How can you have any reviews of science fiction without covering William Gibson? (No, I mean it. I don’t think it’s possible.)
Regardless, Mona Lisa Overdrive gets right up there in my list of favorite novels in the cyberpunk genre. Gritty and dirty; ultra-slick and modern, Gibson covers the world of the “it-could-still-happen.” One of the fantastic things about Gibson is the pure believability of the world he portrays.
This particular novel revolves around organized crime, multi-national corporations, and wandering high-tech gypsies.
It’s almost impossible to effectively describe the inner-workings of a Gibson novel, and Mona Lisa Overdrive is no different. The first time through I’ll freely confess that I spent most of the time confused — it took a couple passes before the story really made sense.
You have to have a taste for pure environment to really enjoy Mona Lisa Overdrive. Once you follow it, the story is gripping; but when you’re confused, you’ll thrive on the tarnished technology of what could be our future.
Is this really science fiction? Unclear. Bit of sci fi, bit of fantasy…but that’s often the case with the works of Diana Wynne Jones! Regardless, this book is awesome.
Arguably, it’s also written for the junior-high to high school age crowd, but that’s what I was when I first read it, so I’ve got a strong streak of nostalgia preying on me in this review.
Ah yes, the books I loved to read while ignoring the people who wanted to beat me up… 
The protagonist is a 13-year-old boy (consistent with other books written for this age group), who comes home one afternoon to find “the Goon” sitting in his living room demanding several pages of nonsense written by his father. This, of course, makes little sense, but it gradually becomes apparent that there is a whole society of arrogant and somewhat childish wizards* who are desperately interested in acquiring this nonsense.
So it becomes more than a little necessary to discover why — since it appears that jobs, eating and staying warm seem to be part of what is on the line.
This may sound a little silly. And perhaps it is. But isn’t that an important part of what makes a story unique and interesting?
* “Wizard” is never really how I’ve imagined them. They certainly don’t come attired in robes and pointy hats (well, most of them.) However, I am struggling to come up with any better term.
Filed under Reviews by Joe