Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology [Paperback]

James Patrick Kelly (Editor), John Kessel (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

Following the rapid evolution of cyberpunk from Bruce Sterling and William Gibson into the current millennium, this vivid anthology welcomes a new generation of exciting writers to take the genre in new and unexpected directions. Cyberpunk freewheels with punk rock energy, careening between the internet, bioengineering, and international politics, its influence saturating entertainment and the mass media. Drawing on the traditions of the pioneering cyberpunk manifesto, Mirrorshades, each story delves into the gritty world of technological change. Legendary Mirrorshades editor and contributor Bruce Sterling is back, alongside such cutting-edge writers as Cory Doctorow, Jonathan Lethem, Gwyneth Jones, Hal Duncan, Charles Stross, and Pat Cadigan. With a daring introduction from James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel, editors of the controversial Feeling Very Strange: The Slipstream Anthology, this collection is an exhilarating snapshot of a vibrant literary movement.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Arranged loosely in order of publication, the 16 diverse selections in this decade-spanning anthology add up to a plausible snapshot of cyberpunk's short-form evolution. Kelly and Kessel (Feeling Very Strange) clearly describe cyberpunk counterculture in a cogent introduction, yet draw only one story from a nongenre source (Greg Egan's Yeyuka) and greatly undervalue the subgenre's ability, at its most popular, to reach beyond SF's core audience. While some entries (Charles Stross's Lobsters; Cory Doctorow's When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth) focus strongly on techno-geek culture, others apply high-tech ideas in more down-to-earth contexts (Mary Rosenblum's Search Engine; Paolo Bacigalupi's The Calorie Man). The critical matter is too scant for academic readers and too intrusive for genre fans; discussion of specific stories is extremely sparse, and excerpts from correspondence between Kessel and Bruce Sterling distract rather than enlighten. Readers seeking a thorough critical study should look elsewhere, but those looking for well-told stories will be satisfied. (Nov.)
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Review

"Cyberpunk is dead. Long live post-cyberpunk!"  —Kirkus Reviews

"[The] strange, cinematically atmospheric story, 'Thirteen Views of a Cardboard City,' fits perfectly in Rewired."  —William Gibson, author, Spook Country

"A short story collection filled with very good stories by very good science fiction writers offering very engaging ideas."  —PopMatters

"Sixteen inspiring, mind-altering stories . . . and every story in the bunch is a knockout."  —BoingBoing.net

"An excellent collection and a reminder that the short story is often the best venue for new ideas in the field."  —SF Crowsnest.com

"Cyberpunk has grown past its rebel stage and is now not only capable of dazzling us with surfaces but also of speaking of the human condition."   —Tangent

"Mind-altering . . . every story in the bunch is a knockout."  —Monstrous.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Tachyon Publications (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892391538
• ISBN-13: 978-1892391537
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #481,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Cyberpunk, December 12, 2009

By 

Anne M. Hunter "Anne Hunter" (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology (Paperback)

So the editors of this SF anthology believe that cyberpunk became, after more than twenty years, too much of a popular cliche, or brand, to continue as a useful SF subgenre, and present these stories as stories that move beyond cyberpunk to a new paradigm. They feel pretty much like cyberpunk to me, but perhaps a bit off-beat. There are some very memorable stories by famous and less-noted authors, I especially enjoyed Swanwick's "The Dog Said Bow-Wow", Bacigalupi's "The Calorie Man", and Doctorow's "When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth". Even the stories that started out slowly and were hard to relate to for a while ended up being very interesting by their ends. I'll definitely hope for a second anthology from these editors.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling, Engaging, Challenging, July 28, 2008

By 

Thelonious "music, philosophy and math" (West Coast, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology (Paperback)

I only occasionally dip into science-fiction and when I do I'm looking for things that stretch my head, that challenge my world-view and that open realms of possibility. This anthology met those needs and more.

Every story was well worth reading (no duds) and several were excellent.

Admittedly the anthology has a rather dark cast (as expected, given the cyberpunk focus) and some of the auxiliary material has a bit of an attitude (again, a cp staple), but the stories were wholly engrossing.

This is one of the best anthologies I've read in years

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good parts, but inconsistent, March 6, 2008

By 

Jean-Philippe Daigle (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology (Paperback)

I found this an enjoyable collection, but the quality was a bit inconsistent. One story, in particular, was knock-your-socks-off fantastic: "The Wedding Album" by Marusek. Wow!

Charles Stross' "Lobsters" is also here, but so far I've found it in two anthologies, published online, and of course, as part of Accelerando. I'm getting a bit tired of seeing it reproduced everywhere, despite it being very good.