Comments on: William Gibson interviewed in The Paris Review http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 22 May 2013 04:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Colin Doyle http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1262736 Colin Doyle Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1262736 "I don’t know if it was Deighton or John le Carré who, when someone asked them about Ian Fleming, said, I love him, I have been living on his reverse market for years." Le Carré said this, more or less, in part 2 of an extended interview with CBC Radio in 2010. You can listen to it here. Great interview! http://www.cbc.ca/andthewinneris/ “I don’t know if it was Deighton or John le Carré who, when someone asked them about Ian Fleming, said, I love him, I have been living on his reverse market for years.”
Le Carré said this, more or less, in part 2 of an extended interview with CBC Radio in 2010. You can listen to it here. Great interview!
http://www.cbc.ca/andthewinneris/

]]> By: VerySincerely http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1262062 VerySincerely Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1262062 I understand the alienation of a largely unsympathetic lead character, but for me the alienation caused by chapter after chapter of foggy plot and only a vague sense of place is much worse. Two of the worst offenders are Pynchon and Gibson.  I understand the alienation of a largely unsympathetic lead character, but for me the alienation caused by chapter after chapter of foggy plot and only a vague sense of place is much worse. Two of the worst offenders are Pynchon and Gibson. 

]]> By: Lt. Col. w00t http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1262044 Lt. Col. w00t Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1262044 Halloween_Jack: In the era he's talking about, Star Wars didn't exist. Halloween_Jack:

In the era he’s talking about, Star Wars didn’t exist.

]]> By: Jack http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1262037 Jack Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1262037 I'm a big Chandler fan. I figured Gibson was influenced by Chandler's cynical view of the world, if not his protogonists' heroism. In the late 80's I mailed Gibson a first edition of Neuromancer to sign and a first-paperback edition of Chandler stories as a gift. Gibson wrote back to thank me and say that he had never read Chandler before. I’m a big Chandler fan. I figured Gibson was influenced by Chandler’s cynical view of the world, if not his protogonists’ heroism. In the late 80′s I mailed Gibson a first edition of Neuromancer to sign and a first-paperback edition of Chandler stories as a gift. Gibson wrote back to thank me and say that he had never read Chandler before.

]]> By: huskerdont http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261952 huskerdont Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261952 Chandler novels now seems so much caught in their time. Men were men, they were never wrong or questioned their initial ideas on a subject, and "fruits" were to be derided or beaten. I can admire a tough guy, but he has to have some self-doubt to be human. Chandler novels now seems so much caught in their time. Men were men, they were never wrong or questioned their initial ideas on a subject, and “fruits” were to be derided or beaten. I can admire a tough guy, but he has to have some self-doubt to be human.

]]> By: Halloween_Jack http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261950 Halloween_Jack Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261950 Don't have the time to read the entire interview now, but this early bit isn't promising: <blockquote>I also wanted science fiction to be more naturalistic. There had been a poverty of description in much of it. The technology depicted was so slick and clean that it was practically invisible. What would any given SF favorite look like if we could crank up the resolution? As it was then, much of it was like video games before the invention of fractal dirt. I wanted to see dirt in the corners.</blockquote> Gibson doesn't seem very genre-savvy, or at the very least hadn't seen <i>Star Wars</i>. Don’t have the time to read the entire interview now, but this early bit isn’t promising:

I also wanted science fiction to be more naturalistic. There had been a poverty of description in much of it. The technology depicted was so slick and clean that it was practically invisible. What would any given SF favorite look like if we could crank up the resolution? As it was then, much of it was like video games before the invention of fractal dirt. I wanted to see dirt in the corners.

Gibson doesn’t seem very genre-savvy, or at the very least hadn’t seen Star Wars.

]]> By: Bob http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261914 Bob Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261914 Hey Mark, Here's the link: http://boingboing.net/2011/10/14/william-gibson-interview.html Hey Mark, Here’s the link:

http://boingboing.net/2011/10/14/william-gibson-interview.html

]]> By: Amelia_G http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261890 Amelia_G Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261890 Charlie Stross appreciated Len Deighton as well! I bought some Len Deighton novels on the strength of it but am having trouble reading them for the same reason I'm having trouble rereading the awesome le Carré these days. Post-Cold War, instead of thrilling they seem so tragic, stories of lives highjacked in youth and then atrophied and wasted. Rereading Dashiell Hammett in conjunction with Lillian Hellman still rocks though. Clear-eyed vision. I haven't read Chandler, but one of my French professors in college, a Uruguayan novelist named Hiber Conteris, was a political prisoner in Uruguay for eight years (tortured for two?) and used Chandler during that time. At one point they let him write again and he was allowed to produce an homage to Chandler. The charming Charlie Stross and the unpleasant Neal Stephenson have shone a light on how much fun it might be to play with James Bond characters in future novels. Stross's Bond novel was exquisite. Stephenson's recent Bond character is a Chinese-English woman working for the British secret service (sorry about the terminology, not sure what people are called over there). Also very much enjoyed how Alan Moore dealt with the Bond oeuvre in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Charlie Stross appreciated Len Deighton as well! I bought some Len Deighton novels on the strength of it but am having trouble reading them for the same reason I’m having trouble rereading the awesome le Carré these days. Post-Cold War, instead of thrilling they seem so tragic, stories of lives highjacked in youth and then atrophied and wasted. Rereading Dashiell Hammett in conjunction with Lillian Hellman still rocks though. Clear-eyed vision. I haven’t read Chandler, but one of my French professors in college, a Uruguayan novelist named Hiber Conteris, was a political prisoner in Uruguay for eight years (tortured for two?) and used Chandler during that time. At one point they let him write again and he was allowed to produce an homage to Chandler.

The charming Charlie Stross and the unpleasant Neal Stephenson have shone a light on how much fun it might be to play with James Bond characters in future novels. Stross’s Bond novel was exquisite. Stephenson’s recent Bond character is a Chinese-English woman working for the British secret service (sorry about the terminology, not sure what people are called over there). Also very much enjoyed how Alan Moore dealt with the Bond oeuvre in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

]]> By: Genre Slur http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261825 Genre Slur Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261825 Declaring a position in a manner which includes using the word 'lamer' and a reference to 'jumping a shark'? Hmm. That is something I had never thought of doing until seeing the example above. I now feel pretty good about myself for never having thought of declaring a position in such a special fashion. Thanks for the heads up, Sgtdoom! Any other illustrations of things I should not think of doing, please toss them up here -- rooks like me could use the mentoring, so-called. Declaring a position in a manner which includes using the word ‘lamer’ and a reference to ‘jumping a shark’? Hmm. That is something I had never thought of doing until seeing the example above. I now feel pretty good about myself for never having thought of declaring a position in such a special fashion.
Thanks for the heads up, Sgtdoom! Any other illustrations of things I should not think of doing, please toss them up here — rooks like me could use the mentoring, so-called.

]]> By: Jonathan Badger http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261810 Jonathan Badger Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261810 Not Bob, but presumably this: http://boingboing.net/2011/10/14/william-gibson-interview.html Not Bob, but presumably this:
http://boingboing.net/2011/10/14/william-gibson-interview.html

]]> By: Mark_Frauenfelder http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261802 Mark_Frauenfelder Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261802 Could you provide a link to the post you are talking about, Bob? Thanks. Could you provide a link to the post you are talking about, Bob? Thanks.

]]> By: Stefan Jones http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261790 Stefan Jones Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261790 Great interview, with a lot of interesting stuff about Gibson's genesis as a person and a writer. The stuff about Wythville was fascinating. I'm glad he got the hell away from there. Great interview, with a lot of interesting stuff about Gibson’s genesis as a person and a writer.

The stuff about Wythville was fascinating. I’m glad he got the hell away from there.

]]> By: Katrina Voll-Taylor http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261765 Katrina Voll-Taylor Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261765 Spade and the Continental Op were depicted as flawed people, degraded even, so I feel like they never quite fit anyone's idealized alter egos, let alone the author's? That said, if I had to pick a California'd literary saint, I'd go with Ross MacDonald, who (eventually) found a way into honoring the best of both Hammett & Chandler without descending into derivativeness, so as it's often said, "YMMV." Spade and the Continental Op were depicted as flawed people, degraded even, so I feel like they never quite fit anyone’s idealized alter egos, let alone the author’s?

That said, if I had to pick a California’d literary saint, I’d go with Ross MacDonald, who (eventually) found a way into honoring the best of both Hammett & Chandler without descending into derivativeness, so as it’s often said, “YMMV.”

]]> By: Jonathan Badger http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261753 Jonathan Badger Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261753 But Sam Spade and the Continental Op were rather more obviously Hammett's glorified versions of himself, given that Hammett was an actual private investigator at one point. I'm a Chandler man, myself. But I live in San Diego, where our two literary saints are Chandler and Dr. Seuss, as they both lived their elder years in La Jolla. But Sam Spade and the Continental Op were rather more obviously Hammett’s glorified versions of himself, given that Hammett was an actual private investigator at one point.

I’m a Chandler man, myself. But I live in San Diego, where our two literary saints are Chandler and Dr. Seuss, as they both lived their elder years in La Jolla.

]]> By: Katrina Voll-Taylor http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261751 Katrina Voll-Taylor Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261751 I felt the same way about Chandler... he was so busy drooling over, and in love with, his creation Marlow that he never invested the character with much humanity. It seemed as if Chandler instead choose to make him the glorified version of himself he'd personally like to have been, always tougher and sharper than any other character Chandler ever had him encounter. Marlow doesn't connect as a person who's a detective, rather he comes across as a know-it-all-seen-it-all type operating almost parallel to the world that Chandler purports he lives in: Marlow never particularly loses control of  any situation. Nothing is ever really at stake in the Marlow novels, nothing is ever really risked.  Marlow's only an idealized object objectifying everyone else he comes into contact with. His deification of Marlow inhibited his plots in a way that Hammett's characters didn't. Even with Hammett's weaker works like The Dain Curse, which is admittedly quite flawed, at least you feel like something unexpected could happen. Hammett, as opposed to Chandler, was writing about people whose imprecise humanity can surprise you, rather than simply pouring all his effort into maintaining characters or a style. I felt the same way about Chandler… he was so busy drooling over, and in love with, his creation Marlow that he never invested the character with much humanity. It seemed as if Chandler instead choose to make him the glorified version of himself he’d personally like to have been, always tougher and sharper than any other character Chandler ever had him encounter. Marlow doesn’t connect as a person who’s a detective, rather he comes across as a know-it-all-seen-it-all type operating almost parallel to the world that Chandler purports he lives in: Marlow never particularly loses control of  any situation. Nothing is ever really at stake in the Marlow novels, nothing is ever really risked.  Marlow’s only an idealized object objectifying everyone else he comes into contact with. His deification of Marlow inhibited his plots in a way that Hammett’s characters didn’t. Even with Hammett’s weaker works like The Dain Curse, which is admittedly quite flawed, at least you feel like something unexpected could happen. Hammett, as opposed to Chandler, was writing about people whose imprecise humanity can surprise you, rather than simply pouring all his effort into maintaining characters or a style.

]]> By: jimh http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261745 jimh Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261745 I have always felt the same re: Hammett and Chandler. For reasons I could hardly articulate as well as Mr. Gibson does here. I have always felt the same re: Hammett and Chandler. For reasons I could hardly articulate as well as Mr. Gibson does here.

]]> By: sgtdoom http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261732 sgtdoom Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261732 Excuse me, but Gibson is even more lamer lately than Kelly.  In Gibson's recent NY Times Op-Ed piece of drivel, he assininely calls Stuxnet just simple street stuff, or a teenage bedroom hacker's project. This clown is completely daft!  Stuxnet was correctly described (although I never use the term "cyber") as the most sophisticated "cyberweapon" yet devised. Gibson is a complete hasbeen ---- after Mona Lisa Overdrive he went south, or jumped that ferocious shark. Although, to compare the conversationalist Gibson with the conversationalist Kelly might prove daunting. 1010 zmw/variants on standby 1010 Excuse me, but Gibson is even more lamer lately than Kelly.  In Gibson’s recent NY Times Op-Ed piece of drivel, he assininely calls Stuxnet just simple street stuff, or a teenage bedroom hacker’s project.

This clown is completely daft!  Stuxnet was correctly described (although I never use the term “cyber”) as the most sophisticated “cyberweapon” yet devised.

Gibson is a complete hasbeen —- after Mona Lisa Overdrive he went south, or jumped that ferocious shark.

Although, to compare the conversationalist Gibson with the conversationalist Kelly might prove daunting.

1010 zmw/variants on standby 1010

]]> By: Genre Slur http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261707 Genre Slur Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261707 yes! yes!

]]> By: malthusan http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261701 malthusan Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261701 Likely because the first time the article was only available in the magazine, whereas now the entire article is available online. Likely because the first time the article was only available in the magazine, whereas now the entire article is available online.

]]> By: Bob http://boingboing.net/2011/11/02/william-gibson-interviewed-in-the-paris-review.html#comment-1261685 Bob Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=127582#comment-1261685 Why is this being posted again? Why is this being posted again?

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