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The absence of Idoru[1] references is surprising. Almost as surprising as learning that book is 20 years old. I may need to re-read it. [1] https://en.wikipedi

The absence of Idoru[1] references is surprising. Almost as surprising as learning that book is 20 years old. I may need to re-read it. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idoru https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idoru

kpil 10y ago
I was just about to write that. Was there anything like take existing at that time or did he project the trends and adding a good dose of Japanese pop culture weirdness, completely on his own?
- jacobwcarlson 10y ago
  AFAIK Gibson's just really good at assessing culture and predicting its course.
- nopzor 10y ago
  Idoru is also the first thing I thought of when I read the headline. It was written 20 years ago. Gibson has a proven record of being eerily prescient.
  - junto 10y ago
    Instant hot coffee in a can was one of my favourite little ideas he put forward.
    - kpil 10y ago
      Yes. I actually came to think about that just recently. The whole scene popped into my mind when making coffee in the morning. It made me feel a bit dizzy actually, and it made me think of what other things that are looking more and more probable. Anonymous-type groups posing in 3d avatars comes to mind. I remembered that at the time,I found it implausible that it was possible to go online in Neuromancer without connecting to a fiber or something and that it was just handwaved away. He was right and I was wrong, it was not important.
- bitwize 10y ago
  Only in anime like Megazone 23 and Macross Plus. In fact, Miku may be so appealing simply because she represents the merger of the real world with the anime world that otaku have long yearned for.
- user89458945 10y ago
  Gibson copied the idea from Japanese media. Macross Plus' Sharon Apple, a holographic pop idol, existed for years before Idoru.
e12e 10y ago
For anyone that likes Gibson; I hope you caught this earlier (2015) story too: "I mine for 100-year-old jeans" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10284638 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10284638

kpil 10y ago

I was just about to write that. Was there anything like take existing at that time or did he project the trends and adding a good dose of Japanese pop culture weirdness, completely on his own?

jacobwcarlson 10y ago
AFAIK Gibson's just really good at assessing culture and predicting its course.
nopzor 10y ago
Idoru is also the first thing I thought of when I read the headline. It was written 20 years ago. Gibson has a proven record of being eerily prescient.
- junto 10y ago
  Instant hot coffee in a can was one of my favourite little ideas he put forward.
  - kpil 10y ago
    Yes. I actually came to think about that just recently. The whole scene popped into my mind when making coffee in the morning. It made me feel a bit dizzy actually, and it made me think of what other things that are looking more and more probable. Anonymous-type groups posing in 3d avatars comes to mind. I remembered that at the time,I found it implausible that it was possible to go online in Neuromancer without connecting to a fiber or something and that it was just handwaved away. He was right and I was wrong, it was not important.
bitwize 10y ago
Only in anime like Megazone 23 and Macross Plus. In fact, Miku may be so appealing simply because she represents the merger of the real world with the anime world that otaku have long yearned for.
user89458945 10y ago
Gibson copied the idea from Japanese media. Macross Plus' Sharon Apple, a holographic pop idol, existed for years before Idoru.

e12e 10y ago

For anyone that likes Gibson; I hope you caught this earlier (2015) story too: "I mine for 100-year-old jeans" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10284638 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10284638