Distrust That Particular Flavor

By: William Gibson

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

William Gibson is known primarily as a novelist, with his work ranging from his groundbreaking first novel, Neuromancer, to his more recent contemporary best sellers Pattern Recognition, Spook Country, and Zero History. During those nearly 30 years, though, Gibson has been sought out by widely varying publications for his insights into contemporary culture.

Wired magazine sent him to Singapore to report on one of the world’s most buttoned-up states. The New York Times Magazine asked him to describe what was wrong with the internet. Rolling Stone published his essay on the ways our lives are all “soundtracked” by the music and the culture around us. And in a speech at the 2010 Book Expo, he memorably described the interactive relationship between writer and reader.

Now these essays and articles are collected here together, with some in print for the first time. In addition, Distrust That Particular Flavor includes journalism from small publishers, online sources, and magazines no longer in existence.

This volume is essential listening for any lover of William Gibson’s novels. Distrust That Particular Flavor offers listeners a privileged view into the mind of a writer whose thinking has shaped not only a generation of writers but our entire culture.

©2012 William Gibson Ent. Ltd. (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Fascinating collection of essays, with autobiographical commentary

Gibson is rightly credited with being a prophet of our times. Surprising how little he consciously chose prophesy, when writing sci-fi. Also how he got it right and wrong—both at once—in commissioned essays. Recommended for his fans, who will at least understand better where he got some of those irresistible hooks, and revel in his use of language. Also for any writers looking for their own authentic voice.

A fascinating collection of essays

Reading his words is a real treat. Even when it's non-fiction. This collection of essays is thought provoking and poetic. I took a particular interest in the part where he describes his personal writing process.

A nice look under the hood of William Gibson's min

I've just finished all of William Gibson's published works as of October 2022. I left this one for last. I especially enjoyed his then contemporary writtings of his impressions of the early Internet, and several major cities including New York, London, Singapore and of course Tokyo and Japan.

William Gibson writes like a myopic techno-geek.

He never addresses more profound issues like the very nature of "awareness" or "consciousness" itself. Or what it means for an AI to have a "heart". Because then he would be totally out of his depth.