Reviews

Burning Chrome by William Gibson

brianmagid's review against another edition

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5.0

1. the winter market
2. the gernsback continuum
3. new rose hotel
4. burning chrome
5. the belonging kind
6. dogfight
7. red star winter orbit
8. fragments of a hologram rose
9. johnny mnemonic
10. hinterlands

all absolutely electric

_katie3's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

ceryni's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

rancidslopshop's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

monster's review against another edition

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4.0

I liked some of these stories better than others, especially the ones that were a part of Sprawl/in the same setting, but some of the ones that weren't were interesting as well (particularly Gernsback, because I want more creepy retro-futurism, and Hinterlands, which was disturbing). Worldbuilding continues to be the best part of Gibson's stories, in my opinion. Also found it kinda funny that most of these were in first person whereas his novels (as far as the ones I've read) are in third. Enjoyable collection all around.

ice119's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

zandeaux's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

metalgeartofu's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

3.75

ramsfan1963's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Neuromancer is the more famous book, but I think this is the better read. Taken together, it a view of a world of technological wonders, but also the ugly side of the abuse of technology, when it begins to blur what it means to be human.

guppyur's review against another edition

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4.0

Superb.

This is a short story collection by William Gibson, the father of cyberpunk, most famous for his seminal novel Neuromancer. To read Gibson is to realize just how completely every other work in the genre has cribbed from him, right down to the slang he invented.

Not all of Gibson's work is up to the standard of Neuromancer. I'm happy to say that this one is. Burning Chrome collects ten short stories of varying lengths. I would prefer not to describe the stories; I believe a critical part of the experience is going in blind, allowing oneself to construct a mental image of the settings Gibson creates from the context he provides. Extrapolating his world from the little corner he renders is part of the journey. Instead, here's a list of the stories:

1. Johnny Mnemonic*
2. The Gernsback Continuum
3. Fragments of a Hologram Rose
4. The Belonging Kind
5. Hinterlands
6. Red Star, Winter Orbit
7. New Rose Hotel*
8. The Winter Market*
9. Dogfight
10. Burning Chrome*

I enjoyed all ten of them, but the starred stories were my favorites. As is Gibson's style, the stories are grimy and gritty as you'd expect a cyberpunk setting to be.

I love Gibson for his ideas and his settings, but several passages made me wish for a Kindle edition just so I could highlight. A lot of good turns of phrase in here.

This book is currently available only in physical format, and is not currently being printed, but copies are plentiful at the moment and are not hard to get hold of. My paperback edition features a preface by Bruce Sterling in defense of science fiction as a genre, which I enjoyed very much as well. I am sorry to say that the genre does seem to need sticking up for.

Very much worth reading.