Saturday, January 8, 2011

William Gibson - Spook Country

Don't call me a hater. I've been on board the William Gibson train since I read Neuromancer in high school in 1985. But man this book was slow. Atmosphere counts for a lot but it can't be everything, surely. Spook Country reminded me of a quote by Katherine Mansfield about EM Forster:

E. M. Forster never gets any further than warming the teapot. He's a rare fine hand at that. Feel this teapot. Is it not beautifully warm? Yes, but there ain't going to be no tea.

Gibson waits a long time to give us any tea and then its an under brewed chamomile. Of course there was some good techy-geeky stuff along the way and one really funny quote about a club in Hollywood that wasn't as trendy as it thought it was: "If a cruise missile hit the bar, there would be no great need to change the cover of the next People." Heh.

4 comments:

seana said...

Can't speak to Gibson as I haven't read anything since Neuromancer, but I do think Forster delivered on the tea. I suspect that he will outlast Mansfield too, though as I haven't read her, that isn't a shout of glee.

Michael Stone said...

The only Gibson I've read is "The Difference Engine", which I hated, and a short story called something like "Cardboard City", which I hated. So yeah, call me a hater. :)

adrian mckinty said...

Seana

Well she did have the disadvantage of dying young, but yes I think I agree with you, he really does deliver and he is funny which counts for a lot in my book.

adrian mckinty said...

Mike

I dont remember The Difference Engine except that it was a steampunk with Lord Byron's daughter or something. But I do like WB, just not here. Heavens no.