Just when I was about to lose hope it looks like there is a possibility for some new fiction (at least in eBook form) for the Shadowrun universe. Check out: Spells & Chrome on the Kindle or your Kindle App for your device of choice. I compare shadowrun books to romance novels. They scratch an itch that has been getting out of control for me recently. KEEP IT UP!!! I hope John Helfers can get some more fiction published over the next couple of months. Fingers crossed.
Who the heck is W.T. Quick and why haven’t I heard of him before?
Just started reading “Dreams of Flesh and Sand” because it was recommended as being a must read for cyberpunk lovers… Well I concur… written in 1988 – 4 years after Neuromancer – it still has some originality to it and I think it adds a dimension to the concept of the matrix.. I get the feeling that Quick is not really a technology guy so he doesn’t really even pretend to explain how the tech might work but to be honest I am ok with that.. I looked to see what else Quick has written and it seems like he is most known for writing for other people (like William Shatner)… unfortunately there does not seem to be any other book in the cyberpunk genre.. what a shame..
What I am Reading: WWW: Wake
In my never ending quest to find new books in the Cyberpunk Genre I have stumbled upon the book WWW: Wake by Robert J. Sawyer. I have not read anything from this offer before so I will let you know what I think. Interestingly there seems to be a string of books that are in the same vein as this book – and I am not sure that they fall directly in the Cyberpunk Genre. The other book was “This is Not a Game” by Walter Jon Williams. Both books happen in the present to near future and make use of current technology – in fact you see veterans of Cyberpunk doing similiar things with their latest book ( ie Spook Country by William Gibson ). The concept is that the “future” is now…
Obituary: JG Ballard, the original cyberpunk
I know I have read something by Ballard – though I can’t remember what.. I will need to check out some of his books – he passed this week from prostrate cancer.
David Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons game, dies at 61
I cannot believe another D&D creator has failed his savings throw. Having just started Dungeon Mastering for my sons and his friends – I cannot help but think that the time may have finally ended for pencil and paper games for me. Just 3 hours of play with them leaves me exhausted. I am guessing that perhaps there time has come and our time is gone. I am so tired I can only muster strength for WoW.
TINAG – This is not a Game
I just finished (demolished/devoured) reading the latest book from Walter Jon Williams – THIS IS NOT A GAME 
Hardwired was a great book but I was not able to get into his one of his other SF books Voice of the Whirlwind, so I was not sure what TINAG would be like or if I would enjoy it. TINAG falls into the category of a cyber thriller- taking place in either the present or near future. None of the technology described in this books seems outside of the what could be used or created today. So though not technically a cyberpunk book it still is something that I feel most people reading this blog would enjoy.
The book focuses on a group of four college gaming friends (pencil and paper gaming – Dungeons and Dragons) and how there relationships have evolved from those innocent times in college to the here and now world of big business and entrepreneurship with its backstabbing and greediness. The backdrop is ARGs (Alternate Reality Games) where the heroine, Dagmar, is the Puppetmaster and how the realworld leaks into the ARG that she is creating.
The book moves is fast moving and will keep your attention and a real page turner. I guarantee it will be a quick enjoyable read.
ENJOY!
Enoc
Spiderman 2099
I vaguely recall the 90s effort of plopping Marvel superheroes into a cyberpunk future … looks like they’re at it again.
William Gibson and Martha Wainwright
Don’t know how I missed this last June, but Barnes and Noble does a series of author/musician reading/playing events and featured Gibson and Wainwright. 71 minutes long and haven’t checked it all out yet, but … facinating to be sure!
Back from the Dead!
I love how dedicated Gibson fans are. Have seen this site in the past, but it bubbled up again as the 16th anniversary of Agrippa came to pass. Seems they found an ol’ floppy of the self-destructing poem and where able to rejigger it and run it again. And they took a movie of it running! Here’s MediaBistro’s review of it.
Meanwhile, my Gibon newsbot found a most interesting set of gifts, one a $500 gibsonesque notebook bag. Nice!
an Anathem… Neal Stephenson
Haven’t had the opportunity to post in a while but I hope to do so more regulary as things in Real Life calm down.
Wanted to give some quick insight into Neal Stephenson’s new book Anathem which I have been reading since it came out in September. Neal Stephenson is one my favorite authors but I would not say that any of his books since Cryptnomicon would be considered “easy reads”. Neal is either tackling complex storylines based on historical events, juggling multiple characters and or discussing “heady” topics that require some real thinking.
In Anathem we are focused for the most part on one character, named Fraa Erasmus ( Fraa = Father) and his life and experiences in what can only be called a monastery for scientists. The book so far has been heavily focused on the concept of Plural Worlds or World Tracks (Narratives) and takes quite sometime to digest. So far I am really enjoying it and I cannot tell you more without spoiling the book. I will give my final thoughts when I am done reading it but I would definitely encourage anyone to go out and pick up this book.
Enoc