Reading order#
| # |
Title |
Published |
Author |
Buy on Amazon |
| 1 |
The Difference Engine |
1990 |
William Gibson |
Buy |
| 2 |
Johnny Mnemonic |
1995 |
William Gibson |
Buy |
William Gibson’s standalone novels include two distinctly different books. The Difference Engine (1990), co-written with Bruce Sterling, is a steampunk alternate history set in a Victorian England transformed by mechanical computing. It helped establish steampunk as a recognized subgenre of science fiction.
Johnny Mnemonic (1995) is a novelization connected to the film of the same name, itself based on Gibson’s 1981 short story. The story follows a data courier who carries information in a cybernetic implant in his brain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are in the William Gibson Standalone Novels series?
There are two books in the William Gibson Standalone Novels series, published between 1990 and 1995.
What is the first book in the William Gibson Standalone Novels series?
The first book in the William Gibson Standalone Novels series is The Difference Engine, published in 1990.
What is The Difference Engine about?
The Difference Engine (1990) is an alternate history novel co-written by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. It imagines a Victorian England where Charles Babbage’s mechanical computer was successfully built, accelerating the information age by over a century.