Pattern Recognition

By: William Gibson

Narrated by: Shelly Frasier

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

The accolades and acclaim are endless for William Gibson's coast-to-coast best seller. Set in the post-9/11 present, Pattern Recognition is the story of one woman's never-ending search for the now....

Cayce Pollard is a new kind of prophet - a world-renowned "coolhunter" who predicts the hottest trends. While in London to evaluate the redesign of a famous corporate logo, she's offered a different assignment: find the creator of the obscure, enigmatic video clips being uploaded to the Internet - footage that is generating massive underground buzz worldwide.

Still haunted by the memory of her missing father - a Cold War security guru who disappeared in downtown Manhattan on the morning of September 11, 2001 - Cayce is soon traveling through parallel universes of marketing, globalization, and terror, heading always for the still point where the three converge. From London to Tokyo to Moscow, she follows the implications of a secret as disturbing - and compelling - as the 21st century promises to be....

©2003 William Gibson (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

" Pattern Recognition is William Gibson's best book since he rewrote all the rules in Neuromancer." (Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods)

"One of the first authentic and vital novels of the 21st century." ( The Washington Post Book World)

A beautifully written but plot-limited novel

I've enjoyed everything Gibson has written, but I loved this much more for the quality of the writing than the cleverness of the plot (just OK) or the technical innovation (minimal). What if a person could intuit whether a new commercial logo would work? That's the whole speculative innovation! But Gibson has written a lovely story around it that picks up speed as it proceeds to its climax.

william gibson is unique

I was slow to really get into this story but once I got a ways into it I was hooked. Gibson writes like an acid trip.

Requires a second read?

I enjoy Mr. Gibson's writing. The story itself didn't move the needle much, I often found my mind wandering. The story meandered, but his style kept it afloat. I do enjoy his writing though and may give it a second read in the future to fill in the cracks. I am definitely purchasing the next recommended book to read, there is a lot of potential for a great book in the future.

Another solid story

Continues in good form the pattern of interesting and engaging stories that are relatable to readers.

Just a vibe. Great.

I can’t explain why I loved these characters so much. On paper the story and plot don’t really seem interesting, but I felt like I related to Cayce profoundly. As usual for Gibson, the world building and language used wraps you in a ‘vibe’ that leaves a distinct impression long after you’ve finished the book. Loved this one.

a sea of sensory inputs

This was amazing and the only thing wrong with this book was it ended. fantastic

One of Gibson’s best (if not the)

First read 20 years ago, an exciting of-the-moment post 9/11, post dot com bust, post cyberpunk bit of seriously smart fluff. Now as a pre smart phone, pre social media period piece, it’s even better and more prescient. The reading here is excellent—at first the slightly poor sound production quality was distracting, and the reader’s almost Terry Gross-rhythms distracted me slightly, but her vocal performance really won me over. Never heard “Baudrillard” pronounced quite the way she did (and Baudrillard really lurks in both text and subtext here), but excellent overall.

A brilliant performance.

I could wish that Shelly Frasier had narrated all of Gibson's novels. But for a very few pronunciation errors, her performance was perfect I would say.

favor

when there's about 4 or 5 hours left, and you're frustrated and thinking about bailing on this book, do yourself a favor and listen to this inner voice. I know you're invested at that point, but it doesn't get better.

wonderful

I read this when it came out and it amazing how it has not aged other than the Hotmail.