Pattern Recognition
by William Gibson
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Read in April, 2008
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
everyone
I love the way that William Gibson writes women. Gibson usually has both male and female protagonists in his books, who may or may not even see one another during the course of the story (the almost-but-never-quite is something he comes back to again and again). Regardless, his female characters are always as strong and capable as the men (and often more so). Cayce Pollard is a wonderful character, and I think that Gibson deftly avoided all the usual pitfalls of men writing female characters....more
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
Gibson fans, people who enjoy a challange
William Gibson is a rather tough author to read. Not because his writing is particularly difficult, or overly vague, but rather because his novels, while short, are incredibly dense. Every page is packed full of detailed descriptions, observations (both by the author and the characters), internal monologues, and commentary one the mundane and unusual alike. While this can be fascinating and quite enjoyable as Gibson is very good at making extremely accurate and insightful commentary on univer...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
fans of William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and Cory Doctorow
You know I held out reading this book for the longest time. I've been a fan of William Gibson and the Cyberpunk sub-genre since the (not nearly as good as the story/books but still marginally entertaining) "Johnny Pneumonic" movie came out and led me to Mr. Gibson's works. I soon consumed them all and cyberpunk was my then and still favorite type of sci-fi. So when W.G. wrote a book that wasn't really cyberpunk or continuing his vision of the future, I was a bit shaken. I have to s...more
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Read in August, 2004
Pattern Recognition is [William Gibson]'s most recent novel. It is the second novel I read by him, after his well-known Neuromancer. Pattern Recognition was more enjoyable than I had expected, yet not of the quality I would expect from William Gibson.
In his previous novels, the author created a world of his own (e.g. The Sprawl), which is not the case here; this made his task – I believe – much harder. Pattern Recognition is set in the present world; the post-911 era. A big part o...more
In his previous novels, the author created a world of his own (e.g. The Sprawl), which is not the case here; this made his task – I believe – much harder. Pattern Recognition is set in the present world; the post-911 era. A big part o...more
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Read in February, 2008
This is a little different for Gibson. It's not really a future setting, but it drips with the usual Gibson sentence fragments and whimsy. Overall, the story is there and it has a beginning a middle and an end, but to be honest, the book lacks in a particular quality - there's nothing really at stake.
The story is fairly linear, and focuses on the main character, Casey Pollard. She's what is called a 'cool hunter'. She divines trends and evaluates logo work. She has a literal allergy to fashi...more
The story is fairly linear, and focuses on the main character, Casey Pollard. She's what is called a 'cool hunter'. She divines trends and evaluates logo work. She has a literal allergy to fashi...more
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Read in April, 2006
The best book I have read in 2006. Although William Gibson is known for Science Fiction and number of his stories have been made into films this book is not science fiction but it is close. This is William Gibson's talent to see where we are going in the near future. He is a great forecaster. Pattern Recognition's main character Cayce is a cool-hunter who has a talent (like Gibson) for seeing what the next big thing will be and she is hired by marketing firms for this talent. The book itself cou...more
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Read in June, 2008
"How do you feel when you watch it?"
He looks down at his noodles, then up at her. "Lonely?"
"Most people find that that deepens. Becomes sort of polyphonic. Then there's a sense that it's going somewhere, that something will happen. Will change." She shrugs. "It's impossible to describe, but if you live with it for a while, it starts to get to you. It's just such a powerful effect, induced by so little actual screen time." (111);
"Cayce has lon...more
He looks down at his noodles, then up at her. "Lonely?"
"Most people find that that deepens. Becomes sort of polyphonic. Then there's a sense that it's going somewhere, that something will happen. Will change." She shrugs. "It's impossible to describe, but if you live with it for a while, it starts to get to you. It's just such a powerful effect, induced by so little actual screen time." (111);
"Cayce has lon...more
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Read in January, 2008
I've had this book on my iPod for the longest time. After trying to read Neuromancer, one of the first books to define the term "cyberpunk" as a science fiction sub-genre, I wasn't sure if I could get through this. But good reviews made me reconsider and I had a long bus ride and I wasn't up for going through my current affairs podcasts. I'm glad that I did listen to it - while the writing is choppy and the characters are nerds, it's a book of ideas, dealing with the issue of the inter...more
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Read in January, 2008
Gibson is one of the best modern writers I read. His stuff is always smart, cutting edge, and I regret finishing one of his books as soon as I reach the last page. He's one of the few authors that I will reread and his voice is so unique that I don't worry about absorbing it. With his cyberpunk imagery, his sense of trends, and his authentic feel, it's no wonder he has a huge following.
The main character in this story is the angst filled, Cayce Pollard who has the coolest job in the whole wo...more
The main character in this story is the angst filled, Cayce Pollard who has the coolest job in the whole wo...more
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Back in high school, I was one of those malnourished future computer nerds for whom the experience of reading William Gibson's masterpiece, Neuromancer, came as a kind of revelation: here was a vision of the future that felt utterly new, at once chilling and exhilirating and near enough to touch: the literary equivalent of Bladerunner (and no, I'm not forgetting about the Phillip K. Dick story on which the movie was based).
Since then, I've been less and less impressed with Gibson's novels u...more
Since then, I've been less and less impressed with Gibson's novels u...more
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recommends it for:
Contemporary Artists (or fans of)
The novel is set in a number of present day cities, in a way that seems futuristic/sci-fi. I read this book in a class called "The Novel and Globalization"--and I believe having that context was helpful-at first. As the book progressed the suspence was built on the mystery of where the many relavent themes and styles converge in the plot.
My favorite part of reading the book was digesting the refernces to art, architecture, and literature, throughout that acutally added meaning to...more
My favorite part of reading the book was digesting the refernces to art, architecture, and literature, throughout that acutally added meaning to...more
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
a warm robot.
Finished it, finally. It has a proper ending which doesn't quite work, but I'm glad Gibson had the stones to actually wrap everything rather than hide behind vagueness and coyness.
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Ok, I've got a handle on how to read this now. After a slow start, I'm tearing through it with enthusiasm.
It's like a Douglas Coupland book, where it's more about the ideas than the people/emotions. I'm sure Gibson would disagree, but that's how it feels. Once I realized that each new character --- in ad...more
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Ok, I've got a handle on how to read this now. After a slow start, I'm tearing through it with enthusiasm.
It's like a Douglas Coupland book, where it's more about the ideas than the people/emotions. I'm sure Gibson would disagree, but that's how it feels. Once I realized that each new character --- in ad...more
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Read in April, 2003
I spent yesterday afternoon spellbound by Pattern Recognition. This is probably the most accessible of Gibson's novels, as it could easily be set in the present day.
The main character, Cayce Pollard is a "coolhunter" -- exploring the world's big cities to discover what's coming next in the world of fashion, music and art. She also has an innate sense of whether a logo will "work" for a company. As a hobby, she is a footagehead - tracking bits and pieces of an art film tha...more
The main character, Cayce Pollard is a "coolhunter" -- exploring the world's big cities to discover what's coming next in the world of fashion, music and art. She also has an innate sense of whether a logo will "work" for a company. As a hobby, she is a footagehead - tracking bits and pieces of an art film tha...more
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Read in January, 2008
All my Sys Admin friends love William Gibson, and for years I'd felt left out of detailed discussions of Neuromancer, so when another editor offered his copy of this lesser known book of Gibson's, I figured now was the time to try him out. Gibson pays close attention to the physical world, which I found to be his greatest asset. Descriptions of international jet lag and "mirror world" differences from culture to culture mixed in with hyperintense observations of every character's ...more
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Read in August, 2007
Refreshingly unlike his classic book, Neuromancer, and the others in the Sprawl trilogy, Pattern Recognition cements for me the idea of Gibson as a great writer, showcasing his ability to predict societal trends, blend those into an exciting external plot while maintaining an overall satisfying emotional journey. I'd go into details, but when summed up I don't think they sound anywhere as interesting as the book actually is.
As a side note, the book's maybe a bit more cerebral than viscera...more
As a side note, the book's maybe a bit more cerebral than viscera...more
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Read in April, 2004
recommends it for:
Mark, Robbie
I just re-read this book and liked it even more during the second reading (and have changed my rating from four to five stars). Gibson has pared an already spare writing style down without sacrificing the elegance or evocative nature of his prose. He makes you see things in the plot as though they occur at the very edge of peripheral vision. Were they even there at all? Although it would seem that this would create an emotional distance too profound to be crossed, the opposite is true. As I ...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in April, 2007
Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
This book was my intro to Gibson’s work. I’ve been told that I should have started with Neuromancer, and I realize that once again, I am drastically behind the times with my reading list. I tend to disagree with needing Neuromancer as a prelude to the enjoyment of this novel, however. I found that this book not only drove me on in interest and excitement for the storyline, but taught me much about both the technological and subtly cool and marketable ...more
This book was my intro to Gibson’s work. I’ve been told that I should have started with Neuromancer, and I realize that once again, I am drastically behind the times with my reading list. I tend to disagree with needing Neuromancer as a prelude to the enjoyment of this novel, however. I found that this book not only drove me on in interest and excitement for the storyline, but taught me much about both the technological and subtly cool and marketable ...more
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Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
Those interested in digital culture, graphic design and the Russian Mob.
Okay, so to be fair, I treat this book like the bible - this review is going to be nothing less than glowing. I'm a huge fan of William Gibson, but this is by far his best effort to date. Gibson supposedly coined the term 'Cyber-Punk," and early in his career the phrase meant something very different than it does in its incarnation in Pattern Recognition. Gibson is refined, thoughtful and - dare I say it - revolutionary in his writing about online culture and its interaction with the offlin...more
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Read in January, 2007
recommended to Melissa by:
The boyfriendrecommends it for: People who might not generally read "sci-fi".
Captian Steampunk writes a more accessible book set in what appears to be modern day metropolitan cities.
One again he is ahead of his time/right on cue in his observations of first world society, focusing on viral marketing, the growth of the trend scouting market, and the clever ways in which that multi-billion dollar global industry finds new ways to sell us things. Depressing business culture aside, though, he proposes that there are those who make art for art's sake, anonymously moving ...more
One again he is ahead of his time/right on cue in his observations of first world society, focusing on viral marketing, the growth of the trend scouting market, and the clever ways in which that multi-billion dollar global industry finds new ways to sell us things. Depressing business culture aside, though, he proposes that there are those who make art for art's sake, anonymously moving ...more
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