Rydell is on his way back to near-future San Francisco. A stint as a security man in an all-night Los Angeles convenience store has convinced him his career is going nowhere, but his friend Laney, phoning from Tokyo, says there's more interesting work for him in Northern California. And there is, although it will eventually involve his former girlfriend, a Taoist assassin, the secrets Laney has been hacking out of the depths of DatAmerica, the CEO of the PR firm that secretly runs the world and the apocalyptic technological transformation of, well, everything. William Gibson's new novel, set in the soon-to-be-fact world of "Virtual Light" and "Idoru", completes a stunning, brilliantly imagined trilogy about the post-Net world.
All Tomorrow's Parties
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Amazon Review
William Gibson's seventh glossy, neon-lit novel is a stylishly complex sequel to his previous two, Virtual Light and Idoru. From Virtual Light there's the potent image of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge transformed into a vertically stacked shanty-town with its own bohemian autonomy, outside the law. Idoru provides the magical Japanese media idol ("idoru") Rei Toei, a gorgeous lady existing only in software--as yet. Gibson links these worlds with his usual glowing, plausible vision of deadly streetwise realities intersecting with on-line data flow. One man attuned to the net can sense from his cardboard-box home in Tokyo that major changes loom. A Zen assassin stalks San Francisco and the unlucky ex-cop hero from Virtual Light must assemble some very strange equipment. Further objects of desire include lovingly described knives, guns and even antique mechanical watches, as collected by Gibson himself (who pursues them through online auctions)--the ability to trace watches across the net is crucial to tracking the arch-villain. All the world's clocks are ticking in a countdown to transformation and to chrome-polished scenes of extreme violence as zero-hour nears. Multiple story lines meet and dovetail with deft, witty understatement and, in one case, a charming joke. Vintage Gibson, with enough artful backfill that you needn't read the prequels--but they're great fun too. --David Langford
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Publisher
Praise for All Tomorrow's Parties:
"The beauty of Gibson's sci-fi is that the future has never seemed nearer or more vivid. With corporate interests, an assassin stalking San Francisco, and a sick visionary living rough in Tokyo, this plot is a regular thriller. But Gibson's ability to observe the way we live now, and then add a techno-twist, is second-to-none, while his prose paints pictures as radiantly visual as a music video." Esquire October 1999
"The beauty of Gibson's sci-fi is that the future has never seemed nearer or more vivid. With corporate interests, an assassin stalking San Francisco, and a sick visionary living rough in Tokyo, this plot is a regular thriller. But Gibson's ability to observe the way we live now, and then add a techno-twist, is second-to-none, while his prose paints pictures as radiantly visual as a music video." Esquire October 1999
"Gibson often seems more like an ultra-cool travel writer than a sad SF novelist. Reading his books is like visiting an unfamiliar city, full of strange sights and smells - a cybertravelogue." Mirror 8th October 1999 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
THROUGH this evening's tide of faces unregistered, unrecognized, amid hurrying black shoes, furled umbrellas, the crowd descending like a single organism into the station's airless heart, comes Shinya Yamazaki, his notebook clasped beneath his arm like the egg case of some modest but moderately successful marine species. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
THROUGH this evening's tide of faces unregistered, unrecognized, amid hurrying black shoes, furled umbrellas, the crowd descending like a single organism into the station's airless heart, comes Shinya Yamazaki, his notebook clasped beneath his arm like the egg case of some modest but moderately successful marine species. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I finished it a couple of weeks ago, and it inspired me to re-read Virtual Light (Idoru will be next).
The thing is, while I can remember lots of little facets: ideas, locations, characters, and events, the main thrust of the plot is gone from my mind. Perhaps this is the nature of Gibson :-)
The chapter lengths are *very* short, making for a staccato read. Not a problem, but perhaps that's part of what makes the overall picture so hard to appreciate and remember.
It was nice to meet Rydell and Chevette again, and the bridge was (once more) a fascinating place to visit.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Unlike his earlier works, in which each book stands almost alone, this book makes many references to Idoru and Virtual Light and uses several of the characters. It brings those stories together in the way we've come to expect from Gibson:- partly obscure and philosophical, partly very real and likely future vision. There isn't much actually happens overall, as a story, but the way several threads of narrative are followed as they combine towards the end, remeniscent of Mona Lisa Overdrive, make the book strangely compelling. For those who've never read Gibson before, be warned that none of his books are designed for skim-reading, you have to pay attention and think about what is written! With inescapable streetwise style, solid characters, a disturbingly likely view of the future, and even some dark humour, this is a good addition to the Gibson collection.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
In my view, All Tomorrows Parties could almost be called a short stories collection. Yes, there is a plot, but mostly it's really just ignored. Instead, Gibson concentrates on describing his visions of the future, which are absolutely stunning in both detail and depth, and could even be called his best yet. Needless to say, I loved it.
And by the way, this book has some great stuff for you fellow gamemasters out there :)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thrilling and satirical view of the near future
This is a magnificent novel displaying everything William Gibson is good at to its fullest effect. A stylish and intelligent thriller of the near future, it shows a writer on top... Read more
Published 9 months ago by James Adamson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stylish techno-thriller
Not my usual sort of thing but read it on recommendation from a friend, and I'm glad i did. To be honest much of the story went straight over my head but I loved the atmospheric... Read more
Published 17 months ago by R2D2
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice if not a touch unsatisfying
Going into this I had already read the previous 2 books in The Bridge series (a must if you want any hope of understanding this one) and having thoroughly enjoyed these previous... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mrs. Christine Doorly
4.0 out of 5 stars
Collation
It feels much like Mona Lisa Overdrive where it wraps everything up in one go, he does this much better than his previous work Idoru and how Rydel and Chevette have grown in the... Read more
Published on 13 Jun 2010 by Paul M
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book, Great end to the trilogy.
Im not great at writing reviews but its safe to say that once i started reading the book i couldn't put it down. Would definately recommend it.
Published on 3 April 2010 by Mr. G. Goldsmith
3.0 out of 5 stars
A trilogy limps to a close...
'All Tomorrow's Parties' is the third in a trilogy, following on from the excellent 'Virtual Light' and 'Idoru' novels. Read more
Published on 8 May 2007 by Jane Aland
5.0 out of 5 stars
the future can only be worse
as cyclic as human history seems to be, it is however and clearly following a descending path.
this must be the attraction of a writer like gibson, who can picture a future of... Read more
this must be the attraction of a writer like gibson, who can picture a future of... Read more
Published on 11 July 2006 by an italian in london
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life on the Lower Level
Hidden from general readers for some years, Gibson's Neuromancer remains the best speculative fiction novel. Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2006 by Stephen A. Haines
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fan of gibson and i liked it.
I'm a big fan of william gibson, and i didn't think it was inferior to his other work as some have suggested - in fact i think its one of his best. Read more
Published on 3 Nov 2001 by i.n.n.reid@another.com
3.0 out of 5 stars
Somehow disappointed...
I loved Virtual Light and Idoru - in fact, I started this, then put it down again to reread the two prequels. Read more
Published on 20 Sep 2001 by "deafdumbandblindkid"
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