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Quote by William Gibson

“In effect, I grew up in a sort of timewarp, a place where times are scrambled up. There are elements of my childhood that look to me now, in memory more like the 1940s or the 1950s than the 1960s. Jack [Womack] says that that made us science fiction writers, because we grew up experiencing a kind of time travel.”

Quote by William Gibson

Author

William Gibson, born on March 17, 1948, is a renowned science fiction novelist from Canada. His works are known for their unique futurist style and profound insights into technological development, making him a representative figure in the cyberpunk literary genre. more

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“A part of that [timewrap] for me was growing up in a culture that violence had always been a part of. It wasn't an aberration, though I realize that in retrospect. I grew up in the part of the U.S. where all of Cormac McCarthy's novels are set and that's a pretty violent place.”

Culture Realizing Novel Growing Up Growing Violence Grew Grew Up Violent Retrospect Aberration

Author:William Gibson

“There's violence in my culture [from America's South].”

America Culture Violence South

Author:William Gibson

“It's an American thing, but it's particularly a southern thing, and its romanticization is hyper-Southern. And it's still irresistible to me, even in middle age. There's something that pulls me to that, but at the same time, I have this increasing awareness of how banal it really is - that evil is inherently banal.”

Stills Age Evil Middle Awareness Southern Middle Ages Irresistible Hyper

Author:William Gibson

“I loved the Limey [movie]! It's so violent! And yet it's so exquisitely romanticized in a sort of Japanese way, it's a samurai film. Coming out of that, I was really deeply conflicted, because a friend who had seen it said, it's beautiful, but it's not about anything. it's one micron thick.”

Way Said Beautiful Film Violent Coming Out Thick Samurai Really Deep

Author:William Gibson

“To some extent I'm guilty of wishful thinking. The absence of the interstitial I find unbearable.”

Thinking Absence Guilty Unbearable Wishful Thinking

Author:William Gibson

“I think that one of the visions that is closest to reality is the cardboard city in the subway station in Tokyo, which is based very closely on a series of documentary photographs of people living like that and of the contents of the boxes. Those are quite haunting because Tokyo homeless people reiterate the whole nature of living in Tokyo in these cardboard boxes, they're only slightly smaller than Tokyo apartments, and they have almost as many consumer goods. It's a nightmare of boxes within boxes.”

“To the extent that I can still believe in Bohemia, which I think is very important to me in some way that I don't yet really understand, to the extent that I still believe in that, I have to believe that there are viable degrees of freedom inherent if not realized in interstitial areas.”

Ifs Thinking Way Believe Stills I Can Important Degrees Areas Inherent I Still Believe Bohemia

Author:William Gibson

“What strikes me about Toronto is that Toronto's great misfortune was to have too much money in the late 70s and early 80s, and consequently, it built in the style of those periods, which is hideous.”

Too Much Style Periods Late Built Strikes Misfortunes 80s Hideous Toronto

Author:William Gibson

“A lot of the buildings [in Toronto] around Yonge and Bloor is the architectural equivalent of Kipper Ties and 8" collar points. It's ghastly and no amount of street-level retail glitz can lift it.”

Levels Streets Building Amount Lifts Ties Collars Toronto Retail Ghastly Glitz

Author:William Gibson

“I look at [Toronto] and think well, perhaps my grandchildren will someday look at this stuff with the sort of appreciation I once held for Art Deco. Although I've come to find Art Deco quite creepy too.”

Thinking Wells Looks Art Stuff Appreciation Someday Grandchildren Creepy Toronto My Grandchildren Art Deco

Author:William Gibson