From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Jun 05 2003 - 21:23:43 MDT
Was browsing the stacks at Borders this evening after finding out that
not only was my special order for a used copy of "Great Kings War"
cancelled, but that they also cancelled my order for a couple different
S Andrew Swann's novels about Nohar Rajasthan.
Found "The Pocket Essential Cyberpunk", by Andrew M Butler, published
in 2000 in Britain by Pocket Essentials, in the US by Trafalgar Square
Publishing. ISBN 1-903047-28-5
I came upon this pocket literature review and was intrigued to see what
they said about some particular SF writers I know. I must say that I
was disappointed. Absolutely no mention of Damien Broderick, not even a
mention of Vernor Vinge. Just who does the author think he is? Going
through the list of authors, the only ones I recognised were Gibson,
Sterling, Stephenson, Egan, and Greg Bear. GREG BEAR??? A cyberpunk
author?
The author of this review also had the temerity to separate cyberpunk
into three categories: The Cyberpunk Movement, Post-Cyberpunk, and
Cyberpunk-Flavoured Fiction (Ah, I said, this guy is a brit, and as
such is about as in the know as the idiot brit who labeled the Grunge
movement).
The author, Andrew M Butler, rightfully classifies Gibson and Sterling
as the "Core Reading". He includes Greg Bear solidly as part of the
Cyberpunk movement, though I've never read anything of his which I'd
classify as such, and the author only cites three of his works, and
only classifies Neil Stephenson as part of the post-cyberpunk era. Greg
Egan is in even worse shape. He is only 'cyberpunk flavoured fiction'.
Absolutely no mention of Vinge or Broderick. Can ya believe it?
Authors the writer did mention (others are encouraged to comment on
these individuals):
The Cyberpunk Movement:
Pat Cardigan
Marc Lailaw
Tom Maddox
Rudy Rucker (have heard of him)
Lewis Shiner
John Shirley
Post-Cyberpunk:
Wilhemina Baird
Bruce Bethke
Simon Ings
Richard Kadrey
Kim Newman
Marge Piercy
Justina Robson
Cyberpunk-Flavoured Fiction:
Jon Courtenay Grimwood (have seen his stuff in the stacks)
Gwyneth Jones
Shariann Lewitt
Jeff Noon
Tricia Sullivan
Jack Womack
Films:
This guy also thinks he is a cyberpunk film reviewer. Unfortunately, he
doesn't seem to be able to tell the difference between a cyberpunk film
and a non-cyberpunk film. I mean, he thinks that Run Lola Run and
Terminator II are cyberpunk films. While he makes a short comment about
films like Hackers, The Net, and Sneakers featuring hackers as
characters, he doesn't review these films, and he leaves out entirely
seminal early works like Tron. Johnny Mnemonic he entirely fails to
credit the writer whose work the movie is based on.
Conclusion:
Butler should stick to other pursuits. Producing an Essential Guide of
any sort doesn't seem to be his forte.
=====
Mike Lorrey
"Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils."
- Gen. John Stark
Blog: Sado-Mikeyism: http://mikeysoft.zblogger.com
Flight sims: http://www.x-plane.org/users/greendragon/
Pro-tech freedom discussion:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/exi-freedom
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