orbit" which is actually rather moving and nostalgic, qualities one doesn't really associate with cyberpunk (though perhaps it qualifies because of the note of libertarian triumphalism on which it ends). I was particularly gripped by James Patrick Kelly's "Solstice", which mixes Stonehenge with sex, drugs, rock'n'roll, and father-daughter cloning. But apart from my doubts about the first story, there isn't a dud in the book. ( )

Let them wear leather bikinis and crave recording deals.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/06... ( )

Bruce Sterling's anthology Mirrorshades announced the existence of cyberpunk. A more modern type of street level, urban science fiction in a lot of cases. While the authors here have done better work elsewhere this is still a very interesting and influential collection, and certainly of use to people with an interest in that sort of science fiction.

Cadigan, Gibson and Shirley are all here, for example.

Mirrorshades : The Gernsback Continuum - William Gibson
Mirrorshades : Snake-Eyes - Tom Maddox
Mirrorshades : Rock On - Pat Cadigan
Mirrorshades : Tales of Houdini - Rudy Rucker
Mirrorshades : 400 Boys - Marc Laidlaw
Mirrorshades : Solstice - James Patrick Kelly
Mirrorshades : Petra - Greg Bear
Mirrorshades : Till Human Voices Wake Us - Lewis Shiner
Mirrorshades : Freezone - John Shirley
Mirrorshades : Stone Lives - Paul Di Filippo
Mirrorshades : Red Star Winter Orbits - William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
Mirrorshades : Mozart in Mirrorshades - Bruce Sterling and Lewis Shiner

Not a fan of retro sf design.

4 out of 5

Serpent brain wartech is problematic.

4 out of 5

Direct mental music.

3.5 out of 5

Escape master movie.

2 out of 5

Team survival is tricky.

4 out of 5

Bioguru woman's Stonehenge drug binge unhinges into cryogenic desperation.

4.5 out of 5

Gargoyle boys and girls.

3.5 out of 5

Mermaid clone affair ends quite fishily.

4 out of 5

America losing, rock is dead, gay bar's an escape.

3.5 out of 5

Corporate anarchy watching brief blackout provides relative promotion.

4.5 out of 5

Cosmonaut crapout space station hitchhikers.

4 out of 5

Let them wear leather bikinis and crave recording deals.

4 out of 5

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2006/12... ( )

Let them wear leather bikinis and crave recording deals.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/06... ( )