tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post266248852153273230..comments2007-07-14T15:14:29.682+01:00Ted Hoffmannoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-52886868006238631702007-07-14T15:14:00.000+01:002007-07-14T15:14:00.000+01:00I think the issue is distinguishing between the "flawed vision of an alternative Victorian England" and the "flawed vision" that was the story. I found the vision of Victorian England quite compelling, but the synthesis of the two writers less so.Julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233834266405107594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-15303185731170186612007-07-09T21:56:00.000+01:002007-07-09T21:56:00.000+01:00I concur with the anonymous post above mine. Having read both Gibson and Sterling, and having given up on DE only part-way through for the same reasons as those listed by others here, my gut and my brain both tell me that the novel's failing is likely due more to Mr. Sterling's influence than Gibson's. Sorry Bruce.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-84757594272981206322007-07-09T20:42:00.000+01:002007-07-09T20:42:00.000+01:00I'm sure to draw heat, if not steam, from suggesting that the problems with DE stemmed from Mr. Sterling and not Mr. Gibson...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-20910786255554480492007-07-09T16:16:00.000+01:002007-07-09T16:16:00.000+01:00Little Man, What Now? has a bit of a fondness for SF... It's one of our things and there's a number of us who are fans...<BR/><BR/>Pritchard over there is a big fan of the action-sf novel, Charles Pooter is something of an expert on Alan Moore's work (heavily influenced by this novel), and my patch is Golden Age SF...<BR/><BR/>That said, I really couldn't get into the Difference Engine either. It's rare for me to hammer my way through half a novel and then just give up in the middle, but that is exactly what I did with the DE. I loved all the Palaeontology content, I loved the setting, and I loved the world they constructed... But then when they starting banging about in the East End I got bored.<BR/><BR/>But the story was completely disposable. I have to admit I often have this problem with Gibson, I couldn't really stomach Burning Chrome, Neuromancer or Virtual Light. As pointed out by Pooter, this was yet another McGuffin story (as all of them are) where there is action, Mcguffin, action, setting... No real soul to the story.<BR/><BR/>The setting is magnificent, and the concepts are great.. So I stand this one up for ambition, but still, "flawed" is bang on.Edwin Hesselthwitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04237506914185757749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-51933045808151599252007-07-09T10:21:00.000+01:002007-07-09T10:21:00.000+01:00Interesting that this got hijacked by Gibson fans - I thought the steam car was the interesting bit myself!<BR/><BR/>Steam-punk novels have been done better and DE is all idea and no character. Personally I would rather have seen a made up auto-biography of Babbage that explored these ideas rather than this rather lacklustre version. <BR/><BR/>Some of the imagery of London is fantastic and obviously the victorian infonet concept is brilliantly rendered but I agree with Mr Pooter, it reads like the groundwork from which someone else would write a novel.<BR/><BR/>(PS Neuromancer is one of my all time favourites; I'm not Gibson bashing!)Pritchard Buckminsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13289666984983242377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-11692830078719643972007-07-09T10:02:00.000+01:002007-07-09T10:02:00.000+01:00http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/blog/2007_07_01_archive.asp#1286231336105581123hballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04173026909067572402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-58727789953338130152007-07-09T09:46:00.000+01:002007-07-09T09:46:00.000+01:00david moles,<BR/><BR/>I didn't care about the characters or the McGuffin, but I liked the novel's setting, the technology and some of the descriptive passages. In some ways it reminded me of a RPG source book.<BR/><BR/>I think a "flawed vision" is accurate.Charles Pooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06329206649968577862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-68597647944928628882007-07-09T09:32:00.000+01:002007-07-09T09:32:00.000+01:00Is it the structure you don't like?David Moleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07334889574898460118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-34264013985515101492007-07-09T09:07:00.000+01:002007-07-09T09:07:00.000+01:00anonymous 4:28 AM:<BR/><BR/>The <I>Difference Engine</I> is a "flawed vision" because it isn't actually a very good novel despite containing some very cool and interesting ideas.Charles Pooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06329206649968577862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-49331510209092380072007-07-09T06:36:00.000+01:002007-07-09T06:36:00.000+01:00The last attempt was made by this gentleman<BR/><BR/>http://home.primus.com.au/wallrus/steam/info.htm<BR/><BR/>Much cheaper than a telsaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-20625635398221658122007-07-09T06:34:00.000+01:002007-07-09T06:34:00.000+01:00Ahhh go easy on the poor guy. His last name's "Pooter" for chrissakes.Tired Alwaysnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-91388988903689381142007-07-09T04:51:00.000+01:002007-07-09T04:51:00.000+01:00Indeed?TwiliteMinotaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458832615598290324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9783312.post-61122198435834658512007-07-09T04:28:00.000+01:002007-07-09T04:28:00.000+01:00Why "...flawed vision..." ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com