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Pattern Recognition by William Gibson

Literature // Jim // 18th July 2003

William Gibson is probably most famous for the massively influential novel, Neuromancer, an impossibly cool sci-fi fable which along with Blade Runner launched the whole cyberpunk thing.

Gibson has gone on to write more impossibly cool sci-fi-esque novels, which have always reminded me of Stanley Kubrick; innovative, clinical in imagery and execution and not exactly overflowing with emotion.

Pattern Recognition seems to have been pushed as Gibson’s first non-genre novel, although technology still plays a key part, the plot is squarely grounded in the present day real world.

The plot revolves around Cayce (Case?) Pollard, a PR type so hypersensitive to advertising logos that she has a disturbingly phobic reaction to the Michelin Man (fucking hell, I laughed at that for quite a while) but also offers her the chance to consult for marketing/ advertising companies on whether a logo is worth using or not.
Cayce is also part of a growing group of people hooked on the enigmatic non-sequential film clips being released onto the internet by some enigmatic auteur.

The bulk of the book revolves around Cayce’s quest to find the source of the clips, along with all the twists/turns and double-crosses you might expect from reading Gibson’s other books.
Although this detective story stuff is great in itself, the real meat of this book is in the characters and ideas that provide the texture of the novel; Cayce’s video director friend seems to be an amalgam of Damien Hirst and Chris Cunningham (previously slated to adapt Neuromancer for the big screen). She befriends an artist who is making an installation piece from ZX-81 computers, the sister of whom is engaged in an underhand marketing technique involving hanging around in the right pubs and making sure people overhear gushing praise for various products and services.

There are constant references to brands, both positive and negative, Apple and Starbucks come out OK but most high street fashion labels make Cayce anxious or even nauseous. The whole world of marketing, advertising and branding seems to be some malignant, intangible villain given a voice by the Faustian (and magnificently-named) Hubertus Bigend.

As you can probably infer the whole thing appears very post-modern and that is before you consider the links (protagonist’s name, globetrotting, shadowy boss) to Neuromancer, the purpose of which I can’t pretend to understand or explain. The effect, though, is to make a very cool book even cooler. In fact the only downside I can see is that it might make the word apophenia popular amongst trendy types.

Personally I think the best thing Gibson has ever done (excepting Neuromancer) is Burning Chrome, the collection of his short stories. Pattern Recognition runs it a close second and it is especially worth getting hold of the hardback edition with the groovy London Map/CD cover.

William Gibson’s Site

Rather Good Fan site