Virtual light (original 1993; edition 1994)

This is the first book in the Bridge Trilogy, set in a dystopian, cyberpunk future. The principal theme is class conflict. I read this book long ago and it did not make a big impression on me, which I find is typical of Gibson's books. They require at least one reread, possibly more, to "stick," and may not be worth that level of effort.

Read in the 1990s. ( )

This was an interesting cyberpunk novel. I liked the characters Berry and Chevette and how they worked together to figure out the story behind the special glasses. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Idoru. ( )

I loved the Sprawl trilogy (Neuromancer is one of my Top 5 Books of All Time), but this one was just meh. The characters and world Gibson created were fleshed-out and captivating, but the plot meandered everywhere and the pacing was much slower than his other works. I had to fight to stay interested. Maybe it was because my mind was wandering the whole time, but I didn't really get the point of the whole storyline, and I have no idea how the whole AIDS thing fit in. I'm sure I'll read the rest of Gibson's books soon (finishing out the Bridge trilogy and reading his other modern-day trilogy, the name of which is escaping me right now) because he has such a fantastic imagination and he knows how to write, but this one just bored me. ( )

A gripping thriller, set in the near future following a partial collapse of authority in America following the combined impacts of earthquakes and plague. The novel is set mainly in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco where a huge community now lives on the Golden Gate Bridge which has become a sort of sanctuary beyond the reach of mainstream law and order.
Chevette Washington, a bicycle courier Inadvertently finds herself on the fringe of a high society party. Having been hassled by one of the guests she wanders off to explore. When she returns to the main party room she sees that the man who had hassled her is now asleep with something sticking out of his pocket. Uncharacteristically Chevette steals this and then leaves the party. When she emerges into the street she looks to see what she has pinched and finds a pair of very dark, and very heavy, sunglasses. However, these are not ordinary glasses but, instead, are Virtual Light (VL) glasses, which when switched on are a new means of conveying data about the things their wearer looks at. This paid also holds top secret information about plans to rebuild the recently earthquake-devastated San Francisco. This information is immensely valuable and the owner (not the man from whom Chevette stole them - he was a mere intermediary) will stop at nothing to retrieve them.
Meanwhile former cop Berry Rydell, having recently lost his post with IntenSecure, a shady independent "rentacop" conglomerate with contacts everywhere, has been recruited by the sinister Mr Warbaby who has himself been commissioned to retrieve the missing glasses.
The synopsis above may make the novel sound unduly fraught but Gibson manages it all very deftly and the story flows seamlessly.
All in all a very rewarding read. ( )

An interesting take on SanFran vs. LA. It's written in the usual William Gibson style: take item of crucial importance, add in several regular-yet-special characters, and intertwine their lives around the object while the bad guys pursue them, and set everything in a dark, yet plausible near-future that resembles our present. A bike messenger gets groped by a drunk party-goer (also a courier), steals his item, a failed cop/rent-a-cop happens to get involved, Golden Gate bridge is now skid row, etc. etc. etc. This one has been the least futuristic, yet it still riffs on familiar Gibson themes of government=bad, rich people=bad, hackers, regular people, etc. The book is good, don't get me wrong. ( )