Finished March 6
Distrust That Particular Flavor by William Gibson, read by Robertson Dean
Gibson is widely known for his novels (which I haven't read!) but also has written a variety of pieces on different aspects of contemporary culture. He was born in the southern United States and moved to Canada as a young man. Having met and married a Canadian woman, he stayed and now lives in Vancouver. This comes up only briefly in the writings contained here.
This is a collection of articles, speeches, book reviews, and essays on culture, technology, urban life, and the relationships between our lives and the changing world. The articles range over 3 decades, and many have short commentary by the author following them, a take on how he feels about that piece of writing now. The whole feels very conversational as that is the style he often seems to write in, and even the older pieces are surprisingly relevant. I liked the range of subjects and the different ideas he has about the subjects and how they inspire his fiction writing. I also liked how his personal life often crept in, and illuminated the writing. It is always fun to see behind the scenes and get an insight into the personal side of a writer.
A very entertaining and enlightening collection.
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