Understanding William Gibson

"Gibson's worldview calculates as a zero because he sees our era as defining itself principally by contrast with others, forever living in a "post-" age. The author himself excels in these circumstances by being what the French call a bricoleur, improvising with borrowed materials to produce something beyond conventional intents."—American Literary Scholarship: 2016

"Understanding William Gibson constitutes an indispensable contribution to the study of one of the most important and influential authors of contemporary fiction. By tracing a synoptic view of the author's oeuvre, from his early stories to his cyberpunk fiction to his recent 'Bridge Trilogy,' Al Miller's wonderful monograph makes Gibson the means to grasp a profound historical transformation whereby the future encroaches on the present and the world becomes a science fiction. A genuine critical achievement."—Gregory Flaxman, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

"Gerald Alva Miller's Understanding William Gibson provides readers with a comprehensive picture of Gibson's formation as a writer and visionary. Miller captures the evolution of Gibson's style, demonstrates how he 'continually adapts his style and plots to technological advancements and changes in the sociocultural landscapes' and how his style has metamorphosed in response to everyday reality that 'has increasingly become a kind of science fiction.' Miller's book explicates Gibson as a postmodern writer experimenting with style and genre to advance a critique of cybernetic control, a critique that, ironically, has furnished some of the most well-known terms, such as 'cyberspace,' of the Internet and virtual reality age."—María DeGuzmán, professor of English and comparative literature, director of Latina/o Studies, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill