From Publishers Weekly
Arranged loosely in order of publication, the 16 diverse selections in this decade-spanning anthology add up to a plausible snapshot of cyberpunk's short-form evolution. Kelly and Kessel (Feeling Very Strange) clearly describe cyberpunk counterculture in a cogent introduction, yet draw only one story from a nongenre source (Greg Egan's Yeyuka) and greatly undervalue the subgenre's ability, at its most popular, to reach beyond SF's core audience. While some entries (Charles Stross's Lobsters; Cory Doctorow's When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth) focus strongly on techno-geek culture, others apply high-tech ideas in more down-to-earth contexts (Mary Rosenblum's Search Engine; Paolo Bacigalupi's The Calorie Man). The critical matter is too scant for academic readers and too intrusive for genre fans; discussion of specific stories is extremely sparse, and excerpts from correspondence between Kessel and Bruce Sterling distract rather than enlighten. Readers seeking a thorough critical study should look elsewhere, but those looking for well-told stories will be satisfied. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Cyberpunk is dead. Long live post-cyberpunk!" —Kirkus Reviews
"[The] strange, cinematically atmospheric story, 'Thirteen Views of a Cardboard City,' fits perfectly in Rewired." —William Gibson, author, Spook Country
"A short story collection filled with very good stories by very good science fiction writers offering very engaging ideas." —PopMatters
"Sixteen inspiring, mind-altering stories . . . and every story in the bunch is a knockout." —BoingBoing.net
"An excellent collection and a reminder that the short story is often the best venue for new ideas in the field." —SF Crowsnest.com
"Cyberpunk has grown past its rebel stage and is now not only capable of dazzling us with surfaces but also of speaking of the human condition." —Tangent
"Mind-altering . . . every story in the bunch is a knockout." —Monstrous.com
Book Description
Following the rapid evolution of cyberpunk from Bruce Sterling and William Gibson into the current millennium, this vivid anthology welcomes a new generation of exciting writers to take the genre in new and unexpected directions. Cyberpunk freewheels with punk rock energy, careening between the internet, bioengineering, and international politics, its influence saturating entertainment and the mass media. Drawing on the traditions of the pioneering cyberpunk manifesto, Mirrorshades, each story delves into the gritty world of technological change. Legendary Mirrorshades editor and contributor Bruce Sterling is back, alongside such cutting-edge writers as Cory Doctorow, Jonathan Lethem, Gwyneth Jones, Hal Duncan, Charles Stross, and Pat Cadigan. With a daring introduction from James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel, editors of the controversial Feeling Very Strange: The Slipstream Anthology, this collection is an exhilarating snapshot of a vibrant literary movement.
About the Author
James Patrick Kelly is the winner of two Hugo Awards and is the author of Burn, Think Like a Dinosaur, and Wildlife. He is a columnist for Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine and serves as chair of the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. He lives in Nottingham, New Hampshire. John Kessel is a Nebula, Sturgeon, Tiptree, and Locus award winner and the author of Corrupting Dr. Nice, Good News from Outer Space, and The Pure Product. He teaches science fiction, fantasy, and fiction writing at North Carolina State University and his criticism has appeared in Foundation, Los Angeles Times Book Review, The New York Review of Science Fiction, and Science Fiction Age. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.
