Like all short story collections this book is a mix bag. Some of the stories are really good, others are pretty forgettable. Pat Cadigan
In THE ULTIMATE CYBERPUNK, author Pat Cadigan takes readers through the evolution of this influential science fiction genre. From the groundbreaking forefathers of the field such as Alfred Bester, Philip K. Dick and Samuel R. Delany to the founding members of the cyberpunk movement such as William Gibson, Bruce Sterling and forward through to such innovators as Neal Stephenson, Ian MacDonald and Rudy Rucker. In over 300 pages of stories, Cadigan presents the cyberpunk world in which reality and virtual reality intersect. The phenomenal impact of the Internet on our sense of community, the seduction of a world behind the screen and the inherent dangers of a society in which information can be hacked, stolen and sold, are some of the topics discussed by our best cyberpunk writers. The Ultimate Cyberpunk
I had this plan to rant about every one of the stories here and give them their own individual rate, but maybe later :)) Pat Cadigan Unfortunate that this is out of print and growing in scarcity (I'm glad I snapped up a cheap copy when I did!) since I feel that it's a better overall introduction to the cyberpunk subgenre than Mirrorshades with a stronger story selection. Another nice bonus is a list of essential cyberpunk writings to send you on more rabbit holes! Pat Cadigan A very good collection if you are curious about cyberpunk and you want to see how different authors choose to explore the themes of the genre. Once again we can see the predictive power of cyberpunk while reading the short stories here. Some approach topics that we are well too-familiar with today and it makes for an interesting read.
The stories that I found most prophetic and interesting were: Green Days in Brunei and The Girl Who was Plugged in. I would not say, they breached some new ground with their ideas, but they felt real and involving in a way that many sci-fi works fail to achieve.
When talking about a collection we have to mention the choice of stories and the way they were ordered. I think that Editor - Pat Cardigan did herself a disservice by placing her story so far in the back. I think the story was a weak link and i would've been better to read it earlier, before we get a good grasp of what sort of stories we will read in the next pages.
The rest of the stories are very well grounded, they follow each other nicely, rarely go into abstractions and confusing narration and feel very gritty and real. Pat Cadigan A brilliant collection of the best of Cyberpunk and proto-cyberpunk short stories. Whilst Mirrorshades is the most iconic this is the most comprehensive. Looking at the individual stories:
Fondly Fahrenheit- This could be an Asimov Robot story but is elevated by questions of identity. As always Bester shows himself a master of prose.
The Game of Rat and Dragon- A very weird story which almost goes into the realms of madness. Not entirely sure I understand it.
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale- Famous for it's loose adaptation to the film Total Recall but I have always preferred the original story. Classic PKD.
The Girl Who Was Plugged In- The first really Cyberpunkish story in the collection and wonderfully prescient of modern no-talent celebrity culture. I do, however, struggle with the unusual stylistic choices.
The 57th Franz Kafka- Beatish and strange.
Burning Chrome- Whilst by no means the first cyberpunk story probably the defining one, combining all the disparate elements together.
Blood Music- Not sure if this is really cyberpunk (more biopunk to my mind) but it's creepiness make it my favourite of the collection.
Till Human Voices Wake Us- A mad scientist tale combined with corporate blandness. One of two stories from Mirrorshades and a very interesting choice.
Freezone- Reprinted from Mirrorshades and rightly remembered as one of the best stories of that collection. about a retro-rock star trying for fame in a survielled pleasure seekers hideaway.
Dogfight- A very nasty tale of gameplaying and class. I found this one tough due to its unpleasant content.
Green Days in Brunei- A surprising tale, offering an optimistic alternative in a dark future.
Patterns- Another what is real? tale in the a media-saturated world. Cadigan, however, is a master of character.
Dr. Luther's Assistant- A jump to something more modern and even stranger, as part of McAuley's Fairyland Pat Cadigan This is a good anthology of an SF subgenre whose death knell has been tolled many times before but never got around to kicking it. And that’s a very good thing. There is much to like in this collection that Cadigan has cobbled together. It gathers the pivotal authors of the genre and shows off just how diverse the stories can be. No, not every cyberpunk narrative takes place in a gritty urban setting with characters in black pvc and technology that looks like it fell off a stealth bomber. Here are a few of the highlights:
Alfred Bester, “Fondly Farenheit”—an android and a dialogue between ego and superego? You make the call. A prototype for the genre that would be cyberpunk.
Philip K. Dick, “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”—are memories as good as the real thing? This is a great entry by the legendary man of ideas that has none of the action movie tropes of its film version, Total Recall. Sorry Bernard, no Michael Ironside.
Rudy Rucker, “57th Franz Kafka”—a new take on The Metamorphosis. Disturbing and inscrutable, but did you expect anything else from Rucker?
William Gibson, “Burning Chrome”—fine work by the Master, a story of a cyberspace double-cross. Gibson could probably make a tuna salad recipe sound like science fiction.
Greg Bear, “Blood Music”—could be one of the more realistic of the collection. The time for this kind of nano-enhancement is upon us.
Lewis Shriner, “Till Human Voices Wake Us”—for me, this entry strays rather far afield from cyberpunk and enters the realm of biotech. But that’s okay, it adds to the diversity of the collection.
John Shirley, “Freezone”—not much of a plot here, just Shirley taking us on a punky meandering through a dystopic future. And I loved it.
William Gibson and Michael Swanwick, “Dogfight”—twisty.
Bruce Sterling, “Green Days in Brunei”—probably my favorite and the most satisfying of the pieces. Strong and endearing characters. A world not too far removed from our own. A nice tale for illustrating the rise of the “developing world.”
If I have any overall criticism of the stories, it has to do with style. Except for Gibson and Sterling, none of these writers compose with any thought to description. They just lay everything out there, violating that cardinal rule of literary writing, “show, don’t tell.” As I’ve grown sick of that phrase, I’m actually kind of ok with the so-called “transgression.” But then I read the work of Gibson and his descriptions and phrasing absolutely blow me away, making the other stories look like amateur hour. Character development is another issue. Except for Bruce Sterling, the authors spend maybe a page on it. With protagonists so thin, it’s difficult to cultivate much of an attachment to them, so you better hope the scientific principle that is being explored keeps you hanging on.
Oh and why Neal Stephenson wasn’t included is beyond me. Maybe he’s never written in the short form before. I don’t know.
All in all, Ultimate Cyberpunk makes for fine reading. Plus, you get an 11-page insert of a “lost” comic book version of William Gibson’s classic, Neuromancer. I’ve heard there is a film adaptation on the horizon. Let’s hope not. The book is amazing but I just don’t think it translates well to other media if this comic is any indication. Pat Cadigan
