Looking for Cyberpunk...

[rygD]

Kai mentioned a novel called "Feed" a couple of times. I haven't read it myself yet, but from the descriptions it sounds like it's about a new generation of kids in the future that have a permanent uplink to the internet, which, with all the social networking and stuff basically functions for them as a kind of telepathy. They're pretty far gone, in the sense that it affects their language, sense of reality, ethics and self-determination. Naturally they are being turned into consumer slaves by the big megacorps. But then one kid somehow malfunctions, turns off, tunes out and wakes up or something and then plot happens.

Z3, he mentioned Stephenson in the OP But yeah, Cryptonomicon is awesome. Also, Snow Crash.

I believe Accelerando by Charles Stross was like that, if you haven't read that.  Very crazy shit.  The father uploads himself to a flock of pigeons or something at one point, and the population moves away from meatspace due to their connectivity.  Won't go into too much detail in case some have not read it.  I will keep my eye out for Feed, as this is exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for.

[rygD]

Like I said, Dresden Files is closer to a punkpunk setting than fantasy. It's set in the present day, and has significant focus on realpolitik; the descriptions of the mechanics of the magic are explict and adhered-to enough to make it borderline Minovsky Particle territory. It also is probably better with the verasimilitude than Neuromancer (between people talking like people, having emotions, etc. and the fact that all the technology *and* the magic is established stuff -- none of the magic or mythology is made up by the author, though some is a little obscure; I suspect Butcher of being a chaote or ex-chaote).

I strongly recommend Snow Crash if you haven't read it yet. I'd group Snow Crash and Rainbows End together somewhat -- they are very distinct in style from what is traditionally considered cyberpunk. Gibson's stuff is in some ways less postmodern; Pattern Recognition is almost to the edge of the Snow Crash / Rainbows End territory in terms of the focus on commercialism. Idoru isn't quite there either, imo.

Like I said, I will try 'em out.  The guy I was going to get them from is currently in the hospital.  There is nothing wrong with chaotes unless they are of the Carroll school (yes he has some useful ideas, and I have read a few of his books, but he seems too dogmatic and like he wants to be the next Al Crowley), and I may enjoy it more.

[Rococo Modem Basilisk]

Only one or two Doctorow novels could be argued to fall into the Cyberpunk genre, but more of the short stories could. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom could be argued to be a post-2000 update to The Gernsback Continuum, and The Eastern Standard Tribe is reasonably cyberpunk in theme if not setting. I will keep my mouth shut about Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, because I have no clue how to say anything about it.

[rygD]

I have certain feelings about him, but they are not related to his books/stories.  I just sometimes get a bit carried away on my hate rampages.  I do need to read his fiction.  I might be able to tolerate him more if he weren't from Canadia, and if he didn't piss me off when I see pictures of him.  He actually doesn't seem that bad, and has some views I can accept as well as good ideas, fucking dickface.

[Rococo Modem Basilisk]

For what it's worth, I have absolutely no idea what his views are in terms of the subjects he writes novels about. They all tend to follow roughly the same pattern: 1) a setting is introduced that looks utopian, and the character seems happy, 2) shit falls apart and the happy character is now sad/crazy/pissed off, 3) the setting falls apart and no longer looks utopian, 4) the main character changes himself rather than the world, and ends up feeling mediocre rather than happy or pissed off. It's very character-versus-environment, and the most I can really glean from it about his point of view is that it seems that he might like thelema.

[rygD]

Hell, sounds ok.  As long as they don't all live happily ever after and it isn't pure shit I can try to learn to enjoy the ride.

[Rococo Modem Basilisk]

Imagine taking The Gernsback Continuum, and replacing the lovecraftian intro with a schpiel about how awesome the current raygun-gothic utopia is, and then expanding everything prior to the last paragraph out to about 20 times the size. That's more or less what every Doctorow book I have read is like, except the middle bit is more depressing.

On second thought, add the ending to Hinterlands in the middle there somewhere.