Walter Jon William's 'Hardwired' is the quintessential pulp cyberpunk of the sort one sees in movies. Wired implants tied to firearms, powerful aircraft in the stratosphere, dangerous women, action-packed and more! It's an entertaining read, though 'Hardwired' isn't a 'Neuromancer' or 'Islands in the Net'.
Cyberpunk fiction can be dated today. The future envisioned in the work of Gibson and Sterling is here in many aspects and more often than not, the future is here in more ways than the cyberpunk could have predicted.
I am presently reading Sterling's 'Tomorrow Now: Envisioning the Next 50 Years'. He has adopted a futurist persona, while dropping his journalist and science fiction writer personas. The narrative voice adopted by Sterling in this book is grating. Sterling and Gibson (who has stylistic pretensions I think) can write dreadful, impenetrable prose sometimes. Not difficult but just dull. I will speak more on this volume later. I am also reading 'Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution' and I am also referring to a few of the reference books about the 1890-1914 period. The so-called naval arms race.
In a similar vein, Front Line Assembly's 'Hardwired' (1995) was released after the well-received 'Tactical Neural Implant'. And this release features the hard-hitting 'Circuitry' single.
1. Neologic Spasm
2. Paralyzed
3. Re-Birth
4. Circuitry
5. Mortal
6. Modus Operandi
7. Transparent Species
8. Barcode
9. Condemned
10. Infra Red Combat
Front Line Assembly's music, in my opinion, can easily be a soundtrack to the many dark futures created by the so-called cyberpunk writers. The aural experience and the thematic direction are quite appropriate. Then again, everyone has their personal vision as to what constitutes the near future.
I wonder if anyone remembers those lacklustre Shadowrun* novels of the early nineties. They appeared to have suffered a quiet demise, not missed by most anyhow. The Earthdawn** novels have certainly disappeared.
*A series of cyberpunk mixed with fantasy novels based on a pen and paper roleplaying game.
**A series of fantasy novels based on a pen and paper roleplaying game.
8 comments:
great action pack explicit from u, would have enjoyed it more if I'm not so into the romance range!
Well, it's pulp fiction. Mindless fun. Not literary. You're not missing much.
Romance? Say, if you can find it, give Christopher Priest's 'The Glamour' a try. It's an interesting love story of sorts.
Does your list of naval strategy works include, or refer to, the writings of Alfred Thayer Mahan?
I re-read Hardwired last week and just finished Neuromancer. But I think Sterling is a better writer; he's got a more fluid storytelling style. IMHO. Of course.
Blackrx, yes, it does. Mahan is after all, the gold standard. Control of the sea. Winning the decisive battle. I will speak on this later. A lot more.
Mahanian strategy can have problems.
Anonymous, I read 'Hardwired' in the 80s. I should really re-write them. However, I think my views may have changed then.
I was heavily into Shadowrun as a teen with friends, and loved writing up a good scenario.
I even got it published in Herkimer's Lair - entitled Re-Birth as well (you can probably track it down with a google if you want a read).
Thanks for the info on Hardwired, I'm going to go have a look for it!
Shadowrun! What memories!
It's in its third incarnation now.
Do take a look at Richard Morgan's 'Altered Carbon' as well.
Post a Comment