6) Pattern Recognition by William Gibson.
I’ve bought every William Gibson novel, though only for the writing style; I find the plot and characters completely forgettable (I know I’ve read Neuromancer five times, but can’t remember a single thing that happens in it). But Pattern Recognition is different, and much, much better. I write this sitting in an internet cafe off Trafalgar Square (finished the book on Eurostar yesterday morning) which seems like a perfect parallel for the central character’s unrooted, cosmopolitan, thoroughly wired existence, as she tracks down the reality behind a mysterious set of internet postings. The settings of London, Japan and Russia are brilliantly and convincingly depicted; I hope to get to Russia later this year to see for myself. This book is certain to be shortlisted for various awards, as it already has been for the BSFA and Arthur C Clarke awards. Its biggest problem in that respect is that there is in fact nothing sfnal in it; no stretching of the social and technical reality of 2002 when it was written. But it feels like science fiction,will be bought largely by sf readers, and is of course by a celebrated sf author. Recommended.
Yer very kind, as ever! But I don’t think I written at sufficient length and consistency to do anything quite like that. I was invited to participate in this volume but realise I didn’t really have the time for yet another commitment so declined. Perhaps my more analytical pieces can be put together some day in more durable form but I just enjoy posting them for now!