or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
187 used & new from £0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Virtual Light
 
 

Virtual Light (Paperback)

by William Gibson (Author) "The courier presses his forehead against layers of glass, argon, high-impact plastic ..." (more)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.89 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.10 (26%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Friday, November 13? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
17 new from £0.79 167 used from £0.01 3 collectible from £0.01

Frequently Bought Together

Virtual Light + Idoru + All Tomorrow's Parties
Price For All Three: £17.54

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Virtual Light by William Gibson

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Idoru by William Gibson

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Idoru

Idoru

by William Gibson
3.9 out of 5 stars (9)  £5.72
All Tomorrow's Parties

All Tomorrow's Parties

by William Gibson
4.0 out of 5 stars (21)  £5.93
Burning Chrome

Burning Chrome

by William Gibson
4.7 out of 5 stars (7)  £5.97
Mona Lisa Overdrive

Mona Lisa Overdrive

by William Gibson
4.4 out of 5 stars (7)  £5.97
Count Zero

Count Zero

by William Gibson
4.7 out of 5 stars (6)  £9.15
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin; New Ed edition (26 Oct 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140157727
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140157727
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 88,382 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #14 in  Books > Fiction > Cult Authors > Gibson, William

Product Description

Product Description

Berry Rydell, an ex-cop, signs on with IntenSecure Armed Response in Los Angeles. He finds himself on a collision course that results in a desperate romance, and a journey into the ecstasy and dread that mirror each other at the heart of the postmodern experience.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
The courier presses his forehead against layers of glass, argon, high-impact plastic. Read the first page
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
cyberpunk
william gibson
monalisa overdrive
gideons fall
gibson
gabrielsen

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Virtual Light
56% buy the item featured on this page:
Virtual Light 3.5 out of 5 stars (12)
£5.89
Neuromancer
14% buy
Neuromancer 4.0 out of 5 stars (63)
£5.97
Spook Country
11% buy
Spook Country 3.5 out of 5 stars (33)
£6.97
Mona Lisa Overdrive
10% buy
Mona Lisa Overdrive 4.4 out of 5 stars (7)
£5.97

 

Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Took me into its world for days., 18 Oct 2000
As I read the first couple of chapters I nearly gave up on the book. I even thought it was a series of short stories because it jumped about so much. But I read on and was rewarded by a story that absorbed me so much I was truly sorry when it ended. Looking at some of the other reviews, all I can say is persevere - and the glasses are explained at the end.

The characterisation is excellent and believable - take the journey!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A good book, bad place to start reading Gibson...., 16 May 2003
Having read the other reviews of Virtual Light I felt it best to throw in my pennies worth. First, lets all just agree that William Gibson is a great SF writer. NO, just agree, it'll be easier.
Lets also say that Virtual Light is not the best place to start. Most of his books are set in the same near-future setting, and interweave delicately with each other: part of the fun of reading a new Gibson novel is spotting the characters from previous works who occaisionally pop their heads into the plot, either for a guest appearance or for a more starring role (anyone who's read them will remember Molly, in all her incarnations, as being one of the most memorable...). But that's just the point. Unless you've read all of them, starting at Virtual Light might be too much effort. Start at the beginning, with 'Neuromancer', which is, on it's own, both one of the finest cyberpunk novels ever written and the ideal starting point to get to grips with Gibson's writing style.
The first Gibson book I read was Virtual Light, and I have to agree with one of the other reviews here: at the time, it seemed rushed, too flaky, too insubstantial to take in. Then I read Neuromancer, realized they were something of a series, and got the lot. I have now read them all, and while they do vary in content and quality, they all have a particular fast-paced atmosphere that reveals him as an accomplished author. Virtual Light suffers in the same way as Count Zero: if read as part of the whole, they are each a wonderful, engaging dip into Gibson's intricate near future; strange, twisted tales of losers and winners wound round the plots and concepts that will draw fans in further and further...if read on their own, they may seem too distant, so take my advice and START AT THE BEGINNING!!!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Virtual Light - Virtually Perfect, 14 Aug 2003
By The Marquis de Carabas (London & Montréal) - See all my reviews
Set in a future that is as close as this afternoon, this is a book that shows why Gibson is one of the masters of speculative fiction. The story is tight, fast paced & full of the little details that Gibson does so well. If you have read Gibson before & liked it, you'll want to read this. If you haven't, this book is a great place to start.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars "Virtual Light"
More great sci-fi from Gibson.

Very interesting characters, a brilliantly portrayed future landscape, and a fast and compelling story. Read more
Published 9 days ago by David Brookes

4.0 out of 5 stars Virtual Light
Set in the very near future San Francisco (in fact, by now a few years in the past!) this novel follows the trail of a pair of information-filled 'virtual light' sunglasses, the... Read more
Published on 26 April 2007 by dogbarkssome

5.0 out of 5 stars Rydell's Run
Reading a Gibson novel is an act of faith. He weaves seemingly tenuous threads into a vivid plot. Don't expect to fully comprehend where you're going until you're... Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2006 by Stephen A. Haines

3.0 out of 5 stars Average
Virtual Light is set in a near future San Francisco and has an ordinary plot whereby someone gets hold of an item they shouldn't have, and people in power want it back. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2004 by Tom Douglas

1.0 out of 5 stars Virtual Light..
After reading Neuromancer for the first recently I rushed out and got hold of virtual Light... to say I was disappointed would be an understatement.. Read more
Published on 16 April 2003 by Gareth J Miller

4.0 out of 5 stars Too complex for some?
This is obviously completely different from "Golden Age" SF, a fan of which contributed a rather negative review. Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2002

4.0 out of 5 stars It's pretty darn good.
I found Virtual Light to be a better read than the other Gibson books I have read. The story flows better and I can identifiy more with the characters than I could in his... Read more
Published on 30 April 2000

1.0 out of 5 stars If this is modern sci-fi, give me classics anytime
Maybe I missed the point, but I found this book very dissapointing. The story seemed jumbled and confusing. Read more
Published on 20 April 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars shimmering prism of post-modern meta-narrative
This text soars like a mok, clambering through the stars and exploding like a virtual pancake doida. Read more
Published on 14 Jan 1999

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.