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Difference Engine
 
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Difference Engine (Paperback)


2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

82 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (19)
3 star:
 (17)
2 star:
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1 star:
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Average Customer Review
2.8 out of 5 stars (82 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4.0 out of 5 stars Meat, not gruel, Jun 20 2004
By Roderick T. Long (Auburn, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Difference Engine (Mass Market Paperback)
I'm puzzled by the complaint (made by several reviewers below) that the plot threads are never tied up (yes they are, in the final third of the novel) and that we never find out what the mysterious punch cards do (we most certainly do -- see pp. 387, 421, and 429, where we're told EXACTLY what their function is).

This is admittedly a novel that has to be read carefully; one can't just slurp it down like jello without doing any work. It's a serious novel, thank goodness -- not "light entertainment."

I'm also puzzled that nobody seems to have noticed what a highly *political* novel this is. This book is much more about political and cultural ideology than it is about alternative-history technology.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but distorts history, May 24 2004
By Sean Mulligan (Alpharetta, GA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Difference Engine (Mass Market Paperback)
The idea of the invention of Steampowered computers in the nineteenth century is interesting but the author makes several unetanable claims of what would happen in the new timeline. The book says that the Mexican American War never happened and Texas is still independent. Yet the American Civil War happened even sooner than in our timeline and the South won. One of the causes of the Civil War was the dispute over whether the newly won territories captured in the war with Mexico would be free or slave states. If the war with Mexico never happens it stands to reason that the Civil War would be delayed or prevented all together. In the book Karl Marx is claimed to have seized control of New York City during the Draft riots during the Civil War and one of his followers is presented as a supporter of slavery. In the real history though Karl Marx supported the Union war effort and opposed slavery.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A complex alternate history, Mar 3 2004
By Garrett J. Menning (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Difference Engine (Mass Market Paperback)
The Difference Engine reflects the creative synergy of two great cyberpunk pioneers, Gibson and Sterling. It is a difficult and complex novel, based on the premise that Charles Babbage's eponymous mechanical computer is actually developed for practical use using steam power in the Victorian Age, ushering in the Information Revolution a century early. The authors manage to convincingly evoke a Victorian otherworld that is both hauntingly familiar and yet dramatically different from our own past. England is ruled by technocrats and scientists (known as savants) who battle Luddite terrorists; the United States are far from united, rent between the Republic of Texas, the Confederate South, and the Marxist Manhattan Commune. Gibson and Sterling utilize this fascinating background to great advantage, using a colorful cast of characters (including famous historic figures like Sam Houston and Lord Byron in roles a little different from those in our own history books) to explore such weighty themes as evolution and natural selection; technology, surveillance and social control; AI; and the science of chaos and complexity.

I'm sure I did not fully grasp all the implications or understand all the intricate plotlines in this rare treasure; it will definitely repay rereading. But I'm sure that thoughtful fans of Gibson and Sterling--especially those with some knowledge of 19th century England--will enjoy this book as much as I did. It may well be regarded as an SF masterpiece with time. On the other hand, readers who require straightforward, linear plotting and who find ambiguity irritating will certainly do best to skip this novel.

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 		 Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Boring
I am a fan of William Gibson, I read a lot of good book written by him and find that he is a very interesting author. Read more
Published on Feb 4 2005 by Claude Mally

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but many missed opportunities
This isn't a bad novel, and I don't think it "drags" as some would have it--there is enough motive force behind the novel (action, plot development) to keep you there,... Read more
Published on Dec 2 2003 by Eric Hines

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Complex Reading
In contrast to most of the negative reviews, I thought the suprise ending was powerful and not entirely unexpected. Read more
Published on Jun 30 2003 by JFBeilman

3.0 out of 5 stars nice plan, but huh?
i really like reading gibson. usually, it's kind of like running a marathon: it's harder than hell to get to the end, but ultimately rewarding. Read more
Published on Mar 30 2003 by M. Browning

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
This book takes a little while to get started (about 30 pages--not too long), but once it does, wow. What a world! Read more
Published on Mar 27 2003 by L. Hall

1.0 out of 5 stars Huh?
Okay, right now I'm on a cyberpunk kick and I picked this book up at the library because the premise sounded interesting: what if the computer ("Engine" in the book... Read more
Published on Feb 5 2003 by wysewomon

3.0 out of 5 stars I wanted to love it.
It was such a great premise for a book-- what if the Babbage had realized his analytical engine and successfully created computer much earlier in our history? Read more
Published on Jan 10 2003 by C. Gilbert

3.0 out of 5 stars A conflict of writing styles
It had the *makings* of a great novel... two of the greatest modern SF writers, applying the tools of today to a previous century. But. But. Read more
Published on Nov 27 2002 by a superintelligent shade of th...

5.0 out of 5 stars Gave me chills
I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I think I have to reveal a little to counter the bad reviews. Read more
Published on Sep 12 2002 by Adrian Bell

1.0 out of 5 stars Absolute crap!
I have to agree with virtually everyone else who reviewed this book. It is horrible. The book reads like Sterling and Gibson came up with a concept, divided up the chapters and... Read more
Published on Aug 20 2002 by jsdunk

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