Book Review: Burning Chrome

Once upon a time, I had read William Gibson’s Neuromancer. It was a fascinating book. On one of my shelves, I noticed that I had a copy of Burning Chrome. I thought it was just what I needed to relax. It actually kept my mind buzzing.This 191-page book is packed with mind-blowing description. Burning Chrome is a collection of ten short stories. Gibson and sometimes a co-author has written some fascinating stories with a science fiction flair. The stories include:

• Johnny Mnemonic
• The Gernsback Continuum
• Fragments of a Hologram Rose
• The Belonging Kind (written with John Shirley)
• Hinterlands
• Red Star, White Star (written with Bruce Sterling)
• New Rose Hotel
• The Winter Market
• Dogfight (written with Michael Swanwick)
• Burning Chrome

While I enjoyed each story, some stood out more than others. Gibson certainly challenges me with his thoughts and writing. Sometimes it is extremely hard to follow. I find myself rereading passages just to grasp what he is saying. He describes scenes and events that did not previously exist. What an interesting mind.

While Gibson referred to technologies that had not yet been invented, he also referenced technologies that were predominantly observed in the 1980s such as floppy discs and proms. Some of the technologies he references, he reimagined them in the future. However, 40 years later, these technologies have become obsolete and replaced by entirely different concepts.

I find that Gibson’s stories have a dark edge to them. They are gritty. He draws on exotic cultures and genres to help tell his stories. He takes a culture such as Japanese and Russian and twists it to serve his story. He may take a career like a soldier, courier, or space crew and put another twist on it. However, I see his real strength in describing and morphing technology to tell a story. Most of this focuses on the use of computers or the integration of technology into the human body.

If you are looking for some mind-bending science fiction, you will definitely need to check out Wiliam Gibson’s writings. As a collection of stories, Burning Chrome should provide you with a wonderful sense of what Gibson has to offer. While often perplexed, I was also always entertained.

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