'Idoru' by William Gibson is set in a post-quake technologized Japan and follows characters like Laney, Chia, and Rez in a complex plot involving virtual reality, AI, and celebrity culture. Gibson's writing style is described as cyberpunk at its finest, with a focus on immersive VR landscapes, meditations on fashion and celebrity, and a fast-paced, exciting story about the intersections of realities and identity. is praised for its thematic sequel to 'Virtual Light,' its prescient portrayal of future technology and society, and its telegraphic writing style that evokes a version of the future we will soon inhabit.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of loss, identity crisis, violence, and societal issues.
From The Publisher:
"The best novel William Gibson has ever written about the world we're entering daily. Neuromancer made Gibson famous; Idoru cements that fame."-The Washington Post Book World
21st century Tokyo, after the millennial quake. Neon rain. Light everywhere blowing under any door you might try to close. Where the New Buildings, the largest in the world, erect themselves unaided, their slow rippling movements like the contractions of a sea-creature…
Colin Laney is here looking for work. He is an intuitive fisher for patterns of information, the "signature" an individual creates simply by going about the business of living. But Laney knows how to sift for the dangerous bits. Which makes him useful-to certain people.
Chia McKenzie is here on a rescue mission. She's fourteen. Her idol is the singer Rez, of the band Lo/Rez. When the Seattle chapter of the Lo/Rez fan club decided that he might be in trouble in Tokyo, they sent Chia to check it out.
Rei Toei is the idoru-the beautiful, entirely virtual media star adored by all Japan. Rez has declared that he will marry her. This is the rumor that has brought Chia to Tokyo. True or not, the idoru and the powerful interests surrounding her are enough to put all their lives in danger…
Ratings (5)
Incredible (2) | |
Loved It (3) |
Reader Stats (8):
Read It (5) | |
Want To Read (2) | |
Not Interested (1) |
1 comment(s)
The first time I read Idoru I thought it lacked, in comparison with Virtual Light, which I adored. I think I was distracted though because upon re-reading it I found it had a much more enticing plot and characters that were just as great as Virtual Light. By the end I liked it just as much . This book can be read on its own without a problem, and is really great, but I suggest reading it in it's proper sequence of the Bridge Trilogy.
What can you read after
Idoru?
About the Author:
William Gibson is credited with having coined the term "cyberspace" and having envisioned both the Internet and virtual reality before either existed. He is the author of Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Burning Chrome, Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrow's Parties,…
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