There are some interesting ideas in this story, but unfortunately it gradually collapses under the weight of trying to say Something Insightful about the Human Condition. Solstice, by James Patrick Kelly: a designer drug guru and his Close Companion struggle to achieve a Meaningful Relationship. ‘400’ is just as surreal as Rucker’s story, but at the same time, its prose style stays grounded, and (unlike so many New Wave tales) this one has a coherent plot. Another of the better entries in the anthology. It’s telling that Rucker not only does what they wanted to do, but completely surpasses them within the limitations of a story that is only six pages long.!Ĥ00 Boys, by Marc Laidlaw: Inner-city gang-bangers confront an otherworldly threat. On the surface it’s the type of fantasy tale that the New Wave authors of the 70s tried time and time again to perfect (usually without success). This story is one of the best in the anthology, and one of the best to emerge from the genre’s First Generation. Tales of Houdini by Rudy Rucker: the legendary escape artist decides to take on some uniquely hazardous challenges. I’ve always considered Cadigan to be one of the more underwhelming authors designated as a 'cyberpunk author', and this brief tale doesn’t do much to change my mind.the fact of the matter is that John Shirley (below) is superior at doing the whole 'rock-and-roll angst' trope. Rock On, by Pat Cadigan: Even when down and out, a singer refuses to compromise her dedication to Rock music.and by extension, Art. The author’s tendency to belabor the damaged state of his characters gets tedious as the story unfolds, and 'Snake Eyes' suffers as a result.

Snake Eyes, by Tom Maddox: a former soldier finds himself tormented by the AI installed in his skull. While it doesn’t adhere very closely to the traditional cyberpunk tropes, 'Gernsback' stands the test of time as an imaginative and effective sci-fi story.

The Gernsback Continuum, by William Gibson: a photographer finds himself having peculiar hallucinations brought about by documenting crumbling architecture in the Southwest. As editor Bruce Sterling states in his Preface, in selecting entries for the book he decided to go with lesser-known stories over more frequently anthologized selections.Īll of the entries first were published between 1981 – 1986, many in Omni magazine. ‘Mirrorshades’ contains stories that can be considered ‘First Generation’ cyberpunk. How does it hold up when examined again 30 years later ? I remember reading ‘Mirrorshades’ back in 1988 and thinking it was one of the better sf anthologies I’d ever read. ‘Mirrorshades’ first was published by Arbor House in 1986 this Ace Books paperback version (239 pp) was issued in July 1988.

Mirrorshades cyberpunk