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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 (11 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Virtual Light + Idoru + All Tomorrow's Parties
Price For All Three: £20.17

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Product details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin; New Ed edition (26 Oct 2000)
  • 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 (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 30,594 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

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

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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.
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The courier presses his forehead against layers of glass, argon, high-impact plastic. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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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!

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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!!!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Virtual Light - Virtually Perfect, 15 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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

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 12 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

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