William Gibson is best known for his novel Neuromancer , which helped crystallize the science fiction movement called cyberpunk.
This novel is not nearly as dramatic, and its heroes will not spawn as many pop culture imitators. While all of Gibson''s work is extremely sensitive to economic concerns, this story offers readers an acutely attuned
sensitivity to issues of style, design, patterns and meaning. This sensitivity is quite literal in Cayce Pollard, the main character, who experiences brand
recognition – and the possibilities inherent in brands– on a visceral level. She feels the impact of brands, just as her fellow core of Web devotees feel the intense meaning of a set of film fragments they find on the Internet. These snippets turn out to be the work of a crippled genius in the wreckage of post-Soviet Russia. This is a quiet book, with an often-confusing plot that depends on style, word play, and references to pop and high-culture phenomenon. Though structured as a witty mystery, it is also the rarest of novels: a work of fiction that offers a new perspective on business while capturing the heightened feel of a specific industry. getAbstract recommends it to those who work with design and brands, those who are patient, style-loving readers and those who are curious about what the near future may feel like. If you don''t want to know how the plot turns out, stop reading here.