Pixel Juice (Hardcover)

~ Jeff Noon (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"in the first shop they bought a pack of dogseed, because Doreen had always wanted to grow her own dog..."

Pixel Juice is the collected outpourings of an overactive mind. A selection of fifty stories from Jeff Noon's head, each one strange, telling, disturbing, or sometimes just plain weird.

For the breakdown zones of the mediasphere and the margins of dance culture, Jeff Noon samples the image mix. Product recalls, adverts for mad gadgets, dub cut prose remixes, urban fairytales, instructions for lost machines, almost true tales, dreary onepagers, word-dizzy roller coasters. With new stories from the Vurt cycle and other revelations, including the discovery of an 'off' switch for the human body and what robots use for body-piercing, and those difficult-to-find, how-to-play-and-win rules for Pimp! - The Boardgame.

Call it Slipstream, call it Avant Pulp, call it Transfiction, Kaleidopunk, Techno-Whimsy or Genre Melt. Call it what you will, but be quick. Ideas-per-page tating: dangerously close to the legal limit.

About the Author

Acknowledged as one of the most exciting authors writing today, JEFF NOON is the author of four novels, Vurt, Pollen, Automated Alice and Nymphomation. In 1995 he won the John C. Campbell Award for Best New Writer..

Product Details

• Hardcover: 289 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385408595
• ISBN-13: 978-0385408592
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,051,123 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best.... *thing* Noon has ever written, October 3, 2000

By	James Wilkinson (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews

Pixel Juice is a collection of 50 short stories, all pulled screaming from the swirling psychadelicatessen that is Jeff Noon's brain. Actually, "stories" isn't right; certainly, some of them are straight narrative tales, but then there's the instruction booklet to "PIMP! - The Boardgame", (social satire disguised as a family game) or the memo titled "Product Recall: Marylin Monroe" (which combines futuristic sex toys with strange viruses). Noon uses just about every narrative construct under the sun: stream-of-conciousness, first-second-and-third person perspectives; poetry, prose, letters, journals - all are used by Noon to transcribe the apparently endless flood of ideas which collect in his brain.

Pixel Juice also rewards those who re-read the book; there are word games which ring a big smug smile to the face when they're figured out (see how quickly you decipher "Metaphorazine" or "Alphabox"). There are references between stories; the young lad in "Junior Pimp" mentions that pimping is just like a game - tying in to "PIMP! - The Boardgame". That story makes reference to "Fetish Booth #7" and the lead character of FB #7 is mentioned in several of the other tales. Things like this keep the reader darting back through the book and smiling every time they spot a connection. Heck, there's even a poem towards the end of the book which sums up the stories so far and takes the mick out of the author! Everywhere you turn, there's a surprise an a twist, from the almost conventional horror story to the dreamlike beginning and end tales.

And contrary to what some have said, prior knowledge of Noon's other work isn't entirely neccessary. Although there are some stories which are set firmly in the Vurt universe, it's pretty easy for the reader to catch up with what's happening.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spaceache and heartships!, April 21, 1999

By A Customer

The first half of the book contains some very short stories. So short that they are almost experiments with words - not to everyones taste but fans of Vurt and Pollen will get a idea of where Jeff Noons amazing prose comes from.

The second half of the book couldn't be more different. Story follows story set in the Vurt universe that gradually draw you in. We get a glimpse of Celia Hobart starting out on her great journey, Shadow cops and Shadows mix and jeff Noons fantastic writing grips you to the end.

I enjoyed the humour and inventiveness of this book and would recommend it fans and non-fans alike.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars more if i could, July 4, 2000

By	"wide_inside" (London, England) - See all my reviews

This book just blew me away. I think it is the most astounding piece of writing it has ever been my privilege to read. To be honest, I think that it probably benefits from reading a bit of Noon's stuff previously, as it gives you some background information on characters that you have met already, which is always nice. But it does so much more than that. The way that at the end of a story, he might tell the whole thing again, but in haiku, is just an example of his wordplay, with a word used as much for it's rhythm and feel as for it's actual definition.

I hate short stories. Can't abide them, even by my favourite authors. They are normally so uninvolving, only trying to shock you, because it's the easiest emotion to inspire. Not so with this. I can't extol the virtues of this book enough. Read this book or die.

wide.