More from Alt.Cyberpunk

[John M. Krafft]

From:	MIAVX1::JMKRAFFT     29-FEB-1992 18:58:15.55
To:	
CC:	JMKRAFFT    
Subj:	Re: Pynchon & Gibson

X-News: miavx1 alt.cyberpunk:6755
From: tmaddox at milton.u.washington.edu (Tom Maddox)
Subject:Re: Pynchon & Gibson
Date: 25 Feb 92 09:41:37 GMT
Message-ID:<1992Feb25.094137.19597 at u.washington.edu>

	With regard to the question of influences running whatever direction
between Pynchon and Gibson:

	Gibson had read _Gravity's Rainbow_ when I first met him ca. 1981.
In fact, at an sf con of that era (a Norwescon), we wore name tags reading,
variously, Pig Bodine, Tyrone Slothrop, and Benny Profane--there may have
been others.  I don't remember who wore which ones, or why; and yeah you 
probably had to be there to find it Really Funny, which we did.  

	And he's also been in the habit over the years of citing Pynchon in
response to P. K. Dick, because he feels that Pynchon gives the quintessential
Dickian experience, except purer--he has used the metaphor of freebase several
times, as I recall.

	As to influence the other direction:  when I first read _Vineland_, I 
was struck by the similar themes--the ninjette in particular.  Gibson thought
he knew some of the books Pynchon had used in researching Tokyo.  We talked
about all that, to no particular end.  

	So I asked him, in light of the conjectures on this topic, if he now
thought Pynchon had read any of his work, and he said he wished that Pynchon
had left just one word, one clear token, that would unambiguously show he'd
done so.  Gibson doesn't think he has; I don't know of one either.  But if I
had to make an even money bet, I'd bet Pynchon's read some Gibson.