Tag: William Gibson

Readings, July/August 2026

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This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Readings 2026

July and August of 2026 were not bad for reading! I did travel some, so I read less than I otherwise might have—traveling with a kid makes reading a challenge—but I still got through a fair bit.  I should note, I’m partway through a few books (including a translation of the Ilyǒn’s Samguk Yusa as well as the still-not-quite abandoned Morte D’Arthur) but my rule is to post about books once I’ve finished them, so those will have to wait. Below is what I finished during these two months.  

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Georgian England, The Developing World, Crime Prevention, and Internet Trolls

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Life in Georgian London was an alien sort of existence: it’s hard to wrap your head around it, though there is one analogy I’ve discovered for it that neatly says a lot about the things we take for granted… and also suggests something of our future, too. I suspect the unexpected key is this figure: Yes, our old friend… the internet troll.  I’d argue that, among other things, the Internet is pretty invaluable in keeping humanity acquainted with what it’s like to live in a lawless, unpoliced world. Which is the kind of world that people in the 1730s lived …

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Literary Sampling and Remixing: Sterling & Gibson’s The Difference Engine

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I’ve intended to get around to The Difference Engine for years on end, but never started in on it in earnest until this year, for reasons I can’t explain, really. I’ve had a copy all these years, but never quite gotten around to it. Anyway, I picked up an audiobook edition of the novel using one of my Audible credits, since I’ve been listening to audiobooks a fair bit while walking, or doing chores around the house, and I’m enjoying it immensely. I remember reading an interview with the authors in Science Fiction Studies many years ago, and being very curious about the method they …

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