Virtual Light by William Gibson is a cyberpunk novel set in a near future, dystopian California. The story follows Berry Rydell, an ex-cop turned private security guard, and Chevette, a bike messenger, whose lives intertwine after Chevette steals a pair of high-tech sunglasses with valuable data. The novel explores a divided society, with the Golden Gate Bridge turned into a squatters' paradise, reflecting themes of wealth and poverty, power and powerlessness. Gibson's writing style is described as vivid, with a focus on world-building and character development, set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic San Francisco.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of violence, societal breakdown, and elements related to racism and class disparity.
Has Romance?
There is a moderate level of romance in the relationships, particularly between the protagonists, which adds depth to the narrative without being the primary focus.
From The Publisher:
NEW YORK TIMES bestseller
2005: Welcome to NoCal and SoCal, the uneasy sister-states of what used to be California.
The millennium has come and gone, leaving in its wake only stunned survivors. In Los Angeles, Berry Rydell is a former armed-response rentacop now working for a bounty hunter. Chevette Washington is a bicycle messenger turned pickpocket who impulsively snatches a pair of innocent-looking sunglasses. But these are no ordinary shades. What you can see through these high-tech specs can make you rich-or get you killed. Now Berry and Chevette are on the run, zeroing in on the digitalized heart of DatAmerica, where pure information is the greatest high. And a mind can be a terrible thing to crash. . . .
Praise for Virtual Light
"Both exhilarating and terrifying . . . Although considered the master of 'cyberpunk' science fiction, William Gibson is also one fine suspense writer."-People
"A stunner . . . A terrifically stylish burst of kick-butt imagination."-Entertainment Weekly
"Convincing . . . frightening . . . Virtual Light is written with a sense of craft, a sense of humor and a sense of the ultimate seriousness of the problems it explores."-Chicago Tribune
"In the emerging pop culture of the information age, Gibson is the brightest star."-The San Diego Union-Tribune
Ratings (10)
Incredible (4) | |
Loved It (5) | |
It Was OK (1) |
Reader Stats (11):
Read It (10) | |
Want To Read (1) |
What can you read after
Virtual Light?
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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